The minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Caroline Cochrane, is looking ahead at the proposed transition of Aurora College to a polytechnic university.
The minister released a new strategic framework and shared the government's vision of what a new polytechnic university in the territory could look like.
Brett McGarry / NNSL photo
This is in response to the Aurora College Foundational Review and a plan to guide the work to build post secondary education in the territory.
"I have, right through my term as a minster, said 'nothing about us without us, so it is very critical that all residents had the opportunity to provide feedback about the vision,"
Cochrane said she has taken into account close to 6,800 comments from 743 people who responded to the government's public post-secondary survey. In the same survey, 26 per cent of those who commented were youth, which Cochrane describes as the stakeholders of the new institution.
"Every resident in the NWT has equity in reaching their full potential through post secondary education through institutions that are centred, accessible, high quality, relative and accountable."
The goals released in the post secondary vision prioritize student success, increase access to post-secondary education opportunities, remain responsive to labour demands, remain responsive to local and regional need and support the growth of the knowledge economy.
Cochrane said these goals will guide the vision and give markers for evaluation as the government works to improving education in the territory.
One point that was heard loud and clear in the public engagement process is that students on various campuses across the NWT do not necessarily want to move.
"When we went to Fort Smith, students were saying – 'I don't want to go to school in Yellowknife or Inuvik'", said Cochrane, who elaborated the sentiment was shared on all campuses.
"Students want to have options."
Cochrane also explored the idea of a central campus for a school as being "dated."
"The whole idea of having a brick and mortar campus, isn't that a little bit old?," she asked
"Is that an ideology that we're so used to in our post secondary that is has to be bricks and mortar? We're in a day of technology."
"We're expanding the areas of distance education. I think that's the way of the future. Maybe we need to start that conversation and start looking at how we look at our post secondary education so that it meets what's happening today in technology and what the future will look like."
Considering the lack of high speed internet in some parts of the territory, Cochrane said the education system in junior kindergarten to Grade 12 has increased bandwidth provided specifically for students in 22 learning centres across the territory.
"If we have it in place already, why can't we expand that?," she asked.
Cochrane's big message to the next education minister is to keep focused on student success, to keep moving forward toward quality education and have a strong focus on building a successful polytechnic university.
Cochrane said previously that it will take close to six years for Aurora College to become a polytechnic university.
Aurora College will now be developing a strategic plan of their own, and to plan their own vision with more public engagement this fall.
Cochrane said timelines are unclear with the upcoming election and a new government's priorities.