Business Plan
2007-11
BUSINESS PLAN
2 0 0 7 – 2 0 1 1
With the same level of energy that I tackled
Olympic sport, I worked toward my university
degree through distance education at Athabasca
University while I was competing.
Christian Farstad, BGS
CEO, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
Two-time Bobsleigh Olympian
Vancouver, British Columbia
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTABILITY
This business plan for the four-year period beginning April 1, 2007, was prepared under the direction of Athabasca University Governing Council in accordance with the Government Accountability Act and directions provided by Alberta Advanced Education. All material economic and fiscal data, as of March 31, 2007, of which we are aware have been considered in preparing this plan. If key assumptions materially change, this business plan may be revised.
Athabasca University’s priorities, as outlined in this business plan, were developed in the context of Alberta Advanced Education’s business and fiscal planning guidelines.
Athabasca University is committed to achieving the planned results presented in this document.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Athabasca University Governing Council,
Joy Romero, P.Eng., MBA Chair
Athabasca University Governing Council
Athabasca University Governing Council 2006-07
Front row (left to right): Jody Hunt, Joy Romero (Chair), Vikki Bellerose, Shawn Wasel Second row: Barry Walker, Ron Cherlet, Jill Matthew, Judi Malone, John Trefanenko Back row: Brian Curial, Tim Nerenz, Bruce Spencer, John Ollerenshaw, Frits Pannekoek
“My accounting designation definitely allowed me to assume senior financial roles, but it was my MBA from Athabasca University that gave me the ability and confidence to launch my career beyond the world of finance.”
Elizabeth Lindsay, MBA
Vice-President, Operations and Administration Merchant Banking
BMO Capital Markets Toronto, Ontario
CONTENTS
9
Executive Summary
10
Institutional Context
Our Mission Our Mandate Our Values Situation OverviewOpportunities and Challenges
21
Strategic Goals and Performance Measures
Strategic Goals Performance Measures
30
Priorities and Support Needs
Priorities for 2007-11 Support Needs
35
Accessibility/Enrolment Plan
Enrolment
Access Funded Programs New Programs
37
Financial Information
41
Capital Projects
Facilities Projects Technology Projects Equipment Projects Library and Art Collections Capital ForecastTen Year Capital Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Having completed an extensive and broadly focused consultative process leading to the approval, in June 2006, of its Strategic University Plan 2006-11, Athabasca University now stands ready to move forward, to realize the goals articulated in that seminal document. This Business Plan 2007-11 is in large measure a roadmap plotting the route to be followed to reach the destination set for the university in the Strategic University Plan.
Athabasca University’s mission, reconfirmed in the strategic planning process, commits the institution to promoting access to university education for all learners and to achieving excellence in teaching, in research and scholarship and in service to the community. The student experience is the university’s focus. The university’s exceptional growth, in terms of enrolment, of number of courses and programs offered, of research and publications and of development and promotion of student services, is a testament to its dedication to this mission and its success in achieving it.
Many of the challenges facing the university, however, also stem from that same remarkable record of steady growth. The technological and physical infrastructure of the university has not expanded at a rate comparable to that of its student body or that of the staff needed to serve that student body. Consequently, the university finds itself today facing critical shortages of space and technological resources. These shortages not only constrain current university operations but restrict opportunities for growing enrolment, for introducing and expanding research projects and for developing and expanding academic programs. Addressing these deficiencies is, therefore, a primary focus for Athabasca University as it moves forward to actualize its Strategic University Plan.
Athabasca University will continue to build on its strong base of programs and services, its network of partnerships and its national and international reputation for excellence in online and distance learning. The university’s priorities at the present time, as detailed in this plan, are as follows:
to secure funding for urgently needed teaching, learning and research facilities in Athabasca, Greater Edmonton and Calgary and to maintain and expand the university’s technological infrastructure to expand opportunities for research and publication through the creation of new research institutes and an open access Athabasca University Press
to develop new academic programs and courses, particularly in professional and graduate areas, and to provide the support needed to maintain quality in rapidly growing programs
to enhance marketing strategies and financial supports in order to attract in greater numbers the members of under-represented groups (e.g., lower income students, young working men, immigrants, rural Albertans, Aboriginal Albertans), both to make post-secondary education accessible to these sectors of society and to advance the university’s enrolment to the level which, research suggests, a sustainable open and distance university requires
• • • •
12
INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
Our Mission
Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University,® is dedicated to the removal of barriers that restrict
access to and success in university-level studies and to increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide.
We are committed to excellence in teaching, research and scholarship and to being of service to the general public.
Our Mandate
Athabasca University is a board-governed open university committed, through distance education, to increasing accessibility in Alberta, throughout Canada and internationally to university-level study and to meeting the educational needs of the workplace.
At the undergraduate level, the university is mandated to offer degree programs and university transfer courses in the natural and pure sciences, humanities, social sciences, interdisciplinary studies, administrative studies, commerce, nursing and allied professional fields. Credit-based university certificates are offered within the structure of the university’s undergraduate degree programs. As a partner in Campus Alberta, Athabasca University offers its courses and educational services to students registered in Alberta post-secondary institutions. Working with these and out-of-province institutions, Athabasca University also provides degree completion opportunities for university transfer students and diploma graduates. Non-credit continuing education courses are also offered.
At the graduate level, the university offers degree programs in distance education, health studies and business administration. Credit-based university graduate diploma programs are offered within the structure of the university’s graduate degree programs.
To the benefit of students, Athabasca University is committed to excellence in individualized distance education, co-ordination of credit and credit transfer, assessment of prior learning and associated forms of learning accreditation.
Dedicated to research and scholarship in various disciplines, with a particular focus on distance education and associated learning technologies, Athabasca University provides international leadership in individualized distance education methods and technologies.
Our Values
The students, faculty and staff of Athabasca University profess a set of complementary values that are fundamental to the university’s identity and provide the foundation for its practices.
We value excellence.
The search for excellence is the hallmark of all of our endeavours. We value learning.
Student learning and satisfaction are measures of our success. We value scholarly research.
We engage in reflective practice through the scholarship of discovery and the scholarship of teaching.
We value the free exchange of ideas.
