Kate Ross
Vancouver cohort, 2006
Kate Ross was featured in the November 2008 edition of Simon Fraser University Student Newspaper, the Peak, as one of the ten most influential people at the university. Apart from being in a very responsible position in a top-notch comprehensive university in Canada, Kate is also a Doctoral Candidate in the Educational Leadership Program at SFU. Kate enrolled in the EdD in 2006 as part of the Post Secondary Cohort in Vancouver, while still working as Registrar/Director, Student Services at Camosun College on Vancouver Island.
Her research interest is the effect of institutional merit-based aid on students' choice of post secondary institution and subsequent decisions concerning attendance. As a parent of university age children and one who also deals with students' issues and concerns everyday, she hopes to provide new insights for policy makers by understanding the role of merit-based aid in student's decision-making process.
The EdD provides educational leaders with the tools to become better decision and policy makers, by looking at issues from a variety of lenses and then by integrating this analysis to solve problems arising in their work environments. Kate is the first to say that as an educational administrator the program has "improved my currency and provided a theory base to my practice, honed my critical analysis and research skills and developed a strong network of classmates and faculty". As the Registrar at SFU, she has had to call on her past experience and new knowledge to create student friendly practices and processes.
One of the things that she has enjoyed about the program is the cohort experience. She states "It is great to learn with other students who have common interests and related backgrounds. The cohort model, "enriches the learning and creates an academically challenging environment." As a person who is very succinct, Kate sums up what she likes about this program by saying, "The quality of the academic experience is excellent. The focus is on current issues while providing a strong theoretical base to support professional practice.