Experiences of Students Enrolled in Integrated Collaborative College/University Programs - Volume 47 - No. 2 - 2017

Oct 15, 2026

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This interpretive, descriptive qualitative study examines student experiences in integrated collaborative college/university programs in Ontario, where learners are enrolled simultaneously in two institutions under integrated curriculum designs. Sixty-eight participants from four collaborative programs across three faculties took part in student researcher-led focus groups. Findings show valued academic programs alongside contrasting daily life experiences, including thriving belonging in a dual world and ambiguous belonging shaped by perceived inferiority to university-only peers. The results highlight how invitation to engage in college and university cultures, perceived power and control, and ongoing reminders of difference shape student identities, informing preliminary recommendations to enhance experience in these programs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Growth of collaborative programs in Ontario

Program models and governance

Evidence from published analyses

Focus of existing literature

CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 47, No. 2, 2017, pages 135-155 Experiences of Students Enrolled in Integrated Collaborative College/ University Programs Janet Landeen, Nancy Matthew-Maich, Leslie Marshall, Lisa-Anne Hagerman, Lindsay Bolan, Maurine Parzen, Maria Pavkovic, Christine Riehl, Joshua Carvalho, Natasha Bilau, Zetian Zhang, Sheri Oliver, Jacob Cottreau, and Bhavin Shukla Abstract Little is known about the student experience in collaborative college/university programs, where students are enrolled in two institutions simultaneously in integrated curriculum designs. This interpretive, descriptive, qualitative study explored these students’ perspectives. Sixty-eight participants enrolled in one of four collaborative programs from three different faculties engaged in student researcher-led focus groups. Results revealed that while all participants valued their respective academic programs, their day-to-day life experiences presented a different story. Some students had perceptions of belonging and thrived in a dual world. Others had perceptions of ambiguous belonging, which contributed to them perceiving themselves through a perpetual lens of being less than university-only students. Issues of how students are invited to engage in the university and college cultures, perceptions of power and control, and daily reminders of being different all contributed to positive or ambiguous student identities. The results raise preliminary questions for universities and colleges regarding how to enhance the student experience in these collaborative programs. CJHE / RCES Volume 47, No. 2, 2017 Collaborative Student Experiences / Landeen et al. 136 Résumé On en connaît peu sur l’expérience des étudiants dans les programmes collégiaux/universitaires collaboratifs, où les étudiants sont inscritssimultanément dans deux institutions dansun modèlede curriculum intégrés. Cette étude qualitative descriptive interprétative explore les perspectives deces étudiants. Soixante-huit participants se sont inscrits dans l’un des quatre programmes collaboratifs de trois facultés différentes impliqués dans des groupes de discussion de chercheurs dirigés par les étudiants. Les résultatsont révélé que bien que tous les participants apprécient leurs programmes académiques respectifs, leurs expériences quotidiennes ont présenté une histoire différente. Certains étudiants ont eu la perception d’appartenance menant à prospérer dans un monde dual. D’autres ont eu la perception d’une appartenance ambiguë contribuant à percevoir à travers une lentilled’infériorité perpétuelle. Des problèmes sur la façon que les étudiants sont invités à participer dans les cultures universitaires et collégiales, les perceptions de pouvoir et de contrôle, et un rappel quotidien d’être différentont tous contribué à l’identité positive ou ambiguë des étudiants. Les résultats soulèvent des questions préliminaires pour les universités et collèges sur la façon d’améliorer l’expérience des étudiants. Introduction Over the past 15 years, collaborative educational programs between colleges and universities in Ontario have grown exponentially. Given the complexity and uniqueness of such programs, very little is known about the students’ day-to-day experience of being enrolled in college and university simultaneously. This study was conducted to gain an understanding of the perceptions of students enrolled in healthcare and non-healthcare collaborative programs, in order to optimize the student experience. Collaborative degree-based programs are characterized by formal agreements between colleges and universities that delineate the program model and governance structures (amongst other considerations) to facilitate students’ learning (Kirby, 2008) . Program designs range from sequential learning, where students take courses from one institution at a time, to fully integrated models, where students

FAQs

What question does the study address about collaborative college/university programs?

It investigates students’ day-to-day experiences in integrated collaborative programs where students are enrolled in two institutions simultaneously under integrated curricula.

How was the study conducted?

The research used an interpretive descriptive qualitative approach with 68 participants from four collaborative programs, who joined student researcher-led focus groups.

What did the results show about students’ experiences?

Although students valued their academic programs, daily life experiences varied: some reported a strong sense of belonging and thriving in a dual world, while others experienced ambiguous belonging and felt less than university-only students.

What factors influenced students’ identities in these programs?

Students’ identities were shaped by how they were invited to engage in both cultures, perceptions of power and control, and daily reminders that they were different.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet