Direct entry coming Fall 2002

By Natalie Sit

College transfer students

Some students choose to do some of their pre-program at colleges like Mount Royal College. The Direct Entry Implementation Committee will ensure a program will not give all its spaces to direct entry students and reserve some for external transfer students. This also ensures there are spaces for those who switch faculties, for example, from Science to Communication and Culture. Krivy wants to reassure college transfer students they can still enter U of C even if they didn’t come directly from Grade 12.

"We’re trying to build the system to allow that sort of flexibility," said Krivy. "To allow that flexibility, we cannot give away all the positions in first year. We’re going to end up with some pretty high averages for some of the quota programs in order to retain that flexibility."

U of C and MRC conducted preliminary discussions outlining what’s happening and possible impacts. MRC Registrar and Director of Admissions Arunas Ali-
sauskas agrees with Krivy about the issue of space but had some concerns with U of C’s decision to implement direct entry.

"Currently they take over 500 [students in the Bachelor of Commerce program] in their third year," said Alisauskas. "I think that’s
going to be reduced. I guess the question is, will they be as open as under the current system?"

According to Alisauskas, there are few advantages for MRC regarding direct entry, but he understands the U of C’s move was for reasons like competing with prestigious universities like Queen’s or the University of Toronto.

"We may have to say it’s in your best interest to start at year one [at U of C], rather than come to the college," said Alisauskas. "It will be very difficult for us. We have to be fair to the students."

Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science was the last faculty to nail down its plans regarding undecided students and direct entry. The faculty decided to create a new four-year degree, the Natural Science degree, in place of undecided status. However, it is not yet approved by the GFC.

The faculty has six quota programs: Biological Sciences, Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Geology and Geophysics. In order to enter a quota program in second year, students would apply to an open program or the Natural Science program in their first year. In the second year, they would apply to the quota program or continue in their current program.

The Earth Sciences and Environmental Science degree is a joint degree between the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Social Science and joint degrees are one of the 30 issues the Direct Entry Implementation Committee is discussing.

"My understanding is that a first-year student could enter either the Faculty of Science doing Natural Science or [an open program] and then [apply], or they could enter the Faculty of Social Sciences and do their first year and then in the second year seek entrance," said Krivy. "It depends which way one wants to do it."