A respectful climate for open discourse promotes innovation, discovery and social responsibility. We value openness and flexibility.
Reducing barriers to education enhances access and social equity. We value diversity and inclusiveness.
Diversity and inclusiveness enhance the quality both of learning and of the workplace. We value our employees.
The commitment, innovation, creativity and continuous learning of every employee contribute to our success.
We value accountability.
14
Situation Overview
Now in its thirty-seventh year, Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University,® stands out as one of
the world’s foremost and fastest growing online and distance education specialists, serving 37,000 students worldwide. The university offers over 700 courses in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree, diploma and certificate programs.
Athabasca University’s primary focus is serving students. The university is dedicated to providing the best learning experience for students. Increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners is certainly central to its institutional mission, but achieving this goal also drives the university’s day-to-day operations. By removing geographical, financial, social and cultural barriers that traditionally limit access to post-secondary achievement, Athabasca University transforms lives. The university’s students have access to quality post-secondary education through distance delivery using a variety of technologies and media. In many programs, students have the choice of studying through either a highly flexible individualized study method or a more traditional grouped study method. The flexibility of the university’s distance and online learning programs allows students to obtain a quality post-secondary education.
At the same time, this flexibility supports students in achieving their personal goals and managing other aspects of their lives: 81 per cent of Athabasca University students (67 per cent of whom are women) work while they study, and 63 per cent of graduates support dependents. The average Athabasca University undergraduate student is 29; the average graduate student is 40. Over 90 per cent of students study year-round, balancing their studies with other life commitments.
Athabasca University at a Glance
At present, Athabasca University
serves 37,000 students (68,000 course registrations)
offers over 700 courses in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs
employs over 1,100 faculty and staff members
generates over $2 million annually in research activities
maintains 256 collaborative agreements with other Canadian educational institutions and First Nations groups
Athabasca University is uncompromising in its commitment to excellence in academic standards, in instructional design, in staff recruitment and development, in research and in student services. This commitment to excellence and rapid growth in enrolment (a 268 per cent increase in the past nine years) have been driving both technological innovation and ongoing recruitment of academic and support staff. The university’s staff complement has increased by 37 per cent in the past five years alone. These growth trends are expected to continue: annual student enrolment is projected to reach 100,000 by 2015.
To support this projected growth, Athabasca University therefore plans to add, over the next five years, a substantial new building to its main campus in Athabasca and to expand its facilities in the
• • • • •
Edmonton-St. Albert and Calgary regions. In the next 10 years, a research park and conference centre will also be added to the main campus. Meeting the capital requirements of this planned expansion is now a priority for Athabasca University.
Teaching and Learning
One of Alberta’s four established universities, Athabasca University provides post-secondary learning opportunities to the province’s citizens. It is unique, however, in guaranteeing access to university-level study to a broad range of non-traditional university students:
those who are seeking an alternative to a conventional, campus-based experience those who wish to continue their careers while they augment their education those who have ongoing family or community responsibilities
those living in rural, northern and remote areas
those who cannot find a place in residential institutions those with non-standard academic backgrounds
those whose family lacks a tradition of formal academic study: 72 per cent of Athabasca University graduates are first-generation university learners.
Athabasca University’s students stand out for their dedication to their personal goals and for their commitment to advanced learning, to their communities and to the wider world community. Through the efforts and achievements of its students, Athabasca University will continue to stand out as a provider of high quality post-secondary education.
Athabasca University focuses on providing excellent programs and courses, on flexibility of access and on providing students with the means of achieving success. It offers conventional distance courses but also supports online access. For example, the university recently enhanced the online component of 175 of its highest-enrolment courses to further its commitment to anywhere, anytime delivery and continues to adopt leading edge content management software. It was one of the first large universities to adopt Moodle, an open source course delivery software, designed on sound pedagogical principles, which allows educators to create effective online learning communities.
Because Athabasca University is a distance university, the planning and writing of courses and the provision of course materials are undertaken more deliberately than they are at traditional universities. Courses are written by members of faculty and other subject matter experts. All individual study students and some grouped study students are taught online or through other media and technologies and are individually supported by tutors. In some contexts, particularly those involving collaborative partnerships with other post-secondary institutions, grouped study students take courses in classrooms.
This combination of excellence in course content and design and delivery through leading edge technologies continues to yield success. For example, Athabasca University’s MBA program, founded in 1994 as the first online program of its kind, has once again been ranked by the Financial Times of London as one of the top 100 MBA programs in the world. The university’s Master of Arts – Integrated Studies program, with over 2,000 students, is Canada’s largest graduate program, and its nursing program is also one of the largest in Canada, graduating over 300 nurses each year.
• • • • • • •
16
Research and Scholarship
Since 1999, research activity at the university has increased significantly. Students working at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are actively involved in research.
Mission critical research in the scholarship of teaching and learning in open and distance environments has had particular prominence. For example, the search for better ways to remove barriers to education and, more particularly, to provide increased opportunities for participation in education in oil sands work camps and other remote and rural communities informs a major research initiative that is now being undertaken in partnership with the private sector and northern communities.
Athabasca University also actively supports and maintains high standards in discipline based research. For example, at the present time,
Dr. Martin Connors, Canada Research Chair in Space Science, Instrumentation and Networking, with financial support from the Canadian Space Agency, is developing a northern astronomy course with a Canadian focus. The course, which will involve the creation of multimedia content, will emphasize sky phenomena unique to high latitudes, including the northern lights, and northern weather systems, northern seasons and aspects of space research that are relevant to Canadians.
Dr. Mike Gismondi, in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Community Renewal and other co-applicants and partners from British Columbia and Alberta, has received approval for the British Columbia and Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA). BALTA establishes a regional partnership among four universities and six social economy organizations, plus three federal agencies and a number of innovative municipalities. Over the next five years, faculty members, practitioners and students will collaborate on a series of research initiatives aimed at better understanding and improving the entire range of activities that make up the social economy and its infrastructure in the region.
