THUNDER BAY – Increasing the school’s Indigenous population, both in the student body and staff, is one of the key pillars of Confederation College’s latest five-year plan.
College president Kathleen Lynch on Thursday said she’s excited about putting the plan into motion and the impact it should have on the region and its people.
“Prior to completing our strategic plan, we did a review of systemic racism at Confederation College. That was the foundation for a lot of our new direction – how can we achieve better outcomes for our Indigenous students, have more Indigenous faculty to reflect our region and better partnerships with our Indigenous communities,” Lynch said.
“That’s certainly a focus. We’ve always prided ourselves on Indigenous studies and Indigenous focus, but it was embedded in our last strategic plan and the board thought it was important to have this as a separate pillar – and I think they’re exactly right. It deserves its own focus and own specific objectives.”
The goal is to meet or beat the region’s Indigenous population percentage of about 18 per cent in the student body.
Other pillars include a commitment to access and success, the creation of a positive and supportive environment that attracts students from near and far and meets their education needs in an ever-changing post-secondary dynamic.
The Thunder Bay-based school also plans to continue its dedication to institutional excellence and be recognized as a standout and progressive organization, and focus on community prosperity of enrich the life, prosperity and sustainability of the communities in which it operates.
The latter means convincing more international students to attend the college, a plan that was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a 48 per cent decrease in the number of students from other countries in 2020-21.
“When we can get international students back, that means we can offer the range to our domestic and Indigenous students that they’re looking for, because (international students) really help fill our classrooms,” Lynch said.
It’s also beneficial to the region, which it’s been said needs to attract up to 50,000 outsiders to move to the area between now and 2035 to meet a changing job market.
Kristen Oliver, chair of the college’s board of directors, said she’s hoping the plan, which was consulted upon before the arrival of COVID-19, but whose outlook has been influenced in part by the pandemic, will convince the province to recognize the resource opportunities in the Northwest and how they can help build hope and opportunity for everyone.
“How does the college fit into that? How do we respond? How do we ensure that employers are meeting their needs by having students that are graduating from this facility educated to continue on and work in the workforce?”
In part this means continually evaluating the courses that are being offered, to ensure the college is responding to that evolving job market and for what employers are looking.
“I think the college recognizes that we have to be flexible and respond to those needs of employers in Thunder Bay and in the region.”
Students and faculty were consulted and had plenty of input in the final plan, Lynch said.
