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Overview

In addition to consultations with more than 1,000 �Ӱ�ԭ�� community members, the project team conducted a broad, comprehensive web search of publicly available documents related to digital strategy at post-secondary institutions in Canada and abroad, as well as in federal and provincial governments. The team also reviewed �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s internal strategic documents, noted objectives, and action items that are of relevance for digital needs, processes, and aspirations. The purpose of this work was to learn what peer institutions and different levels of government were doing in relation to digital strategy implementations, to identify common overarching themes, and to identify successful digital strategy implementations. Below are summaries of, and links to, consulted documents. 

I. Examples of Digital Strategies and Environmental Scans from Post-Secondary Institutions

Canada

(In alphabetical order) 

Algonquin College: The Next-Gen College. Digital Strategy 2.0 () 

Based on the vision of accessible and high-quality applied education for their students, Digital Strategy 2.0 has three guiding principles: Personalized Experience, Learning Culture and Digital Preparedness, and Investment in Innovation. Some of the objectives include accessibility, adaptive learning, innovation, digital governance, making data-informed decisions. 

Athabasca University: Rise – Digital Transformation. 5 Year IT Strategy ()

With a goal of providing full flexibility and access to their online students, the focus of the strategy is to “provide the highest quality Canadian digital learning experiences to learners of all ages, regardless of their location anywhere in the world.” The strategy proposes nine goals to be achieved in five years. Some of these goals include enabling innovation, collecting data on student experience and making data-informed decisions. The strategy also enables user-friendly reporting capabilities to ensure faculty and staff have access to “business intelligence required to support their objectives.” It also calls for the improved interoperability of systems, sustainability, security, and endorsing cloud-based infrastructure and tools. 

Concordia University: Digital strategy environmental scan for the Concordia University Digital Strategy Committee. Prepared by Madsen, C. and Hurst, M. – Athenaeum21 (2018). () 

This document defines digital strategy as “a plan of action for the adoption of processes and practices to transform the organization and culture to effectively and competitively function in an increasingly digital world.” The authors discuss elements of a successful and unsuccessful digital strategy in terms of six interconnected themes: people, culture, leadership, organizational alignment, data, and technology. To be successful in digital transformations, “digitally mature organizations” need to invest in people and culture, focus on user experience, take risks (and learn from experience), engage in cross-institutional consultations, make data-informed decisions, pay attention to scaling and agility, create clear policies, and accept that digital transformation is a “very long journey.” Unsuccessful digital transformations, on the other hand, are characterized by lack of vision, neglect to recognize the importance of people and organizational culture, the imbalance between infrastructure and innovation, trying to achieve results fast, and “stalled decisions and momentum.” The authors provided several case studies, mostly from post-secondary institutions in Europe and the United States. They also provided an extensive bibliography. 

Dalhousie University: Digital Strategy 2021-2026 () 

This is the first-ever Digital Strategy for the university. It is described as focusing on user experience and it has the goal of supporting “excellence in teaching, learning, research, the student experience, and administrative functions at Dal.” The five strategic pillars (teaching and learning, people-centric, research and innovation, community collaborations, digital foundations) share common themes and values, including: 

• Shared values – inclusiveness, equity, diversity, accessibility, seamlessness, integration, lifelong learning, transparency, sustainability, privacy, security, digital literacy, and community focus.��
• Integration – well-integrated and well-supported systems and platforms will enable all users to thrive.��
• Shared data – data is an institutional asset, which supports transparent and data-informed decision-making.��
• Communications and training – improved communications on governance, systems availability, and training opportunities will increase co-operation and digital competency.��
• User-focused – keeping the user experience simple, accessible, and barrier-free is a guiding principle.��

McMaster University: IT Strategic Plan 2019-2021 () 

McMaster’s IT strategic plan is aspirational and formulated around three intertwined pillars: 