Dr. Janice Thomas, program director for the MBA in Project Management, continues work on her project, Understanding the Value of Implementing Project Management, a $2.5 million (U.S.) investigation funded in part by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and one which brings together a wide range of experts from around the world. The project is expected to conclude in 2008. Dr. Kam Jugdev in the Centre for Innovative Management continues to work on Project Management as a Source of Competitive Advantage, an SSHRC funded study which focuses on identifying strategic assets that can be sources of an organization’s competitive advantage. Since 2006, Jugdev has been gathering data from organizations across North America, with a specific emphasis on those in the energy sector.
Dr. Fuhua (Oscar) Lin in the School of Computing and Information Systems is concluding his NSERC funded research on Knowledge Modeling for Adaptive Course Generation and Delivery in Distributed Learning. The project highlights new methodology, models and tools for modeling and managing knowledge for adaptive web-based course generation and delivery.
Student Support
In recent years, the university has significantly expanded its comprehensive network of supports for students. Student services include information, admission, registration, transfer accreditation, prior
•
•
•
•
learning assessment, advising, counselling, technical support, library and writing support services as well as services for students with disabilities.
Alberta students’ high degree of satisfaction with Athabasca’s programs and services is evident in the 2005-06 results of provincial student and graduate surveys:
97.5 per cent of Athabasca University students say that they are satisfied with their overall university experience.
95 per cent of Athabasca University graduates say that they would recommend Athabasca University to others.
However, students across Canada and around the world, in all Canadian provinces and territories and in 87 foreign countries, draw equally upon Athabasca University’s network of supports. The university’s recently achieved status as the first Canadian University to be formally accredited in the United States, through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and as the first Canadian public post-secondary institution to be fully authorized to operate in both Alberta and British Columbia has served to underline its national and international reach.
In 2006, the U.S. based Center for Transforming Student Services (CENTSS) selected Athabasca University’s AskAU, an online frequently asked questions (FAQ) system that provides answers, through natural language searches, to students’ most common questions, as one of 10 best practices in online student services in higher education.
Collaborations
The diversity of Alberta’s educational institutions provides learners with flexibility of choice, and because of its open admission practices, its flexible learning methods and its long-standing history of working collaboratively with other institutions, Athabasca University plays a pivotal role in the province’s post-secondary learning system.
Students registered in other Alberta post-secondary institutions make extensive use of Athabasca University’s courses and educational services to help them complete their degrees. This accessibility accounts for a large percentage of students enrolled at the university: 23 per cent of Athabasca University undergraduates are visiting from other Alberta post-secondary institutions. For example, in the past year, 1,483 students from the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary took Athabasca University courses for degree completion.
To create pathways to degree completion for students who hold college diplomas, Athabasca University has entered into hundreds of agreements and partnerships with colleges and technical institutes in Alberta, across Canada and abroad. Last year, for example, 1,686 Alberta college graduates were enrolled in Athabasca University degree completion programs.
The university also has longstanding collaborative arrangements for providing post-secondary learning in Aboriginal communities and is a founding member of Alberta-North, a partnership of post-secondary institutions bringing courses and programs to students in northern Alberta, Nunavut, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. In addition, Athabasca University is a founding member of Canadian Virtual University, a consortium of over 20 leading Canadian universities with an interest in e-learning.
• •
1
Opportunities and Challenges
Athabasca University faces a number of challenges, many of which are related to opportunities for growth and development. These challenges and opportunities may be grouped under general headings as follows:
• funding and affordability • infrastructure deficits
• enrolment and emerging markets • collaboration and competition • recruitment and retention of staff
Funding and Affordability
Athabasca University’s 2007-08 operating budget plans for total expenditures of $116 million. Nearly 66 per cent of this budget consists of salaries and benefits. The university expects to receive approximately $34 million from the Government of Alberta, $53 million through tuition, $2 million as research grants and contracts and $14 million through learning resources and advancement activities.
Student registrations have, on average, increased by nearly 10 per cent annually. During the past year, Athabasca University’s overall undergraduate growth was just over 12 per cent. This growth and the associated growth in tuition, particularly from out-of-province students, has helped the university to meet its budget targets.
The Government of Alberta still provides significant operating revenue. The government has indicated that it will provide a six per cent per year increase in base funding in each of the next three years and a grant to subsidize tuition increases for Alberta students. Although this level of funding has allowed the university to meet a number of challenges, maintaining the quality of programs while keeping fees competitive will remain a challenge. A provincial tuition rebate, which has kept tuition fees at the 2004-05 level during 2005-06 and 2006-07, has been discontinued for 2007-08, and under the new Tuition Fee Policy, the university’s undergraduate fee increases are limited to 3.2 per cent rather than seven per cent as expected. The uncertainty of Alberta government grants continues to be an issue of strategic importance to the university.
Program costs are a major barrier to education for some prospective students. A 2003-04 Alberta government survey reported that only half of respondents believed post-secondary education is within the means of most Albertans. Providing opportunities for Albertans to access university education regardless of geographic location, culture, race, ethnicity, income, disability or educational background is fundamental to the identity and mandate of Canada’s Open University® and is explicitly endorsed in
the Alberta government’s Strategic Business Plan of March 2006.
In this context, maintaining affordable tuition fees is a serious responsibility for the province’s post-secondary institutions. An additional challenge for Athabasca University, however, is the variability in tuition fee rates and policies among the provinces. The tuition costs faced by out-of-province students in their home provinces are far more important to Athabasca University’s financial planning than they are to that of the province’s residential universities.
Infrastructure Deficits
As a distance university, Athabasca University requires significantly less physical infrastructure than residential universities; nevertheless, it requires space to house its faculty and staff, its library, its technological assets and its course materials production units.
Since 2001, when the university’s Course Materials Production unit moved into the newly renovated Tim Byrne Centre, staff numbers at Athabasca University have increased by 37 per cent. Because of this growth and an unchanged inventory of physical plant, the university is experiencing a severe space shortage. In order to continue to provide quality academic programs to students and to carry out the research that supports that teaching effort, staff and faculty urgently require new infrastructure. Residential universities maintain a significant physical infrastructure in the form of campus buildings. While Athabasca University also has a need for buildings, technology is the primary means by which the university connects with its students. Without a sizeable investment in its technological infrastructure, the university will be unable to maintain its learning environment, especially given the rate of technological change. Consequently, information and communication technology is and will remain a crucial component of the university’s capital plan. An $80 million investment, beyond the university’s $10 million restricted information technology reserve, is required over 10 years. One aspect of the technological challenge is the need to scale the university’s systems to accommodate increased numbers of students without compromising quality. The university will also be challenged to balance the need to keep its technological infrastructure up to date with the need to keep costs reasonable.
