Shaping Our Future: Academic Plan for 2008-2013PRIORITIES -- The most recent articulation of Ryerson’s overarching priorities is the Quality Agenda, with its emphasison student engagement and success, expansion of SRC intensity, graduate growth, and reputationenhancement. These are essentially preserved in Shaping Our Future. Graduate growth will continueto be a priority, but is no longer a discrete category because the University is beyond the start-up phaseof graduate education; it is an integrated component of Ryerson’s academic programs. Learning andTeaching Excellence appears as a separate category in this plan in order to emphasize our commitmentto fostering a rich environment that makes opportunities for students and professors alike to experimentwith ideas and to experience intellectual and professional growth.Shaping Our Future proposes five principal priorities:Shaping Our Future identifies strategies that, taken together, will provide pathways within which thecommunity may pursue its five principal priorities. These strategies are deliberately expressed at amacro level. Doing so is meant to give ample opportunity for the University’s various schools, departments,faculties, and other units to interpret and activate the strategies locally in ways that make themost sense in hundreds of unique circumstances and operations. At both the local and macro levels,it is assumed that the strategies would be pursued by linking academic goals and priorities to resourceallocations that are fiscally sustainable and congruent with the University’s five priorities. It is understoodthat the priorities and strategies are not linked in a one-to-one correspondence because thereare likely to be multiple vectors across the priorities and strategies. The capacity to pursue the strategieswill of course depend on the budget, and over the five-year period of the Plan it may be necessary toengage in midcourse corrections. It will be the role of the various faculties, departments, schools, andother academic units to determine what they can do to move Ryerson forward along these paths, andhow they can do it.Ryerson UniversityRU_6e8d0bda-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Office of the ProvostVice President Academic_6e8d1012-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070_6e8d1184-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Quality and RelevanceHigh Quality, Societally-Relevant Undergraduate and Graduate Programs_6e8d1292-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e0701Ryerson is known for the high quality of its undergraduate and graduate programs that link universitystudy to professions, professional practice, and careers. Ryerson will continue to pursue this mission,with the aim of preserving and extending our reputation for outstanding quality. Particularly in areasof academic growth, it will also seek to balance discipline-based programs with cross-disciplinaryprograms that open up new channels of ideas and perhaps even new professions; that take anentrepreneurial approach to the creation and transmission of new knowledge.While universities sometimes continue to define canons of knowledge and practice along traditionallines, the world for which we are preparing students is seldom as engaged as we are by our disciplinarycategories of knowledge and practice. Generally speaking, the world beyond is intrinsically morecross-disciplinary in its approach. In many arenas it seems that the boundary crossing, within theknowledge economy especially, is speeding up ever more.Ryerson is already connected to a number of lively external communities in many ways: scholarly,research and creative activities; experiential learning and outreach of all kinds, including nationaland international experiences; and its general accessibility as expert consultants to government,business, industry, and community based agencies in the GT A. These formal partnerships andinformal connections play more key roles at Ryerson than comparable partnerships might play atother universities, and they greatly enrich Ryerson’s academic programs and opportunities for ourgraduates. They will continue to be nurtured and given a high priority.Curriculum EvolutionRyerson’s undergraduate curriculum will continue to evolve, so that undergraduate programming and its delivery remain innovative and responsive to students. Courses will be made more accessible, students will be given more choice, and transferability will be enhanced._6e8d1396-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 1Undergraduate Programming -- Academic programs are the University’s lifeblood, and must be carefully stewarded. What this means isdifferent over time, for academic program requirements and the curriculum at their foundation expressthe shifting state of knowledge, of academic disciplines, of time and place, and student expectations.Ryerson’s programs and curricula are distinctively dynamic and responsive, and these features are to behighly prized. Ryerson’s programming must, above all else, remain high quality, current, and societallyrelevant. Its current curriculum model has served Ryerson well, building highly regarded professionaland professionally-related programs. As societal need continues to change rapidly in the twenty-firstcentury, it is important that the model itself also continue to evolve, along with the definition of “careerreadiness,” in order to provide graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.Students deserve opportunities to choose educational pathways that give them breadth as well asdepth, and that help to prepare them for the evolution of their own career changes and professionalopportunities over, say, a working career of 40 or 50 years. It is, of course, folly to pretend that anacademic program can look forward half a century, but it is safe to say that students today neededucational opportunities that emphasize strong intellectual foundations and relevant professionalskills, along with critical thinking, research skills, and practice at pursuing new ideas, solving problems,and grasping the interconnectedness of people, ideas, things, and places in a globalized century. Todo all that and more is a tall order, and sometimes it feels as if universities today make adjustmentsto program requirements and curricula as if seeing through a glass darkly.Ryerson has always had a more standardized approach to curricula than most. Over the last few yearsthe tripartite curriculum model has been interpreted as allowing a bit more flexibility than before,both in existing programs and in the development of new ones. Shaping Our Future acknowledgesthat the tripartite model gives us a clear framework that has proved to be valuable, and it is at thefoundation of our entire curriculum. Rather than eliminating it, which was suggested a numberof times during the consultations leading to this Academic Plan, which might be akin to rippingup the Magna Carta, Shaping Our Future proposes to open it up somewhat, to bend