About
Each year we dedicate part of our annual report to sharing a bit about our organization – in the past, that’s meant shedding light on why we were established (in 1991) and our organizational structure.
This year, we’re showing you how we work with our partners in higher education.
OCAS has many teams who frequently collaborate with our college partners. For example, our Brand, Marketing, and Communications team often works with the colleges to promote major initiatives, like drawing more applicants into skilled trades programs through our new College Trades website.
But there are a few teams at OCAS that work with our college partners every single day. These teams are focused almost exclusively on learning how they can directly support those partners.
contact centre
Linda McNamara
Supervisor, OCAS Support
OCAS tenure: 11 years
Roles at OCAS: Supervisor, OCAS Support; Tier 1 Supervisor; Contact Centre Associate
Current responsibilities: Leading the front-line staff who respond to OCAS inquiries in the Contact Centre; assisting domestic and international learners; and supporting our partners, including college staff, high school staff, and international agents. Also responsible for handling escalated customer inquiries, providing feedback on products, and supporting the Contact Centre team with ongoing training and coaching to ensure a high level of service.
Favourite part of the job: I enjoy communicating with the college staff in the registrar’s offices – I value their quick and friendly responses and love working with them to help learners complete their applications. We truly have each other’s backs!
I also love that we can change someone’s day by providing genuine and friendly support. We play a big role in demystifying the application process and helping applicants shift from exploration to confirming their offer. Applying to college will change the course of their future and it’s important to make sure no detail is overlooked. It’s exciting and meaningful work.
Proudest moments: I’ve enjoyed helping develop our current system for managing the Contact Centre’s calls and chats; helping with the implementation of the OCAS Voucher Portal; supporting the OCAS knowledge base; and onboarding new partners to our Tier 1 service.
These projects have impacted our daily operations for our staff, applicants, and partners. Often these improvements require the collaboration of multiple departments at OCAS and I really enjoy working with cross-functional teams.
Favourite hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends; hiking on trails through forests and along rivers; and trying new recipes. I also love packing a picnic to enjoy at an Ontario park or beach.
Excellent Customer Service
The OCAS Contact Centre strives to provide excellent customer service (by phone, live chat, and email) to applicants using ontariocolleges.ca. They also offer specialized phone support on behalf of Ontario colleges. As part of OCAS’ Tier 1 Customer Support offering, Contact Centre representatives work closely with their counterparts at the colleges to manage issues specific to that college.
Key responsibilities of this team include:
- Helping colleges, high schools, and applicants manage critical documents, including transcripts
- Helping applicants successfully complete their college applications and confirm their offers
- Representing colleges in calls with applicants and students during busy periods
- Participating in college system events and campus open houses
Partner Success Office (pso)
The PSO works to ensure our college partners have successful experiences with our products and services. This includes onboarding and training our partners, as well as advocating for partner needs when those offerings are updated.
Key responsibilities of this team include:
- Training partners to use the OCAS products and services that can help them enhance their operations
- Clearly communicating with partners about new OCAS products and services, as well as changes to existing offerings
- Collaborating with teams at OCAS to help them better understand our partners’ product and service needs
- Advocating for our partners and their needs at OCAS
Lucy Batista
Manager, Partner Success Office
OCAS tenure: 30 years
Roles at OCAS: Data Entry Clerk; Applicant Services Clerk; Team Lead, Finance; Manager, Finance; Manager, Applicant Services; Manager, Partner Success Office
Current responsibilities: Developing partner relationships to ensure colleges are satisfied with OCAS products and services and helping partners plan for the future by leveraging OCAS offerings. Other key responsibilities include bringing awareness to partner needs within OCAS, which means identifying changes that we can make to enhance our partners’ success.
Favourite part of the job: I enjoy getting to know our college partners on a personal level. That includes learning about their families, hobbies, and interests. I find that fostering those relationships helps build upon the trust between us – which is key to any good working partnership.
Proudest moments: By far, I would have to say helping launch OCAS' International Application Service and onboarding our college partners. I’ve always worked very closely with our partners on the domestic side, but with IAS, I got to meet and build relationships with a whole new group of people.
Also, being the first non-CRALO (Committee of Registrars, Admissions and Liaison Officers) member presented with their “Award of Recognition” in 2016. It represents the trust and relationships I have built with that group.
