U of m signs deal with ‘global education provider’

Navitas: a two-year pathway program for international students

Magally Zelaya, staff

The International College of Manitoba will begin teaching classes to international students on the U of M campus in September 2008.

Navitas, a company that defines itself as a “diversified global education service provider,” will operate the International College of Manitoba (ICM). Navitas was established out of Perth, Australia in 1994 in response to a high number of international students failing at Australian universities.

The institute will serve to “offer pre-university and pathway programs for students seeking to gain admission into the university’s academic programs,” according to a Navitas press release issued Nov. 26, 2007.

The institute will not have any legal affiliation with the University of Manitoba and the contract between the two parties has been defined as a “Recognition and Educational Services Agreement,” according to the release.

The pathway program is two years in length: the first year is a foundation year in which students gain the preparatory skills necessary to succeed in foreign language study. English language skills are emphasized.

In the second year of the program, students will follow a course of study that is equivalent to University 1 courses. These courses will be designed in conjunction with the U of M and would be pre-approved for transfer of credit. That is, if students meet the entrance requirements of the university (the same for all applicants) and are accepted into a program, they will gain credit for the work done in their second year at ICM.

ICM will offer small class sizes, more individual attention, ESL language instruction, and attention to personal and social development, according to Richard Lobdell, U of M vice-president (academic) and vice-provost (programs).

A maximum of 50 students, predominantly from Asia and, to a lesser extent, from India (areas where Navitas focuses its recruitment) are expected to come study at ICM, where they will be taught by locally hired instructors.

According to the release, “The University will provide Navitas with access to its teaching and other facilities and equipment as well as accommodation for the administration of the new college.”

Robert Kerr, vice-president (academic) and provost at the U of M is responsible for developing the details of the contract. He confirmed that the university would provide the institute with two classrooms and an office space that have yet to be selected.

A major impetus for the housing of a pathway program at the U of M comes in light of research presented by Kerr at the Jan. 9 meeting of senate that showed that 35-40 per cent of U of M’s international students are failing after their first year. A total of 479 international students were admitted to the U of M in the 2005-06 academic year.

Navitas has a success rate of 80-90 per cent, said Kerr.

The university is currently prioritizing the success of international students, as enrolment is expected to drop from the domestic arena of students, Kerr said. The university aims to maintain its current enrolment level of 10 per cent international students.

With ICM, Kerr hopes that the university will have a number of international students that can consistently be expected to apply for admission to the U of M.

As another advantage to housing the program, Kerr said ICM would provide “an opportunity to recover” for international students who have come to the U of M on their own and are not doing well academically. Kerr said Navitas agreed to be open to such students.

The terms of the contract are not being released by the U of M administration. When asked if the contract was a trial, Kerr said, “In my mind, that’s part of what it is.”

However, the Navitas press release stated that Navitas and the U of M have signed a “long-term agreement.”

As for revenue, the university does stand to make a profit from entering into this agreement, according to Kerr. “It’s not likely to be a large amount but it would certainly offset our expenses,” he said.

How the revenue will be dispersed has not been determined. Kerr guessed that some of the funds would go into general revenues and some to the university bodies that will aid in co-ordinating the program, such as extended education, as they may be involved in monitoring the program, and to departments that will help in the assessment of suitability for course transfer.

ICM will be Navitas’ 18th college worldwide and their second in Canada; the first being the Fraser International College at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, which has a legal affiliation, unlike the contract at the U of M.

Calls from SFU and Navitas were not immediately returned.

Controversy has arisen around the contract between the U of M and Navitas, especially surrounding issues of transparency, as neither the board of governors nor senate were made aware of the contract until a senate member discovered Navitas’ press release.

At the January meeting of senate, question were asked about the services that will be provided to students and staff of ICM, but Kerr said he could not provide details.

Navitas will be responsible for ensuring that students get health insurance, Kerr said.

As well, he did say that ICM students would likely be eligible for residence spots.

“I guess they’d be allowed to apply. I guess we’ll see how all that works out, but again there’s nothing here which is built in, so we’ll see how it works out,” he said.

See page six for more information on Navitas.