it, to meetthe needs of contemporary students, who are engaged in an ever more dynamic, transnational,trans-disciplinary world.As the education and skills required by ourgraduates evolve, then, so must Ryerson’s curriculummodel and the curricula of our manyacademic programs. New and innovative curriculaand program structures, including both disciplinebasedand cross-disciplinary programs, doublemajors, and increased access to minors within aprogram of study, will be encouraged. It will alsobe valuable for students to have greater access to awider range of courses, to be able to explore a widerrange of academic areas, and be able to changefrom one program to another more freely. Liberalstudies course offerings could also be expanded,and students should be given more opportunity toincrease their scientific literacy in an era of significantscientific developments and dilemmas thataffect the environment, health care, the law, andcivic life generally.Curriculum structures and administrative systemswill be reviewed in a consultative way and thenadapted to make these transformative moves possible.New modes of program delivery, includinghybrid models that blend face-to-face and otherformats, require consideration. Spring and summerterms of course offerings need to be evaluated andexpanded in order to support the academic goalsand other needs of Ryerson’s students.English is a second (or third…) language of manystudents at Ryerson, a fact to be celebratedbecause the linguistic diversity is a sign of strength.At the same time, there is a growing recognitionthat the University needs to do more to support asegment of the non-native speakers of English when their skill levels inhibit their academic progress.Strengthening the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of all students is also important. TheUniversity will work to address these gaps in skills and support so that all students can take optimumadvantage of the educational opportunities Ryerson provides.It is likely that, during the life of this Plan, Ontario will be introducing mechanisms to promote clearand transparent pathways for student mobility between postsecondary institutions. This includestransferability of credits from one university to another and enhanced college-university programming.Ryerson must be open to initiatives and opportunities, to play its role in a way that is consistent with its mission and that preserves or improves the quality of its educational programs. Related to theseprovincial requests for greater student mobility, as discussed earlier, it is also likely that Ontario willask Ryerson to expand in response to demographic pressures for access in the GT A. If we do acceptthat challenge, the growth would be spread over a mixture of new and existing academic programs, sothat some balance across the faculties is preserved and so that we are open to new academic initiatives.The anticipated balance is something like two thirds of the growth in new programs and one third inexisting programs, with appropriate resources to make it possible to carry out such plans responsibly.The two-thirds area of growth could be an opportunity to create cross- or trans-disciplinary programsunique to Ryerson.Knowledge and SkillsRyerson’s undergraduate programs will offer opportunities to students to developa broad foundation of knowledge and skills necessary for the changing professions of the twenty-first century._6e8d14cc-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 2Students are clear that they want their education to include experiences that connect formal universitystudy to the world around them. Ryerson has developed a wide range of partnerships—locally,nationally, and internationally—with business, industry, community organizations, healthcareproviders, educational institutions, and government agencies, in order to offer hands-on experientialopportunities to as many students as possible. These opportunities include, but are not limited to,internships, placements, co-operative programs, service learning, work terms, exchange programs,clinical placements, and field experiences.Ryerson prides itself on creating a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities, and willcontinue to give high priority to these across all of its programs. Programs are encouraged to beinnovative in identifying experiential learning opportunities that are appropriate to their discipline.The University undertakes to ensure that the resources and mechanisms are in place to providethese opportunities and to make improvements in them where necessary.Experiential LearningDeans will evaluate the experiential learning opportunities available to students intheir faculties, and will pursue improvements and new initiatives based on their evaluations and available resources._6e8d160c-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 3Ryerson University DeansRyerson University StudentsGraduate Student EnrollmentSubject to appropriate funding, Ryerson will increase the number of its professionaland research-based graduate programs, particularly at the doctoral level._6e8d177e-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 4Graduate Studies -- Over the past five years, the number of graduate programs and graduate students has grown substantially.At present about six percent of Ryerson students are enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs.Most comprehensive universities in Ontario have about ten percent of their students enrolled ingraduate studies, and Ryerson hopes gradually to match that. It would be desirable to see much of thatgrowth at the doctoral level across a mix of existing and new programs. Ontario’s funding of graduateprograms will be a key factor in how any program growth will unfold.While a significant number of graduate programs at Ryerson has been developed since 2000, there remain several areas in which new graduate programs would be appropriate in terms of mission,resources,and aspirations. The presence of graduate students brings a new dimension to the lifeof our academic community, enriching our research culture, creating further opportunities forundergraduates, and offering faculty and staff who are engaged with these graduate students newopportunities as well.Graduate students are a key part of the academic life of a university, and their training and involvementare vital to the success and retention of undergraduate students as well as the attraction and retentionof highly qualified faculty. In many cases, graduate students are the faculty of the future, and theydeserve robust professional development opportunities in their capacities as teachers and researchers.At Ryerson there are also special needs arising from the speed of graduate growth since 2000, such asthe requirement of enhanced graduate funding, increased numbers of teaching and graduate assistantshipsand appropriate training, additional learning supports such as ESL education and assistance, andphysical space for graduate study itself. In 2007 