lakeheadu.ca/strategicplan
Untitled, painted by Ginnie Culver-Antoniazz (2010)
Ginnie graduated in 2013 with an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts) and a Bachelor of Education. She received the Alumni Association’s Art Purchase Award in 2010. Her piece hangs in the Alumni Commons - Thunder Bay Campus.
Lakehead University respectfully acknowledges its campuses are located on the traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples.
Lakehead Thunder Bay is located on the traditional lands of the Fort William First Nation, Signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850. Lakehead Orillia is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. The Anishinaabeg include the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy.
Lakehead University acknowledges the history that many nations hold in the areas around our campuses, and is committed to a relationship with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples based on the principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity, and collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation.
Cathy Tuckwell Chair, Board of Governors 2024-2025
Dr. Gillian Siddall President and Vice-Chancellor
As we look ahead and plan for Lakehead’s future, we are guided by the voices of our university community—voices that reflect a deep commitment to our institution, our regions, and the transformative power of education.
Throughout the development of this plan, we had the privilege to meet with members of our university community, and were inspired by their deep passion for Lakehead, for the regions we serve, and for the success of our students and our communities.
We heard clearly from our partners and our university community that the characteristics that define Lakehead should be celebrated and reinforced. Their insights reinforced the university’s role as a catalyst for personal and professional growth, for the exchange of ideas, for collaboration and innovation, community development and civic engagement.
Faculty, staff and students affirmed our foundational commitments to academic and research excellence, expanding access to education, and advancing social justice, sustainability and Truth and Reconciliation. The Indigenous, industry and strategic partners we engaged with highlighted Lakehead’s importance not only in providing regionally relevant education but also in offering global expertise, fostering relationships both locally and globally, and generating solutions to a wide range of challenges to benefit society.
Partners identified that, in offering educational programs that are aligned with the needs of the regional labour market, we help ensure the development of a regional talent pool that has the relevant skills to thrive in an evolving economy. Looking ahead, we are committed to strengthening our position as a leading comprehensive research-intensive university by fully embracing our role as an anchor institution in Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County. By bringing our resources and talent to new and expanded partnerships, we can help create an environment of shared learning and problem solving that can propel transformation, enhance cultural richness, address social inequities and foster the development and wellbeing of the communities we serve.
We are also dedicated to the people of Lakehead, and to reinvigorating a strong internal culture, firm in our belief that by making Lakehead a top employer we will, in turn, positively impact students, research and scholarly activity, and our local communities.
And finally, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the incredibly constrained environment in which universities are currently operating. We are focused on positioning Lakehead for success today, and into the future, by including a commitment to financial sustainability in this plan.
We are excited to move forward, recognizing that the plan’s success requires the collective effort of all members of our university community. We invite you to join us in shaping a future where Lakehead continues to thrive and make a lasting impact and look forward to working with you to achieve great things, together.
Vision
To empower a local and global sustainable future through transformative learning and community partnership
Mission
To be a comprehensive university that cultivates ethical and innovative thinkers and problem solvers
Values
• Integrity
• Community
• Belonging
• Curiosity
• Reconciliation
• We believe our students, staff and faculty make Lakehead University different.
• We believe that our students want an innovative comprehensive university where they have the highest chance of success.
• We believe that our students have the passion and drive to realize their dreams and succeed.
• We believe that our students want the intellectual freedom to pursue the unconventional.
• We believe in the diversity that comes from our students, staff and faculty of many cultures and nations.
• We believe that our students, staff and faculty are passionate about both their own individuality and their communities.
Lakehead is differentiated not only by its geographic locations, but also by the nature of its civic role and consequent impact it has on local communities. All universities, including Lakehead, play a key role in society through teaching, research and service.
What sets Lakehead apart is the out-sized impact it has on the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County.
This impact stems from highly qualified faculty and staff delivering locally responsive programming aligned to labour market needs, research priorities that reflect the social, cultural economic and environmental realities of Northwestern Ontario and Central Ontario, and opportunities to positively influence regional development through innovative partnerships, program delivery and the development of a highly skilled talent pool.
Students at Lakehead achieve success through a differentiated experience that includes small class sizes, access to faculty members, and opportunities to build connection to the community through experiential and work-integrated learning experiences and research opportunities not found at other institutions.
Our ongoing commitment to advancing Truth and Reconciliation throughout the university in turn impacts the communities where we operate, and where Lakehead students, staff, faculty and alumni live and work.
And finally, it stems from the reality that we are one of the largest employers in the regions we serve, directly contributing to the economic vitality of Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County.
As we look to the future, we are at an inflection point. Across the world the relevancy and responsiveness of universities are being called into question and the financial outlook of the postsecondary sector is increasingly perilous. At the same time, artificial intelligence is disrupting the labour market, social unrest is increasing, and social inequality and environmental degradation are accelerating at an ever-faster pace.
