History and Purpose of the GRPSEO

A Memorandum OF Understanding (1992), between the Six Nations Council and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) provides for the local administration of the Post Secondary Student Support Program.   

The Post Secondary Board is mandated to direct the operation of the Grand River Post Secondary Education Office (GRPSEO). Post Secondary Board policy begins with the understanding that the moral ownership of the Grand River Post Secondary Education Organization are Onkwehon:we with Grand River Territory lineage.

Board Policy is based on the belief and vision that acquiring knowledge, skills, capabilities, and confidence empower individuals to be self-sufficient and contribute to their communities and society at large. Post Secondary education provides a path to do this.

The Grand River Post Secondary Education Organization therefore exists to empower Onkwehon:we through higher education, within available resources.

In achieving this purpose, the Grand River Post Secondary Education Organization places a high value on organizational integrity and efficiency. 

aThe GRPSEO strives to operate in an accountable and consistent manner.

aThe GRPSEO consults the moral ownership of the organization, on a regular basis, to ensure that the organization is on the right track when it comes to community expectations about results and the values that guide the organization.

aThe GRPSEO then reports issues and outcomes on a regular basis. 

As part of its reporting system, the GRPSEO publishes the annual audit for the Grand River Post Secondary Education Office (GRPSEO) completed through KPMG Chartered Accountants, the auditing firm for the Six Nations Council. The GRPSEO further provides an annual enrolment report to INAC as per the 1992 MOU mentioned above. 

This report is issued to the Six Nations Confederacy Council and the Six Nations Elected Council at least once per year as well as to other key stakeholder organizations. Individuals may also request a copy of this report by contacting the Post Secondary Office or view the report on our web site at www.grpseo.org. 

The GRPSEO continues to function within the realities of limited resources and increasing demands.  In this report you will therefore find:

aHighlights of outcomes and accomplishments as they relate to the GRPSEO mandate, 

 aSummaries of issues and trends impacting our post secondary students.

An Annual report is not only a report on what has taken place but is also a valuable planning tool.

As always, your comments and input are welcomed. Please feel free to contact us if you wish to comment on this report, have questions or wish to make a contribution toward post secondary education for Six Nations students.

Outcomes and Accomplishments

 The Grand River Post Secondary Board oversees the operation of the GRPSEO. 

The Board’s main role is to link with Onkwehon:we with Grand River Territory lineage so that the board can determine and demand appropriate organizational performance and also to ensure public accountability of the organization. The Board and staff take this unique trust obligation seriously.

Organizational expectations are clearly stated in Board policy. These include limitations placed on operations through Board policy.

The Board continually reviews Board policy to see if it is in line with the expectations of Onkwehon:we with Grand River lineage and monitors the operations for compliance with this policy.

The GRPSEO measures outcomes in student accomplishments leading to graduation.  Organizational resources are expended in support of this outcome and the steps toward this end. 

The GRPSEO provides encouragement and support to Onkwehon:we students throughout their post secondary education experience. Student responsibilities are defined at the beginning of the GRPSEO – student relationship in order to ensure student responsibility fo  decisions and accomplishments.

Eligible students requesting funding have access to funding within available resources.

Available resources for supporting post secondary education includes resources from the Federal Government, scholarships, bursaries and donations that meet the ethical standards and values established by the Board. The source of donations must be known and verified as legitimate. In accounting for available resources, the GRPSEO strategically identifies growing needs and increased costs of post secondary education programs. The GRPSEO then advocates to increase awareness about growing needs and limited resources available for Onkwehon:we post secondary education.

Accurate and timely information is available to students, families, and the community regarding educational trends, opportunities and available resources to support post secondary education. Students, families, and the community are informed that available funding may not be sufficient to meet the full requirement.

In support of community development, the GRPSEO  encourages student enrolment in a diversity of programs. More specifically, the GRPSEO encourages education in strategic directions (areas) which address the identified needs of Onkwehon:we communities and th  community at large. 

 a Post Secondary Graduation

Six Nations post secondary students continue with high rates of success!  The chart entitled, “Multi-Year Student Status Comparison” shows the outcomes for Six Nations students who received funding through the Post Secondary Office over the past five years. Note especially the high number of graduates and students who complete their year successfully

PThe GRPSEO is pleased to facilitate on-going recognition of Six Nations post secondary student accomplishments.

• Recognition of student accomplishments is an on-going part of our interaction with students.

• Student accomplishments are also highlighted in public ways as much as possible.

• Special recognition is given to graduates at the Annual Student Recognition. 

