Ontario’s Vision For Postsecondary Education

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

University of Guelph’s Vision/Mandate

Mission Statement

Guelph will be an institution recognized internationally for our emphasis on learner centredness, our blend of applied and relevant research, and our contributions to community. Commitments include: revolutionizing learning to produce students who understand and are engaged in critical issues that face humanity; research that is free from bias and serves society; openness and accountability; and an emphasis on developing students who will be the leaders of tomorrow with an ingrained sense of social justice and service.

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (the Ministry) and University of Guelph 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 College’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 in writing, dated, and signed by both signatories.

University of Guelph Key Areas Of Differentiation

The University of Guelph is a research-focused, learner-centred university with strategic areas of focus in food, health, environment, and community. Guelph is committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning in the education and well-being of the whole person. Agriculture and veterinary medicine are recognized as areas of special responsibility at Guelph.

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.

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 Specific Aspirations

The University of Guelph and Humber College (both) have articulated their commitment to the unique University of Guelph–Humber partnership and their plans to expand this collaboration through new joint programming at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

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

 2014-152015-162016-17
Undergraduate21,50021,51321,574

The University of Guelph’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 the University of Guelph is provided below.

 

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

Master’s

1,344.02

1,383.31

1,399.82

PhD

547.25

569.76

589.91

Total

1,891.27

1,953.07

1,989.74

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 align 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.

Signed for and on behalf of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities by:

Original Signed By:
Deborah Newman
Deputy Minister
Date: April 6, 2014

Signed for and on behalf of the University of Guelph by:

Original Signed By
Dr. Alastair Summerlee
Executive Head
Date: May 21, 2014

Appendix

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

 

Master’s

PhD

Total

2013-14 Graduate Space Target

1,344.02

547.25

1,891.27

Adjustments to Graduate Targets (pre 2015-16)

-

-

-

Graduate Allocation Envelopes

General Allocation Envelope

55.80

30.99

86.80

Priorities Envelope

-

11.67

11.67

Graduate Spaces Allocated to 2016-17, over 2013-14

55.80

42.66

98.47

2016-17 Graduate Space Target

1,399.82

589.91

1,989.74

Notes:

  1. Adjustments to Graduate Targets (pre 2015-16) include: (i) 2013-14 approved fungibility requests; (ii) 2014-15 final Master’s allocations; (iii) resets of graduate targets, if any; and (iv) other Ministry commitments, including further conversions.
  2. General Allocation Envelope includes all metrics-based space allocations for 2015-16 and 2016-17.
  3. Priorities Envelope includes: (i) Ministry and institutional priorities; and, (ii) approved spaces for identified niche programs.
    1. The 11.67 PhD spaces allocated as part of the Priorities Envelope are provided to the University of Guelph in 2016-17 to support its graduate programming in justice studies and civil society.