Aboriginal Strategy – University of Alberta
November 24, 2011
Forward
For millennia, Indigenous peoples, including the ancestors of the Blackfoot, Nakoda, Saulteaux, Cree and
Metis, have used the lands along the North Saskatchewan River as a space for resting, meeting and
trading. A generation following the signing of Treaty #6 in 1876, the University of Alberta made its
home on this territory. The University’s other campuses also sit on lands traditionally inhabited by
Indigenous peoples.
Today, the University is uniquely poised to fulfill the promise of its first president, Henry Marshall Tory,
to create a post-secondary institution whose paramount goal is “the uplifting of the whole people.” To
realize this dream, we must create campus communities where Alberta’s Aboriginal histories resonate in
every corner, where barriers Aboriginal students face in pursuing their education are eliminated, and
where Aboriginal thought and knowledge inform the finest scholarly works.
Canada has come to a place in its history where it acknowledges the discrimination against and the
dispossession of Aboriginal peoples. With this document, the University of Alberta aspires to build
awareness of the impact of this troubled history and to help create a more equitable and just future for
all people.
Many Indigenous people understand time as seeing with the seventh generation eye: leaders must
make decisions with an understanding of their impact on the future as far as seven generations ahead.
With this in mind, we plan for sustainability and for future generations of students, faculty and staff.
Our focus in the next five years will include increasing Aboriginal student enrolment, retention and
graduation success. To do this we will employ the four foundational pillars of our academic plan:
Talented People; Learning, Discovery and Citizenship; Connecting Communities; and Transformative
Organization and Support.
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Our Aspirations
The University aspires to be a place where Aboriginal people experience success.
Our goal is to attract Aboriginal students, faculty and staff to our campuses and ensure they find
inclusive, supportive environments that foster growth and achievement.
To be a university of choice for Aboriginal learners in Canada we need to be ambitious in our
recruitment and reception of students, reducing barriers to entry as well as barriers to success. We
must be equally ambitious in cultivating inclusive learning and social environments on campus where
Aboriginal students feel safe and secure.
Role models are essential to creating a positive educational experience and the University aspires to
attract greater numbers of leading academics, researchers and staff from Aboriginal communities.
To achieve these goals, the University must continue to build and deepen its relationships with diverse
Aboriginal communities in Canada and abroad; learning from and with each other; celebrating shared
history and achievements; and working together to break down barriers.
For individual learners, success on our campuses will be defined in many ways. For the University,
success will mean greater numbers of successful Aboriginal students each year supported by greater
numbers of Aboriginal faculty and staff.
Talented People
To make the University of Alberta a vibrant centre of learning for and about Aboriginal peoples, we will:

Construct a gathering place and other University spaces that are welcoming for Aboriginal
peoples including students, faculty and staff;
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
Work across faculties and with other post-secondary institutions to present post-secondary
education options to aspiring students throughout their education, including supporting the
expansion of the Senate’s U school and supporting the expansion of the Aboriginal recruitment
team to encourage Aboriginal students to study at the University of Alberta;

Work with all units of the University to encourage their leadership teams to develop plans
creating welcoming environments within their units that acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal
history and share contemporary practices and accomplishments of Aboriginal peoples;

Continue to sustain and grow the Aboriginal Student Services Centre to ensure that the Centre is
able to support the retention and success of both graduate and undergraduate Aboriginal
students; and

Establish internships and a distinguished visiting Aboriginal scholars program to bring Aboriginal
researchers to the University.
Learning, Discovery and Citizenship
Universities are distinctive forums. They play a role in the education of tomorrow’s leaders, the
exploration of ideas and the dissemination and transmission of knowledge.
The University of Alberta is firm in its resolve that it will be a forum where important questions are
asked, where the central issues in the relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians
are explored, and where everyone feels able to participate. Every classroom at the University will be
welcoming, inclusive and scholarly.
The University will share its conversations with the world by supporting our Aboriginal researchers; by
raising the profile of Aboriginal perspectives, cultures and histories in the academy; and by providing
students with an education that is internationally recognized for its quality and accessibility.
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To accomplish this, the University will:

Encourage research that:
o
Addresses ‘big questions’ related to relationships between Aboriginal and nonAboriginal Canadians;
o
Works with Aboriginal communities in order to learn about the ways in which Aboriginal
perspectives might inform research paradigms and to contribute to the ongoing public
conversations about the relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
Canadians; and
o
Responds to the priorities of Aboriginal peoples and works with partners to
appropriately disseminate findings;

Act as a host for conferences and events that raise the profile of contemporary and
traditional Aboriginal peoples, their cultures and perspectives throughout the province and
around the world;

Support curriculum development and content integration of Aboriginal perspectives and
cultures across the academy; and

Communicate opportunities for all students to explore cultures, histories and issues
associated with Aboriginal peoples of Canada.
Connecting Communities
The University of Alberta and individuals on campus enjoy deep-rooted relationships with Aboriginal
peoples of Alberta and Northern Canada and are building new ones with Indigenous peoples abroad. To
honor these relationships, the University will listen and be responsive to the educational and research
priorities of Aboriginal peoples, and work with them to establish educational and research partnerships.
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The University is situated in a region that includes many Aboriginal communities. As a public institution,
the University is uniquely situated to work with these communities to break down barriers to access,
facilitate transitions and maintain open dialogues through research and collaborative projects. Our
vision is to nourish existing partnerships and create new collaborations. We will work to:

Recognize in policy and practice that the University is located in a territory with long-established
and diverse Aboriginal societies;

Raise awareness throughout the University about key traditions, treaties and lands; and

Work with Aboriginal peoples to establish educational and research partnerships.
Transformative Organization and Support
The University of Alberta will work to create a welcoming and inclusive community where doors are
always open for Aboriginal undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and visitors. Centres of
support should be clearly organized and broadcasted, especially to those who may find the institution
overwhelming or difficult to navigate.
The University will strive to be an outstanding employer of Aboriginal people and a place where all
members of the community are proud of their heritage and celebrate their full potential. In this way, we
will seek to create a sense of place for Aboriginal People.
We will work to:

Examine practices and policies to ensure that recruitment and retention policies support the
development and success of Aboriginal faculty, staff and students;

Support all new members of our campus communities in their transition to the University;
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
Promote a culture of mentorship and provide opportunities that connect Aboriginal faculty,
staff and students with interested and relevant mentors;

Ensure sufficient scholarship and financial supports are available and accessible to
Aboriginal students;

Work with appropriate groups to create accessible child care and family housing spaces;

Support the development of student counseling services and investigate the need for
additional Aboriginal counselors;

Develop research and employment opportunities for Aboriginal graduate and
undergraduate students;

Create professional development opportunities for all members of the University
community to learn about Aboriginal peoples, cultures and perspectives;

Support and encourage all units of the University to invest in programs and projects that
support the aspirations of this document; and

Develop evaluation tools to allow the University to measure our progress in achieving the
goals outlined in this document.
Conclusion
This strategy, pursued in consultation with the many communities the University of Alberta serves, will
position the University as a learning institution of choice for future generations of Aboriginal students,
faculty and staff.
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