Tuesday, March 15 8:30-9:45
David Farrar, Provost and VP Academic
Brian Sullivan, VP Students
Deborah Robinson, Enrolment Strategy
2011 NASPA Annual Conference s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania s March 12–16, 2011

The link with strategic planning:
The challenge of helping students find their own sense of purpose is that much easier in an environment that evinces a consistent set of values and beliefs relating to the real world.

Established in 1908
Four year public, research-intensive, medical/doctoral
Two campuses: Vancouver and Kelowna
Unique model: one Board, one President, two Senates, one Degree
Separate budgets
System-level units (e.g. Enrolment Services) and campus-specific units (e.g. most Faculties)
Total student population of 54,675 HC; 47,347 FTE
7,653 international students (graduate and undergraduate)
Among the top 40 research-intensive universities worldwide

Student population of 47,582 HC; 40,349 FTE
37,944 undergraduates; 9,638 graduates
4,488 international undergraduate students
30% live on campus
Deep applicant pool; fully enrolled

Established in 2005 by the BC Government
Evolved from Okanagan University College
Small (max. 7,500 FTE) research-intensive university
Student population 7,093 HC; 6,269 FTE
6,552 undergraduates; 541 graduates
414 international undergraduate students
25% living on campus
Enrolment more than doubled since 2005

TREK 2000 (1998)
“. . .to be the best university in Canada . . . to provide students with an outstanding and distinctive education. . . .”
TREK 2010 (2004)
“The University of British Columbia, aspiring to be one of the world’s best universities, will prepare students to become exceptional global citizens, promote the values of a civil and sustainable society, and conduct outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.”

A New Strategic Plan: Redefining UBC’s Purpose
2006: Installation of new president Professor Stephen
Toope, a distinguished legal scholar, focus on human rights
2007: “Given the global scale of the growing social and environmental crises, universities have an obligation to engage with some of the most challenging issues of our time, and to do so in a spirit of participation and partnership with their external communities.”
Stephen Toope, Submission to UN Secretary-General’s Global Colloquium of University
Presidents, New York University, Nov 28-29, 2007

April 2008: Launch of the planning process for a new strategic plan to build on TREK 2010
By October 2008, more than 1400 participants had completed a community-wide survey, resulting in a vision, values and commitments; consultation continued and working groups developed commitment-specific plans
By July 2009, more than 19,000 unique visitors from 99 different countries had visited the strategic planning website
December 2009, Board of Governors presents new strategic plan, Place and Promise, to the community

As one of the world’s leading universities, The
University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British
Columbia, Canada and the world.

• Academic Freedom
The University is independent and cherishes and defends free inquiry and scholarly responsibility.
• Advancing and Sharing Knowledge
The University supports scholarly pursuits that contribute to knowledge and understanding within and across disciplines, and seeks every opportunity to share them broadly.
• Excellence
The University, through its students, faculty, staff, and alumni, strives for excellence and educates students to the highest standards.
• Integrity
The University acts with integrity, fulfilling promises and ensuring open, respectful relationships.
• Mutual Respect and Equity
The University values and respects all members of its communities, each of whom individually and collaboratively makes a contribution to create, strengthen, and enrich our learning environment.
• Public Interest
The University embodies the highest standards of service and stewardship of resources and works within the wider community to enhance societal good.

C R E A T I N G A N E X C E P T I O N A L L E A R N I N G E N V I R O N M E N T
STUDENT LEARNING
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Aboriginal Engagement
Alumni Engagement
Intercultural Understanding
International Engagement
Outstanding Work Environment
Sustainability
… towards global citizenship and a civil and sustainable society …

• A new budgeting framework that allocates resources based on strategic goals, including enrolment
• Collaborative senior leadership: problem-solving oriented, forward-thinking, fast-moving, open to debate and dialogue
• New organizational structures that foster collaborative leadership and decision-making (e.g. Strategic Enrolment
Management Planning Council; University Sustainability
Initiative; Aboriginal Strategic Plan Steering Committee)

• The Campus as Living Laboratory
• Building the Class
• Transforming Student Learning
• Changing How We Work with Students

• Concept embraces all 3 dimensions of sustainability: social, economic and environmental
• Combines campus operation and administration with education, research and outreach (USI: University
Sustainability Initiative)
• Involves students and faculty developing and applying sustainability research and teaching in collaboration with university staff and/or community partners
• Directly impacts achievement of campus GHG and related targets
• Budgetary sustainability achieved for the near term

• Clarifying the University’s expectations of students
• Identifying students who will benefit from and contribute to UBC
• Intentional discussions about the size and composition of the new student body and optimum institutional capacity
• New award programs to reinforce institutional values
• A new holistic approach to admission

Strategic Enrolment Matrix
Undergraduate Enrolment
Vancouver Okanagan
Manage enrolment down to provincially funded level (currently approx. 1000 FTE over government funded level)
Maintain growth rate of 5%. Continue to progress toward Ministry target (6750 undergraduate FTE and 750 graduate FTE)
National Enrolment
International Undergraduate
Enrolment (ISI)
Transfer Enrolment
Graduate Enrolment
Grow to 20% of new first year intake annually
Undergraduate Enrolment
Grow to 30% of new first year intake annually
Increase international students to 15% of total undergraduate population
Encourage maximum growth; goal is 15% of total undergraduate population. Currently at 6%
Gradually reduce intake; focus on partnership agreements
Continue to encourage transfer student enrolment
Funding dependent; goal is to grow graduate student numbers to 25% of total population
Continue to grow graduate enrolment to
750 FTE or 10% of total population.

• Rethinking curricula
• Committed to enhancing the quality and impact of teaching and pedagogy
• Every student guaranteed at least two enriched “high impact” educational experiences
• More innovative summer programming
• Rapid expansion of student housing, renovation of classrooms, new informal learning spaces
• Aligning University rewards and recognition with student learning
(e.g. new “teaching professors”)
• Reworking student systems technology to support longitudinal learning plans, retention efforts and transition after graduation

• Preferencing and supporting student-driven initiatives
• Collaborative approach to advising based on a shared belief that all student advising is in support of student learning; includes: health and well-being, counseling, academic advising, financial advising, career services, study abroad, community service learning, etc.
• Service partnerships with Faculties
• Learning Plans for each student: individualized and accessible

• Focus on concrete commitments as well as aspirations
• The importance of “enabling infrastructure”
• Recognize that strategic planning is a process not a document
• Quantify and measure progress; dashboard metrics matter
• Report back regularly and be willing to rethink strategies in response to changing environments
• Senior administrators need to model collaborative leadership
• Create opportunities for diverse groups (faculty, staff, students and alumni) to do meaningful work together

Moving towards more purposeful institutions
1. What are your strategic plan motivators?
Hindrances?
2. What are the governance challenges?
3. Is there a big win you can personally help achieve?
4. Name one or two things you can do to heighten purposeful “strategic doing” at your institution.

A. Strategic Enrolment Management (Building the Class)
B. Economic Sustainability (Taking Care of Business)
C. Transformative Student Learning (Delivering on our Promises)
D. Service Partnership Models (Getting by (in) with a Little Help from My Friends)
E. Surveys and Dashboards (Can’t Get No Satisfaction)
F. Communication with Students (Hello Operator)
G. Talent Development (Should I Stay or Should I Go?)
H. Technology Platforms (Sharing Knowledge)
From Brian Sullivan, “Professional Ownership to Intentional Co-production: New
Competency Demands,” excerpted from Exceptional Senor Student Affairs
Administrators’ Leadership: Strategies and Competencies for Success