Nova Scotia Community College
EN-13: Community Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement in Governance and Strategy Community stakeholder engagement is a key component of NSCC's business model. NSCC operates in compliance with the Community College Act (link provided below). This Act stipulates that Board meetings are open to the public, and that by-laws are open for examination by the public. In addition, the Community College Act stipulates that the Board must include not only a representative cross section of College staff, but also of the communities / industries served. The Act states as follows: Board of Governors 56 (1) There shall be a Board of Governors of the College consisting of (a) two students of the College elected by the students of the College; (b) one academic staff member of the College elected by the academic staff members of the College; (c) one administrative staff member of the College elected by the administrative staff members of the College; (d) one support staff member of the College elected by the support staff of the College; (e) not fewer than five and not more than seven persons nominated by the Minister; and (f) not fewer than five and not more than seven persons appointed by the Board. 56 (3) When making appointments to the Board pursuant to clauses (1)(e) and (f), the Minister and the Board shall take into consideration. (a) the person’s knowledge of occupations that are of particular significance to the labour market and economic needs of the Province; and (b) the desirability of achieving on the Board an equitable representation of the diversity of educational and community interests served by the programs and services of the College. Stakeholder Engagement In Operations and Academics Given the College's close connection to the many communities we serve, it is established practice to maintain close community ties and to engage the community on program development including program alignment to the local and provincial labour force needs ("demand-driven") and on-going program maintenance to ensure currency. Every program has an established Program Advisory Committee (PAC) which includes multiple external stakeholders such as small/medium/large scale employers, certification agencies, regulatory agencies, unions, applicable community agencies (Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce, etc.), representation from designated underrepresented communities, etc. Program Advisory Committees and Campus Advisory Committees are pursuant to the Community College Act.

NSCC truly is a 'community college'. With 13 campuses located strategically across the province to serve multiple communities, it is our mission to '...build Nova Scotia's economy and quality of life through education and innovation'. Governance - Board member selection to include those with specific knowledge of the labour market and economic needs of the Province. - Board member selection to include equitable representation of the diversity of educational and community interests. - Board membership reflective of the community we serve. - Public are able to participate in Board meetings Program Advisory Committees (PAC) Every program has a PAC, which is comprised of various external stakeholders, including industry, professional associations/unions, regulatory bodies, designated communities. This committee meets once a year to discuss items such as graduate skills suitability, labour market trends/advancements, program learning outcome adjustments.

- Rural and metro communities - Industry/labour including Associations and Unions - Students in need - historically underrepresented groups in various programs (Women in Trades and Technology, African Nova Scotians, First Nations, Persons with disabilities) - Community Learning Networks - Department of Labour and Advanced Education - Regional Economic Networks - Public School Boards - Rotary/Chambers of Commerce - Municipal governments - Colleges and universities

- Construction of the Wagmatcook Learning Centre, to support First Nations community program delivery. - Construction of the Digby Learning Centre, to support Digby's rural community program delivery. - Construction of a mobile training facility, designed to be a portable educational classroom/laboratory that can be transported to rural communities. - On-going academic program development/refresh - On-going Board activities