A few months ago, Mohawk College’s communications staff invited a few Hamilton journalists for a morning chat with new President Paul Armstrong and a tour of the Applied Health Sciences campus.
The chat happened a few weeks ago, and I left with a favourable impression of Armstrong and his plans for the College.
Armstrong displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of the College.
He was direct with his answers. It was refreshing.
Too many post-secondary executive heads pull out rehearsed speaking points, seemingly oblivious to the questions they are answering.
A couple of things stood out for me in the discussion:
– Armstrong plans to lead the College at least two terms as President;
– Armstrong says it is not enough to enroll people who face barriers to higher education. The College must retain them, give them the support they need to graduate, and ensure they get meaningfully connected to the workforce;
– He understands Mohawk’s role in the broader community and society: What it can do well. What it cannot do well; and
– He understands Mohawk’s credibility is critical to the College’s thriving in the era of micro-credentialing and rapid technological change.
With 38 Years at Mohawk, Armstrong Could Make It 50
Armstrong says he hopes to lead the College for ten years. Dependent, of course, on the Board of Governors renewing him for a second five-year term.
He shared his personal story of choosing Mohawk College, leaving Owen Sound, gaining his diplomas in both diagnostic ultrasound and radiological technology during the late 1980s, working in Hamilton, teaching at Mohawk, joining the College full-time and then climbing the ranks.
Armstrong’s story is Mohawk’s story.
It quickly became apparent he sees himself giving back to Mohawk College – where he’s spent almost his entire adult life, and that he’ll spend the next decade securing Mohawk College’s future.
I missed the obvious question, will Armstrong stay beyond a 10-year term, maybe an extra two to make it 50 years since he stepped onto the campus?
Not Building an Empire that Crumbles
He does not plan to empire-build, a folly that too many post-secondary leaders pursue.
The result is always the same: long-term debt that burdens and limits the institution well into the future.
Many Ontario universities face fiscal distress as the bonds they issued 25 years ago become due.
25 years ago, universities rushed to add non-academic amenities as they raced to compete for double-cohort enrolment.
Today, McMaster University faces challenges renting rooms in its private-public 10 Bay Street South residence.
Most of Ontario’s colleges now face a fiscal crisis after the Ontario government shut down their private college partnerships that sold enrolment as a pathway to Canadian citizenship. The federal government is more strictly regulating international student visas.
Mohawk College recently acquired a portion of the Brow Lands on the former Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital site across Fennell Avenue from the main campus.
Armstrong says having the lands is essential to Mohawk’s ability to expand and adapt in the future.
Refreshingly, he shared that the College does not yet know what it will build on the land.
For too long, Hamilton’s institutional leaders have brought forth ‘ambitious’ plans that fail. McMaster University’s “Innovation Park” is effectively bankrupt. New proposals for sports facilities have seen Hamilton City Council pursue Pan Am and Commonwealth Games, all while infrastructure deficits increase.
Retention, Graduation, Workforce, and Focusing on What Mohawk Can Do Well
Armstrong says Mohawk College is responsible for ensuring first-generation students, especially from socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, are not only being admitted to higher education – the College needs to ensure they graduate and find meaningful employment in the workforce.
The costs to achieve are up-front. The results will be incremental, and the benefit accrues to society – it does not appear on the College’s balance sheet.
CityLab and City School are important initiatives for Mohawk College in the broader community.
The recent leasing of 55 Catharine Street South as a downtown student residence fills a need for the College and has positive spin-off effects for Downtown Hamilton.
Consistently, Armstrong’s responses reveal a leader who understands Mohawk’s future is only sustainable if it focuses on what it can do well.
Mohawk’s expansion into Burlington is because there is a need for more health sciences training there and a business case to ensure the expansion is successful for students and the community.
Armstrong said he expects many people who live in Halton Region that enrol at Mohawk’s Hamilton campus will likely fill seats in Burlington – ‘opening up more spaces for Hamiltonians.’
Over 3,000 students are enrolled in joint McMaster-Mohawk programs. Armstrong said Mohawk’s partnerships with McMaster are important to both institutions.
Mohawk’s Credibility Matters in the Age of Micro-credentials
Armstrong listed various Mohawk College programs that have retooled and changed in recent years, responding to an ever-quickening pace of technological and process changes across industries.
Past Mohawk graduates are increasingly returning to the College to update their training and are seeking micro-credentials.
Nearly any entity can offer micro-credentials, especially online course offerings. They are not regulated like diplomas or degrees. They are not geographically constrained, and with marginal per-user costs for massive open online courses, competitors can easily undercut tuition.
Ontario’s universities long ago entered into competition with colleges, offering applied education under the auspices of “continuing education” offerings.
Armstrong says the college will offer meaningful and relevant micro-credentials, mindful that reputation is the college’s greatest asset. This will require the College to focus on its strengths and not branching into credentialing outside of those strengths.
[When massive open online courses first appeared late in the first decade of this century, there were plenty of predictions they would upend higher education. They have not made a dent.]
On Challenges
Free Expression and Mohawk College’s Status as a Crown Agency
I asked Armstrong how he would deal with controversy, citing that Mohawk College offers its McIntyre Theatre for rent – the only rental venue in Hamilton offered by a Crown agency and must comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ protections for free expression.
In 2019, the People’s Party of Canada hosted one of their events at the College. Physical clashes occurred outside the event. The College was heavily criticized for ‘permitting’ the rental.
Armstrong’s response to my challenge question explained the complexities of leading a public institution in our present atmosphere of political polarization.
Mohawk’s Finances
Armstrong stated Mohawk experienced a drop in international enrollment, but it was not as severe as comparable colleges across Southern Ontario.
Mohawk was not as exposed, entering its partnership scheme with private Toronto career colleges later than most.
Domestic enrolment is strong, and Mohawk has been more strategic with its capital expansions in recent decades than others.
Mohawk’s Future
Armstrong’s answers revealed he understands that Mohawk cannot be all things to all people. The institution’s role is to provide applied advanced education.
His experience in the community and at Mohawk has prepared him for the coming decade of change for the institution.
Too many post-secondary executive heads try to build new empires but instead leave a crumbling institution in their wake.
Armstrong is ready for the challenges ahead, and I’m confident Mohawk is ready for the decade ahead.
Note: due to the nature of Friday’s conversation, I was not recording or taking detailed notes. This is why there are no direct quotations in this op-ed.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 Published: September 22, 2024 Last updated: September 22, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version