- 4 - MESS A G E F R O M T H E PR ESI D EN T T he l as t y ear at N or t her n C ol l ege c an be s um m ar i z ed by t hr e e v er y pow er f ul w or ds – p ar t ner s hi p , i nnov a t i on and c om m i t m ent . O ur i ni t i at i v es f or t hi s ac ad em i c y ear w er e gui ded by t he f i v e pi l l ar s of our S t r at e gi c O per at i n g P l an w hi c h c onc l ud ed M ar c h 3 1 st of t hi s y ear . T he f i r s t pi l l ar , C om m uni t y - B a se d A cce ss di r ec t ed t h e c ol l eg e’ s ef f or t s i n s eek i ng and es t a bl i s hi ng par t ner s hi ps , f os t er i ng c ol l abor at i on a nd i n nov a t i on and ex pa ndi n g qu al i t y l ear ni ng op por t u ni t i es . 201 2 - 201 3 w as a h al l m ar k y ear f or c ol l ab o r at i o n a nd s aw t h e s i g ni ng of s ev er al s i gni f i c an t m em or a ndum s of u nder s t andi ng an d ar t i c ul at i on agr e em en t s b et w een our f el l ow c ol l e ges a nd u ni v er s i t i es . T hes e par t ner s hi ps r ev eal a pl ed ge t o pr ov i di ng i nc r e as ed s t ude nt ac c es s not o nl y b y N or t her n C ol l eg e b u t t hr oug ho ut t he pos t - s ec on dar y e duc a t i on s y s t em i n O nt ar i o. B y w or k i n g t og et h er w e ar e b et t er abl e t o ex pa nd pr ogr am of f er i ngs , i nc r eas e ed uc at i onal ac c es s an d pr ov i de en ha nc ed s t u dent s u ppor t t hr o ug ho u t nor t her n O n t ar i o. T hr oug h t h e pi l l ar o f A b o r ig in al C hoi c es an d D i r ec t i ons , N or t her n C ol l ege has t ak e n gr e at s t r i des t o bec om e an e nr i c hed env i r o nm ent of c ul t ur al un der s t a n di ng, r es pec t a nd di v er s i t y . W e h av e be en s t ea df as t in our ef f or t s t o i m pac t t h e p ar t i c i pat i o n, r e t ent i on a nd s uc c es s of A bor i gi n al l ear ner s w hi l e e nh anc i n g par t ner s hi ps w i t h F i r s t N at i on c om m u ni t i es . W e f or m al i z ed a n E l d er s o n C am p us i ni t i at i v e at al l f our of our c am pus es , br ok e gr ou nd a nd c el e br at e d A bor i gi n al c ul t ur e w i t h t h e c o ns t r uc t i o n of a per m an ent T i pi at t h e P or c upi n e C am pus , em be d ded A bor i gi n al c ul t ur e i n t o pr ogr am c ur r i c ul um an d pr o v i ded s t u de nt s , s t af f a nd f ac ul t y w i t h num er ous op por t uni t i es t o l e ar n a bou t A bor i gi n al c ul t ur e w hi l e t ak i ng p ar t i n t r a di t i onal a c t iv it ie s . N or t her n C ol l e ge i s c om m i t t ed t o b ui l di ng c apac i t y by r es po ndi n g t o t h e ne e ds an d c h oi c es of t h e A bor i gi n al c om m uni t i es t hat w e s er v e. I n di r ec t r es pon s e t o l ab our m ar k et dem an ds a nd i den t i f i ed t r ai ni n g r equi r em ent s , w e h av e ex pan d ed t h e d el i v er y of pr o g r am s i n F i r s t N at i on c om m uni t i es , as w el l as a t t he M oos on ee C am pus . W e hav e d ev el o ped s t r a t egi c par t ner s hi ps t hat s upp or t s oc i al and ec on om i c dev el o pm ent f or t he ben ef i t of o ur l ear n er s an d t h e r egi on. A n em ph as i s on or gani z at i onal dev el opm e nt a nd r e new al f or m ed t he t hi r d pi l l ar and c h ann el l ed o ur ac t i v i t i es t o i nc r e as e adv oc ac y ef f or t s , bui l d i nf r as t r uc t ur e a nd c ap ac i t y , i nc r eas e ef f i c i enc y an d pr oduc t i v i t y and i m pl em e nt qu al i t y i m pr ov em ent s t r at e gi es . N or t h er n C ol l ege s u bm i t t e d a s t r at egi c m and at e agr eem en t t o t he M i ni s t r y o f T r ai ni n g, C ol l eges and U ni v er s i t i es t hat w as r ef l ec t i v e o f o ur pr ogr am ar e as o f ex per t i s e adv oc at i ng f or an ap pr opr i at e agr e em ent de f i ni ng t h e c ol l eg e’ s uni que r ol e i n p os t - s ec on dar y educ at i o n. N or t her n c on t i n u ous l y par t i c i pat es i n pos t - s ec on dar y educ at i on v i s i on c o ns ul t a t i ons w hi l e enc o ur agi n g f ai r er di s t r i but i o n o f pr ov i nc i al f un di ng . R enov a t i ons t o o ur c am pu s es hav e r es ul t ed i n bet t e r s pac e u t i l i z at i on, up gr ad ed l abs , a nd i nc r e as e d ac c es s i bi l i t y . U pdat i ng pol i c i es , pr oc ed ur es and pr oc e s s s t andar ds h as ens ur ed c ons i s t enc y a nd s er v i c e ex c el l enc e t hr ou gho ut t h e c ol l ege. W e h av e w or k ed di l i gent l y t o pr ov i de an equi t a bl e, ac c es s i bl e l ear ni n g env i r onm en t .