Current System Coordination and Next Steps
Council membership is currently inactive, pending Alberta Advanced Education guidance regarding governance and next steps. The ACAT Secretariat/Learner Pathways staff within Alberta Advanced Education continue to administer the work of ACAT and facilitate Alberta Transfer System and learner pathways operations, including system coordination, initiatives, data and tools, and stakeholder networks and collaboration in Alberta and Canada. Learner pathways and transferability have been identified as one of the ministry’s priorities, with next steps for system direction and governance to be informed by Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs and its initiatives in the near future.
ACAT Governance
The Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT) is an arms-length advisory agency accountable to the Minister of Advanced Education. We work cooperatively with stakeholders, including government, Alberta Transfer System member institutions and student representatives, to support learner pathways and mobility.
ACAT supports Alberta learners' unique pathways and movement between programs and institutions, while also maintaining the province's high quality standards for education. This support includes:
- Providing admission and transfer resources, and province-wide data on learner mobility for member institutions
- Providing opportunities for post-secondary institutions to collaborate on learner mobility, and to share information about admissions and transfer decisions
- Facilitating smooth learner transitions from secondary to post-secondary, between institutions, and from work to post-secondary by promoting recognition of prior learning, including transferability of courses and programs
ACAT's strategic initiatives are guided by a Council/stakeholders that facilitate collaboration and partnerships between institutions and other stakeholders, with a focus on learners, admissions, and recognition of prior learning including transfer. We also maintain a database of post-secondary institution transfer decisions and high school transitions information and provide other system supports. This work is being led by a Secretariat of government employees that support and administer the work of Council, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to oversee the operations of learner pathways and mobility in the Alberta Transfer and Pathways System, including regarding LPS applications and data, Contact Persons, Articulation Committees, research, and cross-jurisdictional initiatives.
