2014-17 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Lakehead University

Ontario’s Vision for Postsecondary Education

Ontario’s colleges and universities will drive creativity, innovation, knowledge, and community engagement through teaching and research. They will put students first by providing the best possible learning experience for all qualified learners in an affordable and financially sustainable way, ensuring high quality and globally competitive outcomes for students and Ontario’s creative economy.

Lakehead University’s Vision/Mandate

Vision

To provide a transformative university experience that is far from ordinary.

Mission

To be recognized as an innovative comprehensive university that provides an education that is about how to think, not what to think.

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (the Ministry) and Lakehead University outlines the role the University currently performs in the postsecondary education system and how it will build on its current strengths to achieve its vision and help drive system-wide objectives articulated by the Ministry’s Differentiation Policy Framework.

The Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA):

• Identifies the University’s existing institutional strengths;
• Supports the current vision, mission, and mandate of the University within the context of the University’s governing legislation and outlines how the University’s priorities align with Ontario’s vision and Differentiation Policy Framework; and
• Informs Ministry decision making through greater alignment of Ministry policies and processes to further support and guide the University’s areas of strength.

The term of the SMA is from April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2017. The SMA proposal submitted by the University to the Ministry has been used to inform the SMA and is appended to the agreement.

The Ministry acknowledges the University’s autonomy with respect to its academic and internal resource allocation decisions, and the University acknowledges the role of the Ministry as the Province’s steward of Ontario’s postsecondary education system.

The agreement may be amended in the event of substantive policy or program changes that would significantly affect commitments made in the SMA. Any such amendment would be mutually agreed to, dated, and signed by both signatories.

Lakehead University’s Key Areas of Differentiation

Lakehead has a significant impact on the economic, social, and cultural life of Thunder Bay, Orillia, and their surrounding communities. Lakehead places an emphasis on accessibility; on a commitment to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (Aboriginal) learners; and on the delivery of a comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs. Lakehead focuses on increasing access to a university education by providing supports and services for underrepresented students, working with colleges to develop and enhance transfer pathways, and emphasizing technology-enabled learning at the institution. Lakehead’s continued growth in research intensity and its training of highly qualified people are vital to the creation and translation of new knowledge and technologies and will help ensure that its regional economies are diversified and sustainable.

Alignment with the Differentiation Policy Framework

The following outlines areas of strength agreed upon by the University and the Ministry, and the alignment of these areas of strength with the Ministry’s Differentiation Policy Framework.

1. Jobs, Innovation, and Economic Development

   This component highlights institutions’ collaborative work with employers, community partners, and regions, or at a global level, to establish their role in fostering social and economic development, and serving the needs of the economy and labour market.

   1. Areas of Institutional Strength

      Lakehead supports economic and community development in the Thunder Bay and Orillia regions, especially through the work of its institutes, applied research, and collaborations with the community. More than half of Lakehead’s students are enrolled in professional programs with a high affinity to the labour market, a fact that is reflected in the University’s consistently high graduate employment rates.

      Institutes and Initiatives

      • Lakehead’s focus on initiatives that directly support regional economic and social development across a spectrum of activities and programming is illustrated by the following:
        • Lakehead is a founding partner in the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute and is working to advance research in molecular imaging and diagnostic technologies.
        • The Ring of Fire development is supported by a range of graduate programs that directly address the Ontario government’s objective “to strengthen the skills and knowledge base needed for exploration and resource development activities in the north and to support the sustainable development of the Ring of Fire region, and the participation of local First Nations communities in that development.”
        • The Lakehead Biorefining Research Institute (BRI) is helping to revitalize northern Ontario’s forest industry by working with the industry to find new value-added products, with a focus on the development of transformative technologies and products from forest biomass.
        • In the past year, the Lakehead University Centre for Analytical Services (LUCAS) provided 77 regional partners (representing northern communities, forestry, mining, agriculture, biotechnology, and chemical industries) with access to stateof-the art research equipment and analytical services through member research laboratories.
        • The Northern Policy Institute of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities complements the themes of the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.

      Applied Research

      • Lakehead’s close community ties have led to extensive opportunities for collaborative applied research and opportunities for experiential learning, many of which are funded through Tri-Agency research partnership awards. Industry and not-for-profit research funding have increased by 80% since 2009.

