2014-17 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Trent 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.

Trent University’s Vision/Mission

Vision

• We create vibrant, engaged and sustainable communities of learning, teaching and research committed to free enquiry and expression.
• We encourage the dynamic interplay of research, teaching and learning, which enhance and energize each other in the classroom and beyond.
• We strive to make valued and socially responsible contributions to our local communities, to Canada, and to the world.
• We support a diversity of faculty, staff and students who share a commitment to the learning experience and are responsive to its challenges.
• We foster an environment where Indigenous knowledge are respected and recognized as a valid means by which to understand the world.
• We offer an enriched learning environment that encourages a passion for all knowledge, the exploration of the creative links between fields of study and a critical engagement with the world.
• We create opportunities for students, staff and faculty to flourish and develop as individuals and as global citizens.
• We affirm our commitment to excellence, to innovation and to leadership in research, academic programmes and community partnerships.
• We commit to building an inclusive intellectual and social community that values the collaboration of all of its individual members

Mission

Over the next five years, Trent University’s mission is to:

• Prepare students to make significant contributions to an increasingly complex world by providing them with a distinctive liberal arts, science or professionally focused education, which is enhanced by global perspectives, experiential learning and interdisciplinary approaches to personal and professional development;
• Encourage and celebrate excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, research and student development;
• Remain at the forefront of Indigenous education and scholarship;
• Develop strong partnerships and collaborations with external communities, professions, and other institutions, as well as within our Colleges, departments, and programs;
• Foster sustainability, in its environmental, social and economic dimensions, on our campuses and in all aspects of our work;
• Promote a culture which engages all members of the Trent community, favours dialogue and collegiality, and nurtures a sense of belonging.

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (the Ministry) and Trent University (the 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.

Trent University’s Key Areas of Differentiation

Trent University is a primarily undergraduate university that undertakes significant research activities in key areas of strength. It emphasizes the development of critical thinking and employs a unique pedagogical approach encompassing interdisciplinary study, interactive small class sizes, and community engagement. Trent has a culture of inclusivity and has placed a significant emphasis on improving access to postsecondary education by underrepresented groups including Aboriginal, first-generation postsecondary, LGBTQ, and international students.

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 institutional 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

      Trent’s impact on its local economy and community is demonstrated by the following:

      Economic impact

      • Trent students contribute $170M to the local economy and support another 1,865 jobs.
      • Trent’s alumni are estimated to represent 8% of the workforce in Peterborough.
      • A recent study estimates the University’s economic impact in the region to be almost $390M or about 7.7% of the local CMA’s GDP.
      • Trent’s presence in Oshawa provides an opportunity to expand its partnerships with commercial and social enterprises.
      • Trent has partnerships with multinational, national, and local companies.
        • Partnerships in the Biomaterials and Water Quality Centre, for example, help the conversion of innovation and research into jobs and economic development.
        • The dollar value of industrial partner investments is high per capita, as compared to other universities.
      • The Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster operates as the University’s Technology Transfer Office.
        • It has helped in establishing Trent’s on-campus incubator for new company start- ups, as well as its Biomaterials and Water Quality Centre, which has created over 30 local jobs, attracted expertise from five continents, and helped attract private sector investments in sustainable agriculture.
      • The Trent Business Council facilitates interactions between business faculty and students and members of the business community in a manner that both better equips students for early labour force attachment and provides participating businesses with access to student ideas, energy, and innovative approaches.
      • Graduate employment meets the provincial average, as 90% of graduates are employed by six months after graduation and 92% by two years following graduation.

      Community impact

      • The Trent Centre for Community-Based Education (TCCBE) places students with local community organizations to complete research projects.
      • The Centre has facilitated 344 learning opportunities, which have helped or expanded 47 social enterprises, and has established service learning projects for Trent students with 153 organizations.