In the face of this uncertainty, universities must boldly affirm the critical leadership role they play in generating new knowledge through research and innovation, educating students to bring curiosity and problem-solving skills through a wide range of disciplines, and partnering with local and global communities to build strong economies and equitable societies. Lakehead has the resources and capacity to assume even more of a leadership role in the co-creation of solutions with industry, community partners and Indigenous groups to advance common goals and develop solutions to complex problems close to home and abroad. The next five years are full of uncertainty and anxiety, but there is also good reason for hope and for vision.
Engaging in this work presents unique opportunities to expand innovative delivery of higher education and to widen access for students who will get to learn with global experts, apply their learning in real-world settings and contribute to finding solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges through an enhanced student experience.
This strategic plan arises from consultation with the entire university community, including students, staff and faculty; the Ogimaawin-Indigenous Education Council; the Elder’s Council; and Indigenous, community and industry partners in Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County. Together we will take up the work it articulates to strengthen and advance our collective vision of Lakehead and its critical and unique role in Canada’s post-secondary ecosystem.
The overarching goal of the strategic framework is to strengthen Lakehead University’s vision of providing a transformative university experience grounded in exceptional scholarship and student potential while contributing to the advancement of the regions in which it is located.
Lakehead University’s strategic plan is built around five interrelated and interconnected strategic themes: expanding student opportunity and success, sustainable economic and community development and entrepreneurship, advancing our societal impact, people and culture, and financial sustainability.
Woven throughout each of these themes are commitments related to academic and research excellence, place, advancing Truth and Reconciliation across the university, partnerships and a focus on co-creating solutions, and internationalization. Continued advancement of these elements is foundational to achieving the goals set out in the strategic themes.
This strategic plan details an aim for each theme that aligns with Lakehead University’s vision. Each theme also has objectives, strategies and metrics that, over time, will contribute to realization of the aim.
To achieve its goals, the university must adopt the plan throughout the entire institution and in all aspects of our operations, working with faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners and Indigenous groups to achieve common goals.
Expand the number of individuals who pursue and attain a university qualification in the regions Lakehead serves
Maximize Lakehead’s positive regional economic and community impact
Advance solutions to grand challenges affecting society through quality research and scholarly activity
Establish Lakehead as a top employer
Ensure Lakehead’s long-term financial sustainability
Over the next five years there is a significant opportunity for social and economic growth in the regions where Lakehead operates. However, both Simcoe County and Northwestern Ontario face challenges in realizing these opportunities as their degree attainment rates are below the provincial and national average. Lakehead is committed to changing this. Lakehead will support efforts to increase regional degree attainment rates and develop future changemakers by making highquality degree-level programming, professional development and lifelong learning opportunities more accessible for students and alumni from all backgrounds.
Achievement of this goal will require Lakehead to lead cross-functional partnerships, innovative approaches to student engagement, program delivery, student supports and focused initiatives for Indigenous populations.
Expand the number of individuals who pursue and attain a university qualification in the regions Lakehead serves.
1. Widen university participation and degree attainment at all levels of study while maintaining exemplary academic standards
2. Deliver high-quality programming with new ways to learn, making sure there’s a good mix of online and in-person options for students
3. Provide a personalized student experience to help more students succeed at university throughout their educational journey
4. Establish Lakehead as a regional education centre for Indigenous learners in Northern Ontario
1. Enhance Strategic Enrolment Management
1.1. Develop and implement a renewed comprehensive Strategic Enrolment Management Plan
1.2. Continue to attract students from Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County and, more broadly, provincially, nationally and internationally
2. Modernize Program Delivery
2.1. Develop flexible, responsive approaches to degree-level programming across campuses
2.2. Expand and strengthen non-traditional degree pathways
2.3. Expand distance learning program options and supports for remote learners
2.4. Ensure all students have experiential learning opportunities
2.5. Expand non-degree programming
3. Support Indigenous Participation
3.1. Expand programming and partnerships to increase Indigenous participation and success in university education
3.2. Explore opportunities to broaden recognition of prior learning experience
4. Expand Access Through Community Partnerships
4.1 Continue to partner with school boards, colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes to support long term student outcomes
4.2 Develop local philanthropic networks to support access to education
1. The university participation rate in the regions served by Lakehead
2. Indigenous student enrolment at all levels of study
3. Enrolment of under-represented student groups at all levels of study
4. International student enrolment at all levels of study
5. Number of graduates who participated in experiential learning during their undergraduate degree
6. Seven-year graduation rate
As a strategic economic anchor, Lakehead is integral to supporting regional economic stability and advancing the pursuit of futureoriented economic growth in Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County.