      Community Collaborations

      • Lakehead plays a core role in the development of the health sector. In addition to providing the land adjacent to the University for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, which opened in 2004, and as a partner with Laurentian University in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), which admitted its charter class in 2005, Lakehead University is a founding member of the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute. Our partnerships and programs open academic and programming opportunities to students and faculty and enable crossappointments with significant educational and research development potential.
      • Lakehead University carried out a series of sector-specific consultations in northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County during 2011-12, bringing together people from several different economic sectors, including the mining, environmental, waste management, forestry, manufacturing, health, and tourism sectors, and Aboriginal communities.

   2. Additional Comments

      System-wide metrics indicate that in 2012-13, Lakehead had the highest proportion of graduates employed full time in a related field (85% six months after graduation and 87% two years after graduation) as compared to the sector average (77% at six months and 82% at two years). This highlights Lakehead’s collaborative work with employers and community partners to establish the Institution’s role in fostering social and economic development, and serving the needs of the economy and labour market regionally and nationally.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metricsfootnote 1[1]
      Economic Impact Economic impact on the City of Thunder Bay and the City of Orillia Professional Programs Ratio of students enrolled in professional programs to students enrolled in Arts and Science programs (See Research section for additional metrics.)	Graduate employment rates Number of graduates employed full-time in a related job

2. Teaching and Learning

   This component will capture institutional strength in program delivery methods that expand learning options for students, and improve the learning experience and career preparedness. This may include, but is not limited to, experiential learning, online learning, entrepreneurial learning, work integrated learning, and international exchange opportunities.

   1. Areas of Institutional Strength

      Lakehead University is focused on developing a learner-centred and engaged student and faculty community. The University places an emphasis on the quality of teaching and the student experience. Initiatives and outcomes include:

      Experiential Learning

      • The new Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program in medical imaging, supported by a $1.6 million grant, is just one example of the type of professionally driven experiential opportunities available at Lakehead.
      • The program focuses on highly skilled “employer ready” training and involves undergraduate summer students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Students in every faculty are in the field “living and learning” – in situations ranging from Community Service Learning (CSL), co-op programs, and required field schools, to practicums and clinical experiences.
      • In 2010, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation recognized Lakehead University’s Food Security Research Network in their publication Getting Wisdom as one of the best examples of CSL initiatives taking place across Canada, and recognized it as a 2012 CSL Award Recipient.

      Technology-Enabled Learning

      • Lakehead University has a long history of providing learning opportunities through its Office of Continuing Education and Distributed Learning (CEDL) and the number of students, in particular non-traditional learners, who have taken advantage of courses offered online or offsite via video conferencing continues to grow.
      • At the program level, there are certificates and degrees, such as the Master of Public Health (MPH), available entirely through distance education. The MPH program meets the needs of public health professionals who want to continue practising their profession, while studying and has been highlighted in the Council of Ontario Universities report Beyond the Sage on the Stage: Innovative and Effective Teaching and Learning at Ontario Universities (2012). With the busy schedules of working professionals in mind, the program is practicum-based and offered both online and on campus to public health professionals across Canada.
      • Lakehead’s acquisition of a core multimedia educational infrastructure supports standards-based connectivity and will expand accessibility for learners, whether they are at telepresence immersive stations, life-size video conferencing sites, or regular videoconferencing rooms, or are using individual desktop or mobile systems. The accommodation of multiple devices and the “bring your own device” feature allow Lakehead to engage students over the Internet in live synchronous video communication on numerous platforms. The Telepresence Technology Initiative is designed to establish rural immersive sites and supports Lakehead University’s goal to improve accessibility and student mobility throughout northwestern Ontario. It also aligns directly with the Province of Ontario’s Northern Growth Plan (2011).

      Student Learning and Success

      • Student/faculty ratios are favourable, and student evaluations of teaching performance consistently indicate that instructors are highly regarded by their students.
      • The opening of the Student Success Centre has provided a highly visible central hub where all learners find a variety of academic support services. Skype has been implemented as a method for delivering math assistance and has complemented the delivery of online tutoring offered through the Lakehead University Mathematics Assistance Centre (LUMAC). The learning management platform has linked tools and resources to heighten the experience for end users.

