George Brown Makes the Grade

Highest quality of instructors; best overall ease of registration; finest quality of library resources. The results are in, and among the metro Toronto colleges, Continuing Education at George Brown College makes the top grade in these categories and more.

Ranked by students who participated in the Fall 2005 Provincial Continuing Education Survey, George Brown was the metro college most often selected for its reputation. With the highest rankings in usefulness of assignments, special needs services, computer access outside of class time and the availability of information about facilities and services, we believe (and our students seem to agree) that our reputation is well earned.

In terms of teaching and learning in the metro colleges, George Brown was ranked the top metro college for the quality of Continuing Education course instructors – 95% of students were very satisfied/satisfied. Our teachers also came out on top with the highest rankings for their subject knowledge, their presentation of course material and their helpfulness.

It’s no surprise that we earned high marks for the quality of our instructors: our commitment to providing current, practical and diverse learning opportunities attracts exceptionally qualified teachers eager to share their knowledge, experience, time and energy. They are top industry professionals, accomplished authors, renowned experts and seasoned instructors. Acting as mentors, guides and motivators, they support student excellence through courtesy, respect and meaningful discussion.

How Student Feedback Makes a Difference

You’ll be interested to know that according to the Fall 2005 Continuing Education Survey, George Brown has shown marked improvement in several areas. With your valuable feedback from the 2002 survey we were able to pinpoint aspects of our services, instruction and administration that worked well and others that needed improvement. In effect, your experiences allowed us to better the college and its Continuing Education offerings.

How did you make a difference? Every semester we ask Continuing Education students to provide anonymous, confidential feedback about their learning experiences. And every three years, the 24 Ontario Colleges collaboratively survey Continuing Education students about courses, instructors, the services provided by the colleges and their general satisfaction with their experiences. This is important feedback that we use to improve our offerings and the student experience.

Here’s how we use the information you’ve provided:

• Academic departments use your responses in reviewing courses, the teacher(s) and the curriculum.
• We use your responses to make decisions about rehiring and offering professional development opportunities to teachers. Each December we choose instructors to receive a Teaching Excellence Award. Consistently great feedback from you concerning their teaching skills is the first priority when choosing award winners.
• Continuing Education uses the information to facilitate new or improved services specific to the unique needs of our students, such as extended computer lab or library access hours, improved registration and facility cleanliness. These surveys assist us in determining where to focus additional resources.
• Feedback concerning the technology available to you in your work and home helps us plan for diverse methods of course delivery as well as informing us of the best methods for communicating directly with you.
• Data collected helps us to determine our demographic and tailor support services and program offerings for our students.

Thanks to your survey responses, George Brown continues to learn and develop, making a better educational experience for everyone involved.