Wide consultation on academic plan begins
On February 2, Provost David Graham made available a draft academic plan that maps a direction for Concordia’s academic mission. Putting the draft plan into a wider context, Graham says: “The Strategic Framework is guiding the development of the academic plan, and the academic plan will guide our actions over the next three years.”
The plan proposes a number of paths, including:
• Greater investment in graduate student recruitment and support;
• Strategic interdisciplinary program development;
• Concerted attention to faculty leadership development;
• Targeted support for major grant acquisition;
• Increased internship and community placement opportunities for all students;
• Increased use of teaching assistants for undergraduate skill development;
• Strong encouragement of the use of innovative teaching and learning strategies.
The plan was developed by a working group of a dozen representatives of the university’s academic community, including the four Faculties, the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research. The group was chaired by Brad Tucker, Director of the Institutional Planning Office.
“We have released a consultation draft for people to react to and comment on,” says Graham. “We want people to tell us what’s good, what’s less good, what needs more emphasis and what may be missing.”
The document builds on academic planning work undertaken over the last several years. Also incorporated in the plan are two reports produced by working groups under the direction of Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning Ollivier Dyens. The reports, one on core competencies and the other on the assessment of teaching, were presented to Senate in fall 2010. Although these initial reports have led to some pilot projects, their recommendations are in no way binding.
“Those two documents don’t have an existence in their own right,” explains Graham. “They really were designed to feed into the academic planning process and the final academic plan.”
Now that the draft plan is available, Graham is optimistic “that people will be able to engage with the planning process even more than they have already.” The plan is intentionally in a very preliminary form to encourage the broadest range of comments.
The document will be discussed at Faculty Councils during February and early March. Individuals will be able to comment on the website. The draft plan will also be the subject of a series of public Open to Question sessions.
Graham expects to do much more listening than talking at those sessions. “I’ll probably just present the high-level objectives and then hear people’s reactions.”
Graham does not anticipate unanimous agreement from the academic community. “Some comments and recommendations will contradict others,” he acknowledges. “In the end we have to make some choices about what goes in and what doesn’t.” He stresses that it is precisely that potential for disagreement that makes it so important that every opinion is heard. Those ideas will be incorporated into a new iteration of the plan, one with clearer actions defined around stated objectives.
The new plan will likely go to Senate in March, with a refined version returning the next month to be endorsed. After Senate approval, the plan will be brought to the Board of Governors, ideally in May or June.
Graham is aware of the implications of the process. “Clearly, if the things we identify in this process are considered important, we have to find ways to meet the financial requirements. We can’t go on asking people always to do more with less.”
Related links:
• Concordia's draft Academic Plan
• Open to Question
• Comment on the draft Academic Plan