Over the next five years, Lakehead will be an active partner in advancing common priorities including emerging labour market needs, northern societal issues, responsible resource extraction, and reconciliation through alignment of university resources and capabilities and collaborations with industry, municipal, community and Indigenous groups.
In addition, through its commitment to validating Indigenous contributions and initiatives throughout the institution and the curriculum, Lakehead is making space for Indigenous knowledge, modelling and inviting knowledge exchange for the betterment of society.
Maximize Lakehead’s positive regional economic and community impact
1. Propel regional economic transformation through people, place, innovation, and civic engagement
2. Develop a skilled talent supply to support industry growth in Northern Ontario and Simcoe County
3. Advance regional economic development in partnership with Indigenous groups
4. Develop university-led entrepreneurial ecosystems tailored to local needs
1. Strengthen Industry and Community Partnerships
1.1. Develop programs and research collaborations with local industries, community agencies, cultural groups, Indigenous partners and alumni to meet local labour market and community needs
1.2. Align experiential and work-integrated learning with local employer needs to help address local issues and support student career transitions
1.3. Actively participate in Regional Innovation Clusters in Simcoe County and Northwestern Ontario
1.4. Establish strong local partnerships in support of advancing shared community goals
2. Enhance Academic and Research Capacity
2.1. Expand the Lakehead Orillia campus to deliver expanded academic programs, research opportunities, and student supports
2.2. Develop a STEM Hub in Barrie
2.3. Build and expand collaborations with other education providers to deliver joint and interdisciplinary programs aligned to regional demands
2.4. Attract highly skilled international learners and researchers to Lakehead
3. Leverage Alumni and Global Expertise
3.1. Engage Lakehead’s vast alumni network to connect global expertise with local initiatives
3.2. Leverage Lakehead alumni to expand experiential and workintegrated learning opportunities and support career transitions
4. Promote Economic Development and Innovation
4.1. Maintain the University Economic Development Association Innovation and Economic Prosperity Designation in support of regional economic development
4.2. Support business incubation and entrepreneurship activity through Lakehead’s Ingenuity centre
4.3. Renew the university’s commercialization strategy
1. Lakehead’s economic impact
2. The number of graduates with work-integrated learning experience
3. Lakehead’s graduate employment rate
4. The number of graduates who stay in the local regions served by Lakehead upon graduation
5. Commercialization and entrepreneurship activity
6. The number of engaged alumni based on communication, participation and giving
Many of the grand challenges facing the world today including access to education, poverty, climate change, access to clean water and Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation have a local dimension in Northern Ontario and Simcoe County. Through innovative academic programming, focused research and scholarly activity, Lakehead’s talented faculty, researchers, administrators, and students are uniquely positioned to help address these significant societal challenges. By embracing an enhanced civic role that includes sharing of resources, knowledge and expertise, Lakehead will forge stronger partnerships with all levels of government, industry, Indigenous groups, alumni, and global partners with the goal of cocreating solutions for the betterment of society.
Advance solutions to grand challenges affecting society through quality research and scholarly activity
1. Continue to lead Lakehead’s Truth and Reconciliation efforts in post-secondary education through partnerships with Indigenous communities
2. Position Lakehead as a local and global leader in sustainability, climate leadership, social justice, and Indigenous education
3. Co-create solutions to grand societal challenges through innovative, integrated partnerships
4. Continue to be a trusted source of quality research and scholarly activity
1. Deliver Academic and Research Excellence Reflecting Regional Needs
1.1. Deliver academic programs and conduct research, creative and scholarly activity that address social and environmental priorities unique to the regions served by Lakehead
2. Champion Indigenous Worldviews and Partnerships
2.1. Develop a multi-year plan to:
2.1.1. Expand Indigenous content, teachings, and ways of knowing across academic and non-academic programs
2.1.2. Establish dedicated, centralized spaces on Lakehead campuses that better support Indigenous teaching, learning, research, cultural activities and archiving
2.1.3. Partner with local First Nations, Indigenous groups, and all levels of government to establish a centralized cultural gathering place in Thunder Bay
2.1.4. Support Indigenous-led initiatives
2.1.5. Collaborate on becoming a major repository of archeological heritage
3. Co-Create Solutions through Civic Partnerships
3.1. Lead collaborations with local municipalities, civic and industry partners, Indigenous groups and alumni to define shared priorities and develop action plans to achieve common goals for the betterment of society
4. Advance Sustainability Leadership
4.1. Develop a regional knowledge hub to share research and emerging practices addressing major societal challenges, including Truth and Reconciliation, climate leadership and sustainability
4.2. Develop and implement a refreshed Sustainability Plan, including a long-term vision for Lakehead in a post-carbon world
1. Lakehead’s societal impact
2. The research impact of the university
3. The number of active Indigenous partnerships
4. The number of multi-stakeholder partnerships designed to accelerate progress in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The people at Lakehead are at the core of its ability to deliver high-quality education, conduct research, creative and scholarly activity, and engage with the community. Their commitment ensures that the university remains a regional transformative force that educates and supports students and fosters research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Over the next five years, Lakehead will continue to rely on excellent faculty and staff to advance its priorities and recognizes the importance of providing an exceptional employee experience to achieve these goals.