   2. Additional Comments

      Institutional Strategies

      • The Student Success Centre and the One-Stop Shop (2013-18) – These facilities make comprehensive face-to-face and virtual academic support services available to students.
      • The Advanced Teaching, Technology, and Learning Centre (2013-18) – The Instructional Development Centre (IDC) is being expanded to include a nimble team of technology, pedagogy, and curriculum (including Aboriginal curriculum) specialists. The expansion is necessary in order to support innovative approaches to a wider range of pedagogical initiatives, and to help support and improve the delivery of technology-enabled learning both on the campus and in Lakehead’s virtual classrooms.
      • Trans-Institutional Collaboration on Knowledge, Education, and Training in Health (2013-17) – This initiative builds on the long-standing cooperation and collaboration between Lakehead University, Confederation College, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and St. Joseph’s Care Group.
   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Student/Faculty Ratio Ratio of FTE students to FTE faculty Class Sizes As per CUDO Student Evaluation of Teaching Results Percentage of students who Agree or Strongly Agree with the statements: “Overall, I would recommend this instructor” (Q22) and “Overall I would recommend this course” (Q23).	Student Satisfaction Survey results Graduation rates Retention rates Number of students enrolled in a co-op program at institution Number of online course registrants, programs, and courses at institution

3. Student Population

   This component recognizes the unique institutional missions that improve access, retention, and success for underrepresented groups (Aboriginal, first generation, students with disabilities) and francophones. This component also highlights other important student groups that institutions serve that link to their institutional strength. This may include, but is not limited to, international students, mature students, or indirect entrants.

   1. Areas of Institutional Strength

      Lakehead has a strong focus on ensuring access to postsecondary education for students within its region, especially first-generation postsecondary and Aboriginal students.

      • Lakehead indicates that eleven per cent of students self-identify as Aboriginal and 59% as first-generation postsecondary students.
      • Lakehead also indicates that mature learners age 25 and over make up 26% of Lakehead’s enrolment. Lakehead is the university of choice for students from northwestern Ontario, with 70% of all students from northwestern Ontario who go to university attending Lakehead.

      Supports for students include the following:

      • A team-driven approach has enhanced services to provide support for firstgeneration learners, including Aboriginal learners, studying on and off campus.
      • The Student Access and Gateway to Education (SAGE) program assists students with their transition into university-level studies. SAGE has enabled staff to be responsive to the changing needs and demands of learners by adopting emerging tools and technology to support them throughout their studies.
      • Lakehead University has a strategic objective to increase international academic enrolment and recruits students from key countries and regions, including China, India, Brazil, Europe, the Midule East, and South East Asia. The goal of internationalizing is to enrich the academic and social experience of our students and to further enhance it by exchanges and innovative partnerships that involve faculty, students, and staff.

   2. Additional Comments

      • System-wide metrics (2012-13) indicate that the proportion of Aboriginal students enrolled at Lakehead was 8.5% of the University’s total student population (provincial average, 1.98%).

      Institutional Strategies

      • The Aboriginal and Postsecondary Education and Training (APSET) Plan (2013-16) – The key priorities of Lakehead’s APSET Plan are: to enhance learning options, pathways, and transitions; to strengthen programs and services; to raise the Aboriginal profile; and to advance key partnerships.
      • The Student Access and Gateway to Education Program (SAGE) (2013-14) – Lakehead’s approved 2013-14 Business Plan outlines key deliverables and milestones to increase the retention and graduation rates for first-generation students, establish reliable baseline data on first-generation students, and report on the effectiveness of retention activities to help first-generation student success.
      • The Achievement Fund (2013-18) – Lakehead has established partnerships with local school boards to initiate the donor-funded Youth Achievement Fund – developed to systematically provide elementary students (starting in Grade 4) with connections to the University. Students will earn tuition credits by participating in the program. The Achievement Fund has 23 students enrolled currently with a target of more than 1,000 students by 2018.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Estimated number self-declared Aboriginal students (Lakehead methodology) Number/proportion of self-declared Aboriginal students enrolled in advanced degrees and professional programs Estimated number of self-declared first-generation students (Lakehead methodology) Proportion of students from northwestern Ontario attending university who attend Lakehead	Number and proportion of Aboriginal, first generation, students with disabilities, and francophone students at an institution Number and proportion of international students enrolled in Ontario (as reported in annual institutional enrolment reporting) Proportion of an institution’s enrolment that receives OSAP

4. Research and Graduate Education

   This component identifies the breadth and depth of institutional research activity (both basic and applied), and will identify institutional research strengths from niche to comprehensive research intensity.

   1. Areas of Institutional Strength

      Lakehead’s research, innovation, and quality of graduate training are nationally and internationally recognized and are important assets that contribute directly to regional social development and economic prosperity.

