CASE FOR SUPPORT
Message from Holland College President
Holland College first opened its doors in the fall of 1969 with 82 students enrolled in four programs. It was a radical departure from the previous post-secondary system in Prince Edward Island, and a vital move to ensure the sustainability of the local economy.
From these modest beginnings, Holland College has become one of the most successful community colleges in Canada. Today, we educate and train approximately 10,000 students per year, including more than 2,400 who are enrolled full-time in one of our 65 postsecondary programs.
Our student body is unique and diverse – many are the first in their family to attend college, and more than a few also hold full-time jobs. They are parents, grandparents, athletes, musicians, recent university graduates and, as a whole, they comprise a body of learners whose educational expectations, learning styles, life experiences, and individual goals add vibrancy to our campuses and centres.
As we look forward, we see both a challenge and an opportunity in meeting the growing and changing needs of our students. We know that more is needed when it comes to mental health and wellness on our campuses and in our centres, and we are committed to helping our students build resilience and live healthier lives while ensuring they have access to the support they need in an inclusive environment.
In the following pages you will learn more about thrive, an exciting campaign we are launching at a time in our history when supporting student needs has never been more critical. We hope you will join us as we work toward a future with vision and purpose – a future built by, and for, our students.
Sincerely,
Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald President, Holland College
Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald President
Who are Holland College Students?
77% of full-time students are from Atlantic Canada
22% are international students
25 is the average age of a first-year student
20% are age 30 or older
45% of incoming students have prior postsecondary education
55% are from PEI
4% are from other locations in Canada
Campaign Vision
Prioritizing wellness and building resilience are as vital for student success as the education and training they receive in our classrooms. Through this campaign, our vision is to enhance, expand, and integrate resources related to academic discovery, physical, psychological, and social wellness, diversity, and inclusion. By taking a holistic approach, we will redefine the culture at Holland College, ensuring that students thrive academically, while building the capacity and skills to lead healthy, empowered, and productive lives.
Campaign Goal - $2.5 Million
30% intend to ladder their college education into a postdiploma degree
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The Opportunity
We know that the needs of our students are broader than the development of career skills. Life may not come with a map, but everyone will experience twists and turns ranging from everyday challenges to traumatic events with more lasting impact.
Holland College is providing support services and programs to an ever-increasing population of students on its campuses and centres. The delivery of resources, however, is somewhat fragmented and operates with both limited capacity and staffing constraints. The model is decentralized and lacks integration between services.
To create a visible, accessible, multidisciplined, and collaborative centre for student success, Holland College will renovate and expand a building on the Prince of Wales Campus in Charlottetown. This three-story, 8,500 sq. ft. space will offer an integrated suite of services and resources that will give students access to the supports they need to flourish under one roof. Services and supports will be centralized, expanded, and fully integrated, allowing for the development of individualized support plans. Staff will have the mobility and technology to service all campuses and centres college-wide.
“I was diagnosed with a learning disability in grade three, and received the support I needed to be successful in the public-school system. I am now in college and facing similar academic challenges.”
– Anonymous Student Testimonial
Where We’ve Been
Holland College recognizes a marked increase in student attrition and initiates an internal research project to identify affecting factors.
Holland College develops a framework for a Phase 1 intervention focused on student academics, employment, and career support. An office of retention, part-time studies, and career service is established.
Research identifies limitations in available supports as a primary factor in student attrition, noting that approximately 20 per cent of students require some type of academic assistance. An increasing deficiency in coping skills and resiliency is also noted as having a negative impact on student success and wellness.
The number of students requiring academic support has doubled since 2007. An expansion of services is made to address immediate needs, and a long-term vision is developed.
A clear correlation between physical and mental health is identified as a significant component for student success and wellness. An investment in on-site primary care health services is made, and a growing need for mental health services is recognized.
Holland College sees its highest attrition on record. The demand for academic, mental health, and primary care services is intensified by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
One in five students is referred for academic or mental health support. Anxiety, stress, and depression are cited as primary mental health concerns. A full-time nurse practitioner is hired to help address the growing need for on-site primary health care, and a small, on-site health clinic is opened.
The centralizing of support services is undertaken at the Prince of Wales Campus as Phase 1 of a longer-term vision.
A manager of counselling services is hired to lead the expansion of mental health supports and counselling services.
A vision to enhance, expand, integrate, and fully centralize all resources and supports is crystalized, and a leadership investment is made by the Province of PEI. thrive, a fundraising campaign for student wellness, resiliency, and success, is developed, and launched.
A report is commissioned, and a stepped approach to mental health services is recommended and outlined. A mental health educator is added to the team and mental health literacy workshops are implemented for students and staff.
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Where We’re Going
Academic Support, Employment & Career Advising
An increasing number of students are arriving on our campuses with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning challenges such as ADHD, and academic challenges, which require modified programs, and adaptations. This need will continue to grow due in part to the fact that today’s students, from primary to post-secondary, have had five semesters of their learning affected and disrupted by COVID-19.
Employment and career guidance are a crucial component to student success. We are working with students in providing employability skills, and we regularly collaborate with industry leaders to ensure programming is meeting industry standards and that students are prepared to enter the workforce.
