CUE Annual Report 2022-23

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON

ANNUAL REPORT

2022-23

SECTION 1. Accountability Statement

Concordia University of Edmonton’s Annual Report for the year ended March 31, 2023 was prepared under the Board’s direction in accordance with ministerial guidelines All material economic, environmental or fiscal implications of which we are aware have been considered in the preparation of this report .

Original Document Signed by

Dr. John Acheson Chair, Board of Governors, Concordia University of Edmonton, August 25, 2023

SECTION 2. Management’s Responsibility for Reporting

Concordia University of Edmonton’s management is responsible for the preparation, accuracy, objectivity and integrity of the information contained in the Annual Report including the financial statements, performance results and supporting management information Systems of internal control are designed and maintained by management to produce reliable information to meet reporting requirements . The system is designed to provide management with reasonable assurance that transactions are properly authorized, are executed in accordance with all relevant legislation, regulations and policies, reliable financial records are maintained, assets are properly accounted for and safeguarded .

The Annual Report has been approved by the Board of Governors and is prepared in accordance with Ministerial guidelines

Original Document Signed by

Dr. Tim Loreman President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia

University of Edmonton, August 25, 2023

SECTION 3. Message from the President and Board Chair

Throughout the 2022-23 academic year, Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) achieved significant milestones, propelled by innovative research and a dedicated focus on assisting students in navigating the aftermath of pandemic-induced challenges With a return to fully in-person classes, we ramped up student support services to meet increased demand and we continue to update our high-calibre programs to meet global demands .

A highlight of 2022 was the opening of the Concordia University of Edmonton Psychology Clinic This unique space gives our Doctor of Psychology students an unparalleled platform for intellectual exploration, while improving counseling access to our CUE community .

Capitalizing on the fundraising success of the President’s Annual Breakfast for Mental Health, we are bolstering our Mental Health Strategy via training for both students and staff on topics including mental health, suicide prevention, harm reduction, and sexual violence prevention and reduction, among others .

The past year witnessed the Faculty of Science flourishing, propelled by substantial funding . This is a testament not only to the value of our programs but can also be attributed to the close professor-student mentorships, which have contributed to excellent student research outcomes

The launch of the CUE Innovation Hub (CIH) last fall encapsulates our commitment to encouraging broad ranging innovation and entrepreneurship . The Hub embodies our objective of keeping CUE and its students at the forefront of technological change and learning

Throughout the academic year, our dedication to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) led to a significant increase in student participation across diverse disciplines at CUE . This empowers our students to gain real-world experiences and prepare for their future We are passionate about incorporating WIL in every program, thus promoting hands-on growth and excellence for all our students

Above all, we want our institutional ethos to embody a culture of belonging, which begins with inclusion, diversity, and equity . CUE implemented various initiatives to foster an inclusive campus community that supports the LGBTQ2S+ community and other individuals from underserved populations which are outlined in the report

As we set our sights on the future, our resolve to nurture innovation, inclusivity, and excellence remains strong . With great anticipation, we look forward to achieving new milestones and continuing our pursuit of excellence in the forthcoming academic year

Original Document Signed by

Original Document Signed by

Dr. John Acheson Chair, Board of Governors

Dr. Tim Loreman President and Vice-Chancellor

CONCORDIA BY THE NUMBERS

50+ undergraduate majors, concentrations and minors

4 master’s degrees

2 after degree programs

1 doctorate degree

2 undergraduate certificates

1 graduate certificates

3 graduate diplomas

613 STUDENTS completed their programs UP 28%

410 UNIQUE LEARNERS enrolled in some form of Work Integrated learning

20 DOCTORAL STUDENTS enrolled in the Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program

193

HOURS of writing support through the Writing Centre

32% INCREASE

564

HOURS of free tutoring support to students

107% INCREASE

50% INCREASE in student registrations for CUE’s triannual CAREER WEEK events

44,002

E-BOOKS in CUE’s library collection

UP 13%

97 ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS in 37 countries around the world

300 OVER

people attended CONCORDIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S Ginga: The Brazilian Way

94% of CUE GRADUATES reported they were employed.

UP 2% from the previous Alberta Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS)

SECTION 4. Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act

No disclosures have been made to the designated chief officer .

SECTION 5. Operational Overview INTRODUCTION

Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) has played an important role in Alberta’s educational history since 1921 and has operated as a degree granting institution in the arts and sciences since 1987 We offer over 50 majors and minors in the fields of Arts, Science, and Management, two after-degree programs, three masters degrees, a doctoral program, graduate and undergraduate certificates and diplomas, and continuing education programs

We are committed to providing high quality post-secondary education grounded in a liberal arts tradition and in building innovative niche programs . We are a globally aware and responsible university, and focus on the needs of our learners and the community . Our ultimate goal has not changed since 1921: to be more than students and professors, to create a community of active citizens, of good and honourable people .

We are pleased to share our progress throughout this year’s Annual Report . Our achievements throughout 2022-23 demonstrate our firm determination to live up to our commitments and realize our ambitions embraced in CUE’s vision and mission, and key strategic planning documents, and the Ministry of Advanced Education’s vision for higher education outlined in Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs .

In sharing our successes, it is important to also take stock of the challenges faced by our CUE community at the start of the 2022-23 year owing to the residual effects of the pandemic and labour action

Our community was impacted by a faculty strike lasting 12 days in early January 2022 that concluded with the signing of a four-year collective agreement with the Concordia University of Edmonton Faculty Association (CUEFA) Against this backdrop, we intensified our efforts to repair and rebuild relationships, recognizing these to be central to our success, both in the short and long term .

In Spring 2022, we engaged our community and asked students, faculty and staff to share their ideas for how we could improve the student and employee experience at CUE

In Summer 2022, we released “Reconnecting CUE 2022: A Plan Forward” established based on the listening sessions held in the spring

The plan provided us with a number of concrete steps that we took to reconnect the CUE community in meaningful ways and will continue to take as we move forward .

Another key area of focus in 2022-23 is the renewal of CUE’s Academic Plan which is set to expire in 2023 The task of creating CUE’s next academic plan is being led by Dr Barbara van Ingen, Vice President Academic and Provost . Extensive consultations with the CUE community, and particularly with faculty, were initiated in September 2022 . Our next academic plan will serve as our map, helping us to mark our goals and set an intentional course for how we will get there Not only will it clarify the work we need to do, but it will also signify what is important to us as a community . The plan will prioritize both our people and our dedicated focus on teaching at CUE .

FINANCIAL PICTURE

Ensuring financial sustainability is a top priority for CUE Faced with declining enrolments over the past two years following an eight-year period of record enrolments, combined with increases in faculty and staff compensation and higher supplies and services costs, CUE has looked to find cost savings and take measures to generate revenues As a result of these actions, CUE continued to achieve a surplus budget in 2022-23, with revenues over expenses amounting to close to $7 million, up $1 5 million over last year’s surplus .

Ensuring a surplus is critical to CUE’s contingency planning and long-term financial sustainability As an independent university, and unlike publicly-funded post-secondary institutions, CUE does not receive provincial government funding to support capital maintenance and development Maintaining operating surpluses has enabled us to reinvest in capital projects for current and future years in order to support our current and future student numbers and growing campus needs Our enrolments more than doubled between 2013-14 and 2020-21, and as of this year, despite declining enrolments, still represent an increase of 88 per cent in FLEs and of 82 per cent in unique students since 2013-14 As a result of this growth trend and our aspiration to expand our student body to 4,000 students (3,000 FLEs) we moved forward with our 2019 Campus Master Plan . This plan includes new facilities for much needed classroom, laboratory, office, study and residence space . Planning is underway for additional residence space and this year we continued to make progress on the construction of our new academic building and student quad which commenced in September 2021 .

This year, our investment in academic programs remained on par with our expenditures in this area last year and accounted for the second largest share of expenditures by program (43 per cent), next to support programs (46 per cent) We also increased year-over-year spending on research, support programs and student financial aid by 55, 15 and 7 per cent, respectively . CUE increased the 2022-23 institutional budget for scholarships and bursaries by 10 per cent from the previous year, which allowed for the development of new and additional scholarship opportunities, with some targeted specifically to graduate students and for students beginning their studies in January, as opposed to the traditional fall intake for which the vast majority of aid opportunities are aligned

Tuition and fees account for the largest share of revenue, accounting for 61 per cent, up from 60 per cent last year, and over the same period, revenue from this source increased by $2 .5 million . Government funding makes up the second largest share of revenue and accounted for 29 per cent of the funding,

down from 31 per cent in 2021-22, with total revenue from this source reduced by close to $235,000 compared to the year prior .

This is the second year the Ministry of Advanced Education implemented its performance-based funding program operationalized through an Investment Management Agreement (IMA) In its first year, the IMA designated five per cent of CUE’s Operating and Program Support grant funding dependent on meeting one target related to work-integrated learning in 2021-22 . This year’s new 2022-2025 three-year IMA has three funding metrics in place: (1) work integrated learning, (2) total domestic enrolment, and (3) graduate outcomes survey . In each year of its implementation, an increasing envelope of funding is at risk, ranging from 15 per cent in 2022-23 to 40 per cent in 2024-25 . This presents a substantial financial risk for CUE and has a direct impact on tuition and fee rates

ENROLMENTS

In 2022-23, CUE experienced a decline in enrolments for the second year in a row after sustaining continuous growth from 2013-14 to 2020-21, which equates to a nine per cent average annual rate of growth In 2022-23, the total number of unique students in Ministry-approved programs totaled 2,923, and full-load equivalents (FLEs) totaled 2,168 1, representing a 10 per cent and 11 per cent drop from the prior year, respectively . These declines in enrolment are attributed in large part to drops in new registrations in the previous two years, which were undoubtedly negatively impacted by the pandemic and its ongoing impacts, along with a Faculty Association strike in January 2022 Those contributing factors to declining enrolments are in addition to graduating record numbers of students in prior years which reduced the number of possible continuing students Our highest number of completions recorded to date was reached in 2021-22 with 702 students completing their programs (an increase of 30 per cent from the prior year), followed by our second highest number of completions, 613, achieved in 2022-23 (a 15 per cent increase from 2020-21)

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Our academic programs are integral to our commitment to deliver a high-quality education, setting students up for success in their chosen careers or plans for further studies . We accomplish this by virtue of being a small campus that provides all the benefits of student-focused pedagogy At the same time, we strive to stand out among our small campus peers – living up to our commitment to be Canada’s pre-eminent small university . We meet this challenge through constant evaluation of our existing academic offerings and the development of innovative and distinctive programs that not only build on our expertise, but that also fulfill essential societal and marketplace needs

We offer more than 50 undergraduate majors, concentrations, and minors; 4 master’s degree programs, and 1 doctorate degree program . This is in addition to several after-degree programs, graduate and undergraduate certificates and diplomas, and continuing education programs This year we launched a four-year Bachelor of Arts program in Philosophy which provides greater choice for students who previously only had access to a three-year concentration in Philosophy at CUE . We continued to monitor our existing programs as part of our ongoing Academic Program Cyclical Review process, bringing reviews of CUE’s Bachelor of Arts programs in Drama and Music and the Bachelor of Science in Environmental

Bridging education and community wellness at CUE

In its inaugural year, the Concordia University of Edmonton Psychology Clinic (CUEPC) established itself as a vital resource on CUE’s campus A keystone of the PsyD training program, the CUEPC is an embodiment of CUE’s commitment to holistic education and community service

The Centre operates not just as a training ground for PsyD students, but also as a community wellness hub, offering a myriad of clinical services to CUE students, faculty, staff, and the broader community . Leveraging a state-of-theart space and work-integrated learning, the CUEPC nurtures the competencies of our PsyD students, all while ensuring our community members receive the support and care they need

Our doctoral students’ multifaceted training ensures that those seeking help receive compassionate, personalized care, irrespective of their age, background, culture, religion, gender identity, or sexuality .

What began as an idea – a vision of an educational hub that serves the dual purpose of training our PsyD students – has materialized into a vibrant and indispensable part of the CUE campus

Health (After Degree) programs near to completion Additionally, we launched reviews of our Bachelor of Arts in English, our Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and our Bachelor of Management program .

CUE’s four teaching faculties and faculty of graduate studies celebrated individual success in 2022-23, including:

„ The Faculty of Arts celebrated the opening of the Concordia University of Edmonton Psychology Clinic (CUEPC), formerly known as the Center for Inspired Minds, Lives, & Communities, which serves as a training facility for students in CUE’s Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology program

„ CUE’s Faculty of Science received funding through the Government of Alberta’s Targeted Enrolment Expansion Grant with $427,725 allocated to the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program and $703,786 allocated to the Master of Science in Information Technology program, to a total of $1,573,069 .

„ The Faculty of Management completed a two-year agreement with Chartered Professional Human Resources (CPHR) and signed a 5-year accreditation agreement in July 2022 Students completing a Human Resources emphasis can now become members of CPHR for free

„ The Faculty of Education renewed the emphasis placed on networking with School Division partners and on recognizing the critical role of partner schools in the work of the Faculty of Education’s Field Experiences, and a high percentage of graduates of CUE’s Bachelor of Education after-degree obtained teaching offers .

„ The Faculty of Graduate Studies held its first ever Graduate Studies Fair in November 2022 .

