Graduating Leaders Impact the Ontario College System

Mary Pierceís interest in actionable, current topics helped shape the research she completed as part of her Master of Arts in education with a community college concentration program from Central Michigan University. Now itís being used to shape the Ontario college system. 

Pierce is the dean of the faculty of business, information technology and part-time studies at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

Pierceís research focused on the student recall, experience and personal impact of the academic integrity intervention implemented in the business school at Fanshawe College through qualitative interviews. The mandatory intervention consists of an online educational module and required quiz for all students to complete during each year of their education.

Her capstone project, ìStudent Perceptions of, and Attitudes Towards, Academic Integrity Intervention A Qualitative Case Study,î will be presented at the Ontario College Administrative Staff Association Leaders and Innovators Conference in June. 

As a result of the academic integrity intervention program, Pierce and her colleagues noticed a definite awareness and understanding of academic integrity. Students have a greater and deeper comprehension of the collegeís academic standards. She also noted that implementing intervention puts a greater onus on the entire college community with regard to academic integrity. 

ìIt has instilled a broader sense of responsibility on the college to be transparent and upfront about academic integrity,î she said. 

Pierceís research has impacted other departments at Fanshawe. They are working to implement a collegewide improved intervention that builds on the research. 

One interesting and surprising response she received from students surveyed was their connection between academic integrity and workplace integrity. Several noted that the intervention gave them a moral standard for academics they could see themselves continuing to use as they moved into a career. A correlation was drawn between cheating in college and the type of employee they might be perceived to be when applying for a job. 

Additionally, Pierceís research has been shared across Canada, and sheís been able to make recommendations to other community colleges. 

CMUís program fostered and nurtured Pierceís continued education. ìI think the difference is that you receive very helpful guidance and coaching from CMU,î she said. ìMy research wouldnít have been as effective without it.î  

The program includes a variety of classes, ranging administration to college teaching as well as contemporary issues in higher education. All are tailored to the Ontario college system. 

Pierce notes the program is perfect for any member of the Ontario college system interested in advancing their understanding and the development of the Ontario community college system. 

She found the cohort model of learning to be collegiate and collaborative. 

ìI liked that it included some online work and some work on the weekends,î she said. ìI enjoyed working with a class the whole way through.î 

Pierce is an active member of OCASA and will serve on the CMU provincial program advisory committee as the university expands its Canadian partnerships. 

CMU has been a proud partner of the Ontario college system for more than 40 years, and its graduates, like Mary Pierce, have made and are continuing to make an impact on the Ontario college system and beyond.  

For more information on the Master of Arts in Education/Community College program and CMUís tuition savings for OCASA members, contact CMU at 877-268-4636 or CMUglobal@cmich.edu.