Student Recognition is an on-going student support strategy, for example the GRPSEO continues to:

• publish grad photos in local papers during Community Awareness Week in May.  

• attend events on campus whenever possible in support of our students e.g. orientations, convocations, awards nights. 

• maintain a history of student accomplishments (pictures and video tapes) at the office.   

• include messages of encouragement or congratulations from Six Nations agencies, business and families in the newsletter to students published three times per year.  

• feature a good news story about a student or grad in each Board newsletter that is distributed in the community.

• Publish a Six Nations Grads poster series to inspire younger students. This series is issued to elementary schools at Six Nations. 

New this year, is the commemorative CD Rom of the Student recognition event. This is available as a memento for Grads and resource tool with younger students.

PWithin available resources, the GRPSEO contributes to positive learning environments for Six Nations post secondary students. 

•  The Board and staff support good access, equal opportunity, respect, and support systems.
• Board members continue to be involved in Aboriginal Education Councils at various post secondary institutes where a high number of our students are enrolled. These Councils advise college and university presidents regarding programming, student support needs, and also help to sensitize college and university staff regarding Onkwehon:we culture, language and history. The GRPSEO is active in Councils at Mohawk College, Niagara College, Fanshawe College, Lambton College and the following universities: Western and Brock.
• Board and staff members also attend selected education forums to keep up to date on student support strategies and opportunities.

The following audited financial statement provides an overall Statement of Operations.

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a Resources

PResources are linked with student success  

• Available resources are allocated using a priority system with all eligible student applications. The priority system is designed to provide fair and equitable access to limited funds as students pursue their goal of graduation. 
• Successful continuing students are rewarded with top priority for on-going funding.  If a student fails a course then students are expected to pay back the tuition funds, so once again, success is rewarded. Overpayments assigned for 2003/2004 totaled $522,341.35. Of this amount, $442,836.85 or (84.78%) was cleared.

Note the continued decrease in students with dependents. This is a function of limited rates of assistance through the GRPSEO and students taking longer to graduate from high employable rate programs.

The allocation of funds to students with membership under Bill C31 (1985) is consistent with overall membership statistics for each reported year.

The allocation of funds to students by residence is reflective of the residence rates for overall membership.

PSix Nations Specific Scholarships & Awards resulting from donations, fundraising and private sponsors

• GRPSEO increases available resources by targeting scholarships and bursaries through creative fund-raising strategies. 
• Norm’s Golf for Grads was the most successful tournament to date raising almost $9,000. A special thanks to the Jacobs family for their support in this event.  As a result of GRPSEO direct fund raising, three scholarships of $2,000 were issued to students at the annual Student Recognition event, August 19, 2004.  
• Student success, documented financial need and operational accountability continue to attract new award donors.
• The SEED (Science Education and Employment Development - Imperial Oil) initiative with Six Nations provided several significant scholarships this year.  These are in addition to other initiatives supported through the SEED partnership. See a more detailed report about SEEDinitiatives in this annual report.

PMore Six Nations students are being awarded  Scholarships & Awards from other sources

• Six Nations students continue to receive recognition for their accomplishments from sources other than Six Nations. Here is a sample of the type of student recognition that Six Nations students are receiving:

Six Nations Specific Awards - Issued at the Student Recognition 
August 19, 2004 
* indicates new awards for 2004

P Incentives

Incentives are issued if there are funds left at the end of the previous fiscal year (due to student withdrawal). 

• Due to increasing costs, incentives were not issued during the 2003/2004 academic year nor will incentives be issued for the 2004/2005 academic year.  The amount shown for incentives in the financial statement is in fact scholarships.

PStudent Support Funding

For the third year, study support funding was issued through the GRPSEO. The funding comes through the Six Nations Social Services and is funded from the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Program. This program is designed to reduce child poverty. The funding was therefore issued to resident post secondary students with dependent children. The amount received depended on the number and age of dependants. The students used the funding to obtain child care services to assist in preparation for final exams and assignments. We are awaiting confirmation on similar support funding for the 2004/2005 academic year

PAdvocating for Increased Funding

The GRPSEO continues to advocate for increased funding through the submission of briefings to the Six Nations Council, and the Department of Indian Affairs. 

As a result of joint advocacy between the GRPSEO and the Six Nations Council, the GRPSEO conducted two research projects for the second year funded by INAC. The purpose of the first research project was to document the financial need of students while at the same time providing some funding to students who successfully self-funded for the 2002 to 2003 academic year. For the second project, a limited number of students participated in case study research for the 2003 to 2004 academic year. Both projects gathered data to document the need of students to take out loans to pay education costs not covered by funding through the GRPSEO.