• A Connected McMaster Community – a co-operative and transparent approach to prioritizing and funding information technologies for the institution will include aligned leadership and partnerships across campuses.��
• Seamless Foundation –a standardized, scalable, secure, and integrated technology infrastructure is the necessary foundation for transformative information technologies and services at McMaster.��

• Transformative Information Technologies and Services – McMaster’s future depends on strategic solutions, leading-edge technologies, innovations, and investments in strong data integrations and automation tools to create an exceptional experience for students, instructors, and staff.��

Queen’s University: Themes Emerging from Environmental Scan of Digital Strategies in Higher Education (2018) () 

Queen’s University conducted an environmental scan of digital strategies in post-secondary education. This scan observed that “comprehensive” digital strategies, strategies that are “university-wide,” are still rare. The review also showed that digital strategies often fall into sub-categories that are either “audience-focused” or “function-focused.” Examples include “digital by default,” “administrative and operational function,” “digital marketing/brand,” “digital experience of students,” “data-focused strategy,” “strategy to help researchers,” etc. Still, it is evident that digital approaches are complex and “cross-cutting issues, even if an institutional strategy is focused just on one sphere (or function.)” 

In addition, the review noted other themes, such as the importance of institutional leadership, digital governance, issues related to ethics, cybersecurity, privacy, training, and change management. It also observes “a disruptive role of digital in higher education” as digital technologies can reach “communities at home and abroad,” and “teaching and learning is no longer ‘local’ or restricted to the classroom or campus lab; it is now global.”   

Examples of comprehensive digital strategies provided are from the University of Bergen (Norway), University of Leicester (U.K.), Oxford University (U.K.), the Association of Universities in the Netherlands, and Concordia University (Canada.) 

University of Ottawa: Digital Transformation Plan 2020-2025 ()

The digital strategy plan is aligned with the University of Ottawa’s Strategic Plan Transformation 2030: Building the University of Tomorrow, and its goal is to “diversify the university’s technological landscape in order to be more agile, more connected, more impactful, and more sustainable.” The underlying principles for the Digital Transformation Plan are as follows: simple and reusable; agile and innovative; user experience design; managed data; secure and private by design; strategic partnerships; cloud as an enabler; evolutionary architecture, and sustainability. 

United Kingdom

(In alphabetical order) 

University of Lancaster (U.K.): Digital Lancaster 2.0 ()

The University of Lancaster’s vision is to be “digitally innovative in support of the university’s vision of being a globally significant leader in higher education.” The university’s digital principles focus on enhancing user experiences across the variety of mobile and desktop platforms, accessibility, the agility of information technology solutions, and approaches that are designed with security in mind. The principle of openness aims to ensure that “university data are available in ways that encourage a culture of creativity and innovation.” 
 

University of Leicester (U.K.): Discovery-Enabling Digital 2016-2020 ()

The University of Leicester’s goal is to become a “discovery-led university” and “developing digital skills and capabilities” are the key elements necessary for achieving this goal. The university sees digital “at the core of how the university operates and the journey towards achieving its teaching, learning and research ambitions.” This comprehensive digital strategy recognizes the importance of digital in all aspects of the university (teaching and research, students and staff, academic and professional services) and it includes “interlinked strands that contribute to the overall implementation plan” such as developing the digital skills and capabilities of students and staff; establishing the appropriate governance structures;  enhancing digital leadership skills; engaging in digital activities across disciplines; communicating to stakeholders the vision and progress towards digital fluency. The plan also focuses on the digital literacy framework “through which digital training and skills development across the university will be co-ordinated.” 