      • Lakehead University ranked as Ontario’s number one research university in the primarily undergraduate category (re$earch Infosource: Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities 2013) for performing well on a balanced set of metrics: sponsored research income, research outputs (publications), and research impact/quality (citations). Lakehead ranked second in Canada in the same year.
      • As of 2013, Lakehead University has 35 graduate programs, more than 35 postdoctoral fellows, 10 successful research centres, and 18 research chairs (12 Canada Research Chairs).

      Lakehead supports and invests in basic and applied research (including programs and infrastructure that address local and regional economic development opportunities) and undertakes research across a number of fields, with the following priority areas:

      • Advanced Systems and Technologies
      • Cultures, Societies, and Social Justice
      • The Environment and Natural Resources
      • First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (Aboriginal) Research
      • Health Research across the Life Span
      • Northern Studies

      Lakehead University’s research capacity is growing. Between 2002 and 2012, Lakehead’s research funding increased from $9.3 million to $24 million. The number of graduate students more than doubled between 2002 and 2012, and the number of faculty members increased from 252 to 319 during the same period.

      • Funding from both NSERC and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership programs has more than doubled since 2005.

   2. Additional Comments

      • System-wide metrics reflect Lakehead’s focused activity in this area.

      Institutional Strategies

      • Centre of Excellence in Mineral Exploration and Sustainable Mining Development (2013-18) – The centre will support research in advanced exploration and development, and address the environmental and social aspects of mineral extraction.
      • Northern Ontario Health Research Alliance (NOHRA) (2014-19) – Lakehead and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) are leading a consortium of universities, hospitals, and research institutes to increase health research and graduate training capacity in northern Ontario. Funding of $5 million has been secured from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) and an additional $5 million is expected from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and other health-research agencies.
      • Centre for Community-Engaged Scholarship (2014-19) – The centre will foster collaborative and mutually beneficial community-university research partnerships and community-service learning built on Lakehead’s traditions of community engagement, knowledge mobilization, and socially responsive research.
      • NSERC CREATE: Medical Imaging Program (2013-18) – Funding of $1.65 million will support the training of students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad via innovative training programs that encourage entrepreneurial, collaborative, and integrative approaches, while addressing scientific challenges associated with Canada’s research priorities. The program will facilitate the transition of new researchers from training to productive employment in the Canadian workforce.
      • Northern Policy Institute (2013-18) – The institute will provide a northern researchbased perspective to guide the policy development and economic decisions of governments, communities, businesses, and industry.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics

      System-Wide Metrics

      Research Funding per Full-Time Faculty As calculated by re$earch Infosource Growth in Research Intensity. Percentage change in sponsored research income per full-time faculty over a ten-year period as measured by re$earch Infosource Total Research Grants and Contracts Research Capacity

      Research Capacity Total sponsored research Number of research chairs Number of graduate degrees awarded Number of graduate awards/scholarships Research Focus Graduate degrees awarded to undergraduate degrees awarded Graduate to undergraduate ratio PhD degrees awarded to undergraduate degrees awarded Research Impact Normalized Tri-Council funding (total and per full-time faculty) Number of publications (total and per full-time faculty) Number of citations (total and per full-time faculty) Citation impact (normalized average citation per paper) International Competitiveness Ratio of international to domestic graduates (used by Times Higher Education Rankings) Aggregate of international global rankings

5. Program Offerings

   This component articulates the breadth of programming, enrolment, and credentials offered, along with program areas of institutional strength/specialization, including any vocationally oriented mandates. This component also recognizes institutions that provide bilingual and/or French-language programming for students.

   1. Areas of Institutional Strength

      Current areas of strength include:

      1. Engineering
      2. Health and Health Sciences
      3. Natural Resources
      4. Business
      5. Education
      6. Social Justice/Aboriginal Emphasis
      7. Social and Behaviour Sciences

      Proposed program areas for growth include:

      1. Business, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
      2. Engineering
      3. Health Sciences/Health and Medicine
      4. Social Justice/Aboriginal Emphasis
      5. Sustainability

   2. Additional Comments

      The Ministry notes that a large number of new engineering degree programs are proposed province-wide. This will have an impact on the Ministry’s review of new engineering program proposals.