Growth
Athabasca University’s Strategic University Plan targets 100,000 students by 2015. Research suggests that open and distance universities are most effective at delivering programs and that economies of scale are reached when enrolment exceeds 100,000 students. Careful planning will be required to reach this enrolment goal. In 2006-07, Athabasca University served about 37,000 students. The university will need to adopt an effective expansion strategy, one which encompasses taking advantage of opportunities for substantial growth beyond the borders of Alberta
Today, the majority of Athabasca University’s Alberta students live in urban areas, particularly Calgary and Edmonton. While the university will continue to concentrate on these important primary markets, it will also strengthen its focus on providing opportunities for students in rural and remote areas, in Aboriginal communities and among immigrant populations.
Immigration and Migration
In the context of the province’s energetic economy, Alberta’s position in the global marketplace is being challenged by increased competition for highly skilled workers, whose contribution makes our economic growth possible. The importance of new Albertans cannot be over-estimated.
To address labour market requirements, the province relies heavily on workers migrating from other provinces. By virtue of its significant out-of-province student population, Athabasca University is in a position, unique among the province’s universities, to create virtual Albertans, that is, to establish connections with prospective migrants.
20
Immigrants from abroad are also needed to meet the labour demand. Immigration to Alberta is growing, and the majority of immigrants are highly skilled. However, they face additional challenges in finding work in their area of specialization. Their credentials are often not recognized in Canada, some face language barriers to successful employment and others lack work experience in Alberta. As a result, many are unable to use their education and training.
Athabasca University offers two opportunities to new Canadians. Firstly, the university will establish a presence in the local immigrant population by working with communities and other institutions to offer culturally sensitive university-level programs and to develop a better and more comprehensive system of assessing prior learning and experience. Secondly, and perhaps more strategically, the university will investigate the feasibility of providing online, open and distance education to prospective immigrants in their home countries, with particular attention to countries that are generating high numbers of immigrants.
Rural and Remote Communities
Over the past 50 years, the percentage of Albertans living in rural areas has dropped from over 50 per cent to below 20 per cent. Rural communities continue to lose young people and skilled professionals, even though about one-quarter of the province’s gross domestic product comes from oil, gas, forestry and agricultural industries, which are primarily located in rural and northern areas. Rural participation rates in post-secondary education are therefore a concern.
Athabasca University is uniquely well-positioned to provide access to high-quality post-secondary programs for rural Albertans by means of online, open and distance learning. In pursuit of this objective, the university will strengthen its relationships through community partnerships with local governments, businesses and public institutions within these communities. One such initiative is the Learning Communities project. Funded by a private donation, this project will provide groundbreaking research on the learning needs of rural, remote and Aboriginal communities in Alberta’s north.
Aboriginal Communities
Aboriginal people are moving off reserves to take advantage of employment opportunities. In 2005, however, the unemployment rate for Aboriginal people living off reserves was 6.7 per cent, well above the provincial average. Unemployment rates on reserves are much higher. Since the average age of Aboriginal people is lower than that of Canadians as a whole, Alberta’s future success will depend in part on the province’s ability to tap into the human resource potential that the Aboriginal population represents. More needs to be done to increase this group’s participation in post-secondary learning. Today, only one third of Alberta’s Aboriginal people obtain a post-secondary education.
Athabasca University’s longstanding collaborative agreements with First Nations colleges and councils have helped to promote equality of access. The university’s Centre for World Indigenous Knowledge and Research has undertaken outreach initiatives, and the university has worked directly with the Yellowhead Tribal Council, Blue Quills First Nations, Red Crow College and the Sunrise Project at Northern Lakes College to develop and implement programs and services.
The provincial government’s strategy of encouraging a stronger collaboration between Aboriginal communities and post-secondary education (and industry) is also an important strategy for Athabasca University.
Collaboration and Competition
Athabasca University recognizes its responsibility to maximize opportunities for all learners by providing flexible and accessible education through collaborative partnerships. While these relationships are complex, the university has made a strategic decision to form collaborative relationships with residential universities in order to provide the utmost flexibility in the learning system as a whole. Integrating Athabasca University courses into programs at residential universities increases the capacity of the educational system as a whole and reduces the need to invest in parallel distance and distributed learning systems.
The scheduling and course availability constraints faced by students in residential universities are significant. Many students cannot carry a full course load because of the need to work or because of family or community commitments. Many undergraduate students, both in Alberta and across Canada, use Athabasca University courses to meet some of their degree requirements at other universities and colleges.
To further encourage these highly cost-effective collaborations, the university needs to expand services through learning links and pathways at other universities. These relationships will be strengthened during the life of this plan. For example, this year, a new learning link will be opened on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton to better serve students taking Athabasca University courses. Enrolment growth at Athabasca University has been steady. Even so, the university must acknowledge that students today have more choices. A number of traditional campus-based institutions across Canada are now offering university-level courses at a distance. In a few instances, public funds are being used to replicate services that are already available through Athabasca University. While the demand for some qualifications are real, requiring greater capacity, care must be exercised to ensure that expanding capacity within the college sector does not simply result in increased competition and cost for scarce faculty and supervised placements in the professions.
Competition from the for-profit post-secondary sector, which is the fastest-growing educational sector worldwide, is also growing. Some foreign institutions are aggressively marketing to Albertans and other Canadians while operating within a protected environment in their home countries. As online learning becomes ubiquitous, affordable and more user-friendly, the university can and must maintain its position in this area by implementing the strategies outlined in the Strategic University Plan and by securing government support at all levels to ensure a level policy playing field in jurisdictions abroad.