   2. Additional comments

      • Trent’s community engagement strategy focuses activities in three key areas: curriculum development of service learning courses in a manner that addresses the community’s economic, social, and cultural needs; outreach into the community through the sharing and provision of institutional resources; and sharing of teaching and research resources with community partners to channel knowledge creation into economic opportunities.
        • Outreach efforts have been centred on locally based research, internships, public lectures, and other community engagement activities.
        • Trent’s outreach efforts have also included the Trent Lands Plan, through which the University intends to utilize a portion of its land base to create new local economic activity and contribute to the social and cultural fabric of the region.
      • Trent will work to expand partnerships with the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster (GPIC) to support entrepreneurial enterprise.
      • Trent will work with the Trent Business Council, the Trent Centre for Community- Based Education, the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, the Career Centre, and other community institutions to provide greater experiential learning in study areas as a means to increase post-graduation employment.
      • Trent will develop an Entrepreneurship Centre to assist students in developing their own businesses.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metricsfootnote 1[1]
      Proportion of local GDP in Peterborough and Oshawa Number of students engaged with local employers and social enterprises in experiential learning Number of projects undertaken by the TCCBE Number of partners engaged in the TBC Number of students accessing the career centre Number of industry research partners Private sector financial investment in Trent research	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

      The “quintessential Trent experience” focuses on student engagement, undergraduate involvement in research projects, teaching, experiential learning opportunities, and technology-enabled learning. Initiatives and outcomes in this area include:

      Student engagement

      • Results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (SSE) show that student engagement is above the provincial average, with Trent surpassing provincial results in all five survey categories.
      • Similarly, the results from the Graduate and Professional Student Survey (GPSS) illustrate Trent’s overall excellence, with students rating the quality of Trent’s overall experience above the Ontario average.

      Research with undergraduates

      • A focus on research is encouraged from the beginning of a student’s education at Trent. Though Trent is a primarily undergraduate institution, teaching at the University has resulted in professorial research that regularly involves undergraduate students.
        • This focus has resulted in Trent undergraduates co-publishing with professors, attending conferences, and occasionally presenting conference papers. Biology, for example, had 200 undergraduate theses in the last five years, and of these, 70 resulted in co-authored publications.
      • The Trent Centre for Community-Based Education is a globally recognized and differentiated experiential learning model that places students with local community organizations to complete research projects.

      Focus on teaching

      • Full-time professors with an average H index of 6.58 regularly teach at the first-year level.
      • Trent has received 31 external teaching awards (which include ten OCUFA teaching awards and six 3M Fellows).

      Experiential learning

      • Trent currently places a large number of students in a wide variety of internships as well as practice, study abroad, clinical, and teaching placements in the health and education sectors and in collaboration with businesses and community partners throughout the region and globally.
        • Trent’s internships correspond to areas of community need. Over 13 of the university’s 26 departments offer experiential learning placements.
        • Trent’s business internship program has 90 placements with companies in the region.
        • Trent’s School of Education’s placement of literacy tutors within Peterborough and the surrounding areas saw over 240 teacher candidates complete the literacy placement in 2013. Teacher candidates work with at-risk pupils, thereby benefiting the pupil, the teacher candidate, the school, the community, and the University.

      Technology-enhanced learning

      • While aiming to preserve the small-class experience as much as possible, Trent has enhanced these efforts by technologically supported efforts to address increasing student demand in a number of programs.
        • Trent has more than tripled the number of online and blended courses in the last two years and currently has 3,189 course registrations in 57 online undergraduate courses. This represents 6% of the total course registrations at Trent.

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • Trent will work to improve graduation rates through enhanced college pathways, increased online learning, the synergy project with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), and an increased emphasis on experiential learning.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of students participating in experiential learning opportunities Increase in the number of online courses and registrations Student and host satisfaction rates with experiential learning opportunities Proportion of first-year students with at least one course taught by tenured faculty Average H index of faculty teaching first and second year courses	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

      Trent places a strong focus on promoting access to postsecondary education for a number of student groups. Initiatives and outcomes in this area include:

      Aboriginal students

      • In 2012-13, 5% of the student population declared as Aboriginal (307 students), with an additional 30 part-time Aboriginal students also registered.
        • The First Peoples’ House of Learning has developed extensive programming to increase enrolments and retention of Indigenous students.

