Sault College will be concentrating more of its recruitment efforts on aboriginal and international students in future.
The Sault College board of governors, at its Thursday meeting, approved the postsecondary institution's newest five-year Strategic Plan, which begins in January and runs through to the end of 2020.
Aboriginal students currently make up approximately 25 percent of Sault College's student population.
Based on the fact the median age in Sault Ste. Marie is 47, and the average age for youth living on First Nations territories is 24, Ron Common, Sault College president, told the board more aboriginal students and additional aboriginal programming is where much of the college's future lies.
"We know that we cannot rely on our regional population alone for enrolment," Common told the board.
"We have to attract international students, we have to attract aboriginal students."
"Our traditional commitment at Sault College to aboriginal education will increase significantly in this new plan…we'll commit more resources to programs for First Nations training and partnerships and community-based programs (which are Sault College programs that are taught on First Nations territories) and employment of aboriginal people at Sault College," Common said.
The president said the college, as an example of more aboriginal programming, is exploring the establishment of an aboriginal policing program.
Common said the college will also look to increase its international student enrolment and plans to create an international student centre on campus.
Common later told reporters the college has no specific target in regard to the number of international students it wishes to recruit, neither is there a cap on the number of international students the college will bring in.
With almost no international students at one time, Sault College currently has 72 international students from 17 countries.
"I think it's a very good plan…the college should be commended for reacting so well, for thinking outside of the traditional box," said board governor Jason Naccarato.
Common said the college will be holding community events in the new year in which specifics of the new plan will be rolled out to the community at large.
Common said the college wants to concentrate on offering not only quality education and training for students, but also an overall quality of life experience, providing a range of goods and services to students, such as recreational opportunities and daycare.
"We are planning to build a waterfront tennis centre on the former RYTAC site, we are planning to build an early childhood education centre (where students can drop off their children, in addition to the daycare spots currently available on campus)…additional residence construction, and we will continue with our Searchmont partnership (in which passes are provided to students)."
The Sault College Tennis and Boat Club will need a new building to replace the old one, which is in a state of disrepair.
Common said construction of that new building will hopefully begin next year and open by spring of 2017.
All capital projects, such as the new building at the Tennis and Boat Club and the proposed daycare centre, Common said, are subject to government funding.