2014-17 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Ryerson University

Ontario’s Vision for Post-Secondary 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.

Ryerson University Mandate/Vision

Mandate

Ryerson University is a leading institution of innovation and entrepreneurship that responds to societal need through high-quality, professional, and career-related bachelor, masters, and doctoral programs, and relevant scholarly, research, and creative activities.

Ryerson is student focused, providing an emphasis on experiential learning, creativity, entrepreneurship, adult learning, and transfer pathways from colleges and other universities. Ryerson is an inclusive, diverse learning community. In its role as a City Builder, Ryerson enhances access and civic engagement, and has a positive, transformative effect on its neighbourhood and the broader community.

Vision

Ryerson University will be a comprehensive innovation university, recognized as a national leader in high-quality professional and career-related bachelor, masters, and doctoral programs, and relevant research. It will be a global leader in interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial zone learning. Ryerson’s students, graduates, and faculty will contribute significantly to Ontario’s and Canada’s economic, social, and cultural well-being.

Ryerson will expand its strong foundation of distinctive career-related academic programs and related scholarly, research, and creative activities, producing graduates who enable change. Ryerson will enhance its leadership in experiential learning, adult learning, and transfer pathways. As a City Builder, Ryerson will build partnerships that foster social and cultural innovation, and economic development.

Preamble

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

Ryerson University Key Areas of Differentiation

Ryerson is a comprehensive innovation university that provides professional and career- related education at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. Ryerson fosters interdisciplinary thinking and encourages student innovation, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Ryerson contributes to economic and social development through active collaboration with industry, the public, and not-for-profit sectors. Ryerson conducts basic and applied research in a number of key areas. Ryerson champions a distinctive “zone” model of entrepreneurial education to incubate student-driven ideas, where students plan and create businesses, commercial, or non-profit products and services; develop start-up ventures; collaborate with industry and community partners; and work with state-of-the-art technologies. As the most urban university in Ontario, Ryerson plays a unique role as a City Builder. Ryerson pursues strategic international partnerships with institutions around the world.

Alignment with the Differentiation Policy Framework

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

1. Jobs, innovation, and economic development

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

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Ryerson meets societal need and labour market demand through an emphasis on professional accreditation, experiential learning, and connections to industry and community. Examples include:

      • Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ), an incubator environment where students develop business plans, create commercial or non-profit products and services; develop start-up ventures; collaborate with industry and community partners; and work with technologies such as advanced digital manufacturing.
      • Four additional entrepreneurial zones operate at Ryerson:
        • Innovation Centre for Urban Energy (iCUE)
        • Fashion Zone
        • Design Fabrication Zone
        • Transmedia Zone
      • Ryerson contributes to improving the urban ecosystem, fostering economic development, enhancing the city’s social and cultural fabric, contributing to civic engagement, and building enduring relationships with community organizations, industry, and government.
      • The Centre for Urban Research and Land Development (CURLD) is researching the economic impact of urban policies in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area.
      • Ryerson has joined the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) to establish OneEleven, a new incubator focused on making Ontario a leader in the development and application of data analytic tools.
      • Every undergraduate program at Ryerson has an Advisory Council comprised of industry/discipline experts to ensure that programs reflect the most current practices in the field and that students graduate with career-relevant skills.

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • In partnership with the Law Society of Upper Canada, Ryerson will launch a program to address a shortage of articling positions for law students in Ontario. The program will provide students with experience through technology-enhanced and live-actor simulations, online modules, and four-month work placements. The Ministry notes that the Law Practice Program is a pilot initiative of the Law Society of Upper Canada that is part of its professional licensing process and is not a postsecondary education program.
      • Two additional zones are currently in development: a Biomedical Engineering Zone, part of collaboration between Ryerson and St. Michael’s Hospital that will include an incubator for the development and commercialization of innovative biomedical products for patients; and a Science Zone that will drive innovation in a variety of science-related disciplines.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metricsfootnote 1[1]
      Number of start-ups with either $50,000 in annual revenue or $50,000 in funds raised from investors Annual number of jobs created by start-ups Total financing raised from the private sector for start-ups	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

      Ryerson supports teaching and learning by focusing on experiential, adult, and online learning, and through innovative curriculum design. Initiatives include:

      Faculty Engagement in Teaching Quality Improvement

      • Six Teaching Chairs, one per faculty, provide leadership and advice to faculty members on classroom teaching practices.
      • Workshops are provided for faculty on teaching issues, plus annual teaching and learning conferences for tenure-track faculty.
      • The Open Door Program allows new faculty members to attend classes taught by award-winning teachers to learn best practices.
      • The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fund was established to support development of innovative approaches to teaching.

      Experiential Learning

      • Ryerson encourages experiential learning, including co-op, internship, service learning, clinical placements, practica, lab work, field study, and simulations.
      • Over 95% of undergraduate programs at Ryerson include experiential learning and over 130,000 student registrations are in courses with an experiential learning component.

      Online Learning and Distance Education

      • Ryerson offers 282 degree credit courses, 186 non-credit courses, three degree programs, and 20 certificates fully online, as well as five blended degree programs and 21 blended certificates.
      • Ryerson’s investment in online course infrastructure enables the development of 50 to 60 new online courses annually.

      Adult Learning

      • The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education (Chang School) offers adult education, delivered by instructors with work experience in occupations that are directly relevant to the courses they teach.
        • It offers more than 1,500 individual courses, seminars, and workshops, 93 career-related certificate programs, and 13 part-time degree programs.

