Board of Governors - APPENDIX II - November 22, 2001
FOR APPROVAL
Recommended: That the Board of Governors approve "Making Choices: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's Commitments as a Research-Intensive University" and recommend its adoption by the University as document identifying strategic issues and defining institutional commitments for the coming decade.
Background:
Attached is the text of the June 28, 2001, Making Choices, revised to reflect comments and discussion in the University community since mid-summer. Additions are shaded to show changes from the June 28 text. The consultation process involved a discussion at Senate and open meetings on September 21, discussion at the Board of Governors on September 27, and the consideration of written submissions. Changes resulting from all these discussions are reflected in this text.
This revised text is now being brought forward for Board approval, having been approved by Senate on October 19. The approved, final text will be reformatted and published for distribution at the University and beyond. In the reformatting, passages will be drawn from the text of the report and highlighted for emphasis, either set off or in sidebars, at points close to where they appear in the text of the report. An example of this format, drawn from the Report's Introduction, is included in this exhibit. In this example, both the sidebar and the University tower emblem would be featured in purple. Passages which have been identified for such highlighting are:
· "Our outstanding academic programs enable us to attract many of the best students from Ontario, across Canada, and internationally. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â is a research-intensive university with a strong record of scholarship…" (p.1)
· "This report outlines °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's response to an environment of challenge and change." (p.5)
· "°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's identity as a research-intensive university requires that we never lose sight of a fundamental characteristic of universities: the integral relationship between teaching and research…" (p.6)
· "°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â is an academic community defined by teaching in a research environment; research in a teaching environment." (p.6)
· "Recruitment and retention are the greatest challenges to our aspiration to continue to be a leading scholarly institution." (p.9)
· "Provincial funding in Ontario should aim to bring our student-faculty ratio to the average of the other nine provinces over the next five years." (p.10)
· "In the midst of unprecedented challenges, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's staff continue to demonstrate exceptional commitment to the University's mission." (p.14)
· "We must continue to educate our students to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to continue to learn throughout their lives." (p.16)
· "Our goal with regard to undergraduate recruitment is to be the premier residential university in Canada." (p.17)
· "In all of our programs, research and scholarly activity are at the heart of our commitment to excellence in education." (p.17)
· "°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's 170,000 alumni are vital partners in helping fulfill the University's mission." (p.22)
· "Although traditional areas of scholarship continue to retain their vitality, they are also in many instances expanding to encompass new areas of inquiry…" (p. 30)
· "Given its widely recognized potential for enhancing capabilities in teaching, research and administration, IT can and must be fully engaged in all areas where it will enable, facilitate and extend our academic mission." (p. 33)
· "Private donations have become increasingly important to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â in recent years and will continue to play a major role in the University's financial future." (p. 36)
· "The goals set out in the Report require that all of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â's people share as fully as possible in developing and directing our common future." (p. 39)