We continued to increase opportunities for CUE students to gain real workplace experience through the integration of “Work Integrated Learning” (WIL) For several years WIL has been solidly embedded in our Education and Management programs, and is offered in almost all of our Science programs . In the Arts, our longstanding applied emphasis program in psychology and our new clinical psychology doctoral program also provide CUE students with substantive hands-on experience We continued to take active measures to incorporate WIL in all existing and new programs . Over the past year, 410 unique learners enrolled in some form of WIL, up 28 per cent from last year’s benchmark count of 321 .

TEACHING EXCELLENCE

Over the past year, CUE replaced the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) with a newly established Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) The OTL’s primary focus was to support the switch from traditional face-to-face learning to a fully online learning environment during the pandemic and to support development of flexible course delivery, incorporating online and blended modalities post-pandemic The new CTE continues to support faculty adoption and development of a variety of instructional approaches, while also providing more wide-ranging pedagogical, technological, and design expertise to support teaching and learning

FACULTY HIRES

We continued to grow our faculty and staff hires to fill new academic programs and meet the needs of our increased overall student body since the start of our growth trend in 2013-14 . Despite enrolment losses in the past couple of years, we supported an additional 1,317 unique students in 2022-23 than in 2013-14, which amounts to an increase of 82 per cent . To address these needs, we created six new faculty positions at the Assistant Professor rank in high-demand program areas, including Psychology (1), Public Health (1), Education (1), Environmental Science (1) and Information Technology (2) We also added nine staff positions, including: a Field Placement Coordinator in the Faculty of Science, a PsyD Clinic manager, and a Research Administrator .

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Over the past year, we continued to encourage and support faculty, student and community engagement in research and scholarship Metrics related to faculty and student engagement in research was on par or slightly higher than last year . We maintained applications for external research funding and Tri-Agency funding, which ensures we remain on track to gain eligibility to host a Canada Research Chair Additionally, we received our first Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral (CGS-D) allocation, which allows us to submit nominations to the national competition

In 2022-23, with the support of CUE’s Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre (IKRC), we continued to offer programs, services, and host events and provide support to faculty members conducting research or integrating Indigenous perspectives into their curricula One example is a research project with Eden Valley First Nation undertaken in partnership with Dr Emmanuel Mapfumo, a CUE faculty member in Environmental Science . The Office of Research also worked closely with the Traditional Environmental Knowledge Association (TEKA), an external funding partner, to provide research opportunities to Indigenous students on a project led by Dr Xin Chen, Chair of the Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences .

CUE also launched the CUE Innovation Hub (CIH) in 2022-23 to further enhance a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at CUE The CIH comprises CUE’s BMO-Centre for Applied Research and Innovation (BMO-CIAR), Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (CAAI), and the McNeil Centre for Applied Renewable Energy (McNeil CARE) . It brings together resources for innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs to support applied research and innovation The CIH secured infrastructure valued at approximately $150,000 that will place CUE at the forefront of technological advancements for machine learning-based research . The CIH also connected CUE faculty and staff to more than 10 industry and community partners for applied research and commercialization projects

INTERNATIONALIZATION

CUE maintains active international partnerships in 37 countries . These partnerships increase opportunities for faculty members to engage in collaborative international research projects and expand opportunities for students to engage in study and research abroad In the past year, CUE signed a new research agreement with partner university Univille in Brazil .

Student outbound mobility increased this year . Eight CUE students studied abroad in 2022-23, compared to only two in 2021-22

The Centre for Chinese Studies and the International Office continued to host cultural events throughout the year to support and encourage participation in a cross-section of diverse cultural practices and celebrations, including: Chinese New Year, Moon Festival, Spring Reflection Art Exhibition, and Intercultural Day Additionally, the Office of Extension and Culture worked with the Concordia Symphony Orchestra to conduct Ginga: The Brazilian Way concert in December 2022 .

CAMPUS LIFE

CUE’s Campus Life (CL) team supported the academic and personal development of our students by providing a number of services to support personal and academic growth, and working to ensure a safe and enriching learning environment for a diverse student body In 2022-23, demand for CL learning and personal support services continued to increase . Compared to the previous year, the number of students receiving tutoring support increased 107 per cent and hours of writing support increased 32 per cent Additionally, CL provided accommodations to 290 students, which included providing 2,328 accommodated exams .

CUE continued to implement the 2017 Mental Health Strategy and the Sexual Violence Reduction Strategy Training was provided on topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, harm reduction, and sexual violence prevention and reduction, to name a few . To foster an inclusive campus community that supports LGBTQ2S+ students, faculty and staff, CUE engaged in a multitude of initiatives including participating in the Queer Support Services Network (QSSN), initiating the Transformative, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (TIDE) working group, and supporting the re-establishment of a student-led CUE Pride Association .

CUE remains committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for work, study, and living We actively promote dignity for all, rejecting action and language that are harmful to mutual respect . Thoughtful scrutiny and the civil debate of a variety of ideas and approaches are vital to the fulfillment of CUE’s purpose, and are encouraged as essential elements of inclusion (CUE Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework, 2021)

SECTION 6.

Goals, Priority Initiatives, Expected Outcomes, and Performance Measures

Our operations are guided by our vision and mission, and the strategic direction articulated in key institutional and planning documents, including our Academic Plan (2018-23), Strategic Research Plan (201924), and Campus Master Plan (2020) .

This section highlights CUE’s attainment of goals, priority initiatives, expected outcomes, and associated measures in the 2022-2023 fiscal year These are reported against the backdrop of the four themes of CUE’s Academic Plan 2018-2023:

„ Our Past, Our Present, Our Future;

„ An Ethic of Comprehensive Inclusion;

„ Treaty 6, Edmonton, and the World; and

„ A Boutique Experience.

Our Academic Plan serves as a framework to highlight our strategic direction by integrating the main goals and priorities articulated in CUE’s institutional planning documents .

The goals, priority initiatives, strategic actions, and success measures listed under each theme in this section of the report are the result of a synthesis of the strategic priorities conveyed in our most recent Academic Plan, Strategic Research Plan, Comprehensive Institutional Plan, and Campus Master Plan .

CUE’s key goals and their associated priority initiatives, strategic actions and metrics are part of a multiyear planning cycle This report focuses on those areas where progress was made in fiscal 2022-2023, and leaves out completed and future activity As a result, some of the listed priority initiatives and strategic actions, and performance metrics will intentionally not be reported on .

THEME 1: OUR PAST, OUR PRESENT, OUR FUTURE

We’re constantly seeking the right balance between teaching and research, between specialization and adventurousness. But our ultimate goal has not changed since 1921: to be more than students and professors, to create a community of active citizens, of good and honourable people.

In reflecting on our past, where we are now, and where we want to go, we are steadfast in meeting our ongoing commitment to provide the strong foundational post-secondary education for which we are known, while also developing programs to meet the evolving knowledge and business needs of the future

GOAL 1.1: PREPARE CUE STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE

A main priority for CUE is setting students up for success, whatever their futures may hold, whether it is a career or further studies, through the delivery of high-quality and relevant academic programming .

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Ensure our learning outcomes are appropriate and relevant

„ Develop new and distinctive degree programs that build on our strengths and respond to societal needs

„ Ensure quality, viability, and relevance in our academic programs

„ Expand options and pathways to help students complete their programs, including via online courses and the expansion of course sections

Success Measures

„ Implementation of CUE’s new institution-wide learning outcomes into all programs in year 1 of the Academic Plan 2018-2023

„ Metrics evaluating students’ success transitioning into careers and/or advanced studies

„ Year-on-year improvement in timely degree completion and completion rates

„ Implementation of a minimum of three new innovative programs during the period of the academic plan

„ Adherence to a five-year schedule for cyclical reviews of academic programs

„ Metrics demonstrating students have sufficient choice in setting and moving through their programs

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Continued to successfully implement our first doctoral program

In Fall 2022, we welcomed our second cohort of 10 doctoral students to our first-ever doctoral program—a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program . We met our annual targets in each of the first two years of the program, reaching a total 20 high-quality doctoral students enrolled in 20222023 Our graduate students come from five different Canadian provinces and one U S state The teaching focuses on the competencies required for the clinical practice of psychology at the doctoral level . The curriculum is sequential and cumulative, with subsequent courses building on prior courses throughout the five-year program The PsyD training clinic, CUEPC, opened its doors to CUE students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the community at large in Fall 2022 . The clinic provides a complex array of clinical services as part of the program As a mentorship environment, the clinic uses state-of-the-art technologies, work-integrated learning, and quality assurance assessment to further the competencies and proficiencies of all students . As a research environment, the clinic offers the opportunity for a wide variety of applied and clinical research Among the major developments currently underway is a research partnership with the University of Bahia of Brazil for a cross-cultural study of Autism Spectrum Disorder

An exchange student from Bahia will be coming to spend a semester studying at CUE as part of this partnership

Continued to monitor new and existing programs to ensure their academic quality, relevance and viability

In 2022-23, as part of CUE’s ongoing Academic Program Cyclical Review process we are in the final stages of completing the reviews for CUE’s Bachelor of Arts programs in Drama and Music and the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health (After Degree) program, and made substantial progress on our

Championing inclusivity and diversity on campus

Actively promoting dignity for all and rejecting actions or language detrimental to mutual respect, CUE is engaged in a series of innovative initiatives aimed at fostering a campus rich in diversity, equity, and inclusivity .

By joining the Queer Support Services Network (QSSN) of Western Canada, CUE amplified its commitment to inclusivity by enhancing the quality of life and campus climate for LGBTQ2S+ individuals Participation in QSSN allows the university to exchange best practices, share resources, and draw upon a broader community of support with other post-secondary institutions

The establishment of the Transformative, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (TIDE) working group at CUE marks a significant stride towards inclusivity . It seeks to mobilize the university community towards action and dialogue for change, promotes critical thinking, and proactively confronts inequities – fostering inclusivity across all university departments .

Supporting the revival of the student-led CUE Pride Association underlines CUE’s value for student-led initiatives in fostering inclusivity . Its presence sends a powerful message to prospective and current students alike: CUE is a place that supports, values, and celebrates all of its members

Bachelor of Education (After Degree) program review Additionally, we launched and made progress on the reviews of our Bachelor of Arts programs in English, our Bachelor of Science program in Chemistry, and our Bachelor of Management program

Evidence of the impact of CUE’s academic programs in supporting students’ transition into careers and further studies is evident in surveys of our alumni, such as the Alberta Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) that is administered by the province every two years . As noted below, the most recent survey administered in 2022 to the class of 2019-2020 demonstrates encouraging results for CUE students vis a vis post-graduate employment rates . However, they show slippage relative to the applicability of their current job to the skills and abilities acquired and their disciplinary subject matter when compared to 2020 survey results, yet remain on par with CUE results from 2018 The impact of the pandemic may have impacted the types of job opportunities available to our graduates, resulting in fewer opportunities aligned with our graduates’ program or study at the time the survey was administered . The following are some of the results of the 2020 survey:

„ CUE respondents reported a 94 per cent employment rate, which is higher than in both the 2018 (92 per cent) and 2020 (92 per cent) surveys. This 2022 rate for CUE students is on par with respondents across the province (95 per cent).

„ 90 per cent of 2022 CUE respondents reported their current main job is Somewhat Related or Very Related to the general skills and abilities (such as communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving) that they acquired during their studies. This is lower than reported by CUE respondents in 2020 (99 per cent) and is on par with 2018 CUE results (91 per cent) and with respondents province-wide (93 per cent).

„ 77 per cent of 2022 CUE respondents reported their current main job is Somewhat Related or Very Related to the subject-area knowledge they acquired. This is lower than reported by CUE respondents in 2020 (87 per cent) and is on par with 2018 CUE results (79 per cent). The most recent 2022 CUE results are lower than the provincial average (85 per cent).

Supported and continued to expand student options and pathways to program completion.

The Concordia Commitment program provides additional support throughout a student’s program of studies to help them succeed Some of these supports include being connected with an advisor for support through their university experience, transition assistance to university undergraduate studies, and assistance with career development and participation in networking opportunities Any student who completes all of the requirements and does not secure career-related employment or entry into advanced studies within six months of graduation is eligible to return for an extra year of undergraduate classes for free 16 Concordia Commitment students graduated in 2022, and 15 of them were employed or admitted to a graduate program within 3 months There was also an intake of 13 new students in Fall 2022

Unfortunately, due to staffing changes and lower enrolment, Campus Life suspended the Commitment program in January 2023 . Students in their final year of the program will have their commitment honoured, and the remaining continuing students had their deposits refunded The material and support Commitment students could access through the program will continue to be available to all students through Learning Services and career advising .

GOAL 1.2: GROW AND PLAN FOR AN EXPANDED STUDENT POPULATION

CUE has set a goal of increasing its student population to 3,000 full load equivalents (FLEs) through a sustainable growth trajectory . As the number of students on campus increases, CUE also needs to expand the services and size of its campus to accommodate the academic, administrative, and ancillary staff and supports required to deliver on Goal 1 .1 .

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Meet ongoing enrolment and accountability reporting requirements to Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education

„ Ensure sustainable hiring of faculty and non-faculty staff to keep pace with enrolments

„ Develop and implement a student recruitment plan that is both more targeted/deliberate and more broad-based to draw more students from underserved populations

„ Implement CUE’s 2020 Campus Master Plan priorities for immediate growth to support infrastructure development .