      Institutional Strategies

      Lakehead’s proposed expansion of graduate-level programming in engineering is meant to respond to industrial and community partners – all of whom have expressed significant need and support for hiring more advanced engineering graduates at the MSc and PhD levels to meet the high-level technical demands of the major developments that are taking place in the north.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	Institution-specific and provincial Key Performance Indicators, including employment rate after two years, percentage of students completing the degree, and OSAP default rates for each area of strength Program enrolment

6. Institutional Collaboration to Support Student Mobility

   This component profiles partnerships between institutions that ensure students have access to a continuum of learning opportunities in a coordinated system. This may include, but is not limited to, credit transfer pathways and collaborative or joint programs between or within sectors.

   1. Areas of Institutional Strength

      Lakehead is committed to supporting credit transfer, and indicates that it accounts for 5 to 6% of college transfers to universities in Ontario. Overall, the outcomes of full-time college transfer students at Lakehead compare favourably with those of their direct-entry counterparts. The six-year equivalent graduation rate and the GPA for both full-time block and advanced standing students are similar to those for full-time direct-entry students. Lakehead University is establishing exciting partnerships with regional college partners that are leveraging existing infrastructure so that students graduate with both an advanced theoretical education embedded in a university degree and the applied knowledge and training of a high-affinity college diploma. Initiatives and outcomes include:

      Partnerships with Multiple Institutions

      • Lakehead has an established and thriving multi-institutional pathway for college engineering diploma graduates. More than three-quarters of Lakehead’s engineering graduates enter as college transfer students, participating in a summer transition program and moving into the third year of the four-year Bachelor’s degree program.
      • Modelled on the successful engineering pathway, students also receive “block transfer” credit for entry into programs in business administration and natural resources management.
      • Lakehead has established bilateral articulations between Confederation College, Algonquin College, Seneca College, and Sir Sandford Fleming College for a variety of programs ranging from political science to applied bio-molecular science.

      Partnerships with Confederation College

      • Lakehead is a major draw for graduates of northwestern Ontario’s only college, Confederation College. In 2008-09 about 83% of Confederation College students pursuing further studies at a university attended Lakehead.
      • Work is under way to enhance our multiple agreements with Confederation College. A shared commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for learners in rural communities and for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (Aboriginal) students will help inform the development of future opportunities.

      Partnerships with Georgian College

      • In 2013, Georgian and Lakehead signed Memoranda of Understanding and announced planned collaborations involving Aboriginal programming, distance delivery, international recruiting, and an integrated engineering degree.

   2. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of transfer students (Lakehead total, including those who do not apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre)	Number of college and university pathways and/or articulation agreements (college-college, college-university, university-college) Number of transfer applicants and registrants Number of college graduates enrolled in university programs

Aspirations

The Ministry recognizes the importance of supporting institutions to evolve and acknowledges the strategic aspirations of its postsecondary education institutions; the SMA is not intended to capture all decisions and issues in the postsecondary education system, as many will be addressed through the Ministry’s policies and standard processes. The Ministry will not be approving any requests for capital funding or new program approvals, for example, through the SMA process.

Institutional Aspirations

• The Gichi Kendaasiwin Centre (2013-18) – This facility will provide a gathering place to provide academic support and spiritual, elder, and social space for Aboriginal students. The Kendaasiwin Project will expand postsecondary education support for at-risk youth in communities across the north, increase the success of Aboriginal learners, and help to revitalize, celebrate, and share First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture for the benefit of all Ontarians.

University Partnership Centre (UPC)

• Growing the suite of engineering programs over the short term is a priority for the Lakehead–Georgian University Partnership Centre (UPC) project, with additional plans to diversify integrated program offerings over the next fifteen years.
• Consistent with its long range planning strategies, the University is developing a number of new degree programs to be delivered on both the Thunder Bay and Orillia Campuses. In addition, the University is working closely with Georgian College (UPC) to develop and deliver a new suite of high-caliber, applied, and career-focused degrees, using a cost-effective model that is relevant to the new economy. The following new programs will help provide the focus necessary to meet postsecondary needs and to transform the expectations and socio-economic circumstances of their communities.
• Lakehead University and Georgian College plan to offer an integrated Electrical Engineering program that grants students both a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and an Advanced Diploma in Electrical Engineering Technology. Lakehead University currently offers a fully approved and accredited Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering at its Thunder Bay campus. Ontario College Quality Assurance Service (OCQAS) has confirmed that Georgian is able to confer the Ontario College Advanced Diploma in Electrical Engineering Technology to students who achieve the required outcomes as part of the integrated program. Plans to deliver the integrated BEng in Electrical Engineering commencing September 2015 are underway.