Ryerson participated in the Canadian Graduate andProfessional Student Survey, which reinforced the impression that graduate students are particularlykeen to have workshops, seminars, and other educational opportunities focusing on skills developmentwithin and beyond their academic programs.Graduate Student ServicesEach faculty in conjunction with the School of Graduate Studies will identify howservices to graduate students may be strengthened, and the University will endeavour to pursuethe recommendations with available resources._6e8d18e6-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 5Ryerson School of Graduate StudiesRyerson Graduate StudentsContinuing EducationRyerson will continue to pursue initiatives that offer life-long learning throughcontinuing education programming as well as a broad range of programs designed to meetthe access obligations of a democratic society._6e8d1a6c-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 6G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing EducationLife-long Learning -- The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education plays an important role at Ryerson inproviding life-long learning opportunities for thousands of students. It has also been successful inproviding innovative programming, in partnership with faculties, schools, and departments in thepreparation of internationally trained professionals for careers in Canada. The Chang School joinswith the University’s faculties in providing critical opportunities for new Canadians and for othersfor whom postsecondary education has historically been an impossible dream. The Chang Schoolwill continue to play an important role in the Ryerson of tomorrow.Student Engagement and SuccessContinue our efforts to deepen student engagement._6e8d1c1a-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e0702Students always have been and remain absolutely central to Ryerson’s mission and identity. In 2006 thePresident’s Commission on Student Engagement commented on the state of engagement at Ryerson,and recommended several steps to strengthen it. Many of its recommendations have been acted upon,including for example the creation of the office of Vice Provost, Students and the restructuring ofsome services for students. In the next five years the University must continue its efforts to deepenstudent engagement and success by building on the many initiatives that have recently (and not sorecently) been launched. The strategies below point to a number of areas that will receive specialattention, such as English language skills; writing, math, and research skills; efforts to promote a moreinclusive community through, for example, Tri-mentoring and access and outreach programs; andefforts to facilitate student-directed initiatives, some academic, others not. All of these areas contributeto the overall goal: to be even more effective in fostering an environment in which students are passionatelyengaged in their own education, and in their own development, and in the development ofour community as a whole.Student success is inextricably connected to the University’s success. Every area of the University, notonly the academic programs, contributes to that success. Students require academic and non-academicsupport, quality spaces for study and learning, and engagement with the wealth of opportunities thatare part of a positive and enriching educational experience.Student engagement, success, and retention are intricately related to an overall sense of universitycommunity. There are many kinds of communities—from small groups to which individuals canbelong, to larger entities that encompass greater numbers of people. The Ryerson community includesnot only its faculty and students, but also all of the staff and support personnel. Without them, theUniversity could not function. A culture of respect, where all members of the community are valuedfor the part they play in making the institution successful, requires constant nurturing and attention.STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, SUCCESS, AND RETENTIONThere are many ways students can engage in the life of the University, and there are many areas outsideof their specific academic experience that contribute to their success and to completing their degreesat Ryerson. Ryerson has spent much time looking at these areas. There are challenges to being anurban campus that draws students from a wide area. Relatively few students live in residence, andmany students have jobs and residences off campus. It is essential that Ryerson provide students withopportunities to engage with the campus and the support to help ensure that that engagement leads tosuccessful conclusions.Ryerson is also committed to serving under-represented populations, and to providing access andopportunities to those who have lacked opportunities to succeed. Working to meet the needs ofboth potential and matriculated students is important as part of the University’s engagement withthe citizens of Toronto, Ontario, and Canada, and with its civic mission and the commitments ofits academic community to equal opportunity, fairness, and a democratic society.Student Support -- Overwhelmingly, students perceive Ryerson to be a place where students matter as individuals, andwhere their individual success matters too. Support for students at Ryerson is already a high priority.That support is created holistically across the University, and takes the effort of staff, faculty, andstudents themselves. Some is delivered formally, as in library workshops or through the LearningSuccess programs or in the laboratories or clinical settings, for example. It is also informal, throughimpromptu discussions about academic advising, ideas and projects, aspirations, and all the rest.Wherever it happens, it is important to the development of students that the environment createdacross the University express a genuine interest in the intellectual growth and well-being of studentsand a commitment to creating and renewing a supportive environment. Students helping studentsthrough peer-helper programs, in math and writing labs, for example, are very effective means to thatend, and the University is committed to expanding and preserving new opportunities for peer onpeer support.As the number of programs and options expands, student advising will continue to play an importantrole in student success, including a sense of commitment to learning, retention, the timely completionof academic programs, and satisfaction with a Ryerson education. It will be critical to sustainRyerson’s historic commitment to superb teaching and academic advising even as the Universitymoves more fully into its comprehensive status; meaningful academic advising, along with formalinteractions with faculty members, are of very high importance with respect to student engagement.In the consultation process leading to this Plan, many members of the community identified the needfor more support for fundamental skills: math, writing, critical