During the Academic year 2003-2004, Champlain - St. Lawrence operated under the direction of Mr. Jean Trudel. A valued colleague to all in the College and a close friend for many, Jean retired in the summer and was succeeded by Mr. John Keyes, former Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs, in July 2004. This report was prepared by the new Director.

As a member of the Table de concertation en éducation de la région de la Capitale-Nationale, St. Lawrence was a party to agreements signed by the Table and the Chambre de commerce on October 14, 2003. These agreements were drafted to identify fields of collaboration between the two partners, notably concerning student success. The first agreement is an entente-cadre and the second targets the hiring of students for part-time jobs or hiring students before they obtain their DECs. Members of the Chamber of Commerce will be expected to keep student working hours below 15 hours per week during the semester and to avoid offering students permanent employment that could prevent them from completing their studies. Other agreements pertaining to Alternance travail-études (cooperative studies), the promotion of professional and technical programs of study, the acquisition of second- and third-language skills, and other areas of common interest will be the object of further discussion.

Cegep Champlain - St. Lawrence was an active participant in the Voice of English-Speaking Quebec's Community Cultural Celebration held in September 2003. A College kiosk provided the opportunity to meet members of the English-speaking community and distribute handouts about the College, regular programs of study and Continuing Education services.

On February 17, a number of English-speaking community groups met with the Quebec City Liberal Caucus. Dean Jean Robert spoke on behalf of Champlain - St. Lawrence and presented arguments for an increase in the St. Lawrence devis pédagogique. The MNAs were receptive to the College's point-of-view and offered their support. Unfortunately late in the academic year the office of the Minister confirmed that the current limit on enrolment would be maintained unless new offerings designed to serve an English-speaking clientele were brought forward. This issue was shelved for future review when such offerings might emerge.

The month of February also saw the Commission d'évaluation de l'enseignement collégial visit St. Lawrence in their assessment of the Champlain Regional College institutional self-evaluation. The feedback received at the time from the Commission was very positive. The commissioners were particularly impressed by the student-centred approach evident in the operations at St. Lawrence and how all staff go out of their way to help students succeed.

The increase in applications for admission in the spring was most encouraging. By April 12, 2004, we had 25% more applications than at the same time in 2003. This increase was in stark contrast with the state of applications as compiled by the Service régional d'admission de Québec (SRAQ) for the Quebec City region. Most cégeps continued to demonstrate a slow downward trend. Other than the excellent reputation of the College, the new AAA Hockey and Women's Basketball teams for 2004-2005 appear to have contributed significantly to the increase at St. Lawrence. Hockey alone would appear to account for some 40 applications which would otherwise not have materialized. All indications suggest that St. Lawrence will operate close to the limit set by the devis in 2004-2005.

The academic year 2003-2004 was an eventful one for Champlain - St. Lawrence, marked by significant changes and concluding on a positive note. The first cohort of students in the joint Bilingual Tourism program with Cégep Limoilou graduated with the spring convocation. This innovation in cooperation between two Quebec City college-level institutions is a concrete manifestation of the strategic position occupied by St. Lawrence in the region. An agreement has also been signed with Collège F-X-Garneau to offer a joint bilingual AEC next year. These projects are but two examples of efforts being made to secure the future of the College in a very competitive market marked by a diminishing clientele.

Unfortunately our year end was also marked by the tragic death of one of our students while on an international cooperation project. Mr. François-Jacques Roussin (Fiji) was an out-going, generous young man who, after his first year of studies in our Science program, chose to dedicate his summer to those less fortunate than he by fittingly working on the construction of a school for the children of impoverished Haitian workers in the Dominican Republic. On June 16, François-Jacques died in an accident while working on the school. His memory will be cherished by classmates, faculty, and staff at St. Lawrence.

As can be seen in the table following this report, enrolments in the regular sector decreased slightly at St. Lawrence in 2003-2004 with 900 students registered in August 2003 and 752 registered in January 2004.

In May 2004, a total of 316 prospective DEC graduates were invited to celebrate the completion of their studies. Over 430 people attended this event.

Our 2003-2004 graduating class was made up of extremely talented students. Two of our students: Anas Manouzi and Runye Gun each received millennium scholarships. In addition, Ms. Gun won the Potter Scholarship.

Simon Viel excelled and was a medal winner in the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge and the American Mathematics competition.

Again this year our Open House for parents was very well attended. This event is unique to St. Lawrence. It gives parents the opportunity of being actively involved in their child's education, while giving them an opportunity to meet our college staff.

More than ever, our recruiting team was on the road promoting St. Lawrence. In addition to visiting high schools, our recruiters were involved in three major events: Le Salon des Études (Université Laval), Salon Jeunesse, Éducation et Emploi, and the Rencontre Secondaire-CEGEP. As well, St. Lawrence had a special evening reserved for parents from our local English high schools.

Our Student-For-A-Day program, which allows prospective students to shadow a St. Lawrence student, tour the school, sit in on classes and meet with teachers and staff is our most powerful recruiting tool. Most students who participate in this activity apply to the College.

St. Lawrence received a Fonds Jeunesse grant of over $122,000. St. Lawrence worked with its partners MEQ, Central Quebec School Board, and the Quebec Chronicle Telegraph on Fonds Jeunesse projects ranging from tutoring to organizing a weekly youth page in the Quebec Chronicle Telegraph. All projects were successfully completed as planned, and received very positive evaluations. The College's reputation and visibility as a major partner in the greater Quebec City area was enhanced by these activities and will help confirm our strategic position as an Anglophone institution in a predominantly Francophone environment.

Again this year, Dean Jean Robert and his staff were responsible for the successful planning and functioning of a wide range of academic services and processes including admissions, registration, scheduling exams, grades and graduation; liaison with teachers and departments; and academic counselling. Student success projects continued to be an important dossier in academic services.