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The Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Common, President and CEO of Sault College, as its new college co-chair of the Board.

“On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome Ron as ONCAT’s new co-chair representing the colleges,” says Deborah MacLatchy, President and Vice-Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University, and ONCAT Board co-chair representing the universities. “Ron’s 46 years of college and university experience will be a tremendous asset to ONCAT, particularly as the organization continues to build a seamless, fair, and efficient transfer system in Ontario.”

Ron Common is the President and CEO of Sault College. Prior to joining the college he was the Dean of Education at Nipissing University, a position he held for seven years. Prior to that, he was a university administrator at Nipissing, Brandon and Memorial Universities. He began his career as a professor of education administration, teaching at various universities across Canada. His research interests include educational issues related to Indigenous groups, managing organizational change within educational organizations and international development. For his 46-year career in education, he was awarded the Order of Ontario. Common earned his PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Ottawa.

“As a president representing an institution from a northern community, with a deep commitment to northern and Indigenous students, I am thrilled to be taking on this new role,” says Common. “ONCAT has built a strong foundation for institutional collaboration and expanded transfer pathways, but there is more work to be done in order to respond to the current and emerging needs of Ontario’s postsecondary students, particularly for those students wanting to stay and study within their communities.”

Added Yvette Munro, Executive Director of ONCAT: “President Common and Sault College have already demonstrated their commitment to credit transfer, as exemplified by the 870 transfer pathways, and almost 2,000 course equivalencies posted on ONTransfer.ca, our student transfer database. I am looking forward to the insights he will bring to our work.”

Established by the provincial government in 2011, ONCAT, in partnership with all the colleges and universities in Ontario, is a sector leader in developing and building a system of student mobility throughout the province. This collaborative approach is also reflected in ONCAT’s governance, with the Board leadership consisting of two presidents, one from a college and one from a university. Accordingly, Common assumes the role of college co-chair from Cheryl Jensen, former President and CEO of Algonquin College, who retired this past summer.

“We would like to thank Cheryl for her extraordinary leadership as the outgoing co-chair of the Board,” says MacLatchy. “Throughout her career she has been a strong advocate for student mobility, forging partnerships with other postsecondary institutions so that students can achieve lifelong success. We wish Cheryl well as she begins this next chapter in life.”

Founded in 2011, the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) was created to develop a system of mobility for students by building academic pathways and course equivalencies through its network of Ontario’s colleges, universities, and Indigenous institutes. With more than 60,000 students transferring every year, ONCAT helps to remove barriers for students, making their postsecondary education more seamless and affordable. ONCAT provides support to students looking to transfer through its website ONTransfer.ca. To learn more, visit www.oncat.ca.