thinking, and ESL. Particularly for thosestudents who struggle to make academic progress early in their university careers, these are essentialareas needing more support, and that support can also help to improve the performance and postgraduationopportunities of even the most successful university graduates.The University must also ensure that it mounts strong programs for first-generation students, NewCanadians, Aboriginal students, LGTB Q students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, andstudents with disabilities. Gains in these initiatives have been steady over the past few years, but moresupport is necessary, and will be a priority as part of Ryerson’s commitment to accessibility. As thediversity of the GT A increases, so must our effort to understand who is coming to Ryerson, and whois not; who chooses particular programs, and why. We want to ensure that students from underrepresentedgroups—e.g. low income families, Black communities, Aboriginal communities—arenot excluded from Ryerson.Due to its history and urban location, Ryerson has a relatively small residential population. In thiscontext, and in light of our diversity, all Ryerson students benefit not just from peer and facultysupport but from the support of staff dedicated to student life—who help to develop events,activities, and programs based on student need.Following up on the Commission on Student Engagement, the Vice Provost, Students will leadan analysis of the next steps necessary to help boost student engagement even further.Student Services, the Registrariat, and other units will work with the faculties to enhance localsupports; and will collaborate widely with students, clubs, and other partner organizations tostrengthen student engagement, retention, and success.Services AssessmentThe Vice Provost, Students will assess the academic support services, and other services for students, and the University will work to sustain its effective programs and make improvements and changes where necessary._6e8d1db4-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 11Ryerson University Vice Provost, StudentsSports and RecreationThe Director of Athletics will lead efforts to enhance facilities and opportunitiesfor intramural sports and recreation._6e8d1f94-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 12Ryerson University Director of AthleticsSports and Recreation -- In order to provide an overall engaging environment and a holistic educational experience, Ryersonwill strive to enhance the opportunities and facilities for students to participate in sports and recreationactivities. These activities promote the physical well-being of members of the community and helpwith mental acuity and academic focus, leadership skills, opportunities for building networks offriendship and community engagement. Intramural and varsity sports teams, and access to healthyphysical activities, workshops, and seminars, all play an important part in student engagement,success, and retention.SpaceThe University will make a key priority of its continued expansion of space for formal and informal study, informal gathering, and research and teaching._6e8d21b0-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 13The Student Learning Centre and Study Space -- Flexible, comfortable, informal space for students is essential, especially when most Ryerson studentslive off campus. Students with one class in the morning and a lab in the afternoon and another classor club meeting in the evening need a place to “land,” to work in teams, to read quietly, to multitasktheir academic work and social engagement, and so forth. The University has made substantial gainsin this area in the recent past, and is committed to continuing to make gains, designing spaces forundergraduates and graduates in full consultation to make the most effective decisions about theallocation of space.Over the life of this Plan it is likely that several capital projects to build new space and renovate orrepurpose existing space will unfold. These plans will be guided by the goals of the Master Plan.Most immediately will be the photographic gallery on Gould and the new Student Learning Centre atthe corner of Gould and Yonge Streets. It is a fascinating time to build a twenty-first century learningcentre, and a significant challenge to take the best advantage of the profound impact of the digitalrevolution on knowledge creation and transfer; to take into account the impact of that revolution onthe way students learn and are engaged. The library will be a principal occupant of the new StudentLearning Centre, and the library will be committed to acquiring the resources, particularly electronicresources, that students and faculty will require.The library remains at the heart of the university, and Ryerson remains committed to continuing tostrengthen its resources, its collections, and its role in the academic community beyond its physicalborders. The Ryerson library has been able to grow its collection since 1993 at a relatively faster pacethan many Ontario universities, and Ryerson is committed to sustaining that momentum. As thelibrary expands its footprint and its role, it will continue to pursue strategic relationships with thefaculties and with student-related academic services, and will continue its current efforts to promotea safe and congenial study environment that enhances the day-to-day experience of being on campus.Learning and Teaching ExcellencePreserve our commitment to learning and teaching excellence._6e8d239a-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e0703Ryerson prides itself on the high quality of the teaching and learning environment that it provides,and it will be important to preserve our commitment to that, even as research intensity increases. Itwill be important to seek out new synergies between teaching and research, perhaps in new initiatives,for example, that expand the intellectual engagement of undergraduates in research opportunitieswithin the curriculum. At both curricular as well as individual levels, support will be provided forfaculty and teaching assistants to improve and enhance their teaching effectiveness, and teaching excellence will continue to be honoured at all levels within the institution. Ryerson will supportnew and innovative teaching strategies, experiments, and initiatives, including growth in the useof instructional technology.InvestmentRyerson will invest in the learning and teaching environment of a twenty-first century university; support pedagogical innovation; preserve its studio and lab cultures; and strengthen its experiential learning model._6e8d25c0-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 14The Learning and Teaching Environment -- It is difficult to separate the learning and teaching environment from any other part of this Plan,as learning and teaching are intrinsic to everything else.The learning environments in modern universities have been in a period of slow evolution since the1960s, when