II. Examples of Digital Strategies from the Federal and Provincial Governments

Government of Canada. Digital Standards ()

In consultations with the public and various stakeholders, the Government of Canada created a set of “living” digital standards that guide all their processes. These standards are as follows: 

• Design with users – consult users about their needs.��
• Iterate and improve frequently – develop services using agile, iterative, and user-centred methods.��
• Work in the open by default – share evidence, research, and decision-making openly. Make all non-sensitive data, information, and new code developed in the delivery of services open to the outside world for sharing and reuse under an open licence.��
• Use open standards and solutions – use open-source software where appropriate.��
• Address security and privacy risks – take a balanced approach to managing risk by implementing appropriate privacy and security measures.��
• Build in accessibility from the start.��
• Empower staff – make sure they have access to the tools, training, and technologies they need.��
• Be good data stewards – collect data from users only once and reuse it wherever possible.��
• Design ethical services and ensure that everyone receives fair treatment.��
• Collaborate widely – create multidisciplinary teams to deliver a common goal.��

Government of British Columbia Digital Government ()

The government of British Columbia built its digital strategy on the following 10 principles: 

• Deliver value for citizens of the province and cultivate trust.��
• Design with people, embed inclusion and apply human design practices.��
• Take an ethical approach and evaluate the potential ethical, social, cultural, and environmental implications of emerging priorities.
• Continuously learn and improve products and services.��
• Work in the open – be transparent, share information and data whenever possible, and strive to use open licenses, open and interoperable standards, and open-source code when possible.��
• Take a holistic approach – design and deliver forward-thinking, adaptable, scalable, and interoperable solutions.��
• Strive to collect data from users only once, re-using and sharing data whenever possible.��
• Take care of information and data – act as a trusted information steward.��
• Manage risks – promote a risk-balanced approach that addresses security and privacy by design.��
• Build diverse teams and internal capacity.��
• Express cultural & historical awareness and respect – acknowledge the historical relationships, inequity, trauma, and discrimination created by the government. Work in the spirit of reconciliation and respect that Indigenous people have control over data-collection processes in their communities and that they own their information and control how it can be used.

Government of Ontario (2021). Ontario’s Digital and Data Strategy ()

Ontario released its first-ever provincial Digital and Data Strategy in 2021. The government’s vision is that Ontario becomes “the world’s leading digital jurisdiction,” which includes “delivering more convenient, reliable and accessible government services while ensuring that online privacy and the protections that matter most to Ontarians are built-in.” The government’s digital strategy aims to ensure that all Ontarians have the tools and training they need to fully participate in the digital economy (including reliable and affordable internet access.) Other goals aim to ensure the privacy of personal data, while at the same time allowing access to data Ontarians need to make sound decisions, together with having reliable, accessible, and convenient government services. 

III. Technology Trends and Industry Research

2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report ()

Every year, the Horizon project selects a panel of international education experts and asks them to identify, discuss, and vote on the key trends, technologies, and practices they believe are going to affect post-secondary education. The project uses a modified Delphi methodology^[1], a systematic and structured future-casting approach that seeks to “elevate the collective perspectives and knowledge of a diverse group of experts.” 

In 2021, the panellists initially identified 141 technologies and practices they believed would have a significant impact on teaching and learning, and after several rounds of voting, the following six items rose to the top of a list:   

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)��
• Blended and Hybrid Course Models��
• Learning Analytics��
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• Open Educational Resources (OER)��
• Quality Online Learning

Three of these top-six technologies (Learning Analytics, AI, and OER) had also been identified as top entries in the 2020 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report. 

AI – The emerging literature predicts that AI use in post-secondary education will see a continuous increase, from chatbots to discussion platforms, matching roommates in student residences, personalizing student learning, helping with administrative and marking duties, and preventing academic dishonesty (Neelakantan, 2020^[2]; Ullman, 2020^[3].) For example, the University of British Columbia uses AI in its foreign languages program, where students can practice their oral skills with an avatar in a virtual environment. The use of AI on campuses is not without controversy. The most heated current debates focus on potential misuses of AI within proctoring in an online environment, and in collecting student biometric data to track their academic progress without their consent. 

