Much ado about three terms and winter intakes

Eleven programs at Algonquin College will begin to accept winter intakes starting in the winter of 2020 for the first time. The programs cut across the School of Media and Design, School of Hospitality and Tourism, School of Health and Community Studies, the Centre of Construction Excellence and the School of Business.

Each program staring a winter intake in 2020 will run differently from the other.

Chris Jazen, acting vice president academic at Algonquin College, says the addition of the winter intakes is to meet up with the increase in applications to the programs by applicants.

“We are trying to choose very carefully which programs to institute new intakes where there will be strong student demand,” said Janzen.

There’s also been a concern amongst current students on if their programs will run all year long or if they will stick to the two-term schedules.

“There is no clear instruction on how it works, but I’m most concerned about how this translates financially,” said Maurice Elbishty, second-year business administration student.

Janzen said there has always been a three-term schedule but mostly for Non-Semester Diploma Programs (NSDP).

“The college is trying to increase the number of programs available during the spring term because we can’t have expensive equipment lying dormant during the summer,” said Janzen.

Aside from NSDP programs, it will be uncommon to require a student to be in school during the spring and summer semesters.

However, the introduction of more winter intakes at the college is to afford students the flexibility they need to finish their programs based on their schedule.

“It allows students to be able to have back to back work terms without getting reasonably behind on the academic portion of their studies,” said Janzen.

He added that the college decides what programs require more than one intake based on student interest, a significant waitlist for fall and strong international demand.

The strategic enrollment committee ensures that there is enough demand, space and faculty before approving a new intake at the college.

The strategic enrollment committee consists of the Dean of the faculty, chair of the program and coordinators of the program.

The introduction of new winter intakes and the continuation of NSDP is one of the college’s strategic themes with the learner-driven plan.

“Students want more flexibility, employers want more flexibility, and that’s what we are trying to achieve,” said Janzen