Inside
SEPTEMBER 2012
president’s message
A year of transformation for PSE in Ontario In the education world, September is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. The summer months gave many of us a chance to slow the pace just a little, reflect on the bigger picture and prepare for the new academic year. At Laurier, we have another busy year ahead. It is also a critical year for higher education in Ontario. The post-secondary sector is entering a period of transformation. In June, the Ontario government issued a discussion paper that lays out the expectation that universities and colleges need to do more to adapt to a fast-changing world — a world in which prosperity depends on increasing the number of well-educated workers in our society; a world in which students demand increasing opportunities and relevance in the education they receive; a world in which financial resources are increasingly constrained; and a world in which technology is dramatically reshaping the way we teach and learn. While change can be disconcerting, the good news is that
the Ontario government continues to value higher education and the role it plays in driving economic prosperity. At the same time, the provincial financial position makes it challenging to accommodate growing enrolments and to ensure that we meet the needs of today’s students with diverse and active-learning opportunities. We are challenged to improve productivity and efficiency through innovation. A key government proposal is to work with universities and colleges to develop individual “strategic mandate agreements” that will link an institution’s strengths and priorities with the goals that are set out in the provincial discussion paper. The province has made it clear that these agreements will shape future resource allocation decisions and program approvals. At Laurier, we have fortunately done much over a number of years that will position us well in
this new operating environment. The consultation and collegial deliberation that went into the Envisioning Laurier process, the Academic Plan, Campus Master Plans, and the Multi-Campus Governance initiative has enabled us to develop a strong position with respect to our future.
Staff, faculty encouraged to engage with IPRM process As Laurier prepares to commence the Integrated Planning and Resource Management (IPRM) program, faculty and staff are invited to become engaged with the process by providing their input at the fall IPRM workshops and participating in the IPRM working group nomination process. In addition to the five IPRM training workshops that took place between April and September, there are two full-day workshops for faculty and staff scheduled for Oct. 10 and Oct.
11. The October workshops will incorporate a mix of activities designed to gain input from the Laurier community about the university; cover the principles of integrated planning, academic and administrative prioritization and resource management; and provide background information and the opportunity to ask questions about the IPRM process. The IPRM process will be guided by a Planning Task Force and three working groups: the academic priorities team, administrative priorities team and
resource management team. All members of Laurier faculty, administration and staff are invited to put forward the names of individuals that they would like to nominate for membership on one or more of these IPRM teams. Self-nominations are also welcome. Nominations close Oct. 19. To register for the full-day October workshops, submit a nomination or to find out more information about the IPRM process, please visit www.wlu.ca/ IPRM.
InsideLaurier is published by Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM) Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 7, Number 1, September 2012 Editor: Stacey Morrison Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison Contributors: Tomasz Adamski, Kevin Crowley, Nicholas Dinka, Patricia Kitchen, Sandra Muir, Mallory O’Brien
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In this new environment it is all the more important that we continue to plan our future in a clear and strategic way. With this in mind Laurier has launched an Integrated Planning and Resource Management initiative (IPRM). This consultative process will define and support the principles and institutional priorities that will enable Laurier to flourish and prosper in the years ahead. At the heart of the IPRM process is the question, “How will we continue to make Laurier a better institution?” To answer this, we must identify principles and priorities that are critically important as we look strategically toward the future. We then need to put resources toward those priorities. There are many opportunities for you to participate in the IPRM process. A number of training and information workshops are scheduled over the next two months that are
open to all. Faculty and staff are invited to nominate individuals (including themselves) to one or more of the teams that will be responsible for delivering the IPRM program. We are seeking persons for election or appointment to the Planning Task Force and for appointment to the three working groups that will be established: the academic priorities team, administrative priorities team and resource management team. For more information about IPRM and the appointment and election process, please visit the website at www.wlu.ca/IPRM The year ahead will be a critical one for post-secondary education in Ontario. I am confident that the consultation and strategic planning that Laurier has done, and will continue to do, will ensure a bright future for our remarkable university.
Multi-campus continued
two working groups into a single report, which was endorsed by Senate and approved by the Board of Governors in spring 2012. To read the Presidential Task Force on Multi-Campus Governance reports and for detailed information, please visit the multicampus governance website at www.wlu.ca/presidentialtaskforce.
other on administrative governance. The working groups consulted widely with the Laurier community to develop recommendations for the integrated organizational structures. The Presidential Task Force then consolidated the findings of the
Max Blouw President and Vice-Chancellor
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Deadline for submissions: Sept. 17, 2012
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InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories. Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: stmorrison@wlu.ca InsideLaurier (circ. 2,100) is published eight times a year by CPAM. Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration. Available online at www.wlu.ca/publicaffairs. Printed on recycled paper
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