Information Centre
Double Cohort Concerns
By Teen Health Centre
Jan 26, 2005, 18:43

Whether they’re looking forward to it or not, area students will soon prepare to head back to school; returning to the daily groove of homework and studying, teachers and assignments. Marking the end of summer and the shift into the next stage of learning, the 2003 school year will bring big changes into the lives of many scholars. Some will enter junior kindergarten, beginning their experience in the school system, and some are making the transition from grade eight to high school. Perhaps the most difficult challenges and changes will be faced by high school graduates embarking on a college or university education.
 
 Students entering Ontario Universities, and the University of Windsor, may have something else on their mind besides new notebooks, fall clothes and new friends. The impending “Double Cohort,” is a word that everyone has heard in the past few years, and for many graduating students and their parents, it brings a degree of concern. The end of the 2003 school year saw the graduates of the last OAC classes receiving their diplomas alongside the first group of grade twelve students from the new four-year program. This brings a vast and sudden increase in the amount of applicants to Ontario Colleges and Universities, and an on-going challenge of resources and planning. Questions arise such as “How are these institutions accommodating the increase in enrolment?” and “How will it affect the quality of my post-secondary education?” More importantly, students are thinking, “Will I get into the school I want?”
 
 Ontario Universities, working together with the Canadian Government, have anticipated the effects of the cohort for a long time, and are confident and even encouraged at the increase and their capacity to fulfill the needs of new scholars. They want to ensure that any qualified and motivated student has access to a higher education.
 
 At a recent press release, Ross Paul, Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Standing Committee on Government and Community Relations and President of the University of Windsor, expressed that Ontario Universities including the U of W are eager and more than ready to welcome a surplus of students to their campuses this fall. As of June 19th, 2003, close to 72,000 students had sent in their acceptance letter to an Ontario University, often their first choice. Over 102,000 applied for admission this year, an increase of 46% from last year.
 
 Over 91,000 students applied to an Ontario college this year, an increase of 12.9%. The effects of the double-cohort have been felt already at some colleges, as some students “fast-tracked” through high school, applying in 2002 to beat the rush of the cohort. Dan Patterson, chair of the Committee of Presidents of the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (ACAATO) recently expressed concern that the cohort will seriously stretch college resources, and the quality and access of education. In an effort to accommodate the additional students, ACAATO has requested a $1,400 per student increase of government funding in the year 2003-2004.
 
 Whether or not these institutions feel they have enough funding for the impending merge of students, new and returning scholars will unquestionably feel the effects for years to come. Competition for high-demand programs, which had already been difficult to get into, will be even greater with larger numbers of applicants. Admission standards are likely to have risen across the board, and financial assistance may be harder to come by. Those factors alone might make the cohort generation feel as though they haven’t been treated equally to previous applicants.
 
 Other issues that may affect students include increased class size, scheduling problems, and a shortage of available support services such as counselling and financial aid advice. The post-secondary institutions involved will have to implement additional teaching staff, as well as security, custodial and maintenance resources, and can foresee parking and traffic problems. The surplus of students will require more on-campus residences and social and recreational space. Additional computers and equipment upgrading may also be needed. These issues will not only affect cohort students, but college and university attendees in every year of study.
 
 The cohort numbers are expected to peak in 2004-2005, and although most Windsor area students already know whether or not they got into the school of their choice, the impacts will undoubtedly be apparent in their lives for years to come. The government, working together with colleges and universities, claim to have sufficient funding and resources, and say that they are ready to take on the double-cohort. As Windsor-area scholars head back to school this fall, parents and students will just have to watch and find out.
 
 For more information visit the following sites:
 
 The Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC)’s double cohort information page:
 http://www.ouac.on.ca/news/dblcohort/news-cohort.html 
 
 The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) double cohort page: http://www.cou.on.ca/HOME/DoubleCohort%20Info/double_cohort_intro.htm
 
 The Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (ACAATO):
 http://www.acaato.on.ca/new/index.html

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