Introduction

In planning the 2005 CSC Provincial Conference, organizers followed the same formula for success as last year’s conference. The 2004 Conference was the first provincial event held for managers and practitioners involved in college academic upgrading in over a decade; and it was an unqualified success. To achieve the same degree of success, the CSC drew heavily on participant feedback from last year’s conference. Participants provided suggestions on every facet of the Conference.

The first suggestion acted on related to the selection of theme and title of the Conference. The theme of the 2005 Conference was adapting to change. The theme determined the focus of the plenaries and the content of the working groups and workshops. Two large-scale initiatives that have had an impact on college upgrading programs and have taken them in two seemingly divergent directions include the Academic and Career Entrance Program (ACE), with its academic focus, and the Workforce Development Strategy, with its employment focus. The Conference offered participants an opportunity to reflect on the impact of these initiatives and on the innovative approaches programs have developed to successfully meet challenges presented by these initiatives. The title of the Conference, What’s Gnu?, challenged participants to look ahead to yet new initiatives.

In keeping with the theme, the gnu was chosen as the conference “mascot” because of its ability to adapt to its climate. Adult gnus have developed an acute sense of hearing and smell to locate predators. Calves can stand a few minutes after they are born and can run with the herd. Now that’s adaptability! The gnu also captured the imagination of the CSC Executive and provided an upbeat atmosphere for the Conference.

Last year’s participants agreed that they enjoyed having the conference at a college site. Participants commented that the college staff were very hospitable, the meeting venues, comfortable, and the room accommodation, lovely. Conestoga College graciously agreed to host the 2005 Conference. The first week in June proved to be a good time to hold a conference. Specific concerns of participants with regard to signage and meals were taken into consideration.