Multimodal teaching and learning (blended, hybrid, online) – The COVID-19 pandemic forced instructors to adapt to new pedagogical approaches, including “content delivery,
engagement activities, and authentic application and assessment.” The post-pandemic future will require universities and colleges to decide whether “to retain these hybrid models, abandon them and return to traditional models, or inhabit some kind of middle ground.” It is also an opportunity for institutions “to find the right balance point to best serve their teaching and learning mission.” 

Learning Analytics – Higher education institutions may use learning analytics in areas of academic advising and support to “better understand the needs and challenges of learner populations.” For example, learning analytics in a learning management system may provide just-in-time “early alert systems that can tell instructorsand advisors when students are not performing well on early assessments, not accessing thelearning management system on a regular basis, or having low engagement or performanceacross a set of courses in the same term.” When implementing learning analytics, post-secondary institutions must consider “a range of ethical issues […] including transparency, data ownership and control, validity and reliability of data.” Institutions also need to develop a set of policies and mechanisms that will ensure that interpretation of data is not misused, as Ekowo and Palmer (2016, p. 13)^[4] warn: “predictive models can discriminate against historically underserved groups” and they can also “remove human judgment from the decision-making process.” 

Micro-credentials – Mini qualifications that demonstrate skills and knowledge in a given subject area or capability can be stacked and “bundled in ways that create personalized learning structures” with “an infinite number of possibilities for professional development.” The growth of micro-credentials has caused post-secondary institutions to “rethink the relationships between their credit and noncredit programs, and the ways in which they are serving an increasingly diverse audience of learners.” In 2021, the Ontario government announced its plan to invest $59.5 million over the next three years to further establish micro-credentials as a key component of Ontario’s post-secondary sector^[5]. 

OER -The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a need for OER to “move well beyond textbooks” and include openly accessible virtual labs and platforms that host them. In terms of textbooks, OER contributes to “increased societal equity for students” because many do not have sufficient financial resources. It is estimated that students spend “roughly $600 per year on textbooks.” Another advantage of OER is that it “keeps content current” as textbooks are hosted online and can be updated easily. 

Gartner Inc. (2021). Mobilize faculty culture to accelerate learning technology transformation in higher education ()

Gartner Inc., a company that conducts IT research and provides consultancy, authored this article discussing the key role of faculty culture in the process of comprehensive and institution-wide digital transformation. The authors argue that digital transformation is not possible to sustain if faculty members are not fully engaged and that “a faculty culture of partnership, support for technology-based learning strategies and proactive technology exploration is critical to support change.” To “transition faculty members from passive endorsement to active technology partners” the authors propose a few strategies, as follows: 

• Phase 1: Evaluate faculty enthusiasm for digital change and identify “early adopters,” “cautious followers,” “resistors,” and “key influencers.”��
• Phase 2: Encourage faculty participation through pilot projects, regular meetings, and highlighting of successes.��
• Phase 3: Extend faculty participation by scaling collaborations through various activities (for example, formal training, recognizing faculty champions, developing templates and shared knowledge bases for core teaching practices, having faculty members on technology steering committees, etc.)��
• Phase 4: Embed good practices and reset ambitions through communication, communities of practices, support for faculty mentors, etc.��

Gartner Inc. (2021). Top technology trends impacting higher education. () 

Gartner Inc. identified several trends they think will affect higher education globally. They grouped these trends under the following categories: Student Experience, Sustainability, Scaling the Changes, and New Normal. 

Gartner Inc. argues that higher education needs to “balance maintaining key systems while enabling emerging and innovative technologies” and “develop a process and timeline for evaluating each technology and making a decision.” 

