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General Principles on Articulation Agreements |
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Introduction |
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universities and colleges have traditionally had very distinct roles and
missions, there are signs that these roles are becoming less exclusive as
cooperation between universities and colleges is becoming more and more
common. Many university graduates enrol in college certificate and credential
programs after graduation. Some provinces have given to colleges a limited
degree-granting status. Many universities across Canada have developed articulation
agreements with community and regional colleges (which often ladder a two-year
certificate into a four-year university degree). Mount Allison already has
an informal articulation agreement in its academic calendar: the University
“may grant up to 30 credits on a 120-credit degree program for appropriate
courses completed at NBCC” (s. 3.9.5). |
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has often been argued that the role of a college is to provide practical,
applied instruction in a trade or a profession. A university, it is argued
on the other hand, should operate on a higher, more conceptual plane and
focus on critical thinking, logic, and so on, through a relatively standardized
liberal arts and sciences curriculum. As is often the case with such ideal
types, the reality is not quite so clear in theory or in practice. Universities
have long included programs with professional or skills-based elements in
them—for example, business, law, music, and engineering. Many existing
Mount Allison programs and degrees have an applied or “skills”
element to them: accounting, statistics, music performance, second-language
instruction. On the other hand, increasing numbers of trades and professions
are now requiring degrees for certification. Moreover, the intellectual
and academic content of a wide array of college courses is quite substantive
and at a university standard. None of this should be seen as taking anything
away from the value of a bachelor’s degree in its own right, which
has been shown to have undeniable social and economic benefits for individuals
and for civil society as a whole. |
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| Principles |
| 1. |
As
a public institution, Mount Allison University is committed to: |
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- program
co-operation amongst post-secondary institutions in New Brunswick
and across Canada;
- the
development of programs that benefit our students;
- easing
student mobility and access across the post-secondary system.
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| 2. |
Articulation
agreements must not compromise academic standards or the principles
of academic freedom. |
| 3. |
Articulation
agreements will normally not be considered unless the following characteristics
are present: |
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- There
is a significant University-level component to the proposed program;
- There
is a logical or strategic connection with existing Mount Allison
programs and degrees and/or areas of expertise and a high degree
of consistency with the University’s mission;
- The
proposed partner has a significant academic reputation and track
record.
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| 4. |
Articulation
agreements should be mutually advantageous to Mount Allison and the
proposed partner. |
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S.
McClatchie
December 2006; this rev. 3 March 2007 |
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| ©
Mount Allison University |
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January 27, 2010
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