Favourite hobbies: Traveling to tropical islands and Europe; reading true crime and fiction; renovating our home; spending time with friends and family.
Project Management
Office (PMO)
The Project Management Office provides leadership and guidance for many OCAS initiatives. Through the successful orchestration and execution of high-priority work, the PMO supports OCAS in achieving our organizational goals.
The PMO enables OCAS to make quick decisions about our ability to be effective in delivering value. The team helps guide work across the organization and provides leadership in change management – including updates to our processes, tools, and responsibilities.
In leading project teams from discovery to delivery and change sustainment, the PMO plays a pivotal role in helping our organization consistently improve key processes and outcomes for our partners in the college system.
Key responsibilities of this team include:
- Applying modern project management techniques and processes that promote external and internal collaboration
- Ensuring project progress is clearly communicated to everyone involved, especially partners
- Managing a project’s portfolio (including scope and finances) across the organization and the project lifecycle, from planning through to delivery and retrospective
- Enabling learning across organizational teams by actively participating in the projects they manage
Alex Ashbel
Senior Program Manager, Project Management
OCAS tenure: 5 years
Roles at OCAS: Senior Program Manager, Senior Project Manager
Current responsibilities: Responsible for project management and value delivery to our college partners. This is not limited to delivering quality software – it extends to supporting change management activities, partner engagement, strategic planning, internal Agile and Change Management coaching, release management, and communications.
Favourite part of the job: Every college has their unique environment and people. It’s challenging and satisfying at the same time when we need to creatively tailor solutions that fit their needs and ensure the products that OCAS creates deliver value to end users.
Proudest moments: You cannot pick a favourite, really. Each of them posed interesting challenges and taught me something about myself. I prefer working on larger and more complex projects that involve a healthy mix of software development and change management and that require interactions with many people.
I’m also proud to be teaching at an Ontario college right now – it’s a unique opportunity to view the system from a totally new angle. I have learned the complexities of a student’s academic journey and the tools and processes in place to support modern learners. It’s also introduced me to the diversity of today’s student population and the opportunities that come with interacting with people from all over the world.
Favourite hobbies: I’m a foodie so exploring new types of food and cooking for my family bring me joy.
Strategic Initiatives (SI)
Strategic Initiatives is dedicated to establishing meaningful connections through listening and learning opportunities that support OCAS’ strategic goals and partners. Through research, consultation, relationship nurturing, and outreach with partners, SI gain a comprehensive understanding of partner needs and motivations. In so doing, SI helps centralize partner insights to ensure the right information reaches the right people.
Key responsibilities of this team include:
- Building a comprehensive understanding of all partners’ needs and motivations
- Consolidating insights to align with organizational goals and ensure critical information reaches the right people
- Positioning OCAS as the college system’s go-to partner for strategizing and collaboration
- Advocating for new opportunities that support equity, diversity, and inclusion
Erin Babbey
Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
OCAS tenure: 4 years
Roles at OCAS: Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
Current responsibilities: As part of the Strategic Initiatives team, I operate in a research and discovery continuum where I engage with partners through various activities, gaining and sharing insights. I am always focused on generating new opportunities for knowledge sharing between OCAS and our partner colleges.
Right now, I'm creating content for and facilitating OCAS-led working groups; lending a hand to business planning and product analyses; liaising with college committees; and co-managing OCAS’ Community Presence Roadmap.
Favourite part of the job: Each person I correspond with has a unique perspective. When I add up the insights from these interactions, I am left with a rich picture of how the Ontario college system functions and engages learners.
Proudest moments: Most recently, I got involved with the OCAS-led Non-Direct Learner Support Working Group, where I get to co-facilitate regular meetings with our college system partners who support learners not applying directly from high school. Planning and crafting content for these meetings has been enjoyable and rewarding.
I'm also proud of the first project I ever participated in: OCAS’ O365 Adoption back in 2020. During this project, I helped promote the use of the then-new OCAS HQ, an engaging internal-only, central location for storing and sharing information. I helped craft communications and a virtual scavenger hunt to get everyone familiar with using OCAS HQ. Its continued use has helped OCAS teams raise awareness for initiatives and resources that benefit their colleagues.
Favourite hobbies: I focus on honing my baking skills with a dream of one day being on CBC's Great Canadian Baking Show.