Recruitment and Retention of Staff
Athabasca University employees work at centres in Athabasca, Edmonton, Calgary and St. Albert and in home offices throughout Alberta. On average, the number of full-time equivalent staff has increased by more than seven per cent per year over the past five years. The university is projecting a need for 944 full-time equivalents to support teaching, learning and research to 2014-15 time horizon. This number excludes tutors, who are largely located in home offices. Twenty-seven per cent of these new staff members will be based in the Greater Edmonton Area. The largest number, 64 per cent, are scheduled to be located at the main campus in Athabasca, provided the university’s capital plan is supported in a timely manner.
22
context of growing enrolments and a more and more complex curricular environment, this availability issue will represent a significant challenge. Like other post-secondary institutions in Alberta and across Canada, Athabasca University is finding it progressively difficult to recruit and retain highly skilled faculty members and researchers. This situation is somewhat exacerbated by the location of the main campus in Athabasca. More employees are needed to serve increasing numbers of students, yet the average age of university employees continues to rise. Many qualified scholars are expected to retire in the next decade, and many other universities will also be renewing their academic and senior management staff. Consequently, it is extremely important to continue to attract and retain highly qualified and credible employees. Without them, the university will not be able to maintain its first-ranked status.
Athabasca University is finding creative solutions to critical staff shortages in the most rapidly growing program areas such as business, life sciences, nursing and criminal justice. Other universities across the country can offer inducements such as well developed doctoral programs, doctoral candidates and post-doctoral staff and structured support for research initiatives. Athabasca University will continue to invest in similar opportunities for its faculty, with a focus on strengthening its research and graduate-level teaching. Recently approved graduate programs such as the Doctorate in Education and others which are in the planning stages will strengthen the university’s appeal to scholars and researchers.
STRATEGIC GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Strategic Goals
Accomplishing the goals articulated in the Strategic University Plan 2006-11 will stand as a testament to Athabasca University’s values and represent a significant step toward fulfilment of its mission and mandate. It will strengthen the university’s commitment to the principles of access, open and distance delivery, research and excellence. Over the next five years, therefore, the university will concentrate on achieving the following Strategic University Plan goals:
ensuring quality in learning enhancing open access focusing on quality research building communities
recruiting and retaining excellent employees allocating resources
The Alberta Government goals referenced in the tables below are as follows: Goal 1: Alberta will have a diversified and prosperous economy.
Goal 2: Albertans will be well prepared for lifelong learning and work.
Goal 7: The well-being and self-reliance of Aboriginal communities and people will be improved. The Alberta Advanced Education and Technology strategic priorities referenced are as follows:
Priority 1: building and educating tomorrow’s workforce Priority 2: access for all learners
Priority 3: affordability for all learners
Priority 4: quality and innovation in the advanced learning system Priority 5: post-secondary infrastructure
• • • • • •
24
Goal 1: to continue to focus on the delivery of high quality open and distance education through a wide range of programs and courses
Government goals
Ministry priorities
Strategic objectives Expected results
1 2
2 4
Continue to strengthen the quality, accessibility and responsiveness of undergraduate and graduate courses and programs.
Consistent student satisfaction ratings and improvement in some areas
Improvements in measures of student success Undergraduate and graduate enrolment targets met
Program reviews as per the Education Review Plan continued
Increase in number of approved programs •
• • • • 4 Ensure that quality is enhanced and that
access is not compromised as more course materials and learning activities move online. Adapt course development processes to the demands of e-learning, and develop IT strategies responsive to student learning needs.
Number of available online courses increased New course development models consistent with advancements in online learning
A balanced curriculum
Improved student satisfaction ratings •
• • •
1 4 Continue to offer a high quality student experience at Athabasca University.
Student satisfaction ratings maintained Trend in exceeding provincial average in student satisfaction ratings continued
Improved student supports, including technology usage
Improvements in measures of student success • • • • 1 4 5
Continue to develop a digital and resource library that will meet the needs of students and researchers.
Increased digital collections
Improved student information literacy rates Increased use of digital materials
• • •
Goal 2: to increase participation rates at Athabasca University and ensure accessibility for students from diverse regions and backgrounds
Government goals
Ministry priorities
Strategic objectives Expected results
1
2
1 2
Recruit a diverse and wide-ranging group of undergraduate students from all sectors and provinces and abroad to major programs.
Increased undergraduate student registrations Specified undergraduate enrolment targets met
Enhanced opportunities for rural/remote students • • • 1 2 1 2
Recruit a diverse and wide-ranging group of graduate students from all sectors and provinces and abroad to major graduate programs.
Increased graduate student registrations Specified graduate enrolment targets met Enhanced opportunities for rural/remote students • • • 1 2 7 1 2
Increase opportunities for access to university-level education for students from northern, rural, minority, Aboriginal and under-represented communities across Canada.
Increased enrolments from rural/remote areas Increase in partnerships and funding • • 1 2 2 4
Continue to be a major contributor to Campus Alberta, to build strong alliances with other post-secondary institutions and to increase availability of university-level education provincially, nationally and internationally.
Increase in number of partnerships and collaborative arrangements
Existing partnerships maintained • • 1 2 1 2
Develop a more co-ordinated approach to addressing learner needs and improving student success and better supports for students to achieve their learning goals.
Increased use of student support services Increase in number of learner support initiatives
Improved student satisfaction ratings Improved completion rates
• • • • 1 2
3 Improve financial support for students to reduce barriers to post-secondary education.
Increased financial aid through scholarships and bursaries
• 1 4 Provide a wide range of dynamic services that
support the diverse needs of students.
Increase in number of services critical to student success
Increased use of AskAU •
26
Goal 3: to foster and expand research and scholarship at Athabasca University
Government goals
Ministry priorities
Strategic objectives Expected results
1 4 Continue to provide and increase appropriate support for student and staff excellence in research and scholarship.
Increased research activity (funding, publications, projects)
•
1 1
4
Enhance Athabasca University’s international reputation in open and distance learning scholarship.
Increased international activity
Increase in number of research partnerships and collaborative arrangements
Increase in international registrations •
• • 1 4 Expand the research culture throughout the
university environment.
Increased research activity •
1 2
2 4
Promote and expand the transfer of research knowledge for the benefit of society.