The research provides additional support to the case for increased funding for our eligible post secondary students. From the submission, it was clear that many students take out loans to help cover the costs of their education. 

Proposals to continue this research have been submitted for the 2004/2005 year.

aMeaningful Information

The GRPSEO makes every effort to provide accurate and timely information to students, families and the community regarding future employment trends, education opportunities and the resources available to support post secondary education. For example,

P Information about how to apply is published regularly.

PThe Board issues a newsletter to the community that features a student’s story. This newsletter also includes on-going information about the alarming funding shortage for post secondary students as well as trends that indicate future opportunities for graduates. 

PCurrent post secondary institution and program information is maintained at the office. This includes information from across Canada and the USA as our students attend many different institutions. A variety of other resource material is also available to students e.g. college and university applications, OSAP applications, and LSAT sample tests.

PCounselling is provided to active post secondary students. Counselling takes place through student visits to the office, telephone contacts and on campus where possible. This year, a direct staff e-mail system was implemented. This method of student contact is quickly exceeding any other form of contact particularly for students who attend school any distance away from Six Nations. Given the increasing number of applications received each year, the diversity of institutions attended by students, and GRPSEO involvement with strategic community development issues, the student case load continues to be shared among four education counsellors.  See the following exhibits: Grpseo Incoming Contacts – Yearly  Comparisons; Grpseo Staff Response – Yearly Comparisons; Student Program Selections; Grpseo Student Enrolment by Location; and the caseload for each Education Counsellor in the staff directory. 

PStudents continue to access fax, photocopy, computer, and Internet equipment at the GRPSEO.  The Internet station is an essential tool for students researching institutions, programs, scholarships, and bursaries.  Students are increasingly required to apply for admission on-line so the demand for these services continues to grow. 

PIn support of informed student choice, the GRPSEO continues to publish its newsletter, The Talking Tree, three times per year. A Student Guide to Post Secondary Education Assistance is also available to all students. 

PStudents access education assistance application forms and up to date policy information twenty-four hours per day via our web site at www.grpseo.org.  A special thanks to Virginia Martin for keeping the website up to date. 

PThe GRPSEO hosted an Annual Post Secondary Information day on November 12, 2003 in the Student Centre, Six Nations Polytechnic. Reps from many college and universities were on hand to answer student and parents questions about program and services. Over 300 people attended. On November 10, 2004 the Information Day will be held once again in the Student Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic.

PEach spring the GRPSEO hosts OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) information sessions. Our continued thanks to Mohawk College for assisting in this information service.

PTo keep informed about programs, admission standards, professional standards, etc., GRPSEO Education Counsellors attend the various forums throughout the year such as Dialogue (Ontario universities’ & colleges’ information forums) as well as Red Carpet Day (the annual college information forum).

PAs part of the “Smart Student Strategy - responsible decisions by informed students”, the GRPSEO now requires a detailed education plan from all first time student applicants. This requires students to do research before making program selections and gives a basis for future student – counsellor dialogue. The GRPSEO continues to provide access to relevant information for students and stresses with students that it is their responsibility to be informed and to think through the implications of their options before making a decision.  Given our limited resources, our education counsellors are limited to two information sessions with secondary students and one with elementary students. 

PGRPSEO continues to provide letters of recommendation/support for students applying for admission to professional programs or for scholarships and bursaries. As part of the GRPSEO’s 2020 Vision for Health Professionals, the GRPSEO assisted with admission proceedings with McMaster Medical School. 

PConsiderable efforts/resources were spent issuing individual mailings of scholarship applications to students in at least ten categories. As a result, no scholarship facilitated through the GRPSEO went without an applicant.Scholarships & bursaries are compiled on an on-going basis.  Current information is available to students in the student work area as well as on disk. Net “Hot Spots” are also bookmarked for student convenience.  The GRPSEO Scholarship CD Rom continues to be available to students and is accessible through www.grpseo.org.

 PBoard and staff identify local, regional, national and international trends as well as policies that have the potential to impact our students.  

a Community Development  

In support of community development, the GRPSEO encourages student enrolment in a diversity of programs (see charts for Student Program Selections). 

More specifically, the GRPSEO encourages education in strategic directions (areas) which address the identified needs of Onkwehon:we communities and the community at large. 

The GRPSEO continues with a record number of unfunded applications.  Given the opportunity cost of continued full time study, creative strategies must be developed to continue to support the graduation of our professionals from graduate and doctoral levels of study.  

In “Number of Students In Each Level” please note the new count method initiated in 2003 clearly tracks a steep decline in number of students funded from the previous year (40 fewer students funded).