many of an earlier generation’s assumptions about what should be studied, and how,were reconfigured (or, less often, set aside). Arguably, however, the technological revolution of ourday will do more to reshape the nature, the rhythms, and the daily habits of students and faculty thanany other changes in a very long time. Where for example will social networking sites, podcasting,and other digital media take us? How will the requirements of greater transferability, greater flexibility,and the pressures of time affect what happens in classrooms, what happens in a virtual environment,and so forth?Impossible to answer, especially with firm conviction, but important to contemplate. And it is importantto have in place some means for helping us all keep up with the technological and other kinds ofchange, and for inspiring new ways of constructing curricula, or new ways of using classroom time,using virtual environments, whatever the changes may be.The Learning and Teaching Office has a mandate that includes stimulating change on the Ryersoncampus through a variety of means. In response to the theme of decentralization the LT O has adjustedits model of support, so that some services continue to be offered centrally, while others have migratedto individual faculties. It will be important over the next five years to have the LT O’s model continueto evolve, and to explore the state of resources across campus devoted to stimulating the learning andteaching environment.Key areas to be explored will be the provision of support for teaching assistants; support for individualfaculty members working on pedagogy projects or improvements; and departments, schools, andfaculties who are working to revise or reframe courses and programs; learning technology; learningspaces; and student engagement.Faculty TeamsAll faculties will be encouraged to create a faculty team in partnership with othersto support teaching, learning, and student success and retention._6e8d2818-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 15Ryerson University FacultyOne model that has been very successful in recent times in providing supports to students, as well as tothe faculty who teach and advise them, is the faculty team approach. A team may, for example, consistof a Faculty Associate from the Learning and Teaching Office, a Librarian, a Counselor, a LearningStrategist, a Student Life Facilitator, and a Learning Technology Liaison. Each of these team membersis part of a central university group where they work with colleagues in the same areas to developstrategies that promote effective teaching and learning. Each member then brings this expertise tothe team at the faculty level, working to institute and support initiatives particular to the faculty and students in that faculty’s programs. There is the possibility that other types of supports, including,for example, enhanced student advising, could be incorporated in this model.SRC IntensityVigorously support the efforts of individual faculty members and larger research groups within Ryerson, as well as the efforts of Ryerson faculty membersthat involve collaborative research at other institutions._6e8d2a5c-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e0704Scholarly, Research and Creative activity -- the construction and transmission of new knowledge -- isessential to any university. The University will vigorously support the efforts of individual facultymembers and larger research groups within Ryerson, as well as the efforts of Ryerson faculty membersthat involve collaborative research at other institutions.Through a strategic exercise carried out by the VPRI in conjunction with this Academic Plan, sevenareas of research activity have been identified as carrying special opportunities. These are:Digital Media, Communication, 1. and Information Technology2. Energy, Sustainability, and the Environment3. Health and Well Being4. Cultural Prosperity5. Technological Innovation6. Management, Competitiveness, and Entrepreneurship7. Learning and Teaching EffectivenessRyerson will continue to encourage and support innovation in SRC, particularly in areas that havedirect applications in industry, infrastructure, and systems, and that contribute to the prosperity,culture, and health of society.The University is committed to promoting SRC as a key part of student engagement at the graduateand undergraduate levels and as a key element in the retention of highly qualified faculty members.SCHOLARLY, RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITYScholarly, research and creative (SRC) activity is central to the mission of the University. Thesepursuits provide opportunities to create and transmit new knowledge, a process that is central tothe health of the academy, the prosperity of the society we serve, and the future of our graduates.The University will need to focus its resources in areas of strategic importance as well as in areasof emerging importance. These areas have been identified in an SRC Strategic Planning processinvolving representatives from each of the faculties, The G. Raymond Chang School of ContinuingEducation, the Provost, and the VPRI. The areas that have been determined to be of strategic oremerging importance are outlined as follows in no particular order.As a recognized leader in digital arts, engineering, design and media content creation, RyersonUniversity is involved in a variety of scholarly, research and creative activities in the area of DigitalMedia, Communication, and Information Technology. This engages the digital arts, science, andtechnology in a dialogue that fosters a vital exchange of ideas, enables imaginative forms of humancommunication, and informs new and exciting media in business and education. The area Energy,Sustainability, and the Environment focuses on Ryerson’s ability to balance the complex interactionsbetween the need for development, its effect on the environment, and the means for achievingecological stability and sustainability. This includes activities leading to production of renewableenergy or controlling the harmful effects of conventional energy production, water, natural resources,climate, materials, manufacturing, and public policy. The World Health Organization (WHO) definesHealth and Well Being as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” This strategicarea can be characterized by the interplay of the experimental sciences, engineering, the affiliatedhealth sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and the knowledge and methods each brings toaddress issues of health, stress, and well being. Ryerson is engaged in many diverse activities in therealm of health and well being of various communities, especially in an urban context.Cultural Prosperity represents the contribution of the social sciences, humanities, all media, andfine arts to the economy and society. Across its faculties, Ryerson is uniquely positioned to leverageand stimulate creative expression, innovation, and vision, drawing on its