Pursuing Excellence Through Experience

2012 Review of Co-operative Education at Waterloo

Department Chairs’ ForumThursday October 25, 2012

Presentation Outline• Process for the Review• Co-op at Waterloo, 2012• Highlights of Recommendations

– Vision and Mission Statements– Students– Employers– Institution– Metrics

Process for Review of Waterloo Co-op

• Set by the Co-operative Education Council• Seven Themes for Examination

– Vision and mission statements, opportunities for innovation– Integration between work term and classroom learning– Employment rates, especially for first work terms– University of Waterloo as a model co-op employer– Connections to student success initiatives– Talent management for employers– Engagement among all stakeholders

Terms of Reference

Committee Members• Chair: Judene Pretti, WatCACE• Associate Deans: Ron McCarville, Wayne

Parker• Co-operative Education and Career Action

Directors: Rocco Fondacaro, Ross Johnston• Student Leaders: Natalie Cockburn, Eric

Cousineau, Adam Garcia, Bryanne Pashley

Timelines for Review• June 2011: terms of reference established• September 2011: committee started work• April 2012: self-study prepared by committee

submitted to Co-op Education Council• June 2012: external review visit• November 2012: expected completion of final

report

Input to the Review• Progress towards recommendations from

the 2005 review• Stakeholder research project initiated by

CECA and conducted by PostStone Inc. – More than 30 input sessions with employers,

students, faculty, staff, alumni, and sr. admin• Feedback from external review team

External Review• Three day visit in June 2012• Norah McRae, Co-op Director at

University of Victoria, BC and President of Canadian Association for Co-op (CAFCE)

• Dr. Kettil Cedercreutz, Associate Provost, University of Cincinnati

• Mike Esch, Sr. Director, Christie Digital

Co-op at Waterloo, 2012

• Size/Growth• Competitive Landscape• Faculties and Co-op• Largest Co-op Employer• Feedback from External Reviewers• Emerging Strategic Priorities from

PostStone project

Co-op at Waterloo, 2012

Size/Growth of Co-op

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-120

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

Students Scheduled out by Year in All Faculties

Scheduled outLinear (Scheduled out)

Competitive Landscape• 80 institutions in Canada offering co-op

programs• Companies post positions at more than one

institution and may prefer hiring local talent• Other institutions are strategic about ways

they can differentiate themselves with employers (e.g. earlier or more flexible dates, longer work terms)

• Each Faculty has an Associate Dean responsible for Co-op

• Co-operative Education Council meets monthly• Some Faculties using co-op data to inform

program reviews and accreditation requirements• Prism Publication by CECA• Referrals for job leads from faculty to CECA• Faculty Relations Managers in CECA

Faculties and Co-op

Feedback from External Reviewers

“The University of Waterloo has a world class reputation for co-operative education excellence and this reputation is well deserved.”

Identified themes to explore:• integration • increased flexibility for students• collecting and using feedback from employers

and students

Highlights of Recommendations

Co-operative Education at Waterloo

Vision“Pursuing Excellence Through Experience”

Mission“Enhancing learning through workplace experience”

Students• Pre-arrival communication strategy about

how to best prepare for co-op• Research on correlations between

Admission Information form and co-op success

• Interventions for two high risk groups• Increase opportunity and awareness for

non-traditional work terms

Employers• Work with Faculties to examine where opportunities

exist to give students and employers more flexibility in the length of work terms

• Continue work underway to formalize a strategy to help employers meet short and long term hiring needs

• Provide opportunities for employers to network and receive recognition for their contribution to Waterloo co-op

Institution – Outcomes• Engage faculty at the program level by

ensuring that the role of co-op in developing outcomes of graduates is considered during outcomes assessment exercises such as those mandated by COU (UDLE) and CEAB.

Institution - Integration• Explore alternate forms of co-op

assessment– New Student Performance Evaluation form

(by employers) to connect to UDLE and CEAB– Alternatives to work reports (Accounting,

Pharmacy, AHS)• Work with CTE and newly appointed

Teaching Fellows

Institution - Model Employer• Spring 2012: Research project conducted by

14 co-op students working for 7 different departments

• Fall 2012: Presentations on findings and next steps

• Winter 2013– Pilot welcome package of best practices– Establish a cross-campus working group

Framework for Co-op MetricsStudent Employer

Experience between student and employer

- Recruiting experience- Work term quality- Support on work term

- Recruiting experience- Work term quality- Organizational outcome

Process - Enough relevant job postings

- Job search process- Process changes

managed smoothly and communicated effectively

- Recruiting process- Work term support- uW relationship

management- Process changes managed

smoothly and communicated effectively

Questions? Comments?