Success Measures

„ Movement toward 4,000 students (3,000 FLEs), through sustainable enrolment increases averaging five per cent per year

„ Year-on-year increases in student enrolment among underserved groups

„ Maintenance of optimal faculty and staff-to-student ratios

„ Attainment of Campus Master Plan priorities related to infrastructure development for immediate growth

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Continued to support increased student enrolments toward 4,000 students (3,000 FLEs) through increased faculty and staff hires

Despite declining enrolments over the past two years we continued to increase our hires to meet prior growth resulting from an eight-year growth trend from 2013-14 to 2020-21 In 2022-23, we added 15 new positions, including:

„ Six new faculty positions at the assistant professor rank to support growth in high demand programs; including:

‡ one in the Faculty of Education;

‡ four in the Faculty of Science (two in Information Technology, one in Environmental Science, and one in Public Health); and

‡ one in the Faculty of Arts (Psychology) .

„ Nine staff positions, including a Field Placement Coordinator in the Faculty of Science, a PsyD Clinic manager, and a Research Administrator

Continued to monitor enrolments and implement changes to support sustainable growth and targeted recruitment

Over the reporting period, CUE’s enrolments declined for the second year in row following a sustained eight-year period of growth The total number of unique students (head count) in ministry-approved programs dropped by 10 per cent and full load equivalents (FLEs) dropped 11 per cent as shown in Figure 1 below . The impacts of the pandemic and a faculty strike in January 2022, as noted in Section 5, were likely key contributing factors to the drops in enrolments over the past two years In 2022-23:

„ Head counts totaled 2,923, down by 325 students from the previous year

„ FLEs totaled 2,168 1, down by 256 50 FLEs from the previous year

„ Enrolments declined across most programs, exceptions include the Bachelor of Education After Degree, the Bachelor of Science, the Master of Science, the Doctor of Psychology, and Open Studies See Table 1 below

Figure 1 – Total Headcount and Full Load Equivalent (FLE) Enrolments, 2018-19 and 2022-23

Table 1 – Head Count and FLE Enrolments by Program, 2021-22 and 2022-23

Monitored and implemented changes to support sustainable growth and targeted recruitment

CUE continued to apply enrolment caps to high demand undergraduate and graduate programs including:

„ Bachelor of Education After-degree;

„ Bachelor of Environmental Health After-degree;

„ Bachelor of Arts in Psychology;

„ Bachelor of Science in Information Technology;

„ Master of Information Systems Security Management;

„ Master of Information System Assurance Management; and

„ Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology .

Continued implementation of CUE’s 2020 Campus Master Plan priorities for immediate growth

The Campus Master Plan includes immediate, intermediate, and long-term plans for expansion Our immediate priorities for infrastructure development, which includes a new academic building, are necessary to meet our capacity needs of 4,000 students . Initial planning began in 2019 and led to the design of a new Academic Building and Student Quad In fulfilling our plan, over the past year:

„ Construction continued on the new building, which is expected to be completed in the 2024 Winter term .

„ A new facilities maintenance management and control system was launched . This software provides remote access to most of our building systems and will give us performance metrics to enhance operational efficiencies of our building systems and personnel resources, and will be supplemented by a user request interface module that was under development and expected to be completed in 2023-24

„ Interim strategies continued to be identified and developed in order to manage space pressures within the confines of the current campus infrastructure .

THEME 2: AN ETHIC OF COMPREHENSIVE INCLUSION

We have always been a strong community. We care for one another. We know each other’s names and we’re open to new experiences, new ways of seeing the world. Our plan is to be the most welcoming small university in Canada. That is, genuinely inclusive.

At CUE, being ethical is about working to be our best selves It is about being respectful of diversity, acting with integrity, and being honest and accountable . We are committed to supporting student success, creating a positive learning experience, as well as providing a welcoming and supportive campus community for all

GOAL 2.1: PROMOTE AND PROVIDE A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

Offering a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment, as well as supporting the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff, continues to be one of the highest priorities for CUE .

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Implement and expand initiatives and strategies that promote and provide an inclusive culture, as well as a safe and healthy work and learning environment, including continued implementation of Violence Reduction and Mental Health Strategies

„ Promote and foster an inclusive campus community that supports LGBTQ2S+ students, faculty, and staff through awareness, education, and targeted initiatives

„ Implement CUE’s Discrimination, Harassment, and Accommodation policy, which was approved by CUE’s Board of Governors in August 2018

Success Measures

„ Increases in the proportion of faculty and staff who have received training in mental health, diversity, and disability support, aiming for 100 per cent by year five of the Academic Plan 2018-2023

„ Metrics demonstrating that faculty, staff, and students are exposed to ethics instruction early in their time at CUE

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Continued to implement CUE’s Violence Reduction and Mental Health Strategies

In 2022-23, we continued to implement the recommendations articulated in CUE’s 2017 Mental Health Strategy and implement CUE’s Sexual Violence Reduction Strategy These were realized through the work of CUE’s Campus Life and included:

„ Continuing to implement the CUE Mental Health and Wellness Strategic Plan, including increasing faculty and staff training in mental health, wellness, gender-based violence awareness, suicide prevention, and resiliency training

‡ Enhancing and developing existing and new programs, events and campaigns in the areas of Sexual Violence Prevention, wellness, and Mental Health Strategies, including supporting suicide prevention via the Buddy Up campaign, a national strategy targeting men’s mental health

„ Continuing to deliver Mental Health First Aid, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, safeTALK, Livingworks Start, Naloxone Training, and The Inquiring Mind as part of our Mental Health programming .

„ Re-establishing the Domestic Violence Response Team whose activities were paused during the pandemic The team responds to incidents of domestic violence that may occur for anyone within the CUE community .

„ Providing training to new members of the Behaviour Support and Intervention Team (BSIT), which is another response team that is often the first point of contact in responding to any potential situation of threat on campus .

„ Adding Resiliency Training workshops for employees and students to our Mental Health programming

„ Expanding our Gender & Sexual Violence Prevention Training, delivering Consent Education workshops, and taking part in the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence .

„ Delivering sessions and providing resources to new students on the Code of Student Conduct, sexual violence prevention, and academic integrity

„ Creating a CUE online resource, Responding to Suicide Quick Reference Guide, for faculty, staff and students .

„ Revising CUE’s sexual violence policy to a gender-based violence policy in consultation with staff, faculty and students, and other Alberta PSIs to align with Courage to Act, a federally funded initiative to address and prevent gender-based violence on Canadian campuses

Continued to promote and foster an inclusive campus community that supports LGBTQ2S+ students, faculty and staff

To support this work, over the past year, CUE:

„ Participated in the Queer Support Services Network (QSSN), which supports queer/trans/intersex programming and students/staff/faculty on campus This network provides queer student advisors, develops and analyzes policy as it relates to gender, sexual and relationship diversity, provides workshops and other learning opportunities, and plans queer-specific events . We also increased collaboration with western Canadian post-secondary institutions (PSIs) as part of the QSSN Through the North Side Pride Collaborative initiative, we partnered with 5 Edmonton PSIs including NAIT, NorQuest, The King’s University, and MacEwan University to create open events at each campus in person and virtually for Pride Month

„ Initiated the Transformative, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (TIDE) working group as part of the CUE Mental Health and Wellness Strategic Plan, which includes staff, students, and faculty

„ Supported the re-establishment of a student-led CUE Pride Association, which held bi-weekly events for students and staff

„ Supported Sexual and Gender Diversity professional development training for counseling staff

„ Supported an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lead as part of senior leadership to align LGBTQ2S+ initiatives with other initiatives aimed at creating transformative inclusion at CUE .

GOAL 2.2: ALL CUE STUDENTS ARE SUPPORTED

CUE is committed to providing targeted and intentional services, so that all students are supported in achieving their post-secondary goals

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Reduce barriers to academic success by improving both access to and awareness of student services

„ Reduce financial barriers to success by increasing direct financial aid, and by increasing awareness of and supports to help students seek financial aid

„ Minimize cost barriers for students by supporting and increasing use of open-access resources

„ Continue to implement CUE’s Bounce Back Program, first implemented in 2018/19

„ Continue to provide students with disabilities with necessary supports and accommodations for learning

„ Provide supports to meet the particular needs of CUE’s international students

Success Measures

„ Metrics demonstrating increased awareness of, use of, and satisfaction with student support services

„ Increase in institutional funding for bursaries and scholarships

„ Year-on-year increases in the number of open-access titles available through the CUE Library

„ Year-on-year increases in the conversion rate for CUE Entrance Scholarships

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Improved access to and awareness of student services

To support students in 2022-23 in this capacity we:

„ Adopted a bi-weekly meeting between Counselling Services, Learning Services, and Learning Accommodation Services to discuss emerging themes and coordinate supports for students with more complex needs .

„ Developed a collaborative approach to working with CUE’s communications team to advance the Mental Health and Wellness Strategy through increased messaging of programs and information on various CUE platforms and improving our social media presence

„ Increased support provided through our Writing Centre by providing 193 hours of support, which represents an increase of 32 per cent from the year prior .

„ Provided 564 hours of free tutoring support to students, which is a 107 per cent increase from the previous year, to 25 per cent more unique students than the previous year

„ Collaborated with the Concordia Students Association (CSA) to administer CUE’s Supplemental Instruction program, which provides additional content and learning strategy instruction for students in high-risk courses, that is, courses with relatively high rates of withdrawal, failure, and lower final grades compared to other courses The classes are facilitated by a senior student who was successful in the course and are free to all Concordia students . In the past year, two courses with a total of 5 sections were offered in Fall and one course with 2 sections was offered in Winter 2023 A total of 36 weekly sessions were available to students in these high-risk courses

„ Continued to run CUE’s Early Alert service, which allowed instructors to identify at-risk students and make referrals to Learning Services staff who refer them to relevant services . Learning Services responded to 12 per cent more Early Alerts in 2022-23 than in 2021-22

„ Hosted Spring into Your Career in Spring 2022 and Career Week events in both the Fall and Winter terms . Each event had an approximate 50 per cent increase in registrations over the previous year, and the Career Week events had an approximate 40 per cent increase in participating organizations compared to 2021-22

Continued to provide

In 2022-2023:

necessary supports and accommodations for students with disabilities

„ Learning Accommodation Services (LAS) provided accommodations to 290 students . Approximately 61 per cent of these students were accommodated for multiple and/or complex disabilities

„ CUE’s Learning Accommodations Services Advisor referred 85 students for a free Alberta Works psycho-educational assessment, which is a 30 per cent increase over last year .

„ LAS submitted over 100 funding applications to Student Aid so that students could access disability-related grants

„ Despite a higher case load, we continued to provide exam accommodations for the vast majority of the students who accessed LAS (98 per cent), which is on par with last year, and represents 2,328 accommodated exams

Continued to implement CUE’s Bounce Back program

A total of 34 students who would have otherwise been required to withdraw were enrolled in the Bounce Back program in 2022-2023, which is the highest enrolment since the 2019-2020 academic year . 90 per cent of these students successfully navigated the first year of the program, maintaining a GPA above 2 .0, and will move into the second year of Bounce Back Since its launch in Winter 2018, a total of 72 students have successfully completed Bounce Back and gained eligibility for readmission to their degree programs

Continued to secure, promote and distribute financial aid

„ Over the previous year, CUE’s institutional budget for scholarships and bursaries increased 10 2 per cent while actual expenditures increased 7 2 per cent (from $1,520,833 in 2021-22 to $1,629,601 in 2022-23)

„ The number of students awarded a Master’s Academic Excellence Scholarship ($2,500 each) increased 31 per cent over the previous year These institutionally funded awards were allocated to 21 graduate students, including: nine to the Master of Information Systems Security Management program, four in the Master of Information Systems Assurance Management program, and eight in the Master of Science in Information Technology (MScIT) program

„ The Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (funded by the Government of Alberta) was allocated to eight graduate students (3 doctoral and 5 masters)

„ An increase in internal CUE funding to students in the PsyD program, which included the program awarding three Doctoral Entrance Scholarships worth $5,000 to each student

„ CUE established a January intake for the In-Course Scholarship program, similar to what was done with the University Entrance Scholarship in 2021-22, creating additional new scholarship opportunities for students who begin their program in January . Four additional scholarships were awarded in 2022-2023

„ In partnership with the Métis Education Foundation, CUE awarded two Métis Scholar Awards

„ A new entrance scholarship ($5,000) was created for the Bachelor of Education After Degree program and was awarded for the first time in 2022-2023 .

„ The conversion rate for CUE Entrance Scholarships increased from the previous year There were 359 offers and 163 recipients, which made the conversion rate 45 per cent in 2022-2023, compared to 38 per cent in 2021-22 .

„ The Financial Aid and Awards office continued its targeted outreach through weekly news, email and face to face appointments to encourage students to apply for the non-repayable Canada Student Grant for Full-time students The number of students eligible to receive this grant alone (no loan funding) increased 62 per cent over the previous year .

„ The Financial Aid and Awards office regularly advertised internal and external financial aid opportunities for students in the weekly news Additionally, the Office offered six “Financial Friday” events in 2022-2023 engaging students in games and conversation to discuss financial topics and set a booth on other occasions in the Tegler Student Centre to promote and provide information on scholarship opportunities and deadlines .