Athabasca University Press established Increase in number of publications Increased media for research • • • 1 2 2 4
Provide the widest possible access to the research created by researchers at Athabasca University.
Increase in number of publications
AU Press regarded as a leading open-access press • • 1 2 1 4
Increase research partnerships and collaborations with other internationally recognized research institutions.
Increase in number of research partnerships and collaborations
•
1 4 Develop a clear funding strategy to seek and allocate research funding.
Increase in amount of research funding received
•
Goal 4: to promote collaboration and foster leadership in the communities we serve
Government goals
Ministry priorities
Strategic objectives Expected results
1 2
1 2
Raise the profile of Athabasca University as Canada’s Open University® provincially, nationally and internationally so that students, employers and governments will see it as their first choice for meeting their educational needs.
Research profile increased in line with that of other universities
Awareness increased from benchmark (2006) Increased student registrations
Increased media coverage • • • • 1 2
2 Employ university resources in the community to develop initiatives and collaborative partnerships.
Increase in the number/extent of community partnerships
Increase in the number of community events •
• 1
2
1 Foster vital alliances with business and industry to advance mutually beneficial educational goals for employment.
Increase in the number/extent of partnerships and alliances
Goal 6: to secure and steward the resources necessary for Athabasca University and its staff and students to achieve their potential
Government goals
Ministry priorities
Strategic objectives Expected results
1 2
3 4
Align institutional planning and refine mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of university planning, resource allocation and institutional renewal process.
Targeted investment budgets established •
1 2
3 4
Increase existing and identify new sources of funds to support research, teaching and service at Athabasca University.
Increased research links with government agencies and the private sector
Increased revenue from research activity Increased revenue from advancement activities (grants, donations, strategic partnerships)
• • •
Goal 5: to recruit and retain the very best staff
Government goals
Ministry priorities
Strategic objectives Expected results
1 2
2 3
Create an environment that supports Athabasca University’s teaching and research priorities, increases recruitment and retention activities and ensures leadership succession.
Increased annual research production •
1 4 Provide appropriate recognition and support for staff members in their role in the teaching and research mandate of Athabasca University.
Increase in the number of external recognition awards, publications and internal success stories • 1 2 2 4
Improve collaboration and foster open dialogue, interpersonal networking and communication at Athabasca University.
AU staff portal successfully implemented •
1 4 Strengthen governance and organizational
structures within Athabasca University.
Governance and organizational structures reviewed and realigned in accordance with position as an established university •
2
Performance Measures
Enrolment: Expected and Targeted Full-load Equivalents (FLEs)
Athabasca University has established the following enrolment targets to aid its planning in support of its goal of satisfying learners’ needs through open access to programs and courses. These targets reflect the expectation to grow, on average, by 915 FLEs per year.
Graduate Satisfaction
In its value statements, Athabasca University indicates that student learning and satisfaction are measures of success. Very significantly, during a period of rapid growth, the university has maintained high levels of student satisfaction with the quality of the educational experience.
Athabasca University consistently exceeds the provincial average level of satisfaction on the Government of Alberta’s university and college satisfaction and labour market experience surveys. Results for the 2002, 2004 and 2006 surveys are provided below:
In 2006, 97.5 per cent of Athabasca University’s students expressed satisfaction with the overall quality of their educational experience. This figure represents a substantial improvement over the 93 per cent satisfaction ratings recorded in 2002 and 2004. It is our goal to continue to exceed the provincial average and retain our reputation as the best in the province.
Student Group 2006-07 (Expected) 2007-08 (Targeted) 2008-09 (Targeted) 2009-10 (Targeted) 2010-11 (Targeted) Undergraduate 6, 139 6,822 7,595 8,322 9,122 Graduate 1,208 1,377 1,523 1,736 1,883
Total FLEs (full-load equivalents)
7,347 8,199 9,118 10,058 11,005
Graduate Satisfaction with Overall Quality of Educational Experience 98 96 % 94 92 90 2002 2004 2006 Year Surveyed
Graduate Employment Rate
Measures of student learning are embedded in the curriculum. That Athabasca University’s graduates consistently enjoy a very high rate of participation in the labour force is an indirect measure of the high quality of the university’s programs. The following chart shows employment rates for participants in Government of Alberta’s university and college satisfaction and labour market experience surveys:
It is also important to note that a majority of Athabasca University students participate in the labour force while completing their courses or programs: 81 per cent work while they study.
Student Consultation
The Athabasca University Executive meets regularly with the Athabasca University Students’ Union to review the university’s proposed and projected fee increases. The last meeting was in January 2007. The Students’ Union is represented on the university’s Strategic Budget Committee, Academic Council, Finance Committee and Governing Council. A new Graduate Students’ Association is in the process of being established, and a representative of this association will also sit on the committees listed above.
Research Activities
Athabasca University is committed to excellence in teaching, research and scholarship. Through discovery, dissemination and transfer of new knowledge, the university will continue to integrate research and creative activity with teaching, thereby informing its curriculum and providing opportunities for highly qualified graduates to promote innovation and to participate more fully in society.
Historic successes at the undergraduate level, along with established and emerging graduate programs, provide the foundation for Athabasca University to become a recognized research university focused on excellence. A vibrant research community, informed teaching, and a supportive learning environment will, in turn, be reflected in quality courses and programs and comprehensive student services and will assist Athabasca University in maintaining its current success and encourage future growth.
Enhancing Athabasca University’s reputation as a leader in open and distance learning is one means by which the university aims to meet its growth targets in the coming years. Additional public relations funding is needed to properly promote the university across Canada. With development planning for
98 97 96 % 95 94 93 92
Graduate Labour Force Experience
2002 2004 2006 Year Surveyed
30
an e-learning research centre underway, the university is poised to expand its position as a world leader in the research of distance and online learning (including m-learning and e-learning).
In addition, as issues concerning the environment and sustainable resources continue to grow, Athabasca University has positioned itself to launch the Athabasca River Basin Research Centre aimed at addressing issues of sustainability, transformation and natural resources. From an ecological point of view, this multidisciplinary research centre will investigate the integration and accumulation of impacts on the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere as well as the corresponding political implications.