diverse urban, academic,and multicultural surroundings. Technological Innovation exemplifies the contributions made toCanada’s economy and society from disciplines in engineering and the physical and life sciences.Ryerson has traditionally had a strong foundation of researchers contributing to technologicalinnovation and intends to build on existing strengths in such areas as aerospace and robotics, powerelectronics, medical physics and biomedical engineering, advanced materials, and safety engineering.Ryerson supports a focus on activities in Management, Competitiveness, and Entrepreneurship,the study of planning, organizing, resourcing, leading or controlling an organization, starting neworganizations or revitalizing mature organizations while best managing performance. As a leaderfor career-focused and applied university education, Ryerson engages in a wide range of activities to improve Learning and Teaching Effectiveness in education, training and development. Researchin this emerging area ensures that there is development towards a meaningful and practical body ofknowledge about student learning and teaching effectiveness in higher education.Joint initiatives will be undertaken with University Advancement to seek endowments for researchchairs in areas of strategic importance. New research opportunities will be explored through nationalgranting councils, research foundations, external research institutes, other institutions, as well asbusiness, industry, governments (federal, provincial, and other), and external communities. Centresthat enable strategic alliances between the University and other sectors, including both the extendedpublic sector and private enterprise, and that build upon and reflect the existing and potentialeducational and SRC strengths and priority areas within a faculty or the University, are a key part ofRyerson’s SRC agenda. An interdisciplinary Centre devoted to digital media, communication, andinformation technology is being considered.A framework will be developed at both the central and the local level that will help Ryerson to fulfillits SRC objectives, and promote an environment that ensures collaboration among Ryerson’s faculties,schools and the library—among scholars in various fields—in research and creative, scholarly, andprofessional activities. The SRC Enhancement Program also includes internal programs to encourageinterdisciplinary collaboration within Ryerson, inter-institutional collaboration (e.g. betweenuniversities,or universities and industry), and international initiatives. The building of a new StudentLearning Centre will provide a unique opportunity to strengthen the library as both a researchinstitution of its own and a key part of the SRC life of the University.The Vice President, Research and Innovation will work with the Provost and the Vice President,Administration and Finance and the Deans, Associate Deans, Chairs and academic members toattract resources and provide adequate infrastructure for scholarly, research and creative activities,and explore the establishment of partnerships with other institutions for possible access to specializedfacilities in order to grow our SRC funding, output, and impact. The stated goal has been to doubleexternally funded research to $25 million by 2011.Ryerson also recognizes that not all SRC is tied to external research funding, and that other typesof scholarship and creative activity are also recognized and valued. Mechanisms for this recognitionwill be established and will continue to evolve on criteria of quantity and quality. This includes thegrowing trend to recognize the scholarship of teaching and learning.As the quantity of SRC grows, so must the infrastructure to support that growth. Faculty must besupported both in their submission and administration of grants. The Office of the Vice President,Research and Innovation has recently undergone a review to determine how it can better servethe needs of faculty.Stimulus and SupportThe University will continue to provide stimulus and support to increase boththe quality and quantity of SRC activity._6e8d2cfa-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 7Office of the VPRIThe Office of the VPRI will facilitate the promotion of knowledge transfer, commercializationof research, and the management of intellectual property issues for maximum impact within thereceptor community, to advance both economic and social goals. This includes optimization ofRyerson’s relationships with the teaching hospital network and associated health related institutes.Knowledge TransferThe transfer of knowledge to the community, industry, and the marketplacewill be fostered._6e8d2fe8-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 8The Community Industry The MarketplacePartnerships and collaborations will be established to support, encourage, and promote the developmentand strengthening of strategic research clusters and internationalization. The Office of theVPRI will collaborate with faculties, departments, schools, and other service departments to establishstrategic partnerships with targeted institutions and identify opportunities to support a range ofinternational initiatives for faculty and students aimed at the increased internationalization of theinstitution; to ensure that the Ryerson name gains an increased international recognition.Partnerships and CollaborationsThe University will increasingly pursue partnerships and collaborations that support the overall SRC plan._6e8d3290-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 9Increasingly, universities are coming to see the value of immersing undergraduates in a researchenvironment from their first weeks on campus. While Ryerson students even in first year have historicallybeen engaged in studying the research of others, their own engagement in the research agendasof faculty and graduate students has sometimes been delayed until later in their programs, often infourth year. It is important to recognize that undergraduate education should also include an SRCcomponent tied to the SRC enterprise of the University. Undergraduate students, in all years, butparticularly in their upper years, benefit enormously from this connection, which fits with Ryerson’sexperiential learning mission. And Ryerson’s SRC endeavour benefits greatly from their participation.SRC OpportunitiesUndergraduate as well as graduate students will be provided with SRCactivity opportunities._6e8d354c-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 10Ryerson University Undergraduate StudentsRyerson University Graduate StudentsReputationMake investments in promoting and communicating the successes of the University’s academic programs; its faculty, students, and alumni; its innovations and initiatives; and its impact on society._6e8d3858-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e0705It will be critical to pay attention to the University’s reputation as the Plan unfolds, and to makeinvestments in promoting and communicating the