Increased supports for international students

The International Student Advisor provided immigration advising services to 342 students The International Office also held webinars, welcome sessions, and information sessions for international students These services are being provided more frequently and are more specialized for the unique needs of international students post-pandemic

The Office of Extension and Culture started to offer International English Testing System (IELTS) exams for international students from the spring of 2022 . IELTS is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test, and is now accepted by 11,000 organizations worldwide and over 750 in Canada, including schools, universities, employers, immigration authorities and professional bodies All international students need to take IELTS exams or other forms of English exams every two years in order to apply for academic programs, undergraduate degrees, and graduate degrees . It also provides certification of language proficiency required for applications for Permanent Residency, or Post-Graduation Work Permit after they graduate . The IELTS Test Centre at CUE served 250 international persons from April 2022 to March 2023 to support their academic studies and immigration applications .

Minimized cost barriers by increasing the use of open-access resources

CUE Library added 4,901 high quality academic open access e-book and e-journal titles to its collection in the past year, bringing the total available to 44,002 -- a 13 per cent increase from last year’s total of 39,101 . CUE Library continued to support the Directory of Open Access Journals and SHERPA/RoMEO open access copyright policy database through funding to the Global Sustainability Coalition for Open Science Services (SCOSS) . Other cost-reducing strategies included licensing required readings in an ebook format when available and affordable, and promoting the use of content from the library’s licensed databases in place of conventional print-based required readings

GOAL 2.3: REFLECT CUE’S COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION IN RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PRACTICES

While merit remains the primary criterion for faculty hiring, CUE will make every effort to attract, recruit, and retain faculty members who reflect the diversity of Canadian society and CUE’s student population .

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Support recruitment and retention of faculty and staff from underrepresented groups as part of CUE’s sustainable faculty hiring practices

Success Measures

„ Increased number of new hires from underrepresented groups

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Developed mechanisms to measure and increase diversity at CUE

This past year we integrated intentional steps into our recruitment processes to attract members of underrepresented groups . These included utilizing social media, especially LinkedIn, for sharing information regarding CUE initiatives and the positions they have available to encourage a diverse group of applicants and using an applicant tracking system for recruitment

In September 2022, the Diversity framework was created It embeds and supports existing policies, strategies, commitments including Discrimination, Harassment, and Accommodation Policy, Employee Code of Conduct, Student Code of Conduct and Indigenous Strategy while also committed to the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, which CUE was one of the original signatory universities .

THEME 3: TREATY 6, EDMONTON, AND THE WORLD

CUE is located on the homeland of the Métis Nation of Alberta (Region IV) and within the territory of the Treaty No 6 Nations which includes the niitsitapi (Blackfoot), nêhiyawak (Cree), denesųłıné (Dene), îyârhe nakoda (Nakoda Sioux), and nahkawininiwak (Saulteaux) In 2018, CUE opened the Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre (IKRC) The IKRC facilitates access to holistic and cultural support and resources to Indigenous students, liaises with Indigenous partner organizations and Nations for projects, and supports campus-wide learning as it relates to First Nation, Métis and Inuit knowledge and experiences

GOAL 3.1: INDIGENIZE CUE

Following extensive consultation and planning, in November 2015, the Board of Governors approved an Indigenous Strategy that contained 15 recommendations . Over the last two years, the Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre has led consultations with CUE stakeholders to establish priority areas for Indigenization at CUE The feedback collected will be incorporated into a new document which will be shared broadly with the campus community . Each area will be tasked with action planning to ensure we all participate in Indigenization efforts at CUE .

At CUE, we aim to practice and model full citizenship. As treaty people, whether settler or Indigenous, we work together to create improved relationships. As active and engaged members of our communities, students, faculty and staff exercise our shared responsibilities and contribute to the betterment of society.

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Continue to implement and expand CUE’s Indigenous Strategy and respond meaningfully to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action

„ Promote and expand programs and services offered through the Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre (IKRC)

„ Establish an Indigenous Leadership Mentorship Program

„ Provide opportunities through academic programming and events to foster an understanding and appreciation of In digenous culture, history (including the impacts of colonization), and Indigenous ways of knowing

„ Promote Indigenous leadership in research by creating of an internal research chair position for Indigenous research, ensuring Indigenous representation on the Research Ethics Board, and supporting Indigenous students’ participation in research projects

„ Engage and support research collaborations with First Nations and Indigenous universities and colleges, Indigenous communities, and other partners and stakeholders

Success Measures

„ 20 per cent of students take part in an IKRC event in year one of the Academic Plan 2018-2023, as part of their academic programs, and increasing thereafter

„ 20 per cent of faculty engage with the IKRC, with a view to incorporate Indigenous content in their courses and programs, in year one of the Academic Plan 2018-2023, and increasing thereafter

Fostering community engagement through sport

Every year, Concordia Thunder’s athletic teams, competing in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), take part in a volunteer-driven initiative, called Thunder Days of Giving, to support a chosen organization or community group . This campaign, spanning from November to December, aims to provide care and assistance to a community in need and is one way our student athletes live out their CUE values in the community .

The culture of Thunder Athletics deeply values community engagement, volunteering, and giving back to those around them . While not formally required, the teams and student-athletes naturally embrace this spirit, making it an integral part of their involvement in sports This approach helps develop leaders within the department and fosters a sense of responsibility and care in the sports community

This past holiday season, our teams worked with Second Chance Animal Rescue, Operation Friendship Seniors Society, The Mustard Seed, Operation Christmas, Canadian Blood Services, The Bissell Center, the Edmonton Food Bank, the Family Gift Center, Kids with Cancer Society, and the Furniture Donation Center for Ukrainian Refugees Each team took on different roles with these organizations including raising funds, donating warm clothing, volunteering at events, serving homemade meals, finding homes for animal rescues, and delivering presents to families in need .

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Continued to implement CUE’s Indigenous Strategy by attracting and retaining Indigenous students

In the past year, the number of self-declared Indigenous students enrolled at CUE decreased by four per cent from 178 in 2021-22 to 171 in 2022-23 The proportion of the domestic student body that self-identifies as Indigenous increased to 7 2 per cent, compared to 6 8 per cent a year ago

Continued to promote and expand programs and services offered through the IKRC

In 2022-23, the Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre reduced the number of offerings to respond to the new needs of students and staff post-pandemic The IKRC hosted 11 Elder teachings and coordinated or supported four Indigenous-focused learning opportunities which highlighted Indigenous experiences, cultures, and history . These included activities to memorialize the many Indigenous children who never came home from residential school and the many missing or murdered Indigenous peoples, as well as Métis Week celebrations and the annual Round Dance The events saw a total of 541 participants that included a mix of students, staff, and faculty .

Continued to develop and integrate Indigenous content into CUE courses and programs

A number of initiatives were undertaken over the past year to advance CUE’s goal of cultivating an understanding and applications of Indigenous culture, history, and ways of knowing These were enabled through faculty engagement with the IKRC and faculty-led initiatives .

In 2022-23 the IKRC:

„ Engaged with 14 staff to incorporate Indigenous-related content into their programs, services and courses

„ Engaged with 3 students seeking support in incorporating Indigenous-related content into their coursework .

As part of our non-credit programming, CUE’s Office of Extension and Culture developed, in collaboration with Campus Life (CL) and the Centre for Innovation and Applied Research (CIAR), an Indigenous Engagement and Collaboration course which ran in both the Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 terms, with a combined enrolment of 28 students The development of this course was made possible by Suncor Energy Foundation’s âniskômohcikewin: Finding Connection through Relationship and Research funding

Supported Indigenous leadership in research and Indigenous research collaborations

A key priority of CUE’s Strategic Research Plan (2019-2024) is ensuring Indigenous Representation on our Research Ethics Board (REB) Our REB is co-led by two chairs, one of whom is Indigenous CUE is also actively seeking to recruit a scholar focused on Indigenous research, however, despite best efforts we were not successful in our recruitment campaign and will continue our efforts in 2023-24 .

Over the past year, the Office of Research supported student participation in research by relaunching the Student Research Café series, which provides an opportunity for students and researchers to meet informally, and for students to engage directly with researchers . The ORS worked closely with the Indigenous

Knowledge and Research Centre to invite Indigenous researchers to these sessions, and in November 2022, a Métis researcher led the monthly event . Additionally, this year, CUE supported an application to the First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program with a partner Nation We anticipate the signing of a new partnership agreement with a new Nation partner to host ceremonies and educational opportunities

With support from the IKRC (CUE’s Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre) and the Office of Research, several CUE faculty members engaged Indigenous students in research projects . The Office of Research also worked with an external funding partner, Traditional Environmental Knowledge Association (TEKA), where the engagement of Indigenous students in a research project led by Dr . Xin Chen, Chair of the department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, is strongly encouraged Additionally, Dr . Emmanuel Mapfumo, a CUE faculty member in Environmental Science, has an active research project with Eden Valley First Nation .

GOAL 3.2: INCREASE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING

CUE is committed to expanding opportunities for experiential learning outside of the classroom, through work-integrated learning and research opportunities with community and business partners

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Bring the community into CUE and take CUE into the community by embedding community engagement in curricular and co-curricular activities

„ Expand and enhance opportunities for students to engage in work-integrated learning as part of their academic program

„ Expand academic and research pathways with industry and community partners

Success Measures

„ 30 per cent of students engaged in “citizenship” (co-curricular) activities/projects each year

„ 10 per cent of students involved in some aspect of the work of CUE’s Bank of Montreal-Centre for Innovation and Applied Research (BMO-CIAR) each year

„ Increase in the number of strategic partnerships with industry, government, and national and international agencies

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Supported community engagement in curricular and co-curricular activities

In 2022-23, we continued to seek and participate in community engagement opportunities, many of which continued to be led by CUE’s Campus Life, the Fine Arts Department, and in partnership with the Office of Extension and Culture

Supported by Campus Life, CUE’s student athletes supported CUE’s Thunder Days of Giving campaign, which is aimed at making a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate . Through this campaign, Thunder teams choose a local organization to contribute to over the holiday season This past season our teams volunteered in some capacity with the following organizations:

„ Women’s Soccer - Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCARS)

„ Men’s Basketball - Operation Friendship Seniors Society

„ Women’s Basketball - The Bissell Centre

„ Men’s Volleyball & Hockey - The Mustard Seed

„ Women’s Volleyball - Operation Xmas Child & Canadian Blood Services

„ Cross Country Running & Badminton - Edmonton Food Bank

„ Golf - Kids With Cancer Society

„ Curling - Furniture Donations for Ukraine Refugees

Our student athletes also participated in the annual Make Some Noise for Mental Health campaign in January, shining a spotlight on mental health Additionally, CUE’s Thunder Athletics partnered with the City of Edmonton to participate in the For Girls by Girls Program . For 12 weeks, our female student-athletes volunteered one-day a week at the Clareview Recreation Centre to help girls ages 8-17 build confidence and encourage their pursuit in sport and recreation Each session saw an average of 25 participants .

Community outreach and engagement activities undertaken by CUE’s Fine Arts Department 2022-23 included:

„ Theatre work presented by CUE’s students in the Fine Arts Drama 325 course – Creativity in Theatre for Young Audiences – to students from Virginia Park School, as well as a work created and presented to a local high school on the issue of internet safety and consent

„ Fall and Winter Drama productions, one of which included choreography by CUE Drama student Daelyn Myggland .

„ The Concordia Symphony Orchestra returned to its regular four-concert season per academic year . Aside from the regular season, the ensemble also presented two chamber music performances as part of the CSO Chamber Nucleus Series, which included the participation of our students in solo roles, external guests, and faculty

„ The Concert Choir presented three concerts while on tour through south-central Alberta, two main stage concerts, and two high school concerts and workshops .

„ In 2023, CUE secured a $25,000 funding from the Alberta Innovates’ Strategic Networking and Development Grants program for building connections between Emerging Technologies and Fine Arts . Among the project participants are 2 Fine Arts faculty members and 4 Fine Arts students This funding allows for the exploration of intelligent and immersive technologies in music and drama careers connecting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) industries with the CUE community .

Enhanced opportunities for students to engage in work-integrated learning

Over the past year, we maintained the proportion of approved programs that have a workplace learning component, thereby meeting the 44 per cent target established in our 2022-23 Investment Management Agreement (IMA) with the Department of Advanced Education .

Over the past year we had 410 unique learners enrolled in some form of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) . This represents a 28 per cent increase from last year’s benchmark count of 321 The proportion of CUE students who participated in WIL increased from 10 per cent in 2021-22 to 14 per cent in 2022-23 .

Expanded academic and research pathways with industry and community partners

In 2022-23, CUE launched the CUE Innovation Hub (CIH) which was established to develop and execute a collaborative strategy aimed at enhancing the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at CUE . CIH provides a consolidated resource for innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs that streamlines applied research and innovation support . It comprises the BMO-Centre for Applied Research and Innovation (BMO-CIAR), Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (CAAI), and the McNeil Centre for Applied Renewable Energy (McNeil CARE) . Substantive CIH activities carried out in the past year include:

„ Strengthening Relationships: CIH successfully cultivated strong partnerships with external funders, industry stakeholders, and community organizations These collaborations not only secured crucial support and resources for CUE’s initiatives, but also positioned the university as a key player in the innovation ecosystem Examples include:

‡ Receipt of $160,500 from the Accessible Technology Program (ATP) funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development for the development and deployment of CUE’s proprietary mAIya technology, an intelligent learning assistant, to support learners through their academic journey CUE is one the eleven successful projects funded nationally by ATP

‡ Launching and securing funding from Alberta Innovates for the “Intelligent and immersive technologies for humanities” project . This collaborative initiative, led by Fine Arts faculty (Drs . Danielle Lisboa, Glenda Stirling and Bill Anderson) and the CUE Innovation Hub, will create op-

portunities for merging the realms of emerging technologies, creativity, and human expression

‡ Establishing the Western Canada Brazil Hub at CUE in December 2022 . This hub provides Brazilian companies and the CUE community, namely faculty and student researchers, with opportunities to collaborate on global projects

„ Student Support: CIH played a pivotal role in empowering CUE students by providing them with invaluable opportunities to explore entrepreneurship and expand their professional networks . In 2022-23, 11 CUE students participated in the Innovation Launchpad program and are now taking their ideas forward with support from external organizations such as Edmonton Unlimited and 150 startups . In addition, the CIH hosted the ML innovation symposium as part of the AI Pathways Project (AIPP) showcase on Nov 30, 2022 The showcase was a celebration of the Artificial Intelligence Pathways Partnership – a collaboration between CUE, Norquest College, Athabasca University and Bow Valley College, established in 2019 and co-funded by PrariesCan . CUE students presented their innovative artificial intelligence-based projects to a panel of expert judges from the Edmonton AI community, made connections with industry, obtained feedback from experienced AI experts and came away with some prizes .

