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Aurora College review behind schedule

Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart is disappointed a foundational review of Aurora College will not be complete by this fall, as originally promised. On March 6, Education, Culture and Employment Minister Alfred Moses announced an independent review of the college was being undertaken to direct the government’s long-term vision for the institution. Moses said the review would be finished by fall 2017 and implemented in the 2018-19 school year.

But the contract for the work is still in the process of being awarded. “It’s fairly disappointing, to put it mildly, that this review is delayed,” said Testart.

According to a request for proposals (RFP) for the review, the contract term is from approximately July to December 2017, with “no option to extend this contract once dates are agreed upon.”

The RFP closed July 31, with three bidders applying for the job: MNP LLP, Deloitte Inc. and Higher Education Strategy Associates.

Until the review is complete, admissions to the college’s social work and teacher education programs are on hold – a decision that came this March after regular MLAs lashed back against looming financial cuts threatening to end the two programs.

The foundational review is intended to examine the college’s governance and operation structure, making sure programs are run effectively and meet labour market needs, states the RFP.

A 10-year strategic plan for the college that was already underway will now “be folded into the foundational review,” Moses stated in March.

Testart said while some programs at Aurora College have been successful, the school’s performance has been lagging in recent years. He said the college needs to provide comprehensive education programs that result in degrees if it wants to prepare Northerners for jobs.

“The longer we wait to do this, the more difficult it’s going to be to make those changes because it will take additional resources,” he said.

However, not everyone agrees on what direction the college should take.

“There continues to be this kind of back and forth as to what Aurora College should be,” said Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne. “There’s a lot of talk in certain areas of the territory about wanting to advance a university in the Northwest Territories and there are those that believe Aurora College needs to be that university.”

But Vanthuyne said he doesn’t think that’s what the school was ever intended for.

Rather, the college was developed to advance residents’ skills and support local hiring, he said.

Hay River North MLA R.J. Simpson’s concern is that not enough attention is paid to other educational hubs in the NWT – particularly community learning centres.

“I think they are one of the keys to the future prosperity of the territory,” he said, explaining the people who work there have the best understanding of what is needed on the ground. “There are people in the communities who need help getting into the job market.”

Simpson said the current governance structure at the college has not allowed the community learning centres to “innovate.”

“That’s why this foundational review is important,” Simpson said. “You’ve got to look at the whole ‘How do we view post-secondary in the territory?’ Aurora College is a big part of that, obviously, but it might not be the only part.”

Testart said he worries the minister’s dismissal of Aurora College’s board of governors in June will give the education department “free reign to make cuts where it sees necessary, rather than to support the programs that are working and the students that are currently enrolled in those programs.”

But Simpson said he is pleased to see the RFP calls for engagement with aboriginal governments, friendship centres, college students, the Northern Farm Training Institute, the NWT Association of Communities, NWT Chamber of Commerce and others.

Vanthuyne is hopeful the foundational review will settle the debate about what Aurora College should be so it can begin serving those needs best.

“We can all throw pie at the government for delays, I suppose, but I want to make sure that we’re getting this right,” he said.

Yellowknifer requested an interview with a representative from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, but an interview was not granted.
Kelly Mahoney, senior policy advisor with the department, told Yellowknifer via email an announcement would be made when the contract is awarded.