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EDUCATION
Partnerships and pathways for Ontario After five years in Ontario, Charles Sturt University has signaled it is here to stay with three new programs on offer to professionals in Canada’s most populous Province.
 It is frosty, foggy and minus two degrees in Bathurst in Central New South Wales, Australia, and Will Letts is happy.“It would be minus 20 in Burlington [Ontario] in the middle of winter, and the wind could be howling from the Arctic Circle making it even colder,” says the Head of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Ontario School of Education.
An Associate Professor in Education, Professor Letts was in Bathurst to prepare for the coming northern academic year, which commenced in August with the fifth annual intake of education students at CSU in Ontario. It also signaled an expansion of programs offered from the Burlington site, near the shores of Lake Ontario.
Professor Letts is enthusiastic about the coming year. “This year sees a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program from CSU’s Faculty of Business also offered in Ontario, signaling wider acceptance of our presence in North America.”
From humble beginnings
In 2002, the Ontario Provincial Government amended the Post-Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act (2000) to allow ‘out-of-province’ institutions to set up in Ontario. Later that year the University’s Faculty of Education applied to the Provincial Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to offer a one-year Bachelor of Primary Education Studies in Ontario.
Working with the Halton District School Board and the Halton District Catholic School Board, who wanted involvement in developing the program and providing access to their schools, over 100 students were in the first intake began in August 2005.
Around 200 students now enrol each year in the program.
 “Ontario students were coming to Australia to study graduate entry programs at CSU until the mid 1990s,” says Emeritus Professor Bob Meyenn, who retired as Dean in 2005 and was appointed Provost of CSU in Ontario in 2006. “When Ontario’s legislation changed in 2002, it seemed like a natural thing for CSU to set up in the Province.” “Designing a program from scratch in partnership with the profession is a rare opportunity in your academic career. This program is state of the art, based on international best practice, and is something for which the Faculty and Charles Sturt University should be proud.”
Partnerships and pathways
Having already led the Ontario School of Education for the past year, Professor Letts has been struck by the partnerships that the program has engendered between CSU and the Province’s education system.
“We often hear from teachers and administrators in schools that host our practicum students, and in schools that hire our graduates, about how pleased they are with our program and the caliber of our graduates,” says Professor Letts.
“The enduring elements of our program are now well known within the Ontario school sector, and that motivates us at CSU in Ontario to keep pushing ourselves to improve. The schools particularly appreciate the professional experience placement alongside the University coursework, support for schools and teachers who host our practicum students, and teaching teams of Canadian and Australian staff members bringing multiple perspectives to subject matter.
 “We frequently refer to the values that underpin our program – social justice, global citizenship, ethical practice, wellness and sustainability – to ensure that we are bringing them to life through our actions.”
Professor Letts is particularly proud of the success in forging and maintaining mutually productive relationships with local education partners. “These relationships strengthen our work and help to inform and sustain our efforts to make the Charles Sturt University’s primary education program the best in Ontario.
”The Ontario experience is the latest manifestation of the University’s long-standing commitment to and excellence in creating innovative pathways that make options in higher education available to future professionals.”
Full steam ahead
 From the start of the new academic year, CSU is offering three new programs through its Ontario Campus: the MBA from the Faculty of Business, as well as the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies and Master of International Education [School Leadership] programs from the Faculty of Education.These programs continue to demonstrate the partnerships with professional organizations and other institutions and alternative pathways to tertiary education that underlie so many CSU degrees.
The Acting Dean of the University’s Faculty of Business, Professor Ken Dillon, says the MBA program has already received public support from one of Canada’s most prestigious universities, McMaster.
“The McMaster MBA program is targeted to young graduates in their 20s who are commencing careers in business management and looking to study full-time, on campus,” says Professor Dillon.
“The CSU MBA program has been designed for individuals with significant work experience who are looking to improve their existing qualifications and career prospects through part-time and flexible education.”
Director of the CSU MBA program, Professor Grant O’Neill, notes the University offers a different pathway to the MBA, one developed through delivery to students around the world.
“We offer Canadians a high-quality international education in a way that is far more ‘lifestyle friendly’ than traditional MBA programs,” Professor O’Neill says.
Leading education
Similarly, the new Faculty of Education programs offer Ontario teachers and education leaders another pathway in their careers.
“The early childhood program was developed in partnership with Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology to create a new pathway in the education of early childhood professionals,” says Professor Letts.
Students who successfully complete two-year early childhood education diplomas at the colleges can receive full credits towards the four year Honours degree at CSU.
“Our program also supports many of the recommendations made to the Premier of Ontario in the recently released ‘With Our Best Future in Mind’ Report about full-day early learning for all four and five-year-olds. We are leading the way in raising the professional standards of early childhood and pre-school educators in Ontario.”
The Masters program in education leadership was also developed through a partnership with the Ontario Principals’ Council.
“School leaders today may act locally, but they look globally when working to solve problems and improve their practice. This degree aims to facilitate those processes,” Professor Letts says.
ends Author: Wes Ward Publication Date: 22 Sep 2009
Editor's Note: Associate Professor Letts is now back in Ontario, preparing for the next another Canadian winter. Read more on the MBA and early childhood education courses. Media Note: For interviews with Associate Professor Letts in Ontario, contact Sara Lam at CSU in Ontario on 905 333 4955. For other interviews, contact CSU Media. Print quality photos are also available from CSU Media. Related Images:  |
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