This requires not only ongoing alignment across all functions of the university but also development of a culture that values employees and fosters cross-functional collaboration to drive innovation and advance the university’s role in community engagement.
Establish Lakehead as a top employer
1. Realize a positive, aligned and purpose-driven Lakehead culture across all campuses
2. Establish Lakehead as a recognized employer of choice in the regions served by the university
3. Make meaningful progress towards decolonization and Indigenization of the institution
1. Enhance Talent Development and Retention
1.1. Develop and implement an iterative strategic talent management plan with a focus on succession planning and career development
2. Cultivate Lakehead’s Culture
2.1. Focus on cultivating a shared Lakehead culture across campuses
2.2. Improve communication and transparency throughout the university
3. Prioritize Workplace Wellness and Well-Being
3.1. Implement a refreshed wellness strategy for the university community
4. Advance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
4.1. Implement a refreshed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan to promote a more equitable and inclusive environment for all members of our university community
4.2. Conduct a policy review within the context of universal design, equity, diversity and inclusion, decolonization, and sustainability
1. Improved employee experience
2. The number of Indigenous faculty and staff
3. The number of racialized faculty and staff
4. The number of faculty and staff who self-identify as female
5. The number of faculty and staff with disabilities
6. The number of LGBTQ2S+ faculty and staff
Amid growing complexity and fiscal constraints, Lakehead is committed to building a strong, resilient, and financially sustainable institution that can withstand economic downturns, shifts in funding policies, and demographic changes.
By securing its financial sustainability, Lakehead will reinforce its capacity to fulfill its role as a civic university advancing regional educational, social and economic priorities while enhancing the wellbeing of Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County.
Achieving this goal requires ongoing operational efficiencies and improvements that drive transformative change across the institution combined with innovative revenue strategies that support Lakehead’s mandate.
Ensure Lakehead’s long-term financial sustainability
1. Sustain the financial health of the university
2. Achieve operational efficiencies through integrated planning, strategic decision making and digital transformation
3. Advance the development of a strengthened model for universities in Northern Ontario
1. Strengthen Financial Sustainability
1.1. Advance the work of the President’s Advisory Committee on Financial Sustainability
1.2. Develop and sustain operational and capital budgets at a level to sustain Lakehead by:
a. Increasing enrolment
b. Diversifying revenue streams beyond government grants and regulated tuition
c. Realizing operational efficiencies through process redesign, digital transformation, and functional reviews of internal structures
d. Continuing the implementation of Lakehead’s Philanthropic Campaign Plan
2. Enhancing strategic planning and budgeting
2.1. Implement a revised integrated planning and budgeting model to promote strategic alignment and operational transparency
2.2. Advance the development and implementation of an iterative campus plan
3. Advocate for a Northern Ontario university model
3.1. Collaborate with partner organizations and the government to inform and develop a strengthened model for universities in Northern Ontario
1. Increased enrolment
2. Lakehead’s financial health metrics
3. The proportion of operating funding that originates from nongovernmental sources
4. The total amount raised by 2030 will be in alignment with the Philanthropic Campaign Plan
Through the implementation of this plan, Lakehead aims to improve in the following areas:
1. The university participation rate in the regions served by Lakehead
2. Indigenous student enrolment at all levels of study
3. Enrolment of underrepresented student groups at all levels of study
4. International student enrolment at all levels of study
5. Number of graduates who participated in experiential learning during their undergraduate degree
6. Seven-year graduation rate
1. Lakehead’s economic impact
2. The number of graduates with work-integrated learning experience
3. Lakehead’s graduate employment rate
4. The number of graduates who stay in the local regions served by Lakehead upon graduation
5. Commercialization and entrepreneurship activity
6. The number of engaged alumni based on communication, participation and giving
1. Lakehead’s societal impact
2. The research impact of the university
3. The number of active Indigenous partnerships
4. The number of multistakeholder partnerships designed to accelerate progress in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
1. Improved employee experience
2. The number of Indigenous faculty and staff
3. The number of racialized faculty and staff
4. The number of faculty and staff who self-identify as female
5. The number of faculty and staff with disabilities
6. The number of LGBTQ2S+ faculty and staff
1. Increased enrolment
2. Lakehead’s financial health metrics
3. The proportion of operating funding that originates from non-governmental sources
4. The total amount raised by 2030 will be in alignment with the Philanthropic Campaign Plan