      First-generation Post-Secondary students

      • In 2012-13, the total number of first-generation postsecondary students enrolled at Trent was 1,200 or 19.4%, with an additional 250 part-time first-generation students also registered.
        • Trent has enhanced its New Student Orientation (NSO) program to provide first- generation postsecondary students with support.
        • In 2013, with the assistance of the MTCU First Generation Grant, Trent launched a “Rebound” student peer support program targeted to help students who are struggling academically.

      LGBTQ students

      • Trent has a long and respected "informal" reputation as being an LGBTQ-friendly campus. Trent will make this reputation formal via enhanced LGBTQ student support services and by emphasizing the diversity and inclusiveness of Trent’s student body in marketing materials.

      International students

      • The Trent International Program (TIP) continues to provide support services to international students.
      • By maintaining a significant (7.2%) and engaged international community, TIP contributes to Trent’s overall commitment to social justice and internationalization.

      Students with disabilities and students needing mental health support

      • In 2012-13, there were 802 students registered with the Student Accessibility Services on our Peterborough and Oshawa campuses. There were 674 students registered with Counselling Services.
      • Trent has implemented a number of programs designed to help with early identification, peer support, and coaching for students in difficulty (including a Disability Peer Coaching program), as well as training for students, faculty, and staff in mental health issues, student accommodations, student support, bystander intervention, and suicide prevention.

      Scholarships and bursaries

      Trent invests more in scholarships and bursaries than any other university of its size in Canada.

      • Trent University leads the province in the primarily undergraduate category of the Maclean’s University Rankings, coming in at number one overall in Ontario and number five in Canada, with a strong showing in the Student Support category of the survey.

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • Having recently signed an agreement to establish an International Environment Institute with Nanjing University, Trent will increase its number of international students.
      • Trent will continue to provide enhanced access for marginalized groups through proactive recruitment, the promotion of its culture of inclusivity, and the development of additional programs emphasizing diversity and inclusiveness.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of students enrolled in programs aligned with institutional areas of strength Number of Aboriginal students Number of first-generation students Number of international students Number of new recruitment strategies deployed Number of recruitment partnerships with other institutions	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

   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

      Trent’s research activity is focused on various areas of strength, including Interdisciplinary Environmental Science, Interdisciplinary Humanities, Community Health, Culture and Society, Nursing, Social Justice and Global Development, Education, Indigenous Knowledge, Sustainability Studies, and the Study of Canada.

      • Research Info source gives Trent University a research score of 25.9, which is the highest ranking for any Ontario undergraduate institution.
      • Trent was the first university in Canada to establish an Environmental Studies program (1971), and it currently has a graduate program in this area with 150 students.
      • 56 Trent faculties have attracted over $50 million in investments in environmental research in the last 5 years.
      • Trent was the first university in Canada to offer academic programming in Indigenous Studies and Canadian Studies.
      • The Higher Education Strategy Associates’ (HESA's) national survey ranked Trent’s research 12^th among 55 Canadian universities in impact for Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities.
        • In this index Trent ranked higher than 8 members of the U-15 research universities in Canada.
      • In the Maclean’s ratings of 19 Primarily Undergraduate Universities, Trent ranked number 1 in Awards per full-time faculty, number 1 in Medical/Science grants, and number 5 in Social Science and Humanities grants.
      • Research Info source ranked 47 universities of all sizes across Canada, and Trent placed 15^th in Publication Impact, 21^st in Publication Intensity, and 17^th in Total Research Impact.

   2. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics

      System-Wide Metrics

      Average total research funding per full-time faculty Research investment from commercial and social enterprises Number of graduate faculty supervising interdisciplinary programs Number of undergraduates engaged in basic and applied research Number of undergraduates published Number of undergraduates partnering with private and social enterprises

      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 will also recognize institutions that provide bilingual and/or French-language programming for students.