Holland College will create a vibrant space for academic discovery and career exploration by expanding the current academic supports, and employment and career advising services. Resources include academic advising, career counselling, supplemental instruction, a writing centre, testing accommodations, and exam preparations. An estimated 25 per cent of students will be supported in a revitalized and accessible environment.
“Knowing that someone cared and having support and resources available allowed me to succeed and graduate with confidence.”
– Anonymous Student Testimonial
Mental Health Literacy & Support
Currently, Holland College offers free, confidential counselling to students across all campuses and centres. Our three counsellors are seeing a growing number of students in crisis or facing immediate mental health concerns. In 2021, one in five students was referred to a counsellor to address mental health challenges. Having resources in place to ensure they receive the help and support they need when it is most critical is imperative for their health and safety.
Some students are dealing with the stress and anxiety that stems from financial burdens, relationships, self-identity, external conflicts, balancing responsibilities, and world events. Developing coping skills, knowing how to seek mental health information, and learning how to recognize, manage, and prevent mental disorders will go a long way toward building resiliency and achieving personal and professional autonomy.
Holland College will create a culture fluent in mental health literacy by expanding our current mental health and counselling services. This will include the hiring of an additional counsellor, increasing the number of available 1:1 counselling sessions, introducing group counselling, and providing mental health literacy workshops. An estimated 20 per cent of students will be impacted in a safe and inclusive environment.
“I found myself back in the classroom as a mature student, and soon realized I was facing some big challenges.”
– Anonymous Student Testimonial
Primary Health Care & Healthy Living
Access to health care professionals is critical for physical and mental health, and a key component in overall wellness. Increasingly, students are experiencing limited access to primary health care and navigating the healthcare system can be challenging for both domestic and international students. At present, approximately 40 per cent of our students do not have a family physician.
As a first step toward meeting this escalating demand, Holland College added a nurse practitioner to the team in 2021 to treat students needing care. The nurse practitioner provides students with numerous non-emergency medical services such as COVID-19 boosters, flu shots, sexual health counselling, mental health management, referrals, prescriptions, and assessment of physical injuries.
An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to problems including sleep difficulties, trouble concentrating, and increased tension and stress. We want to provide resources for students so they can educate themselves about the benefits of nutrition, physical activity, and exercise, creating a supportive social environment, and taking care of their mental and spiritual health.
Holland College will create a healthier community by enhancing and expanding current health services as a collaborative and integral resource within the student success and wellness centre. This will include adding one additional examining room, hiring an additional nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, and a medical support assistant. Approximately 30 per cent of students will receive non-emergency medical treatment on campus. This will provide our students with easier access to health care and alleviate the current strain on surrounding primary health care providers, clinics, and hospitals. All students will have access to educational resources for healthy living.
“To say that I am grateful for the support would be an understatement.”
– Anonymous Student Testimonial
Message from Holland College Foundation Board Chair and Executive Director
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, our teaching, learning, and campus environments have been renewed and enhanced, our scholarships, bursaries and awards program has grown significantly, and we have helped many students through unforeseen crises by reducing financial barriers that threatened their academic success.
Now, with your help, we endeavour to broaden our support for students even further. Through this critical campaign, our goal is to ensure that our students have every opportunity to achieve their full potential. Today, they are students. Tomorrow, they are contributors to industry, and leaders in our communities.
With the support of our partners in government, this is a $5.5 million initiative. With your help, our campuses and centres, and our culture, will evolve holistically so that students have access to the encompassing supports they need to succeed academically, while also building capacity and coping skills that will benefit them in all facets of their lives.
Thank you, on behalf of Holland College, the Holland College Foundation, and the many students who stand to benefit from your generous support.
With sincere gratitude,
Kent Scales Chair, Board of Directors Holland College Foundation
Jo-Ann Campbell-Boutilier Executive Director Holland College Foundation
Executive Director
Jo-Ann Campbell-Boutilier
Kent Scales Board Chair
“My confidence soared the day I finished my program. I started to believe in myself and realized that I too have a purpose in life.”
– Anonymous Student Testimonial
Together, with your support, we will:
Fully revitalize the existing 4,300 sq.-ft. building and expand it by an additional 4,200 sq. ft.
Integrate and enhance current academic supports, and employment and career advising supports.
This will include:
• Academic Support
• Writing Centre
• Testing Accommodations
Centralize and expand mental health and counselling services.
This will include:
• Adding counselling staff
• Career Counselling
• Supplemental Instruction
• Exam Preparations
• Increasing 1:1 counselling sessions
• Introducing group counselling services
• Allocating space for internship opportunities
• Providing mental health literacy workshops
• Hiring of one administrative support person
Expand primary health services and integrate healthy living supports and resources.
This will include:
• Hiring an additional nurse practitioner
• Hiring a registered nurse
• Hiring a licensed practical nurse
• Hiring a medical support assistant
• Adding an examining room
• Allocating space for internship opportunities and physician rotation in collaboration with Health PEI
• Providing healthy living resources
• Examining the role of sleep, diet, and exercise
Establish a slate of entrance awards for students who have diagnosed learning disabilities or mental health issues.
Student wellness leads to student success and resilience, to confident and capable graduates, to a strong economy, and to vibrant communities.
www.hollandcollege.com/foundation