IV. Additional Resources Provided by Members of the Advisory Committee

Dr. Tracy Lauriault, School of Journalism and Communication. Lauriault, T., Bloom, R., and Landry, J. N. (2018). Open Smart City Guide V 1.0 ()

Dr. Lauriault provided her expert insight on the Principle of Openness and the concept of an Open Smart City, which was “transformed into 24 education modules and several policies.” The principle of openness and Open Smart City represent a “participatory culture between government, civil society, the private sector, the media, and academia to sustainably, environmentally, safely, fairly, justly, and equally manage people and territory.” This involves “co-governance with shared rights and responsibility, shared data, information and knowledge, and technologies that are shareable, appropriate, agile, and open.” The goal is to “enable better decision-making and barrier-free data sharing among relevant stakeholders.” In this model, users can access data “seamlessly, despite the complexities of the underlying technologies.” At the same time, sensitive data are protected and secure. As Dr. Lauriault pointed out, the principle of openness in “mature digital organizations means that data, technology, and technical practices are intertwined and they are part of an operational environment that is dynamic, distributed, sustainable, and built on trust.” Dr. Lauriault noted that “governance in an open smart city is ethical, accountable, and transparent” and this applies to “the governance of social and technical platforms which include data, algorithms, skills, infrastructure, and knowledge.” An open smart city uses data and technologies that “adhere to open standards,” are interoperable, scalable, secure, sustainable, and are used “in such a way as to reduce harm and bias.” 

Dr. Gerald Grant, Sprott School of Business. Grant, G. (2018-2021). Digital Service Architecture 

Dr. Grant’s research work focuses on the importance of Digital Service Architecture, as well as the importance of understanding the end goal and the targeted audience/users. As he points out, often there is a lack of understanding that digital services are extraordinarily complex, with many “different issues, different layers, different outcomes, which all need to be addressed in their proper spaces.” That is why any digital strategy needs to “apply a layered architecture view” and “encapsulate issues while understanding their connections.”  Dr. Grant’s model for the high-level architecture for IT services management is depicted in the image below and is of particular importance for the Technology Roadmap that accompanies �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Digital Strategy. 

V. �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Strategic Documents

(In alphabetical order) 

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University Strategic Integrated Plan (Link)

We will approach teaching and pedagogy with imagination and new expectations. We must continue to adopt new pedagogical philosophies and technologies. Experiential learning, high-impact practices, and a greater appreciation for the value of teaching will ensure we meet the expectations of diverse and changing student populations, create positive learning and career outcomes, and respond to societal needs. 

Pathways:

• Enable and encourage pedagogical practices and curricular designs that foster student engagement, access, inclusion, and success.��
• Offer new and flexible learning opportunities for student-centred learning.��
• Build and promote programming, infrastructure projects, and spaces that embrace a commitment to social, physical, cultural, and environmental wellness.��

Coordinated Accessibility Strategy (Link)

• An accessibility lens should be given to many activities, including building, renovations, research, pedagogical development, student services, and information technology.��
• Accessibility and accommodation resources for information and communications needs on campus should be built-in and readily available.��
• Establish a process for support for providing accommodations, and adaptive and assistive devices for �Ӱ�ԭ�� events.��
• Establish best practices for accessibility in all knowledge creation and sharing (e.g., documents, presentation, websites, social media, conferences), which are shared internally or externally.��

Department of Chemistry Strategic Plan (Link)

Our Present                                          

• The chemical sciences have the opportunity to address issues using present technological developments (e.g., AI in collaboration with computer science.)��

Our Future 

• Machine Learning and Big Data as Tools for Chemistry Research.��

Strategic Actions 

• Renew our computational stream to leverage opportunities to partner with computer science and data science.��
• Implement virtual learning components.��

Energy Master Plan (Link)

• �Ӱ�ԭ�� is using the CopperTree analytics tool that allows the university to optimize the use of data from buildings to improve efficiency.��
• We are also incorporating innovative technologies into our energy analysis, including campus-wide energy metering and the use of infrared thermographic inspections to identify problem areas on building exteriors.��
• �Ӱ�ԭ�� has a number of existing energy display screens on campus which allows for real-time energy data to be presented. […] The expansion of this program will allow for additional screens across campus which will link to energy and water data, waste and recycling information, events, and ideas for carbon reduction.��

Employability Framework: Developing Career Ready Students (Link)

