UPDATE TO DONORS ON KPU’S ACADEMIC PLAN 2023 Launched three years ago with full implementation beginning in early 2019, the KPU Academic Plan 2023 includes 9 strategic goals in the key areas of student success, teaching excellence, accelerating research, next generation international, increasing Indigenous participation, advancing open education research and practices, employability of Trades and Technology apprentices, preparing for incoming K-12 graduates, and graduate studies. Each of the strategic goals is accompanied by 6 to 8 strategies and I am pleased to provide this update of our tremendous progress in working towards our goals in the 2020-2021 academic year. To promote student success, we imagined the opportunity to enhance online learning for KPU students, and since the conversion to online delivery in March 2020, KPU has truly become a multi-modal delivery institution. For the Fall 2021 semester we planned a course delivery mix of approximately 65% face-to-face and 35% online in various formats including asynchronous, synchronous, and blended modes. The Teaching and Learning Commons has presented the Level Up: Learn to Teach Online course to over 400 faculty and also provided faculty with access to a suite of new and updated software platforms to enhance video conferencing, ePortfolios, video creation and editing, infographics,
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and digital collaboration. We purchased 300 laptops to enable access to online learning for our students and contributed resources for small equipment purchases to assist faculty in the online learning environment. Our embrace of open educational practices, signifying open, affordable, and equitable education, is now well understood as a core part of KPU’s identity. In the past year our Zero Textbook Credit initiative has saved KPU students another $3 Million in textbook cost savings and we are widely regarded as an international leader in open education. We are also proud of KPU Complete, a set of specialized supports for students aged 25 years and older, including a dedicated staff Learning Navigator who provides coaching and referrals to appropriate student services. We continue to make progress in our efforts to increase Indigenous participation and to promote a renewed, authentic approach to Indigenous resurgence and decolonization. A new Indigenous Community Coordinator position was filled in Spring 2020, this position works closely with KPU’s Future Students Office to support recruiting activities for Indigenous Learners including participation at Indigenous Career and Education Fairs. Soon, we will welcome a new Coordinator, Indigenous Student Transition and Engagement, who will be responsible for
