Georgian College has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with four other Ontario colleges to collaborate on a framework to offer military-connected students barrier-free and local access to program completion.
The MOU was signed simultaneously by Georgian, Humber, Fanshawe, Lambton and Loyalist colleges.
“This MOU strengthens our promise to military-connected students by collaborating with other Ontario colleges to reduce any barriers they may face,” said Dr. Rebecca Sabourin, Dean, Engineering and Environmental Technologies, Skilled Trades. “The learner is at the centre of all our decisions at Georgian and we’re happy to partner with these other colleges to ensure our military-connected students are supported beyond Georgian if they experience an inter-provincial move due to their service in the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Dr. Sabourin added that the colleges will work collectively to support military-connected students academically and socially and where possible, the colleges will undertake several initiatives, including:
- Transfer up to 100% of course credits between institutions while recognizing distinct college requirements
- Streamline the enrolment process between institutions
- Encourage a sharing of assessment and recognition practices for military-affiliated prior learning for institutional consistency
- In cases of an unexpected Canadian Armed Forces move, enable late entry into the military-connected student
- Market military-connected opportunities to current and prospective students
Military-connected students include learners who are currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, whether in the regular or reserve force, Veterans and their immediate family members.
Georgian announced their designation as a military-connected college last September and this MOU is another way the college is supporting military-connected learners. As a military-connected college, Georgian offers an exceptional education, coupled with scholarships and academic, social and mental health supports to help learners thrive and succeed as they transition from military to civilian life.
Th MOU process was led by Darryl Cathcart, a retired Canadian Armed Forces soldier and founder of Release Point Education, an organization that supports military-connected students. Cathcart also championed a new feature in the Ontario College Application System (OCAS). OCAS will now include a self-identification option allowing military-connected learners to disclose their Canadian Armed Forces affiliation. This new feature is supported by all 24 Ontario colleges and allows participating colleges to identify newly enrolled military-connected students and establish dedicated support and services for this underrepresented group.
Members of the military community are encouraged to visit GeorgianCollege.ca/military to learn more about all the military-connected college supports, including sources of federal funding, as well as to find out if they’re eligible for the communication or general education credits.