„ Faculty Engagement: CIH brokered and supported faculty members across campus for industry/community collaborative projects Examples of projects are highlighted on page 49 of this document

„ Advancing Technological/Research Infrastructure: CIH’s efforts in securing infrastructure for machine learning-based research that include five high-computing capacity graphics processing unit (GPU) enabled machines (approx $150,000 in value) positioned CUE at the forefront of technological advancements for research This investment not only facilitates groundbreaking research but also enhances the learning experiences of our students . This infrastructure has been acquired from the AIPP partnership

GOAL 3.3: INCREASE INTERNATIONALIZATION

Internationalization at CUE is a comprehensive, ongoing, and forward-looking task . Since 2012, CUE has adopted a strategy of working towards the internationalization of the institution through five key themes: People, Ideas, Places, Programs and Global Awareness

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Expand opportunities for CUE students to gain quality educational and other formative experiences abroad

„ Develop and maintain formal international partnerships with universities abroad

„ Raise student awareness of international study abroad

„ Encourage and support opportunities for international research cooperation among faculty

„ Cultivate global competencies and intercultural skills among students, faculty, and staff

„ Promote and support hosting visiting researchers and other international guests at CUE

Success Measures

„ Year-on-year increase in the number of students going abroad for an international experience

„ Increased or maintained international partnerships

„ Increase in visits abroad by CUE researchers to partner institutions

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Increased international study abroad opportunities

In 2022-23, CUE sent nine students abroad, compared to two in 2021-22 . Students went to the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Spain, China, and Japan

Continued to develop and maintain formal international partnerships with universities abroad

CUE currently has 97 international partnerships In the past year, CUE signed a new research agreement with partner university Univille in Brazil . This is a collaborative research project with the Concordia Tech Centre, focusing on drought mitigation .

CUE continues to have a high number of partners in Latin America participating in the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) with CUE In 2022-2023, we received 7 exchange students (scholarship recipients) from 5 partner institutions in Latin America, as compared to 11 exchange students from 8 partner institutions in the previous year

The total number of exchange students that came to CUE in Fall 2022 increased 48 exchange students came from 15 countries, as compared to 16 exchange students from 8 different countries in Fall 2021 . The largest number of students came from Brazil (23 per cent), France (19 per cent), and Germany (19 per cent) .

In response to an open Erasmus+ call to University of Szczecin during the Winter 2023 semester, CUE was able to send three faculty members to Poland

Cultivated global competencies and intercultural skills among students, faculty, and staff

An Intercultural Engagement Reflection Course aimed at building students’ intercultural competence was developed

A new International Engagement Certificate (IEC) program to be delivered through the Office of Extension and Culture and International Office was developed and is pending approval This new program will guide students’ development of intercultural skills, knowledge and attitudes . This program includes academic learning activities, study abroad components, and international extra-curricular experience components

The Centre for Chinese Studies and the IO continued to host cultural events throughout the year to support and encourage participation in a cross-section of diverse cultural practices and celebrations, including: Chinese New Year, Moon Festival, Spring Reflection Art Exhibition, and Intercultural Day Additionally, the Office of Extension and Culture worked with the Concordia Symphony Orchestra to conduct Ginga: The Brazilian Way concert in December 2022 . Over 300 people participated in this cultural celebration .

The Centre for Chinese Studies continued working with the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation in China to develop teachers’ professional training and research projects One research project included the newly published The Framework of Reference for Chinese Culture and Society in International Chinese Language Education . The Centre for Chinese Studies and the Centre for Chinese Teacher Development conducted 7 online professional development PD sessions for over 1,300 Chinese teachers in Canada, UK, Thailand and China from April 2022 to March 2023

Promoted and supported hosting visiting researchers and other international guests at CUE

CUE hosted 5 guests from three different partner institutions in Summer 2022 . These visits were facilitated by the International Office through the Erasmus+ program

The Centre for Chinese Studies continued to host a full time Chinese Visiting Teacher to support Chinese language and culture course development and teaching .

THEME 4: A BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCE

CUE is a boutique university, small enough that every student is essential yet large enough for a global outlook. In and out of our classrooms and lecture halls, we translate what we learn into extraordinary hands-on experiences. We can sit in the back, but at CUE, someone will always invite us to the front.

At CUE, a boutique experience is about being distinct, building on our strengths, and evolving to meet the needs of our students . It’s about cultivating a personal connection with our students and providing an experience that exceeds expectations We aspire to build strong connections among our students, faculty, staff, and the larger community that last a lifetime

GOAL 4.1: EXCEL IN PROVIDING A QUALITY STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Student experience is shaped by all facets of the campus, ranging from engagement with faculty and staff to the places and spaces where students gather and learn . CUE ranks high in student survey ratings of satisfaction with campus services and educational experiences, and particularly in CUE’s focus on students as individuals .

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Enhance services to support the academic experience (e .g . library, advising, recruitment, accommodations and other supports)

„ Support and recognize excellence in teaching

„ Decrease reliance on sessional instructors

„ Develop and implement a policy to fund public art as part of all new building developments

„ Develop and implement a “Green Space” policy as part of the planning process for all new developments

Success Measures

„ Year-on-year, surpass the national average of student-reported ratings of satisfaction with services and experiences in national student surveys

„ Zero per cent of students reporting that their academic concerns were not taken seriously

„ CUE’s annual awards to recognize outstanding teachers and researchers in at least four of the five years of the Academic Plan 2018-2023

„ One or more CUE nominations obtained for the 3M National Teaching Fellowship Award (to recognize exceptional contributions to teaching and learning in Canadian post-secondary education) by year five of the Academic Plan 2018-2023

„ Maintain or increase the percentage of overall instructional hours taught by permanent faculty

„ Year-on-year increases in student retention metrics

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Key outcome measures of student satisfaction and educational experience

This is the 14th year that CUE has participated in the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC) surveys on the Canadian university student experience The surveys run on a three-year rotation, alternating between surveys of first-year students, middle-years students, and graduating students This year, the 2023 Survey of Middle-years students marked CUSC’s 29th cooperative study . It recorded the responses of almost 12,000 students nationally, including 287 from CUE

CUE students tend to report higher ratings of their overall educational experience and of their professors than students at other universities (see Figure 2 below) . In 2023, CUE students reported higher ratings (by one or more percentage points on 7 of 13 items where students were asked to rate their level of agreement regarding interactions with “most of their professors”) On three of them, CUE ratings exceeded ratings nationally by more than three percentage points . They include:

„ Take a personal interest in academic progress (+10);

„ Provide prompt feedback on academic work (+6); and

„ Are well organized in their teaching (+4)

CUE 2023 respondents’ ratings of interactions with professors remained on par (by + or - 3 percentage points) for nine of the 13 items relative to their 2020 counterparts . On only one were CUE ratings lower than students nationally by more than three percentage points, which was “Seem knowledgeable in their fields” (-4)

Percent of 2023 CUE Middle-Years Students who Agree or Strongly Agree “that most professors...”

Treat students the same regardless or gender

Treat students the same regardless of race

Seem knowledgeable in their fields

Encourage students to participate in class discussions

Are reasonably accessible outside of class

Are well organized in their teaching

Communicate well in their teaching

Are consistent in their grading

Look out for students' interests

Provide useful feedback on my academic work

Are intellectually stimulating in their teaching

Provide prompt feedback on my academic work

Take a personal interest in my academic progress

On key measures of satisfaction, CUE 2023 middle-years students’ responses are on par with students nationally on four items and exceeded their national ratings by eight percentage points on the measure “Satisfaction with the concern shown by the university for student as an individual” (see Figure 3 below) Relative to their 2020 counterparts, CUE 2023 respondents reported lower satisfaction on all key measures The difference varies from seven to 12 percentage points

Of note is that many of the 2023 middle-years students are the same students who were invited to participate in last year’s 2022 CUSC First-year Student survey In that 2022 survey, our participating students also reported lower satisfaction on these measures relative to their 2019 counterparts, with even greater differences, from six to 17 percentage points Last year we surmised that these greatly reduced ratings relative to pre-pandemic ones were in large part a consequence of the impact of the pandemic and a faculty strike in January 2022 . In the more recent 2023 survey, we are likely seeing the protracted effect of those events Overall, these results indicate that we have work to do to regain our pre-pandemic levels of student satisfaction and that it will take time to get there

Figure 2 – CUSC 2023 Middle Year Student Reports on Interactions with Their Professors

Likely to recommend this university to a friend or family member (Promoter)

Satisfaction with the concern shown by the university for student as an individual

University experience met or exceeded expectation

Satisfied with decision to attend this university

Generally, I am satisfied with the quality of teaching I have received

Enhancing services to support the academic experience.

In 2022-23 we augmented resources to further enrich our students’ learning experiences This was achieved by increasing the number of permanent faculty, as well as staff that provide direct support to students (including an admissions advisor and student counsellor), and enhanced student services, many of which are described elsewhere in this section The positive impact of those efforts are exemplified in surveys of our students

CUE’s 2023 Library Student Satisfaction Survey received very high ratings from a respondent pool of 397 students; including:

„ An average rating of 4 8 out of 5 0 for library services, which is slightly higher than last year’s rating of 4 7

„ Most students (98 per cent) reported that they would “recommend CUE Library to other students” – a slight increase over last year’s result .

The CUSC 2023 Survey of Middle-years Students Survey garnered response on the use and satisfaction with four types of academic services, eight special services, and 12 general facilities and services CUE student responses show:

Figure 3 – CUSC 2020 and 2023 Middle-Years Student Reports on Key Measures of Student Satisfaction

CUE 2023 Canada 2023

„ CUE student satisfaction levels were very high for all four academic services, particularly writing skills as well as study skills and learning support skills, both of which received 100 per cent satisfaction ratings among CUE participants (see Figure 4 below) These exceed ratings nationally and relative to CUE 2020 ratings CUE satisfaction with advising and tutoring are on par with students nationally, but lower than their 2020 counterparts . Use of academic services by 2023 CUE respondents were generally on par with their 2020 counterparts and somewhat higher than students nationally for tutoring and writing skills We saw a substantial drop in usage of academic advising with only 17 per cent of CUE 2023 respondents reported use of this service, compared to 27 per cent among their counterparts in 2020 and 48 per cent among students nationally in 2023

„ Out of a list of eight special services, satisfaction ratings reported among CUE 2023 middle-years student respondents ranged from 88 to 100 per cent while usage of these services ranged from two to 31 per cent (see Figure 5 below) These usage and satisfaction ratings are generally on par with ratings nationally and as compared to CUE 2020 ratings . A notable exception is advising for students who need financial aid where CUE 2023 satisfaction ratings exceeded ratings nationally by 24 percentage points Other exceptions include services for students with disabilities and services for Indigenous students where CUE 2023 ratings exceed national ratings by 11 and eight percentage points, respectively CUE also saw gains in satisfaction with employment services compared to CUE 2020 respondents with ratings increasing from 71 to 82 per cent (up 11 percentage points) .

Figure 4 – CUSC 2023 Middle-years Student Survey: Academic Services

Integrating Magrath Campus into student life and beyond

Magrath Campus was the perfect backdrop for the Summer BBQ to welcome students, staff and faculty back to school in August 2022 CUE made use of the historic space throughout the year, hosting thousands of students and members of the CUE community through the annual Easter Egg hunt, Halloween at Magrath and the Lighting Up of Ada Boulevard during the holiday season . The historic building was also used for donor events and other small receptions throughout the year

In April 2022, CUE applied for Magrath Campus to be rezoned and designated as a municipal heritage resource by the City of Edmonton At the same time, CUE applied for rezoning of the Campus from residential designation (RF1) to a more appropriate use (DC1), allowing for more student-centered experiences and learning

Advising

Percent of CUE Middle-years Students Satisfied Used

Services for Indigenous students

Services for international students

„ Out of a list of 12 general facilities and services, reported usage among CUE 2023 middle-years students ranged from three to 51 per cent among CUE respondents and satisfaction with those services ranged from 43 to 95 per cent (see Figure 6 below) CUE students report high levels of satisfaction with the library, computing services, and facilities for student associations, campus social activities, and recreation . They also continue to report the lowest ratings for food services, parking, and university residences Encouragingly, compared to their 2020 counterparts, a higher proportion of 2023 CUE middle-years students report satisfaction with the university’s residences compared to their 2020 counterparts (up eight percentage points, from 52 to 60 per cent) .