As a university with a growing graduate student population, now over 2,900, Athabasca University must ensure that the research and publication records of academic staff are comparable to those of other public universities in Canada.
Research Impact – All Sources (thousands of dollars)
A summary of all externally funded research at Athabasca University is provided in the following table:
* Includes other federal, provincial and industry funding from sources such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and Office of Learning Technologies (OLT).
In recent years, external funding from the granting councils has been much higher than in previous years.
Sponsored Research Revenue as a Percentage of Provincial Grants (thousands of dollars)
Sponsored research revenue as a percentage of provincial operating grants is summarized in the following table:
As the table shows, the percentage increase has changed significantly in recent years as funding from the granting councils has varied and operating grants have increased substantially.
Types of Research Support 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Three-Year
Average 2003-05 Average 2004-06Three-Year Total sponsored research revenues $1,543 $2,316 $1,849 $1,909 $1,903
Support from council sources $442 $724 $709 $484 $625
Council support ratio (council sources/total
sponsored research revenue) 28.7% 31.3% 38.3% 25.4% 32.8%
Support from community and industry
sources* $1,101 $1,592 $1,141 $1,425 $1,278
Community and industry support ratio (community and industry/total sponsored research revenue)
71.4% 68.7% 61.7% 74.7% 67.2%
Types of Research Support 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Three-Year
Average 2003 -05 Average 2004-06 Three-Year Total sponsored research revenues $1,543 $2,316 $1,849 $1,909 $1,903 Total Province of Alberta operating
grants $22,135 $25,452 $30,113 $22,782 $25,900
Sponsored research revenues as a % of
Research Council Success (thousands of dollars)
Athabasca University’s success rate with its applications to the granting councils is summarized in the following table:
* Includes Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) including graduate scholarships, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Also includes Canada Research Chairs and indirect costs, but not Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), Office of Learning Technologies (OLT), Industry Canada, etc. Of note is the increase in the value of the awards being received.
Research Publications and Other Creative Works
Athabasca University faculty and staff actively disseminate their research results through various publications and presentations. The following table provides a summary of these activities (Note: Numbers for previous years have been amended to reflect definitions from granting agencies.)
*Books authored or co-authored include chapters authored or co-authored. Refereed articles include refereed journals and conference proceedings. Conference presentations include invited speaking engagements.
** The number of full-time teaching staff is as reported to Statistics Canada through the University Full-time Teaching Staff System for the period and includes teaching staff employed as of October 1 of the reporting year and research staff who have an academic rank and salary scale similar to teaching staff, appointed on a full-time basis, whose term of appointment is not less than 12 months (including staff members on leave).
Research Publications* 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Three-Year
Average 2003-05 Average 2004-06Three-Year
Number of full-time faculty** 106 111 142 107 120
Books authored or co-authored 55 44 61 47 53
Books edited or co-edited 6 7 8 5.8 7
Articles in refereed publications 133 159 146 127 146
Non-refereed publications 42 36 40 34 39
Conference presentations 306 242 296 247 281
Granting Councils* 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Three-Year
Average 2003-05 Average 2004-06Three-Year
Number of applications 27 26 21 23 24
Number of awards 11 6 5 7 7
Total $ value of awards (in thousands of
32
PRIORITIES AND SUPPORT NEEDS
Priorities for 2007-11
Athabasca University is advancing quickly. Student registrations continue to grow: from April 2006 to January 2007, registrations for individualized study courses increased by 11.6 per cent over the same period the year before, with the largest increases in commerce and administration, legal studies and science. Registrations in the MAIS graduate program increased by 20 per cent and in nursing by five per cent within the same period. For the 2007-08 year, undergraduate registration is targeted to grow by 11 per cent, with 68,000 registrations forecast. Graduate registration is targeted to rise by five per cent to 8,400 registrations. Strong growth is also anticipated in non-credential undergraduate enrolment, particularly in the number of students visiting from other universities.
As mentioned above, this four-year business plan flows from the university’s new Strategic University Plan and the six priorities identified there: quality, access, people, community, research and resources. A progressive campus development plan, new programs and the introduction of new ways of accessing online and distance material, including the Athabasca University Press, the only open access academic press in Canada, are among recent developments that are positioning Athabasca University for the future. The Business Plan 2007-11 is therefore a plan both to consolidate recent gains in and to significantly invest in the following areas:
reducing barriers to access
technology and capital infrastructure marketing and recruitment
new program development research
student support services fund development
The proposed strategies represent investments in instruments of growth that will position Athabasca University for major change.
Investment to Reduce Barriers to Access
Athabasca University is a significant and respected leader among providers of open access university education. Maintaining its leadership position in the Canadian distance education market, as well as its reputation for quality, will require careful planning and managed growth.
One persistent barrier to university-level education is learners’ lack of knowledge of the opportunities and supports available to them. Athabasca University intends to become more effective in ensuring that prospective students understand and use these supports. The need for enhanced marketing of the Athabasca University experience to under-represented groups (e.g., lower income students, young men working in industry, immigrants, rural Albertans and Aboriginal Albertans) within the post-secondary sector is critical. Satisfying the needs of these groups will be an important strategy over the life of this plan. The university has already begun working toward this goal by developing sound marketing and communication strategies that will reach out to these markets as well as to its primary market. Success in this endeavour will ensure a greater uptake of students from under-represented groups and higher completion rates for the post-secondary sector as a whole.
Increased budgets for marketing reflect the need for additional exposure to under-represented groups • • • • • • •
through advertising (including online advertising), participation in recruitment fairs, increased emphasis on alumni services and activities, strategic alliances and increased efforts to make significant inroads in corporate Canada. The university’s efforts to reach out to prospective students, particularly those who are members of underserved populations, is exemplified by the Learning Communities project mentioned earlier. Special attention will be given to partnership opportunities that improve access for learners from other post-secondary institutions, corporations and governments. The geographic focus will be on Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia, as well as on international markets in the United States, Asia and Mexico. The intention in these latter markets is to help students with an interest in Alberta employment readiness.
Fundraising is a core activity of all research-based universities. Athabasca University intends to raise a minimum of $30.5 million during the four-year life of this business plan, and it expects these funds to be matched by Access to the Future funds. The funds raised will be used to support scholarships, new program initiatives and new research directions. The university intends to lever these funds already matched by Access funds through foundation and other opportunities.
