News

The Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Cheryl Jensen, President and CEO of Algonquin College, and Rhonda Lenton, President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, as its new Board Co-Chairs.

“On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled to welcome Cheryl and Rhonda to their new roles,” said Tim McTiernan, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and outgoing ONCAT Board Co-Chair (university). “Cheryl and Rhonda bring with them a breadth of higher education expertise, and a proven track record of enriching students’ learning through collaborative and innovative initiatives.“

Founded by the provincial government in 2011, ONCAT was created to facilitate and support academic collaboration and the development of transfer pathways among Ontario’s public colleges and universities. ONCAT’s governance truly exemplifies this goal; the Board leadership consisting of two Presidents, one from a college and one from a university. Accordingly, Jensen assumes the role of Co-Chair (college) from Glenn Vollebregt, St. Lawrence College President and CEO, and Lenton assumes the role from McTiernan.

“Ease of mobility within the postsecondary system is becoming increasingly essential to make sure we can meet the dynamic and unique needs of students, sector stakeholders, and, in fact, all Ontarians,” said Jensen. “ONCAT is at the forefront of this work, and I am thrilled to be taking on an active role through the Co-Chair position.”

Lenton, who has served on the ONCAT Board as a Director prior to her new Co-Chair role, echoed Jensen’s enthusiasm, and shared particular appreciation for the out-going Co-Chairs’ dedication and contributions. "Tim and Glenn have seen ONCAT through a tremendous amount of growth and established a solid foundation upon which institutions can continue to build capacity and expand partnerships,” she said. “As I move from my current position on the board to the Co-Chair role, I'm looking forward to building on these successes and exploring new ways that we can support student mobility and access in Ontario.”

Jensen and Lenton are no strangers to being on the leading edge of opportunity creation and successful large-scale iniatives. Lenton was instrumental in the establishment of the York University-TD Community Engagement Centre, and has long been a strong advocate for expanding inter-institutional collaboration. Similarly, under Jensen’s leadership, Algonquin College has formed lasting partnerships with local public sector organizations and industry, while also securing significant investments for the college’s centres supporting entrepreneurship development.

“Their collective experiences align well with ONCAT’s growing attention to cultivating industry partnership and innovative transfer opportunities for students,” said Vollebregt. “I am confident that what Cheryl and Rhonda bring to the table is exactly what ONCAT needs to move into the next phases of an improved and expanding credit transfer system.”