Digital Literacy is one of the nine career readiness competences that characterizes �Ӱ�ԭ��’s graduates: 

• Ethically and efficiently, solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals, while leveraging the existing digital technologies.��
• Adaptability to new and emerging technologies.��

Recommendations 

• Develop an Online Employability Framework Toolkit.��

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan (Link)

Recommendations:

• �Ӱ�ԭ�� will prepare Implementation Plans for the collection of demographic data relating to Gender Identity, Racialized Persons, Indigenous Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Sexual Orientation on a disaggregated, intersectional basis. The plans shall consider current and proposed changes to disaggregated data collection by Statistics Canada and higher education sector best practices while also respecting privacy considerations. Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) support is anticipated but third-party contracted data collection may also be considered. The support of Information Technology Services (ITS) will be critical.��
• As part of the undergraduate course registration or, alternatively, through the orientation process, all first-year students will complete an online module in EDI and human rights. The module will take an intersectional approach to concerns of oppression and marginalization as it relates to gender identity and expression, racialization including Anti-Black racism, religious belief, ability, sexual orientation, and Indigeneity […]��
• �Ӱ�ԭ�� will establish the permanent role of Communications Specialist within the Department of University Communications to, among other responsibilities, create an EDI communications plan including the creation of a social media and other digital presence/platforms for the university.��
• The primary goal of Learning Analytics is to better understand and improve the learning experiences of students through the collection and analysis of relevant data. Recognizing the growing literature around the experiences of racialized students in higher education, it will be important to link disaggregated and learning analytics data to assist in ensuring curricular and pedagogical approaches are sensitive to EDI.��

Faculty of Public Affairs. Raising Our Sights: Priorities and Directions for the Faculty of Public Affairs (Link)

Digital Technology as Tool and Topic – The opportunity is now to broaden this digital focus and integrate it across the faculty in all our programs and efforts. This involves increasing technical understandings and skills in using digital technology. But it also means increasing our thinking theoretically and holistically about digitization and public affairs in broad ways, including its potential for disruption and threats to security, privacy, and democracy. 

Potential Faculty-Level Actions  

• Offer regular workshops and short courses to refresh and upgrade our digital skills, especially new digital research tools.��
• Develop protocols and resources to support online activity by Faculty of Public Affairs members and to deter and address online abuse.��

• Expand digital access to courses, both through more online courses and more digitally accessible content in all courses��
• Deepen the development of “blended” courses, working with �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Educational Development Centre (EDC) and sponsoring workshops and shared learning.��
• Break down silos with open-ended collaborative events to share ideas about digital technology in the style of the Faculty’s “Bagels and Banter” series.��
• Launch a targeted internal funding opportunity to seed an interdisciplinary research group in digital public affairs.��
• Develop collaborative and globally linked online courses to provide all students with further forms of international exposure and experience.��

Finance and Administration Strategy (Link)

Vision Statement: Working collaboratively, embracing new technologies and innovative ways of operating, we will provide best-in-class service to the �Ӱ�ԭ�� Community. 

Fostering Student Academic Success Report 

Recommendations: 

• Develop analytical capacity to predict student success in real-time through the learning management system. Also develop appropriate policies to ensure that student data are used in ethical ways, that their analysis enables positive pedagogical interventions, and minimize risks of data misinterpretation. This should include consultations with instructors and students as well as effective communication efforts.��
• Encourage continuous assessment in large classes (min. three assessable moments; no individual assessment should be worth more than 50 per cent of the final course grade) blending the use of written and online assessments. Where appropriate, integrate educational technology tools – homework management systems (e.g. WileyPlus, Pearson Writer).��
• Create a centralized institutional repository of course outlines which will provide an opportunity to gain a systematic understanding/knowledge on assessment and grading practices in various disciplines. This repository will be password-protected and accessible only to �Ӱ�ԭ��’s instructors and staff members.��
• […] Re-designing large classes in ways that help mitigate the known challenges of these types of learning environments. Consideration should be given to how either flipped or hybrid models can be employed to improve student engagement, performance, and to advance important skill sets like critical thinking and problem solving […]��
• Provide more accessible dashboards to chairs and directors on courses with challenges with student success. Provide this information with four weeks of final grade submission deadlines.��

Honouring Each Other: Building Consent Cultures on Campus, Together – Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Strategy (Link)

Tasks 

• Providing opportunities for online, in-person, and hard-copy feedback which is anonymous and confidential.��

• Identify marketing tactics for the #CUrious campaign, including #CUrious influencers.��

International Strategic Plan (Link)

Objective: International mobility and experiential learning 

Activities 

• Virtual mobility.��
• Virtual meetings with international partners to nurture relationships.��

Objective: International Research and Funding 

Activities 

• Research accomplished virtually, including research supervision.��
• Virtual conferences.��
• Advertise available research mobility grants in an accessible way (e.g., website, newsletter, social media, etc.)��

Objective: International Students 

Activities 

• Virtual recruitment.��
• Policy and structure for international students to take courses online.��
• Hybrid models.��
• Engage directly with prospective undergraduate students through targeted school visits, meetings, and events, as well as online via webinars and live chats. This is in addition to broader promotional efforts, including online advertising, email campaigns, microsites, and social media.��

Objective: International Teaching, Knowledge and Expertise 

Activities 

• Integrate innovative learning models.��
• Hybrid Models-online and F2F.��

Objective: Stories showcasing our achievements (e.g., on our website, student publications, newsletters, etc.) 

Activities 

• Work with Risk Management and other units to develop a comprehensive website featuring all services and activities related to international (One Web Portal.)��
• Advertise and communicate about the web portal as a means to learn about all of the international initiatives and activities across campus.��

Kinàmàgawin (Learning Together) – Final Report of the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Strategic Indigenous Initiatives Committee (CUSIIC) (Link)

Call to Action #3

• Whereas it is important to provide Indigenous students with useful and valuable information about available programming, services, and upcoming events on and off campus to engender networks of support and community. Furthermore, whereas many Indigenous students are connected to online communication channels, including social media sites, we call for the development of a digital Indigenous hub where information on all Indigenous services, events and programs on campus can be easily accessed.��

Call to Action #22

• Whereas many Indigenous peoples wish to attend university but must remain in their home communities for a variety of reasons, including financial insecurity or family obligations. Furthermore, whereas technology and telecommunication networks remove barriers to education, including the need to be physically on campus we call for the development of courses and programs for specific Indigenous communities that can be accessed by students who wish to remain in their communities.��

MacOdrum Library Strategic Plan ()

Pathways – Research 

• Promote special collections through discoverable online exhibitions and outreach.��
• Strengthen our consultation services including data management; evidence synthesis; open scholarship; author rights and re-use permissions (copyright) for researchers.��
• Expand our contributions to open scholarship and research infrastructure initiatives (Portage, Public Knowledge Project (PKP), Traditional Knowledge, New Digital Research Infrastructure Organization (NDRIO), ORCID, FAIR etc.)��
• Develop a systematic approach to digital preservation and infrastructure.��
• Digitize and provide access to our unique collections.��
• Actively participate in digital preservation and access initiatives such as Hathi trust, Internet Archives, Canadiana Online and others.��

Pathways – Teaching and Learning 

• Increase our support for online learning.��
• Create and expand upon library modules for Brightspace (including for first-year students.)��
• Reimagine our face-to-face support for online learning.��
• Provide a more seamless experience for course readings in Brightspace.��
• Promote the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OERs.)��
• Promote resources with no additional permissions needed for re-use (existing licensed content, OERs, Open Access, Creative Commons, Public Domain.)��
• Make license information and permissions more transparent for course preparation.��
• Upgrade self-help component on copyright web pages.��
• Create a Data Lab in the Library for data, GIS, and Bloomberg workstations.��
• Develop 3D printing services.��

Pathways – Partnerships, Community 

• Expand digitization efforts of Ottawa Resource Collection, archival material, and other special collections.��

Pathways – Accessibility 

• Increase the accessibility of digital content created by the library, particularly videos and scanned copies of print materials.��
• Work towards the objectives of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Coordinated Accessibility Strategy.��
• Develop a document accessibility standard to ensure all digitized materials meet accessibility standards.��

Sprott School of Business: Vision 2025: Business for a Better World ()

Principle 1 – Goal 2: Develop unique curricula and integrated opportunities for experiential learning. 

