Published: March 2017
By: Jamie Ricci
Executive summary
This report is intended to support the development of engineering access programs for Indigenous peoples across Canada. In contrast to traditional processes that were developed to meet the needs of majority culture students, access programs for Indigenous students are specially developed to suit students’ entry to post-secondary education.
A review of pre-existing literature was conducted to determine the best practices for access program implementation in Canadian engineering education. However, a robust literature focus on Canadian engineering access programs was not readily available and no best practices could be identified from the limited literature. Instead, a summary of consensus practices, or those activities that have been identified or implemented in numerous programs but have yet to be thoroughly evaluated, are presented.
The seven consensus practices described in this report are activities that many program managers have deemed important to their programs’ success. These consensus practices should guide the implementation of programs aimed at Indigenous peoples’ access to engineering education. Although some components are essential to program implementation, as they undergird other components and play a critical role in supplying a quality program, others can be adapted to suit the context of the post-secondary institution and its resources.
Related
- Engineers Canada report outlines practices to increase Indigenous peoples’ representation in engineering education
- ICYMI: Presentation on Indigenous access to engineering programs
- Indigenous access to engineering programs providing knowledge, opportunities
- New Indigenous access program seeks to break barriers