successes of the University’s academic programs;its faculty, students, and alumni; its innovations and initiatives; and its impact on society from a widevariety of perspectives. Ryerson’s reputation has sharply increased over time, and it will be importantto sustain that momentum.Academic StructureA report on the academic structure of the University will be developed by the Provost through a consultative process._6e8d3b3c-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 16Ryerson University ProvostACADEMIC STRUCTURES AND ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICESFaculty, School, and Department Organization -- This may be a good time to look at revising Ryerson’s academic structures. Through the consultationprocess leading to this Plan, the topic of reorganizing some quarters of the University arose repeatedly.The establishment of new faculties and the possible reorganization of existing schools and departmentsto support program growth and development are possible to contemplate. Ideally, any reorganizationwould build new synergies, perhaps in support of trans-disciplinary collaboration or other majorpriorities. Examples that emerged in the consultations were a Faculty of Science and a Faculty of Law,both of which have a certain logic.Naturally, creating a new faculty is a substantial undertaking, one that requires full consultation withrespective groups, and requires the consent of Senate and the approval of the Board of Governors. Anynew faculty to be established would need to have sufficient critical mass to ensure its academic andfiscal viability. Any realignment of existing departments and schools would need to be clearly strategic,and again the resource requirements would be taken into consideration. The phrase “the good of theuniversity” comes to mind.Academic FundingThe Provost, with the Vice Provost, University Planning and the Deans, will review Ryerson’s academic funding models._6e8d3e16-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 17Ryerson University Provost Ryerson University Vice ProvostRyerson University PlanningRyerson University DeansFunding models -- Ryerson is committed to fair and transparent strategic resource allocations to support high qualityacademic programs, and to being a good steward of its extensive facilities and infrastructure to thebest of its financial capacity to do so. Funding models must reflect these basic principles and ensureappropriate accountability for the use of scarce resources.Ryerson’s current funding models for academic programs were established to support Ryerson’scurriculum structure, and have served it well. As schools and departments seek to develop courseofferings for students outside their programs or to work with other schools and departments,particularly outside of their own faculties on initiatives such as inter¬discip¬linary collaborations,changes to the funding models will be considered. Ryerson’s curriculum structure also assumes a veryefficient scheduling of classes, with little flexibility in student timetables. As program models evolve,and more student choice is proposed, there will be more need for course offerings outside of thenormal semesters and times. Evolution of the curriculum model will require that the ways in whichundergraduate and graduate programs are funded be reevaluated.Faculty Recruitment and RetentionRyerson will compete vigorously to attract and retain highly qualified faculty._6e8d4154-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 18FACULTY AND STA FFFaculty -- Highly qualified faculty are essential to the University.A faculty member’s knowledge base, research and teaching skills, professional judgment and experience,research agenda, intellectual curiosity, passion for teaching, collegial network, industry contacts,vision of the future, ethical practices, publications, creative works, service to the university and thediscipline and profession—these are all vital elements that make up the faculty of the University.Shaping Our Future envisions the continued expansion of the Ryerson faculty, a successful conclusionto the local norms process, and new initiatives designed to strengthen the university’s recruiting andretention of highly qualified professors. Instituting local norms will be critical to both recruiting andretaining colleagues. In addition, the Plan envisions working in tandem with University Advancementin the next development campaign to expand significantly the number of endowed chairs, in researchand in teaching, across the campus. As expressed elsewhere, this Plan also anticipates initiatives tostrengthen services to faculty with respect to research services and staff support.Teaching PracticesOpportunities will be enhanced for faculty, instructors, and teaching and graduateassistants to strengthen their teaching practices._6e8d4456-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 19Ryerson University FacultyRyerson University Instructors Ryerson University Teaching AssistantsRyerson University Graduate AssistantsRyerson is a place where teaching matters, and prides itself on fostering teaching excellence. A widerange of awards is given to recognize exemplary teaching, and Ryerson faculty continue to winexternal awards as well.All who are engaged in the teaching process—full and part-time faculty and instructors, new andexperienced faculty and instructors, and the growing body of TAs and GAs—have a contributionto make to the quality of the educational experience of students, and as such have a professionalresponsibility to continue to reflect on and improve teaching and learning practices. Thus, it isessential to offer all those who teach the opportunity to learn and improve their teaching.Staff ExpansionThe University will work to expand the staff complement where possible,recognizing the vital impact of staff support on the educational mission._6e8d4762-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 20Staff -- While Ryerson has managed, even in its period of rapid expansion, to maintain roughly the same staffto faculty and staff to student ratios, it is recognized that more could be done to ensure that theseratios -- and the people and work they represent -- are more in line with sector norms. Consultationswith the community indicated a desire for additional staff support both within the academic areas,where staff support has already received the greater percentage of recent growth, and in the staffsupport areas of the University.Professional and Career DevelopmentAdditional professional and career development opportunities will be designedor supported for staff._6e8d4b04-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 21Ryerson University StaffRyerson’s staff is critically important to every aspect of the University. The staff who routinely interactwith students across the campus play a large part in their success and retention, and the interactionsbetween staff and students, from the span of an initial admissions visit to convocation, play a largepart