Actions

• Enhance our curricula to incorporate new learning goals focused on communication and analytical skills, responsible management, diversity of thought, and creative thinking.��
• Deliver our programs in new ways to extend our reach to include non-traditional learners, including the use of stackable credentials that recognize competencies and achievements and allow for equivalent credit transfer into the BCom.��
• Continue to enhance our outstanding accounting programs (BCom Accounting, Post-Baccalaureate in Accounting, MAcc) in partnership with the CPA, through the incorporation of AI technologies and sustainability principles in the curricula.��

Principle 1 – Goal 3: Foster a supportive and collaborative learning environment. 

Actions. 

• Design unique, accessible spaces in the Nicol Building for in-person and virtual collaborative learning.��
• Deliver strong joint programs and collaborations with other faculties, such as Science and Engineering, to encourage technological and social innovation.��
• Ensure Sprott is visible and known for innovations that harness technology for positive social impact.��

Principle 2 – Goal 1: Provide Opportunities for all �Ӱ�ԭ�� students to engage in entrepreneurship. 

Actions 

• Create new business minors in Technology Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation and promote these to Sprott and all �Ӱ�ԭ�� students.��

Principle 2 – Goal 2: Integrate business and technological knowledge through new learning opportunities. 

Actions 

• Develop new micro-credentials and certificate programs in technology and management skills to offer to �Ӱ�ԭ�� undergraduate and graduate students and professional learners.��

Principle 3 – Goal 1: Help to accelerate the regional ecosystem of world-class technology companies. 

Actions 

• Launch new professional programs and an executive coaching group aimed at increasing management and leadership capacity in regional technology companies.��
• Partner with technology companies to offer work-based learning courses for Sprott students.��
• Virtual platforms, global study opportunities and world-class support connect students based in different parts of the world as they achieve academic success.��

Strive for Sustainability (Link)

Strategic Actions 

• Develop and improve monitoring and reporting procedures, including the continued use of external ratings such as Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System (STARS) and UI Green Metric.��
• Ensure that high-quality video conferencing is readily available across campus.��
• Revise the university’s sustainability website to provide a comprehensive resource for sustainability activity.��
• Increase the use of social media as a communication platform.��

Student Mental Health Framework (Link)

Recommendations 

• Investigate existing online or mobile tools that assess well-being, identify signs of poor coping, and provide feedback and resources to help students regain balance.��
• Develop a centralized website to provide access to comprehensive information on well-being and mental health to students, staff, faculty, and parents.��
• Investigate pre-existing online training modalities for suitability for students, staff, and faculty (for example More Feet on the Ground.)��
• Develop an online resource that outlines student services and programs and communicates a streamlined “Stepped Approach” depending on the need for the range of mental health services available at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University.��
• Continue to offer wellness programming and enhance online tools that provide information on managing stress and recognizing the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, among other mental health problems.��

Students and Enrolment Strategic Plan (Link)

Goal 1-2: Implement new software to manage exams and accommodations for students with disabilities. 

Goal 2-3: Develop a sophisticated virtual tour to share with students to engage their interest in �Ӱ�ԭ��. 

Citations

^[1] Green, R. (2014). .

^[2] Neelakantan, S. (2020).

^[3] Ullman, E. (2020). .

^[4] Ekowo, M., and Palmer, I. (2016). . New America: Education Policy. 

^[5] Ontario Government –