CUE ratings are generally on par with students nationally, except in three areas -- food services, athletic services, and residences – where ratings are lower by 31, 21 and 18 percentage points, respectively .

Figure 5 – CUSC 2023 Middle-years Student Survey: Special Services

6 – CUSC 2023 Middle-years Student Survey: General Facilities and Services

University libraries - On campus

University libraries - Online

Computing services help desk

Other recreational facilities

Facilities for student associations

Facilities for university-based social activities

University bookstores - On campus

University bookstores - Online

Athletic Facilities

University Residences

Parking

Food services

Supporting and recognizing excellence in teaching.

Over the past year, CUE developed a Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) to provide pedagogical, technological, and design expertise to support the teaching and learning initiatives of faculty and academic units in 2022-23 A faculty member was appointed to lead the CTE and hire an Educational Developer . The CTE replaced the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) which was created in Spring 2021 to support faculty with the switch to online teaching during the pandemic . However, with the shift back to in-person learning and the low number of blended or online format courses delivered at CUE (fewer than 5 per cent), the mission changed to support pedagogy more generally . The CTE initially focused on building individual relationships and developing pilot programs to gauge CUE community interest . As the year progressed, the CTE managed to connect with at least 75 members of CUE community (faculty, sessionals, leaders, etc .) in some capacity through their learning experiences . They consulted for academic plans, curriculum, and policy development related to teaching and learning and facilitated safe places to have discussion and dialogue on evidence-informed teaching practices

Figure

In 2022-23, the Centre:

„ Designed and facilitated personalized teaching support for instructors, including:

‡ Individual faculty consultations with 7 faculty members, 3 sessionals, and 9 Department Chairs

‡ 3 classroom observations

‡ Pedagogy workshops on AI, student-centered pedagogy, and assessment, which averaged 10 participants .

‡ Pedagogy book clubs with 46 members

‡ Pedagogical Communities of Practice (CoP’s) on Alternative Assessment and Artificial Intelligence

„ Designed an Academic Integrity Course for all CUE students which starts in September 2023 . Development of the course included updating CUE’s Student Code of Conduct

CUE also recognized excellence in teaching by bestowing the following award:

„ The Judith C Meier Excellence in Teaching Award which recognizes a continuing faculty member who, over a period of more than 10 years, continues to make outstanding contributions to teaching, and inspires students to do their very best This award is in honour of Judith C Meier, an outstanding professor of History at Concordia, who exemplified Excellence in Teaching This is not an annual award . It is bestowed only if there is a worthy recipient This year the award went to Professor Dr . Shaun Aghili, who was recognized for his support of students .

GOAL 4.2: CONTINUE TO CULTIVATE AND ENABLE A STRONG CULTURE OF RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP

At CUE, we believe that active scholarship and creative inquiry are essential to high-quality teaching and learning To support this goal, we will strengthen our internal resources to support faculty research and greater involvement of students in research activities . By involving our students in research projects, they will acquire more in-depth knowledge of their particular areas of study, a better understanding of the research process, and recognized competencies in conducting research

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Develop and implement strategies to integrate student research into coursework and academic programs

„ Enhance student research opportunities by increasing scholarship support for eligible undergraduate and graduate students and by expanding student engagement in research

„ Increase the overall internal and external research funding envelope for faculty

„ Increase institutional research supports through the Office of Research Services, including the establishment of a CUE Grant-Writing Assistance Centre, to help bolster the number of grant applications submitted and to improve successful grant application rates

„ Expand library staffing capacity to provide research support services at key points in the research cycle and promote these so they are widely known and valued by CUE researchers

„ Attract and retain high-caliber researchers

Success Measures

„ Year-on-year increase in number of students receiving funding for research

„ Year-on-year increase in percentage of faculty applying for and receiving internal and external research grant awards

„ Increase overall research funding envelope by 50 per cent by end of year five of the Strategic Research Plan 2019-2024

„ CUE’s annual awards held to recognize outstanding teachers and researchers in at least four of the five years of the Academic Plan 2018-2023

„ Obtain and retain a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair award

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Increase the overall internal and external research funding envelope for faculty

The objective of increasing the overall internal and external research funding envelope for faculty was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic Nonetheless, CUE made strides in its efforts to increase external funding targets In 2019, CUE had a 3-year funding average of $61,199 (for the period 2015 to 2018) from the Tri-Council Agencies . This compares to the most recent 3-year funding average (for the period 2019 to 2022), which increased to $92,771, which is a 51 per cent increase compared to the previous 3-year reporting period

Increased student funding for research

A number of funding opportunities in 2022-23 augmented student engagement in research . They included:

„ A high success rate among students applying for internal CUE student research grants This past year, 10 out 14 applicants received a combined total of $11,360 for research projects . This is lower than 2021-22 where 17 out 22 applicants were awarded $17,579 97; however, 13 out 14 applicants received a total of $17,065 for research dissemination, as compared to one applicant and winner of $950 .00 in 2021-22 .

„ The Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) funded in part by NSERC and supplemented by the faculty supervisor’s research grant or institutional funds was awarded to five undergraduate students in the summer of 2022, an increase from four in the previous year

„ Signing a first-time agreement with Alberta Innovates to fund the Graduate Student Scholarship to support Emerging Technology areas of scientific research which are strategically important to Alberta Two MScIT students will receive $17,333 each in 2022-2023

„ Receipt of our first Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral (CGS-D) allocation, which allowed us to submit nominations to the national competition

Increased faculty applications and funding for faculty research

Over the past year, we made progress in securing research funding to support faculty research and scholarship, which included:

„ Maintaining the number of applications for external research funding, with 22 applications submitted

„ Maintaining Tri-Agency funding levels, thereby keeping CUE on track to secure the Tri-Agency funds required to be eligible to host a Canada Research Chair .

„ Continuing to provide SSHRC Explore grants with funding awarded through a SSHRC Institutional Grant

„ Awarding 13 internal research grants to CUE faculty members, for a total award amount of $43,330 .

Increased institutional research supports

The COVID-19 pandemic halted most research and research-related activities, such as funding procurement Additionally, most initiatives, such as the establishment of the CUE Grant-Writing Assistance Centre, were also put on hold . CUE did, however, establish PAGE services – Program to Assist Grant Endeavours PAGE services were not accessed on a regular basis, given that most funding procurement efforts were on hold As a result, the Office of Research, together with the PAGE team, is looking at a new approach to assist researchers in their grant procurement efforts

Attract and retain high-caliber researchers

In 2022-23, CUE welcomed six new faculty members, and these researchers have been actively involved in applying for both internal and external grant funds To date, newly hired faculty members have been awarded $7,304 in internal research funding, and new faculty members also brought $24,000 in external research funding to CUE

Expanded library staffing capacity to support research

CUE Library created additional collections within its Education & Research Archive (CUE’s institutional repository) to showcase the research output of CUE faculty and students .

With the Office of Research, the Library Director and Scholarly Communications Librarian led CUE’s Alberta Research-Data Management Information Network (ARMIN), which developed and delivered a series of virtual workshops to support Alberta post-secondary institutions in the development of Tri-Agency compliant research data management (RDM) strategies .

CUE Library collaborated with the Research Office to establish CUE’s RDM collection in Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse repository

GOAL 4.3: EXPAND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATION

As CUE’s research profile, capacity, and areas of expertise evolve, working collaboratively takes on increasing importance . Now that the BMO-CIAR has a new home and direction, the next five years will allow us to prioritize enhancement of supports for applied research, commercialization, technology transfer, and connections with industry .

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Foster greater collaboration between CUE researchers and companies affiliated with the BMO-CIAR, collaborating directly with CUE, and through research partnerships

„ Develop and implement policies and guidelines for research-focused internship programs

„ Build partnerships to expand relevant research-focused internships

„ Increase participation in partnership-based competitive funding opportunities

„ Develop and refine internal processes and policies related to commercialization and applied research, such as contracts, intellectual property, and licensing

„ Support collaborative research through the development of an internal interdisciplinary funding program

„ Develop new Research Clusters that respond to emerging areas of common interest

Success Measures

„ Year-on-year increase in research partnerships launched through the BMO-CIAR

„ Increased seed funding for interdisciplinary conferences and workshops

„ Positive feedback garnered through post-internship student and partner surveys

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Developed partnerships to expand research-focused internships

Over the past year CUE’s Innovation Hub (CIH) expanded opportunities for our students to engage in applied research through participation in research-focused internship programs This included creating two student positions as a result of funding received from the TD Bank Friends of Environment program and Eco-Canada wage subsidy programs . These students supported initiatives such as the energy estimator project and MAIya project

Develop and implement policies and guidelines for research-focused internship programs

Although policies and guidelines for research-focused internship programs are still in development, the Office of Research and CIH have continually supported research-focused internship programs . Most recently, the CIH brokered an agreement with Treefort Technologies and researchers in the Faculty of Management, where two graduate students are involved in a research-focused internship program under the leadership and mentorship of Dr . Eslam AbdAllah .

Continued to develop research partnerships and collaborations through the BMO-CIAR or Hosted industry-led workshops and seminars

In 2022, 8 industry-led sessions were hosted by BMO-CIAR, McNeil CARE and CAAI These sessions were attended by over 150 attendees from CUE, industry and international partners . They included:

„ The Renewable Energy Seminar Series, hosted by McNeil CARE, featured renewable energy technologies, and industry professionals to discuss climate action, energy transition, and sustainability .

„ Machine Learning for business workshops, which provided an introduction to foundational concepts of machine learning for industry

„ “Perspectives on Women Entrepreneurship” panel, offered as part of Women Entrepreneurship Week and Edmonton Startup Week celebrations . This panel featured CUE innovators: Dr . Glenda Stirling, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts; Dr . Nasim Hajari, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science; Nikki DeOliviera, Founder, Bayou Mermaid by Nikki and Administrator, External and International Relations; and Valerie Auwa, Founder, Rayaa Respite Care, and a CUE student .

Support collaborative research

Over the past year, a multidisciplinary team of researchers at CUE have come together to research waste management of polystyrene, a project led by Dr Emmanuel Mapfumo Several members have applied for internal funding to support the different approaches to this research project . Additionally, the Office of Research is working with an external funding partner, Traditional Environmental Knowledge Association (TEKA), where a multidisciplinary team, led by Dr Xin Chen, has been brought together to address a regional issue with experts from various fields, such as ecology, soil science, microbiology, chemistry and public health . The Office of Research has also continued to review its internal funding programs, including funding for interdisciplinary conferences and workshops, to identify further opportunities for collab-

orative research Additionally, Research Clusters continue to be being reviewed, with new opportunities evaluated to support research in emerging areas of common interest .

Supported CUE faculty and staff advance partnerships with industry and community for applied research and commercialization projects

CIH supported CUE faculty and staff in connecting with more than 10 industry and community partners for applied research and commercialization projects in areas of energy, machine learning, environmental sciences, information security management and information security assurance, and public health, including:

„ Technology commercialization support: CIAR brokered the revenue sharing agreements between CUE inventors who expressed interest in commercializing the mAIya technology project .

„ Industry, community and international connections for industry relevant research: BMO-CIAR supported and worked in tandem with the International Office, Office of Extension and Culture, Community Relations, Student Life and Learning, Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence and the McNeil Centre for Applied Renewable Energy in advancing academic, research and applied research partnerships and business acceleration opportunities In particular, CIH supported:

‡ Facilitated industry sponsored research project led by Drs . Sergey Bukatov and Eslam Addallah and Treefort technologies . The collaboration is ongoing and has led to $81,000 in funding to support 2 students from the MISSM and MISAM programs

‡ Facilitated research collaboration between Drs Emmanuel Mapfummo, Sergey Ishutov, Ceciali Bukutu and Makan Golizeh and Bearspaw First Nation to assess contamination from the waste management station to the local food sources for the community

‡ Facilitated collaboration with Elixr Simulations to explore incorporation of virtual and augmented reality for CUE programs in collaboration with the center for teaching and learning

‡ Supported Dr . Nasim Hajari in connecting with the Roseridge Waste Management Commision for testing and deployment of the AI based smart waste material detector technology

‡ Collaborated with Dr Sergey Ishutov for development of an intelligent energy estimation tool that equips urban users with calculation, analysis and improvement planning for reducing energy and carbon for urban home owners .

‡ Supported Dr Makan Golizeh in exploring intellectual property protection and strategy development for the research project on identification of new metabolic signature for Chagas disease in humans

GOAL 4.4

EXPAND THE IMPACT OF CUE RESEARCH

A key goal for CUE is to support broader awareness, usability and usefulness of CUE-led and supported research so that the research evidence generated will have an impact in addressing real-world challenges

Priority Initiatives & Strategic Actions

„ Increase support for dissemination of scholarly research through multiple sources, including academic conferences, workshops, public presentations, and social and other media platforms

„ Create a targeted communications strategy to keep CUE stakeholders, community members, and media updated on CUE research developments

„ Host regular Research Café events to enable external speakers, colleagues, and collaborators to present informally and discuss research topics

„ Host annual CUE Faculty Symposia for faculty members who have received internal or external research funding to present the results of their investigations

Success Measures

„ Research communications strategy developed by year three of the Strategic Research Plan 2019-2024

„ Year-on-year increase in CUE research dissemination events and participation at those events

PROGRESS MADE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Create a targeted communications strategy to keep CUE stakeholders, community members, and media updated on CUE research developments

The Office of Research has undergone major staffing changes, with the introduction of a new position, the Associate Vice-President, Research (AVPR), and a new Research Administrator, all in July 2022 Since the staff changes, the new AVPR has been working with their team to develop a robust research communications strategy This is being done in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications team at CUE The strategy should be completed by Fall 2023

Increased support for dissemination of scholarly research

The Office of Research is currently reviewing its support for CUE research dissemination initiatives, such as publications, as well as the participation of its researchers and students at conferences, symposia, or other meetings

Continued to create opportunities to share and profile CUE research

In 2022, the Research Café seminars were re-started following an extended pause of these and other dissemination events due to the pandemic With the re-start, a total of six-monthly events featuring a combination of faculty and student presentations were held in 2022-23 The pandemic also impacted the completion of research work which necessitated postponing the Student and Faculty Research Forums .