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • Ryerson is implementing a new undergraduate curricular framework to improve student choice and enable specializations that adapt to changing economic and labour market conditions.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	Student Satisfaction Survey results Graduation rates Retention rates Number of students enrolled in a co-op program at institution Number of online course registrants, programs, and courses at institution

3. Student population

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

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Ryerson’s student population reflects Toronto’s diversity, and the University is committed to providing access and support for underrepresented groups, in particular first generation students, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and internationally educated professionals. For example:

      • 52% of undergraduate students identify as a member of a visible minority group.
      • Based on survey data, it is estimated that Ryerson has almost 9,000 first generation students and more than 500 Aboriginal students. There are about 1,500 students with disabilities.

      Ryerson has initiatives targeted to the specific needs of these students:

      • The Assistant Vice-President/Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), works to address barriers among the academic and administrative functions of Ryerson, and to create a visible presence for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
      • Initiatives to improve access include bridging internationally educated professionals to the labour market, and supporting students through educational counselling, community outreach, academic upgrading, and workplace training and connections.
      • The Chang School serves adult learners through its continuing education, pathways programs, and online offerings.
      • Ryerson Aboriginal Student Services supports urban Aboriginal students.
      • Ryerson’s Spanning the Gaps program is geared towards young people and adults who might not otherwise interact with or experience postsecondary education.
      • Ryerson’s Access Centre offers a range of supports for students with various types of disabilities in order for each person to fully participate in his or her academic experience.

   2. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	Number and proportion of Aboriginal, first generation, students with disabilities, and francophone students at an institution Number and proportion of international students enrolled in Ontario (as reported in annual institutional enrolment reporting) Proportion of an institution’s enrolment that receives OSAP

4. Research and graduate education

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

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Ryerson offers a unique mixture of professional and research-based graduate programs. Ryerson’s graduate programs are highly concentrated in career-focused areas of study. Examples include:

      • Ryerson doctoral programs are geared towards careers both inside and outside academe, with many opportunities for doctoral students to collaborate with industry or community partners.
      • Ryerson has developed research strengths, partnerships, and opportunities in digital technology, health, energy and sustainability, management, civil society, innovation, design, and culture.
      • Ryerson is focused on decreasing time to completion for graduate students.
      • Ryerson researchers and graduate students collaborate with industry to develop new technologies and improve processes.
        • In 2012-13, Ryerson undertook more than 180 applied research projects with industry partners including Google, GE Healthcare, Microsoft, Enbridge, Bombardier Aerospace, Hydro One Networks, Candu Energy, BASF Canada, Kraft Foods, and others.
      • The Institute of Innovation and Technology Management, Ryerson Institute for Aerospace Design and Innovation, the Entrepreneurship Institute, the Social Innovation Initiative, and the Centre for Urban Energy are among the many focal points of innovation-oriented research and practice.

      Outcomes of Ryerson’s research activity include:

      • Ryerson has more than 125 innovative research centres, institutes, and labs across a wide range of disciplines, and is home to 13 Canada Research Chairs and a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair.
      • Ryerson ranks 5^th in sponsored research funding among Ontario non-medical/doctoral universities, and 11thnationally among non-medical/doctoral universities in 2012-13.
      • Total research funding at Ryerson has more than tripled in the past decade.

   2. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics

      System-Wide Metrics

      Graduate Studies Time to completion in masters and doctoral programs Percentage of students in professional masters programs Research Partnerships NSERC Engage grants and other partnership grants (number of grants, research funding)

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

5. Program offerings

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

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Ryerson has a unique array of professional and career-related undergraduate and graduate programs.

      Current areas of strength include:

      1. Digital Economy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurships
      2. Design, Technology, and Manufacturing
      3. Management, Administration, and the Economy
      4. Creative Industries
      5. Communities, Diversity, and City Building
      6. Culture and Communications
      7. Health, Wellness, and Related Sciences
      8. Built Environment and Spatial Analysis

      Proposed program areas for growth include:

      1. Innovation and Entrepreneurship
      2. Design and Technology
      3. Management and Competitiveness
      4. Creative Economy and Culture
      5. Health and Technology

   2. Additional comments

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

   3. Metrics

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

6. Institutional collaboration to support student mobility

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

   1. Areas of institutional strength

      Ryerson is a major recipient of transfer students. Initiatives and outcomes include:

      • In 2012-13, a quarter of Ryerson’s undergraduate population, or 7,700 students, had previous college or university experience.
      • Ryerson, Centennial College, and George Brown College have a robust partnership with a strong focus on collaborative nursing education.

   2. Additional comments

      Institutional strategies

      • New collaborations with George Brown College and Centennial College will explore partnerships in engineering education and pathways for students, and upgrade the skills of mid-career and internationally-trained engineering technology professionals.

   3. Metrics

      Institutional Metrics	System-Wide Metrics
      	Number of college and university pathways and/or articulation agreements (college-college, college- university, university-college) Number of transfer applicants and registrants Number of college graduates enrolled in university programs

Aspirations

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

Institutional Aspirations

• The University has identified additional planned undergraduate enrolment growth as outlined in the following table. This planned growth would require additional capital funding. The first part of this growth would be accommodated in a new science building and the backfill freed up by departments moving out of their current space.

Additional Undergraduate Full-Time Headcounts Where Capital Funding is Required to 2016-17

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

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

Graduate Allocation

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

The Ministry acknowledges Ryerson’s aspiration for the reinforcement of its strengths in graduate studies through the Priorities Envelope. We note that the Ministry has provided considerable reinforcement of these strengths through the overall Graduate Space Allocation for the period covered by this SMA. Hence, we encourage Ryerson to establish its own priorities among its strengths and support them using the resources from the Reset and General Allocation Envelopes.

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 continuing to work together to:

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

Appendix

Ryerson 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.