2014-17 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Nipissing 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.

Nipissing University Vision/Mandate

Nipissing University is dedicated to engaging students by delivering education with an overall focus on excellent teaching and student-centered learning. The Nipissing classroom experience is complemented by experiential and inquiry-based learning, research, and scholarly opportunities. In addition to its education mandate, as one of the largest employers in the region, Nipissing University also serves a primarily Northern, regional, and economic development purpose, highlighted by its curricular focus on the environment, health, administration, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and the arts and culture of the North.

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (the Ministry) and Nipissing 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 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 its 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 it 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.

Nipissing University Key Areas of Differentiation

Nipissing University primarily focuses on excellence in undergraduate teaching and learning, ensuring access to postsecondary opportunities for all students. Nipissing plays a significant role in the local community, helping to meet the needs of Northeastern Ontario. Nipissing gives special attention to Aboriginal and first generation learners in the North. One of Nipissing’s key differentiation elements is its Schulich School of Education. It is an excellent example of “vertical” differentiation, with one of the largest undergraduate programs in the province, as well as a strong graduate program, including an innovative doctorate in Education (with a focus on sustainability).

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

      • Nipissing recognizes that it has a role to play in the economic, social, and cultural development of Northern Ontario. Initiatives and outcomes include:
        • Working closely with the City of North Bay and other municipalities in the region.
        • Offering a number of professional programs such as Education, Nursing, and Business, which prepare graduates to enter those professional fields.
        • Collaborating with Nipissing First Nation and local municipalities to work on Lake Nipissing environmental and fishing issues.
        • Involvement in a Biomass Innovation Centre project with its School of Business and local industry.
        • Nipissing University is one of the five largest employers in North Bay and contributes approximately $150M to the local economy.
      • Nipissing’s Schulich School of Education focuses on building and strengthening relationships with First Nations and Aboriginal communities, concentrating on programs and initiatives that impact Aboriginal peoples and communities. Initiatives in this area include:
        • Offering specialized summer programs in Aboriginal Education for nearly 30 years, leading to the approval of the creation of a Chair in Indigenous Education.
        • Building close relationships with local school boards and the health unit for community outreach on health promotion.

   2. Additional Comments

      Institutional Strategies

      Nipissing University’s School of Business will collaborate with a local incubation centre proposal.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metricsfootnote 2[2]
      	Graduate employment rates Number of graduates employed fulltime 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

      Nipissing is committed to excellence in teaching, with a specific focus on the undergraduate learning experience, and to ensuring access to education for all students.

      • Nipissing consistently receives high rankings among Canadian universities for student satisfaction.
      • For example, in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), first-year Nipissing students rated their educational experience on average 3.37 out of 4.00, in comparison with the Ontario average of 3.11. On the key Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC-CCREU) question regarding satisfaction with their decision to attend their university, 97.2% of Nipissing students stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their decision, in comparison with the Canadian average of 93.2%.

      Programs are designed for flexible delivery with use of in-person, online, blended, summer residency, and institutes to accommodate the needs of all students. For example:

      • In the Registered Practical Nursing (RPN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) Blended Learning Program, theory is delivered online, with clinical experience provided in partnership with over 130 health care institutions across Ontario.
      • Through its iTeach program, Nipissing is committed to the application of the latest technology to promote student achievement.

      Nipissing’s Office of Aboriginal Initiatives offers experiential learning opportunities through programming that supports First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students from the local community, including students at Nipissing First Nation.

      • The Biidaaban Community Service-Learning (BCSL) is a curricular, experiential learning opportunity offered since 2007. In 2012-2013, 180 Nipissing students participated for a total of 12,930 volunteer hours across Ontario, with 24 community organizations in North Bay and 10 local schools.
      • In 2013-2014, 171 Nipissing University students participated in BCSL for a total of 13,190 volunteer hours across Ontario, with 25 community organizations and 13 schools locally, and at Nipissing First Nation.

   2. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	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

      Nipissing has a large percentage of female (72%), first generation (12%), and Aboriginal (6%) students, as well as students following non-traditional pathways (college transfers, professionals, mature students).

      Nipissing promotes access to postsecondary education and supports for students from small, non-urban communities across Ontario, with a special focus on the North, including Aboriginal and first generation learners. Initiatives in this area include:

      • The Aboriginal Advantage Program, supporting Aboriginal learners and providing them with academic, cultural, and personal supports to promote successful transition and retention.
        • Cultural support includes an Elder in Residence who provides one-on-one support for students.
        • Currently, one course focuses on leadership, with a cultural component that incorporates indigenous pedagogical approaches.
      • Aboriginal Mentorship Initiatives, a series of experiential learning opportunities for upper-year Aboriginal students at Nipissing, with a cultural support component that nurtures current University students through Elder support, as they volunteer to mentor First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) students in grades 9-12 at local high schools, including Nipissing First Nation.
      • Since 2009, Nipissing University mentors have volunteered with 60-100 FNMI students locally each academic year, impacting between 300 and 500 FNMI students in five years.
      • Summer Aboriginal Education Programs, designed as low-residency programs for flexible delivery and improved accessibility.
      • The Nipissing University Aboriginal Council on Education (NUACE) is consulted on the development of programs and initiatives that impact Aboriginal peoples and communities.
      • Working with Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute on Manitoulin Island and Mushkegowuk Council in James Bay on pilot projects for the delivery of courses in First Nations communities, allowing students to remain in their communities while studying.