Fuelling the entrepreneurial spirit at CUE

Concordia University of Edmonton’s (CUE)

Innovation Launchpad is a dynamic entrepreneurship program aimed at cultivating innovation among students, staff, and recent alumni This entrepreneurial ‘sandbox’ harnesses design thinking and business acumen to mold ideas into viable enterprises

Among the recent accomplishments of the program is the MAIya project - an AI-based chatbot developed to support learners with disabilities This tool can help students prioritize tasks for their assignments, and summarize key learning points from longer content This initiative exemplifies the collaborative efforts between CUE’s Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence and BMO-Center for Innovation and Applied Research

Central to student support is the newly named Concordia Innovation Hub, which has been instrumental in propelling CUE students into the realm of entrepreneurship and widening their professional networks .

SECTION 7.

Financial and Budget Information

FINANCIAL RESULTS YEAR-ENDED MARCH 31, 2023

The following information should be reviewed in conjunction with the CUE audited financial statements and accompanying notes dated March 31, 2023

The audited consolidated financial statements are reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors of CUE on the recommendation of the Audit and Pension Committee of the Board of Governors . These financial statements are prepared in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

CUE recorded a net surplus of $7 0 million for the year ended March 31, 2023, which is $5 8 million higher compared to budget and $1 .5 million higher compared to the prior year’s surplus of $5 .5 million .

The favourable variance in budget versus actual results is driven by higher revenues from restricted government grants, donations, and investment income, while at the same time, controlling costs

The increase in actual surplus is due to higher revenues, offset by a smaller increase in costs The increase in revenue is a result of higher tuition and fees revenue, auxiliary revenue and investment income The increase in tuition and fees revenue is mainly due to a portion of Q4 2022 tuition and fees revenue recognized in Q1 2023 due to a late start to the Winter 2022 semester The remaining increase in tuition and fees revenue is due to increased fees . This offset the impact of lower enrolment which is down by 10 6 per cent from the prior year Total expenses increased due to higher salaries and benefits expenses and higher supplies and services costs

REVENUE

Total revenues for the university were $46 6 million—an increase of $2 6 million compared to budget and an increase of $3 .8 million compared to the prior year .

Tuition and fees revenue was $2 5 million higher than the prior year and $610,000 under budget The increase in tuition and fees revenue from prior year is mainly due to a portion of Q4 2022 tuition and fees revenue recognized in Q1 2023 due to a late start to the Winter 2022 semester . The remaining increase in tuition and fees revenue is due to increased fees . This offset the impact of lower enrolment which is down by 10 6 per cent from the prior year Lower enrolment is what caused the unfavourable budget versus actual variance .

Government grants increased by $756,000 from budget and are lower by $235,000 from the prior year . The increase from budget is due to several restricted grants which were awarded to the university during the fiscal year which were unknown during the budgeting process The decrease in actual government grants is mainly due to one less restricted grant awarded to the university in the current year .

Auxiliary revenues increased by $246,000 from budget and $499,000 from the prior year This is mainly due to having instruction moved back on campus for students, which resulted in an increase in parking fees of 10 per cent, and a full 12 months of IELTS test centre activity in the current year, which was first introduced in late fiscal 2022

Investment revenue increased by $481,000 from the prior year . The ongoing monetary tightening cycle has positively impacted the university’s investment income earned on investment and deposit accounts, including both cash accounts and GICs This increase offset the minimal gain earned on our investment portfolio due to the poor financial market outlook caused by various macroeconomic factors that intensified in the current year .

Other Revenue (student activities and miscellaneous revenue) increased by $287,000 from budget and $284,000 from the prior year This is due to increased activity as a result of moving instruction back on campus and an unrealized gain on the university’s interest rate swap contract .

The following graph demonstrates comparative values for CUE’s various sources of revenue (2023 Actual, 2023 Budgeted, and 2022 Actual):

The following graph illustrates the distribution of revenue for the year ended March 31, 2023:

Sources of Revenue in Fiscal 2022-23

Tuition & Fees

Government Grants

Sale of Goods & Services

Investment Revenue

Designated fees, gifts and grants

Other Revenue

Amortization of Deferred Capital Contributions

*Totals add to 101% due to rounding

EXPENSES

Total expenses for the university were $39 6 million—a decrease of $3 3 million compared to budget and an increase of $2 .3 million compared to the prior year .

Total cost of salaries and wages increased by $1 .4 million compared to the prior year, but finished $2 .1 million less than budget The decrease from budget is a result of fewer sessional instructors hired during the year due to lower enrolment . Certain positions in the budget were ultimately not filled during the year due to implementing cost-savings and reducing new hires wherever possible . The increase in salary and wages from the prior year was driven by increases in staffing and compensation Effective July 1, 2022, non-faculty received a cost-of-living adjustment (2 per cent) and one step movement on salary grids, while faculty received a one-step movement Faculty received a further one step movement on January 1, 2023 as outlined in the collective agreement

Utility expenses increased by $237,000 from the prior year and remained consistent to budget The increase from the prior year is due to inflation .

Maintenance expenses decreased from the budget by $555,000 and remained consistent with the prior year The decrease from budget is due to steps taken by management to cut spending on non-essential items and generate cost-savings wherever possible .

Supplies and services expense increased by $841,000 from the prior year, however $981,000 less than budget The decrease from budget is mainly a result of lower expenditures for publicity/promotional costs, travel expenses, moving/relocation expenses, and software license costs Publicity/promotional costs and travel expenses are lower due to spending cuts on non-essential items . Moving/relocation expenses are lower due to timing of new faculty hires and reducing number of new hires for those positions deemed essential to further implement cost savings Software license costs are lower due to deferring non-essential software expenses and renegotiation of a licensing agreement .

The increase in supplies and services costs from the prior year is mainly due to an increase in athletics expenses, professional fees, teaching aids, software, and capital/equipment purchases Athletics expenses are higher due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions which allowed athletics teams to travel and resume regular activities . Professional fees are higher due to ongoing labour relations issues . Teaching aids are higher due to classes resuming fully in person resulting in more chemical and small equipment requirements for teaching . Software expenses have increased as a result of new initiatives and CUE’s investment in technology in an attempt to create efficiencies . Capital/equipment purchases have also increased due to increased activity on campus and more requirements for small equipment, tools and furniture to meet operational needs .

Debt servicing costs are in line with budget and lower than prior year by $464,000 . This is due to a onetime prepayment penalty which was incurred in the prior year associated with early debt extinguishment

The following graph shows expenses by object in comparison of 2023 actual, 2023 approved budget, and 2022 actual:

The following table illustrates the expenses by object for the year ended March 31, 2023:

Expenses by Object in Fiscal 2022-23 ($39.6 million)

Salary, Wages, and Benefits

Supplies and Services

Capital Amortization

Scholarships and Bursaries

Cost of Goods Sold

Below is a detailed breakdown of expenses by program compared to prior year:

NET ASSETS

Net assets for the year-ended March 31, 2023 total $51 .8 million . This represents an increase of $7 .0 million from the previous year The increase is due to the current year surplus of $7 0 million

AREAS OF FINANCIAL RISK

Government Funding: On March 31, 2022, CUE signed a new IMA for the period April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025 . The new IMA has the following three funding metrics in place: (1) work integrated learning,

(2) total domestic enrolment, and (3) graduate outcomes survey There is also one transparency metric: Indigenous student enrolment The total at risk funding for this IMA is as follows, 2022-23: 15 per cent of the Base Operating Grant (BOG), 2023-24: 25 per cent of the BOG, and 2024-25: 40 per cent of the BOG If the actual result for a specific funding metric does not meet the identified target and is outside of the respective tolerance threshold, an adjustment will be applied to BOG funding The calculated percentage reduction to the BOG that will be applied will not exceed the percentages listed above .

On January 20, 2023, Advanced Education communicated the finalized calculation method that will be used in the event a performance target and tolerance threshold is not achieved A proportional adjustment method will be used, meaning that funding adjustments will be proportional to how much a performance target and threshold was missed

These IMA’s create a significant risk area for CUE as government funding accounts for over 25 per cent of revenue CUE will continue to maintain competitive tuition rates that increase incrementally and moderately, and only as required in order to sustain the high quality of education offered .

Fluctuating Student Enrolment: In previous years, CUE experienced enrolment growth that was atypical amongst other colleges and universities within Alberta . This growth was noted to be unsustainable at existing operating capacity and a Strategic Enrolment Committee was then developed to manage future growth An external review was also conducted over the MISSM/MISAM programs and admissions were temporarily suspended due to program unsustainability and the number of available seats were capped to 150 students

Presently, CUE’s domestic enrolment (new acceptance and existing students) has declined Thus, CUE enrolment continues to face uncertainty from other Alberta colleges and universities who may further expand their enrolment/ admission requirements to offset the recent decreases and budget constraints .

CUE is also facing a new challenge with the retention of its students The root cause(s) of this issue are yet to be determined and until they are identified and mitigated, this will remain a significant risk area for the current and future academic years .

In addition, domestic enrolment is one of the funding metrics for our IMA . This is a risk area for CUE as a proportional adjustment method will be applied to the next year’s funding for any year the target is not met . CUE’s performance target and tolerance threshold will not be met for the 2022/23 academic year, and therefore a proportional adjustment of $66,000 has been applied to reduce 2023/24 funding .

Capital Funding: Unlike its public sector counterparts, CUE receives no capital funding from the provincial government Major capital projects must be funded through debt financing, donor funding, operating revenue, or federal government grants . CUE may have difficulty securing the funding needed for major capital projects

Previous years’ enrolment growth has strained CUE’s existing infrastructure and there is a pressing need for expanded office, classroom, research, and residence space . In October 2019, CUE unveiled a Campus Master Plan which includes new facilities for classroom and residence space with an estimated cost of $65 million

From the Campus Master Plan, construction commenced in September 2021 on the New Academic Building and Student Quad, which is budgeted at $40 million . CUE’s internal reserves are not sufficient to fund this project and therefore financing of $25 million has been secured Key risks of this project include fluctuations in cost of materials, supply chain issues, continuing rise of interest rates, and project delays .

On November 23, 2022, CUE’s contractor issued a revised project schedule which extended the contract’s completion date by 18 months The original substantial completion date was December 2022 CUE and its consultants have worked with our contractor to move up the completion date . The expected completion date is tentatively Spring 2023 . Due to these unexpected delays, CUE is now exposed to significant risks including operational, reputational, and financial including increased costs and lost revenues

Cash Flow Risk: As at March 31, 2023, CUE’s $18 0 million cash balance is in line with prior year cash balance of $18 .2 million . Although cash from operations increased by $1 .7 million compared to prior year, this is mainly resulting from higher payables outstanding at year end ($2 5 million) due to timing of payments Cash used in investing activities remained relatively consistent year over year This is due to an increase in capital expenditures mainly for the New Academic Building (NAB) of $4 .3 million, offset

by lower investments purchased of $3 2 million due to timing of GIC renewal and repurchase after year end . CUE’s future cash flow is a risk that will continue to be strained due to lower student enrolment, less government funding, and ongoing inflationary pressures on expenses and costs associated with the new building

Cost of Future Pension Benefits: On January 1, 2013 CUE transitioned to a defined contribution (DC) pension plan from a defined benefit (DB) plan for its employees . CUE retains an obligation to fund the accumulated DB retirement obligation for employees accrued before this time CUE’s DB plan was formally designated as a publicly funded pension plan on December 21, 2018 by Employment Pensions .

As of December 31, 2021 CUE’s DB plan carries an unfunded solvency deficiency of $4 .3M . With this latest valuation, employer contributions to the plan have decreased and are required at a rate of 15 1 per cent of pensionable earnings in respect of active DB members for the next three years These minimum contribution requirements have decreased significantly from the previous valuation dated December 31, 2020 (16 6 per cent plus $380,400 per year) These contributions must be made to satisfy the minimum funding requirements under Alberta pension legislation until the date of the next actuarial valuation which must be conducted no later than as at December 31, 2024 . This decrease has resulted in a positive impact to CUE’s cash flow

SECTION 8. Capital Report

Recent enrolment growth has strained CUE’s existing infrastructure, creating a pressing need for expanded office, classroom, research, and residence space

In September 2021, construction commenced on CUE’s new academic building, parkade, quad and bridge . The structure is being built on the existing campus and will be connected to an existing building . The project is budgeted to cost $40 million

The capital expenditure for the next three years is expected as follows:

CUE has identified a need for a new residence building; planning for this project is currently under development

APPENDIX A: AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Independent auditor’s report

To the Board of Governors of Concordia University of Edmonton

Our opinion

In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Concordia University of Edmonton (the University) as at March 31, 2023 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations.