Program Delivery Plans for the Orillia Campus

• Communications
• Public Affairs & Policy
• Forensic Science
• Urban/Rural Sustainability
• Speech Therapy
• Food/Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• International Studies
• Life Sciences

Program Delivery Plans for Lakehead/Georgian Partnership

• Health Informatics
• Aboriginal Language
• Medical Lab Sciences
• Electrical Engineering Diploma/Degree

Enrolment Growth

The strategic enrolment and planning exercise is in the context of a public commitment in the 2011 Budget to increase postsecondary education enrolment by an additional 60,000 students over 2010-11 levels. This government has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to ensuring access to postsecondary education for all qualified students.

Baseline Projected Eligible Full-Time Headcounts

Lakehead University’s planned enrolment forecast as expressed in this baseline eligible enrolment scenario is considered reasonable and in line with Ministry expectations, based on the current and projected demographic and fiscal environment.

Graduate Allocation

The Province committed to allocate an additional 6,000 graduate spaces in the 2011 Budget. The allocation of the balance of the 6,000 graduate spaces is informed by institutional graduate plans, metrics identified in the differentiation framework, and government priorities. Based on these considerations, the allocation for Lakehead University is provided below.

Note: For a detailed breakdown of graduate space allocations, see Appendix.

Financial Sustainability

The Ministry and the University recognize that financial sustainability and accountability are critical to achieving institutional mandates and realizing Ontario’s vision for the postsecondary education system. To this end, it is agreed that:

• It is the responsibility of the governing board and Senior Administrators of the University to identify, track, and address financial pressures and sustainability issues. At the same time, the Ministry has a financial stewardship role. The Ministry and the University agree to work collaboratively to achieve the common goal of financial sustainability and to ensure that Ontarians have access to a full range of affordable, high-quality postsecondary education options, now and in the future; and
• The University remains accountable to the Ministry with respect to effective and efficient use of provincial government resources and student resources covered by policy directives of the Ministry, or decisions impacting upon these, to maximize the value and impact of investments made in the postsecondary education system.

The Ministry commits to engage with the sector in 2014 to finalize the financial sustainability metrics to be tracked through the course of the SMAs, building on metrics already identified during discussions that took place in the fall of 2013.

Ministry/Government Commitments

Over time, the Ministry commits to aligning many of its policy, process, and funding levers with the Differentiation Policy Framework and SMAs in order to support the strengths of institutions and implement differentiation. To this end, the Ministry will:

• Engage with both the college and university sectors around potential changes to the funding formula, beginning with the university sector in 2014-15;
• Update the college and university program funding approval process to improve transparency and align with institutional strengths as outlined in the SMAs;
• Streamline reporting requirements across Ministry business lines with the goals of (1) creating greater consistency of reporting requirements across separate initiatives, (2) increasing automation of reporting processes, and (3) reducing the amount of data required from institutions without compromising accountability. In the interim, the Multi-Year Accountability Report Backs will be adjusted and used as the annual reporting mechanism for metrics set out in the SMAs;
• Consult on the definition, development, and utilization of metrics;
• Undertake a review of Ontario’s credential options; and
• Continue the work of the Nursing Tripartite Committee.

The Ministry and the University are committed to continuing to work together to:

• Support student access, quality, and success;
• Drive creativity, innovation, knowledge, and community engagement through teaching and research;
• Increase the competitiveness of Ontario’s postsecondary education system;
• Focus the strengths of Ontario’s institutions; and
• Maintain a financially sustainable postsecondary education system.

Appendix

Lakehead University - Summary of Graduate Space Allocaions to 2016-17, FTEs

Notes:

1. Adjustments to Graduate Targets (pre 2015-16) include: (i) 2013-14 approved fungibility requests; (ii) 2014-15 final Master’s allocations; (iii) resets of graduate targets, if any; and, (iv) other Ministry commitments, including further conversions.
2. General Allocation Envelope includes all metrics-based space allocations for 2015-16 and 2016-17.
3. Priorities Envelope includes: (i) Ministry and institutional priorities; and, (ii) approved spaces for identified niche programs.

The 5 PhD spaces allocated as part of the Priorities Envelope are provided to Lakehead University in 2015-16 to support Lakehead University’s partnership with the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, Lakehead’s University’s work with the Biorefining Research Institute, and the Ring of Fire initiative. Doctoral students taking up the five additional spaces will likely be interdisciplinary in nature, crossing disciplines and key University initiatives and partnerships.