Investment in Course and New Program Development
Over the next four years, Athabasca University will move strongly toward the 100,000 enrolment target set for 2015 by the Strategic University Plan, enrolling over 54,000 students by 2011. The enhanced recruitment efforts described above will fuel this growth, as will development of new undergraduate and graduate programs.
Significant investments in the maintenance and enhancement of course quality will be a priority during the course of this plan. The Educational Media Development unit is being restructured to achieve greater efficiencies in course development and delivery. Program review/restructuring, course renumbering and website development are also underway.
During the coming year, 32 new academic positions will support quality maintenance in specific academic units that are experiencing significant growth: integrated studies, nursing, health studies, business and state and legal studies are just a few of those that will welcome new faculty members. Slower staff growth is anticipated during 2008-10 as the university consolidates its hiring of the previous two years, but the need for accelerated hiring is anticipated to again arise in the 2010-13 period.
New program development will focus particularly on professional and graduate studies areas. Athabasca University’s Doctorate in Education has just been approved, and the university will seek approval to offer the first online doctoral program in business administration and subsequently in nursing. A new program in heritage resources management is under development, and through a ground-breaking agreement with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Athabasca University will develop an undergraduate degree with specialization in architecture and a graduate diploma in architecture. One-time funds have also been secured to study the feasibility of programs in law, engineering and education, disciplines to which market research shows a clear need for access through distance education.
Investment in Research
34
the number of research grants awarded to faculty members have increased significantly. This trend is expected to continue; as the university develops its graduate programs, research activity will also increase.
As in any university, a healthy dialogue exists among researchers who are studying the same broad issues through different paradigms. This dialogue informs all scholarly work, particularly graduate-level teaching. The university has confirmed its commitment to graduate study by affirming in the Strategic University Plan its commitment to interdisciplinarity in research. Increasingly, university faculty members and students will be working in interdisciplinary environments. Through the Masters of Arts – Integrated Studies program, Athabasca University has become a leader among universities that actively encourage interdisciplinary academic activity.
It must also be acknowledged that, in Canada, opportunities to disseminate peer-reviewed research are somewhat constrained by limited access to the traditional journals and academic presses. To address this concern, Athabasca University will be establishing the Athabasca University Press, an open access, peer-reviewed press that will provide Canadian researchers with much readier access to scholarly audiences.
The university will also continue to seek support for its proposals to create the Centre of Excellence for Research in New Learning Technologies and the Athabasca River Basin Research Centre. These centres will facilitate both mission-critical and discipline-based research. Matching funds from the Access to the Future Fund have been requested, and support from several granting agencies and private sector donors has been targeted. Additional research based centres, a Centre of Excellence in Project Management within the Centre for Innovative Management, for example, are also being considered.
Investment in Infrastructure
Capital
Expansion of Athabasca University’s technological and administrative systems and of its physical facilities have failed to keep pace with the university’s remarkable growth in enrolment and program development. Capital infrastructure investments are now urgently needed, and securing the funds to develop new teaching, learning and research facilities is a strategic priority. To meet the need for additional capacity, the university plans, over the next five years, to construct a substantial new building on its main campus, in Athabasca, and to expand facilities in the Greater Edmonton Area and in Calgary. These new and expanded facilities will provide work space for faculty and staff and support the delivery of courses and programs to students. Over the next four years, $141 million in strategic capital investments is needed.
Technology and Student Supports
Students at an open university with e-delivery require support services that employ state-of-the-art technologies. All universities have embraced, to some extent, major changes in technology, but as a distance and online university, Athabasca University stands out for the centrality of technology to its students’ experience.
In recent years, Athabasca University has produced a significant body of research in technologically mediated learning, and given the university’s considerable expertise and acknowledged leadership in
this field, that trend will continue. Expanding and enriching online student services will remain a focus for the duration of this plan.
In addition to the E-Learning Accelerator Project, the integration of Moodle as the university-wide learning management system has been one of the key outcomes of the acceptance of the institution-wide Information Technology Systems (ITS) plan. For example, to facilitate greater access, the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies this year plans to convert 19 online undergraduate and 28 online graduate courses from WebCT to Moodle. The development of the myAU student portal is also nearing completion.
Athabasca University courses are significantly different from campus-based e-learning courses, and the surest means of retaining students and maintaining high completion rates in a constantly changing environment is to provide services that support students’ learning needs. Information and communication technology will remain a crucial component of the university’s capital plan. An investment of at least $21 million over the duration of this plan and $80 million over the next decade, beyond the university’s $10 million allocation from its systems development reserve, is required to support the needed investment in technology and system development.
Support Needs
In a time of significant new investments in the province’s post-secondary system, Athabasca University looks forward to working with government and others to secure appropriate funding for its graduate programs, its research programs (particularly those focused on new learning technologies) and its technological and physical infrastructures. Working together, stakeholders in post-secondary education can address the university’s most urgent problems to better serve Alberta students. Athabasca University relies on out-of-province student fees to support its operations and the delivery of programs to all students regardless of location. The university must continue to clarify and strengthen its policies on serving students from other jurisdictions and work to ensure that the provincial government clearly understands both the importance of students from other jurisdictions to the financial sustainability of the university and the investment the university is making in the educational capital of Canada. Government policy to support this important revenue stream for Athabasca University in required.
Significant and progressive changes are also needed to the university’s capital funding model. Like other universities, Athabasca University has a large unmet need for capital and technological infrastructure. To address this deficit, priority capital projects include
construction of an academic and research building on the main campus in Athabasca
development of an integrated facility in the Greater Edmonton Area, including the acquisition of land on which to build this facility
participation in the Calgary Urban Campus partnership, a developer-led construction project in east Calgary with a long-term leasing opportunity
renovation of the Tim Byrne Centre in Athabasca
These developments are long overdue, and their completion will create an appropriate capacity for growth. A detailed plan for the new academic and research facility in Athabasca has been submitted for approval. Funding is required for functional planning for the Greater Edmonton facility and the
• • • •