What we have audited

The University’s financial statements comprise:

 the statement of financial position as at March 31, 2023;

 the statement of operations for the year then ended;

 the statement of changes in net assets for the year then ended;

 the statement of cash flows for the year then ended; and

 the notes to the financial statements, which include significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Independence

We are independent of the University in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in Canada. We have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

Responsibilities of management and those charged with governance for the financial statements

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations, and for such internal

control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the University’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless management either intends to liquidate the University or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Those charged with governance are responsible for overseeing the University’s financial reporting process.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

As part of an audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:

 Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

 Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the University’s internal control.

 Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management.

 Conclude on the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the University’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the University to cease to continue as a going concern.

 Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Edmonton, Alberta

August 25, 2023

Chartered Professional Accountants

John Acheson, Chair, Board of Governors

Approved by:

Tim Loreman, President & Vice‐Chancellor

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON Statement of Financial Position

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON Statement of Operations

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON Statement of Changes in Net Assets

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON Statement of Cash Flows

Concordia University of Edmonton

Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

1. STATUS AND PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION

Concordia University of Edmonton (the “University”) was incorporated on Dec 11, 2015 by a special act of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The University was formerly known as Concordia University College of Alberta. It is an independent educational institution and a registered charity under the Income Tax Act. As such, it is exempt from corporate income taxes.

2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

These financial statements are prepared in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not‐for‐profit organizations and are prepared using the deferral method of accounting for contributions and grants. The following policies are considered significant:

(a) Revenue recognition

Restricted contributions are deferred when received and recognized in the year in which the related expenses are incurred. Student tuition and fees for academic programs and courses are recognized as revenue when the programs and courses are taken throughout the academic semester. Government grants for specific programs are recognized when actual program‐related expenses are incurred. Province of Alberta operating grants are recognized in the fiscal year for which the funding is intended.

Unrestricted contributions are recognized as revenue when received or receivable if the amount to be received can be reasonably estimated and collection is reasonably assured.

Unrestricted investment income is recognized as revenue when earned. Income from the investment of restricted assets is included in deferred revenue in the statement of financial position. Revenue derived from auxiliary enterprises and activities is recognized when the service is performed and collection is reasonably assured.

Externally restricted capital contributions are recorded as deferred capital contributions until the amount is invested to acquire capital assets. Amounts invested representing externally funded capital assets are then transferred to unamortized deferred capital contributions.

Unamortized deferred capital contributions are amortized into revenue on a straight‐line method at a rate corresponding with the amortization rate for the related capital asset.

(b) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and liquid short‐term guaranteed investment certificates with maturity less than three months.

(c) Bookstore inventory

Inventory is stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first‐in first‐out method. Cost of purchased inventory includes the purchase price, shipping and net tax. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the estimated selling costs. When circumstances which previously caused inventories to be written down no longer exist, the previous impairment is reversed. Inventory consists of textbooks, stationary, souvenirs and clothing.

Concordia University of Edmonton Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

(d) Capital assets

Capital assets acquired prior to June 1, 1955 are recorded at appraised values. Subsequent additions are recorded at cost. Donated capital assets are recorded at the fair market value on the date of the receipt of the gift. Amortization, which is based on the recorded value less the residual value over the useful life of the asset, is computed using the straight‐line method at the following annual rates:

(e) Impairment of long‐lived assets

When conditions indicate that a capital asset is impaired, the net carrying amount of the asset is written down to the asset’s fair value or replacement cost. A capital asset may be impacted when conditions indicate that the asset no longer contributes to the University’s ability to provide services, or that the value of further economic benefits or service potential associated with the asset is less than the carrying amount.

(f) Use of estimates

The preparation of these financial statements, in conformity with Canadian accounting standards for not‐for‐profit organizations, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates included in the financial statements include the allowance for doubtful accounts, provision for amortization, impairment of capital assets, accrued liabilities and employee future benefits. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

(g) Internally restricted net assets

Internally restricted net assets consist of amounts for strategic initiatives which are not available for use without the approval of the Board of Governors.

(h) Endowments

Endowed contributions from external sources are recognized as direct increases in net assets in the year received. The income from endowments designated for student aid is included in deferred revenue.

Concordia University of Edmonton

Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

(i) Financial instruments

Financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, loans payable and derivative financial instruments.

Cash and cash equivalents is initially and subsequently recorded at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in the statement of operations. All investments are recorded at fair value on initial recognition. Pooled funds and private equity are subsequently measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in the statement of operations. Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GIC’s) are subsequently measured at amortized cost.

Accounts receivable are initially recognized at fair value and subsequently measured at amortized cost. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and loans payable are initially recognized at fair value net of transaction costs and subsequently measured at amortized cost using the straight‐line interest rate method.

Derivative financial instruments are initially recognized at fair value on the date on which a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently measured at their fair value at each balance sheet date. Changes in fair value are recorded in net income. The University has not adopted hedge accounting.

Risk management:

The University periodically monitors the principal risks assumed in its investments. The risks that arise from transacting financial instruments include credit risk, liquidity risk, and price risk. Price risk arises from changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and market prices. The University manages these risks using risk management policies and practices, including various approved asset mix strategies and risk management limits.

The University is subject to market risk with investments recorded at fair value. Accordingly, the values of these financial instruments will fluctuate as a result of changes in market prices, market conditions, or factors affecting the fair value of the investments. Should the value of the investments decrease significantly, the University could incur material losses on disposal of the investments.

Interest rate risk is mitigated by managing maturity dates and payment frequency. The University entered into an interest rate swap contract for its long term interest bearing debt to mitigate the effects to cash flow that interest changes could have. The University is exposed to credit risk related to the accounts receivable arising from student fees and auxiliary activities. Delinquent accounts are monitored and contacted on a monthly basis. Any accounts delinquent in excess of 120 days are referred to a collection agency.

(j) Contributed materials and services

Contributed materials and services are only recognized when the fair value can be reasonably measured at the date of contribution. This is done using market or appraised value. For contributed materials that are normally purchased, fair market is determined in relation to the purchase of similar materials or services.

Concordia University of Edmonton

Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

(k) Employee future benefits

The University accrues its obligations for its defined benefit pension plan as the employees render the services necessary to earn the pension benefits. The accrued benefit obligation for the defined benefit pension plan is determined based on an actuarial valuation prepared for funding purposes. For the University’s post‐retirement benefit plan, the accrued benefit obligation is determined based on an actuarial valuation prepared for accounting purposes using the accumulated benefit method. The University recognizes the net amount of the accrued benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets in the statement of financial position. Re‐measurements, which include the difference between the actual return on plan assets and the return calculated using the discount rate used to determine the defined benefit obligation, actuarial gains and losses, valuation allowances, past service costs and gains and losses arising from settlements and curtailments, are recognized directly in net assets.

(l) Adoption of amendments to Section 3462, Employee future benefits

Section 3462, Employee future benefits was amended to i) clarify the measurement of the defined benefit obligation for plans with a legislative, regulatory or contractual requirement to prepare a funding valuation, and ii) remove the accommodation to allow the use of a funding valuation for defined benefit plans without a funding valuation requirement. The amendments were required to be applied for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2022.

The University’s post‐retirement benefit plan does not have a funding valuation requirement and in accordance with the University’s accounting policy in note 2(k), the post‐retirement plan obligation was determined using an actuarial valuation for accounting purposes. As a result, there was no impact to the University on adoption of the amendment to Section 3462.

3. INVESTMENTS

The University has a managed portfolio with holdings of pooled funds and private equity. Investment transactions regularly occur within this portfolio, based on the recommendation of the portfolio advisor, and approved by management.

are comprised of the following:

Concordia University of Edmonton

Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

3. INVESTMENTS (continued)

Investment income is comprised of the following:

4. CAPITAL ASSETS

The construction in progress of $22,769,489 (2022: $9,386,857) is not being amortized as the assets are not available for use.

The University has an interest rate swap contract to exchange a floating interest rate on its long term debt for a fixed interest rate for a 59 month term ending on February 16, 2027. As at March 31, 2023, the notional amount of the derivative financial instrument is $9,830,120 (2022: $10,139,952) and fair value is $381,579 (2022: $155,005). The fair value has been determined using broker quotes from a derivatives dealer.

5. DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

6. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES

7. DEFERRED REVENUE

Concordia University of Edmonton

Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

7. DEFERRED REVENUE (continued)

Deferred revenue includes pre‐registration fees, deposits, restricted donations, and designated grants received but unused.

8. SPECIALLY DESIGNATED FUNDS

Specially designated funds consist of resources in the amount of $548,392 (2022: $595,906) that have been placed with the University for specific purposes that are not part of the operations of the University.

9. LOANS PAYABLE

Non‐revolving instalment loan (refinancing loan) with option to enter into interest rate swap exercised (Note 5). Payable in monthly installments of $28,167 fixed notional amount plus interest at 2.36%. The loan is amortized over 30 years.

March 31, 2023

March 31, 2022

Outstanding principal payments are scheduled as follows:

As part of the existing credit agreement, the University has five additional credit facilities. The University has not accessed funding through any of these credit facilities as at March 31, 2023. Details of the credit facilities are as follows:

a) Revolving line of credit (operating line) of $3,000,000 to be used for general business purposes, available in Canadian dollar loans by way of overdrafts. Interest will be calculated at Prime Rate less 0.75% per annum, payable monthly until demanded.

b) Revolving instalment term loan (CAPEX loan facility) of $1,500,000 to support ongoing capital expenditures. Available as follows: Canadian dollar loans with interest calculated at Prime Rate less 0.75% per annum; Canadian dollar Banker's Acceptances (BA's) with terms of 1, 2, 3 months priced at the BA rate plus a stamping fee of 0.80%; fixed rate term options for 3, 5, 7 or 10 years; or option to enter into an interest rate swap. Repayable by way of regular monthly blended or principal plus interest payments based on a 10 year amortization until demanded.

c) Non‐Revolving Instalment Term Loan (New Academic Building Loan) to a maximum of $25,000,000 to finance the construction of the New Academic Building and Student Quad. Same options available as CAPEX loan facility. Repayable by way of interest only during construction phase (up to a maximum of 36 months), followed by regular monthly blended or principal plus interest payments based on a 30 year amortization.

d) Corporate visa facility of $300,000 to support the issuance of corporate credit cards. All amounts under this credit are repayable immediately on demand.

Concordia University of Edmonton

Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

9. LOANS PAYABLE (continued)

e) Demand credit for interest rate swaps and foreign exchange contracts of $5,750,000 USD. The maximum term for foreign exchange rate transactions may not exceed 12 months. For interest rate swap transactions, the notional amount will not exceed the amount of the instalment loan and maximum term may not exceed the remaining amortization period, maximum 10 years.

This credit agreement is secured by a general security agreement providing first priority security interest in all present and future personal property of the University which includes $43,000,000 first charge demand collateral mortgage over the property to be refinanced and the new academic building property, plus an assignment of fire and other peril insurance.

10. DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Deferred capital contributions represent unspent externally restricted capital grants and donations. Changes in the deferred contributions balances are as follows:

11. UNAMORTIZED DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS

The changes in the unamortized deferred capital contributions balance are as follows:

12. EMPLOYEE FUTURE BENEFITS

The University employee pension plan consists of a defined benefit plan, post‐retirement benefit plan and a defined contribution pension plan. The defined benefit pension plan is a contributory, final average earning pension plan. The defined benefit pension plan was closed to new members on January 1, 2012. The most recent funding valuation used in determining the defined benefit obligation was completed as at December 31, 2021. The next required actuarial valuation will be completed as at December 31, 2024.

The post‐retirement benefit plan is an unfunded plan that includes medical, dental and death benefits provided to employees who retired prior to July 1, 2012.

Concordia University of Edmonton Notes to Financial Statements

Year Ended March 31, 2023

12. EMPLOYEE FUTURE BENEFITS (continued)

For the 2023 fiscal year total employer contributions to the retirement plans were $107,900 (2022: $481,500). Current service and finance costs of $105,100 (2022: $70,500) have been recognized in income and re‐measurement gains of $25,200 have been recognized in net assets (2022: $1,192,900 losses).

The defined contribution pension plan is funded by employer and employee contributions. Employees contribute 4% of earnings and the University contributes 6% of employees’ earnings. Pension expense under the defined contribution pension plan for 2023 was $1,116,642 (2022: $997,569).

13. COMMITMENTS

The University's remaining capital commitment for the purchase of private equity investments is $22,641 (2022: $1,420,659). For the construction of the New Academic Building and Student Quad, the University has a capital commitment of $36,020,170 (2022: $35,210,000) of which $16,698,250 (2022: $27,540,000) is remaining as at March 31, 2023 that is expected to be paid in 2024.

14. CONTINGENCIES

In the course of normal operations and capital development, the University is exposed to contract disputes which can result in legal action taken against the University. The University has not accrued any amounts in its financial statements related to these disputes as potential settlements cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

15. COMPARATIVE FIGURES

Certain comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the presentation adopted for the current year.

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON

Schedule of Revenue and Expenses by Program

Schedule 1

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OF EDMONTON Schedule of Expenses by Program Schedule 2

UNIVERSITY OF

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Edmonton, Alberta

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Concordia University of Edmonton