   2. Additional Comments

      Institutional Strategies

      • Future directions for the Aboriginal Advantage Program include relationships with the Faculty of Applied and Professional Studies to build pathways to these fields for Aboriginal students.
      • Nipissing is developing an Institute in Indigenous Education to facilitate the integration of education graduates in Aboriginal communities.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	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

      Complementing its undergraduate programs, Nipissing University has developed selected graduate programs in areas of research strength and relevance to its mission, supported by:

      • Nipissing University has been allocated four Canada Research Chairs.
      • Nipissing University researchers received approximately $900,000 in external funding in 2010-2011 and exceeded $2M in 2013-2014.

      Nipissing’s areas of research strength include:

      Education

      • Introduction of a Master’s in Education and, more recently, a doctoral program in Education with a focus on sustainability.
      • The School of Education has a long history with the incorporation of technology into educational programs and has been nominated as housing an Apple Distinguished Educators program.
      • In the past five years, 25 of 60 education faculty members have held grants or research contracts from sources ranging from Tri-Council to private industry.

      Mathematics

      • In 2013, a mathematics professor in the sub-field of Topology was awarded the international Mary Ellen Rudin Young Research Award Fund in Topology.

      Environmental Science

      • One of Nipissing’s Geographers is considered one of the world’s leading experts on the mangrove forest.
      • The Canada Research Chair in Watershed Analysis and Modelling is one of the researchers working on a number of research projects in the United States, South Africa, and Northern Ontario.
      • Regional work on the water quality of northern lakes and a partnership-based project with the local agricultural industry to maximize crop yields illustrate how scholarship is serving the local region.

      History

      • One faculty member in the History Department and recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant is currently working on a project entitled, “Nbisiing Anishinabek Biimadiziwin: To Understand the Past and Shape the Future”, in partnership with Nipissing First Nation.

   2. Additional Comments

      System-wide metrics reflect Nipissing’s focussed activity in this area.

   3. 4.3 Metrics

      Institutional Metrics

      System-Wide Metrics

      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 program areas of strength include:

      1. Inter-professional Health Education
      2. Education
      3. Social Justice
      4. Administration/Management
      5. Environmental Studies
      6. Humanities and Liberal Arts

      Proposed program areas for growth include:

      1. Inter-professional Health Education
      2. Education
      3. Social Justice
      4. Administration/Management
      5. Science and Technology

   2. 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

      Overall, the proportion of Nipissing students involved in either a collaborative/partnership program or transfer arrangement in 2013-2014 is between 30% and 40%.

      Nipissing is committed to facilitating the pathway for college graduates to obtain degrees and offers many opportunities for graduates to maximize their time and education at Nipissing, with degree completion pathways in Business, Criminal Justice, Child and Family Studies, Education for Early Childhood Education, Engineering Technology, Environmental Biology, Fine Arts/Visual Arts, and the RPN to BScN Bridging program. Nipissing’s initiatives include:

      Partnerships with Colleges

      • Partnering with Canadore College for the delivery of a collaborative program in Nursing, as well as sharing a campus, human resources, and space.
      • Partnering with a number of colleges throughout the province for the delivery of a degree-completion pathway, enabling college graduates to complete a Bachelor of Commerce in three consecutive semesters.

      Partnerships with Universities

      • Partnering with over 130 partners throughout the province for a RPN to BScN degree program, as well as an experiential second-degree entry Nursing program in partnership with five Academic Health Care Centers in Toronto.
      • Delivering a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education program in Brantford in collaboration with Wilfrid Laurier University.
      • Offering flexible and comprehensive credit recognition for university students wishing to transfer from other universities.

   2. Additional Comments

      Institutional Strategies

      • A joint Master’s of Arts in Sociology with Laurentian University is in the planning stages.
      • The University is pursuing partnerships with the Aboriginal Finance Officers Association of Canada to provide pathways for Aboriginal public administrators.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	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.

Institution Specific Aspirations

• Nipissing has identified an interest in developing a proposal for an engineering program addressed to local and regional needs. The Ministry notes that a large number of new engineering degree programs are proposed province-wide, which will have an impact on the Ministry’s review of new engineering program proposals.
• Nipissing is exploring the delivery of a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Applied Science Civil Engineering program.

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

Nipissing 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 environments.

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 Nipissing 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 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 spring 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 to support the strengths of institutions and implement differentiation. To this end the Ministry will commit to:

• 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

Nipissing University - Summary of Graduate Space Allocations 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.
   1. The 6.13 PhD spaces allocated as part of the Priorities Envelope are provided to Nipissing University in 2014-15 to support its PhD in Education program.