in students’ perception of their Ryerson education.Members of staff play formal and informal roles in a student’s education, from work within laboratories,to the provision of business services, to the care of the classrooms and grounds, to food service, toCCS efforts to install the latest teaching technology.It is recognized that part of the University’s commitment to life-long learning is expressed in thenumerous formal and informal opportunities that are offered to staff to support their own growthand professional development.Development ActivitiesDevelopment activities will be undertaken to support proposals both at the university and faculty levels, consistent with the priorities of the Academic Plan._6e8d4e38-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 22UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENTUniversity Advancement (UA) will play a key role in making the Academic Plan a success.As UA launches its next campaign, following the successful conclusion of the “Invest in Futures”campaign, it is committed to the following principles:T he University’s academic plan informs the • campaign priority setting process.This will ensure that the institution builds on areas of core strength, and focuseson key objectives.* Development priorities align with the vision and academic plan of the University,faculty, department, school, or unit. This will provide a solid rationale for why itis important, and provides UA with the tools to successfully present the fundingpriorities.* A thoughtful and timely consultation process must be developed to allow thefaculties, departments, schools, and units to have opportunities to make theirresource needs and priorities known. This will also enhance and build the partnershipbetween faculty members and UA in reaching out to the community for support.The Provost and the Vice President, University Advancement will lead a process to assess the viabilityof prospective initiatives and projects, from the development perspective, as they emerge from variousacademic units in response to Shaping Our Future.Alumni EngagementUniversity Advancement will take the lead in creating new university-level opportunities and pathways for alumni to become even more engaged in the life of the University, and will collaborate with faculties as appropriate._6e8d5180-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 23Ryerson Alumni AssociationRyerson University AlumniAlumni are one of Ryerson’s greatest resources, and many have returned to Ryerson to contribute in avariety of meaningful ways. They serve on advisory councils, the Board of Governors and the Senate;they are active in University Advancement initiatives, contributing both their time and financialresources, and they play an active role in the programs from which they graduated. They are alsosignificant ambassadors for the University in many different ways.The University takes pride in the achievements of its graduates and respects the passionate engagementof many such graduates, particularly at the level of their individual academic programs. In this respectsome who have earned bachelor’s degrees at Ryerson express a link back to their program but less soto the University itself, which is unlike the pattern at most other universities, perhaps because Ryersonstudents so strongly identify as a student in a particular program.Yet there are many additional ways alumni can help build Ryerson’s quality and reputation, andtoward that end, a Ryerson Alumni Association has been established. It is hoped that the Associationwill play a vital role in helping Ryerson renew its bonds with its graduates, so that alumni becomeeven more engaged, and in new ways that expand their engagement with current students andUniversity initiatives.Partnerships and CollaborationsRyerson will foster local, national, and international partnerships and collaborations with organizations that share the University’s goals and enhance its mission._6e8d5572-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 24PARTNERS HIPS AND COLLA BORAT IONSRyerson’s mission commits it to engagement with the world that surrounds it—locally, nationally,internationally. Partnerships have a key role to play in building a strong Ryerson reputation, utilizingand showcasing the University’s strengths and the expertise and knowledge of its faculty, staff,and students.The provision of experiential learning opportunities is a Ryerson hallmark, and one of the areasof greatest partnership strength at present.As post-secondary education itself becomes more global, and as government funding models inOntario and Canada continue to encourage institutions to make meaningful partnerships in areasof research in particular, partnerships will become substantially more consequential to the successof institutions than ever before.Ryerson enjoys many important partnerships now, and it will be a priority over the next five yearsto boost the significant opportunities that partnership brings. The Provost and VPRI will help tofacilitate institutional partnerships that touch both academic programs and the University’s researchpriorities, such as the exploratory partnership with St Michael’s Hospital that has begun.Partnerships can leverage the University’s resources and expand the impact of members of ouracademic community, and will become a higher priority as the University seeks to compete withother comprehensive universities.Communication and CelebrationRyerson will ensure that it communicates effectively to its many internal constituentsand external stakeholders the value and quality of its academic programs, its research, and itscommunity. Ryerson will publicly celebrate major achievements, successful initiatives, and othersignal accomplishments to add to the University’s reputation._6e8d58ec-8b64-11e1-afba-503d71d0e070Strategy 25REPUTATIONRyerson’s reputation has steadily developed in concert with the evolution that has led us to be acomprehensive university. The number of students who now apply to Ryerson as their first choice hasincreased more than at any other university in the province, and entering averages continue to rise;the number of high quality faculty with doctoral or terminal degrees in their field who join Ryersoncontinues to rise steadily; SRC funding and output continue to grow; the number of high qualityundergraduate and graduate programs has increased.All of this is an indication of Ryerson’s reputation as an academic institution. Ryerson’s Master Planwill carry it into the future and support its role as a City Builder. Alumni and their contributions tosociety, as well as effective marketing and communication, will keep the University in the public eyeand enhance the success of its fundraising efforts. Ryerson’s reputation will allow it to build on whatit already has with a view to what it will become in the future.2008-07-302012-04-20http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/academicplan.pdfOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net