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      1. Interdisciplinary Environmental Science
      2. Interdisciplinary Humanities
      3. Community Health
      4. Culture and Society
      5. Nursing
      6. Social Justice and Global Development
      7. Education
      8. Indigenous Knowledge
      9. Sustainability Studies
      10. The Study of Canada

      Proposed program areas for growth include:

      1. Interdisciplinary Environmental and Sustainability Science
      2. Interdisciplinary Humanities
      3. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
      4. The Study of Canada and Indigenous Knowledge

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • Trent will maintain its professional programs as integral to the long-term sustainability of the institution.
      • Trent will seek to expand its graduate programs in designated priority areas in a manner that attracts high-quality students and faculty to support its undergraduate programs.
      • The Ministry has concerns about proposals for the expansion of Education-related programs at the undergraduate and graduate level as we consider that there is sufficient capacity in the Ontario system at this time.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of interdisciplinary degree programs Number of new programs Enrolment growth Number of transfer agreements and pathways created	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

      Trent collaborates with colleges and universities in Ontario and overseas on pathways for the following disciplines: environmental science, biotechnology, practical nursing, business administration, and social services. Initiatives include:

      College-University Pathways

      Trent has strong ties to Fleming, Durham, and Loyalist as primary college partners. Examples include:

      • Recently approved transfer pathways for computer science and police foundations
      • Trent-Fleming School of Nursing
      • Trent-Fleming University Transfer program (Arts and Sciences, Ecological Restoration)
      • Trent-Loyalist Journalism
      • Trent-Humber Public Texts/Creative Book Publishing
      • Trent-Fleming Business Administration Agreement

      As of fall 2013, Trent has 285 undergraduates who have come to Trent through articulation pathways.

      University-University Pathways

      The Trent-UOIT Synergy Project will ultimately lead to a formal alliance of the two institutions. Building on a range of existing collaborations, the institutions are exploring a new level of systems thinking that brings individual institutional strengths in humanities, science, social science, professional programs, and STEM disciplines together to present a comprehensive and cooperative model for the sector.

      Other university-university partnerships include:

      • Enhanced student mobility through multiple institutional pathways, online learning, and an innovative synergy project with UOIT
      • Trent-Queen’s graduate supervision agreement
      • Trent-Carleton Canadian Studies PhD

      International partnerships

      • International Environment Institute in partnership with Nanjing University
      • Trent-Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar in Quinto
      • Trent Institute of African Studies in partnership with the University of Ghana-Legon

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • A new three-year degree (BA in Interdisciplinary Studies) is being developed for the Oshawa campus. The new degree program offers opportunities for transfer students from Durham College and continuing education opportunities for lifelong learning.
      • Trent will pursue a synergy project with UOIT that will lead to a formal alliance of the two institutions. This alliance will attract greater resources to develop innovative approaches to teaching and research, contain costs by eliminating duplication and achieving economies of scale, and enhance students’ educational experience through improved access and quality.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      Number of joint programs established with UOIT Number of new students attracted to joint Trent-UOIT programs Financial efficiencies achieved through collaboration with UOIT Deferral of infrastructure investments through the shared use of facilities with UOIT Number of other institutional pathways established	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 they 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.

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 to 2016-17

Trent 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 Trent 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 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 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 continue working 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

Trent University - Summary of Graduate Space Allocations to 2016-17, FTEs

Notes:

1. Adjustments to Graduate Targets (pre 2015-16) include:
   1. 2013-14 approved fungibility requests;
   2. 2014-15 final Master’s allocations;
   3. resets of graduate targets, if any; and,
   4. 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:
   1. Ministry and institutional priorities; and,
   2. approved spaces for identified niche programs.
      1. The 25 Master’s spaces allocated as part of the Priorities Envelope are provided to Trent University in 2016-17. The spaces are to support Trent’s Interdisciplinary Environmental and Sustainability Science, including Conservation Biology and Instrumental Analysis programs.