2017-20 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Brock University

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Brock University outlines the role the University currently performs in Ontario’s postsecondary education system and how it will build on its current strengths to achieve its vision and help drive system-wide objectives and government priorities.

The Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA):

• Identifies and explains the shared objectives and priorities between the Ontario government and the University
• Outlines current and future areas of program strength
• Supports the current vision, mission, and mandate of the University and established areas of strength within the context of the University’s governing legislation
• Describes the agreed-upon elements of the new university funding model, including:
  • a University’s enrolment plans as well as their projections of their enrolments relative to their corridor midpoint and any desired changes to their corridor during the period of this SMA; and
  • differentiation areas of focus including metrics and targets
• Provides information on the financial sustainability of the institution; and
• Informs Ministry decision-making and enables the Ministry to align its policies and processes to further support the University’s areas of strength

The term of the SMA is from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020.

The agreement may be amended in the event of substantive policy or program changes that would significantly affect joint commitments made in the SMA (e.g. Major Capacity Expansion, Highly Skilled Workforce, etc.). Any such amendment would be mutually agreed to in writing, dated, and signed by both signatories.

Ontario’s Vision for Postsecondary Education

Ontario’s colleges and universities will drive creativity, innovation, knowledge, skills development and community engagement through teaching and learning, research, and service.

Ontario’s colleges and universities 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 economy.

Brock University Vision, Mission and Mandate

Mission

Brock University envisions itself as a dynamic postsecondary educational institution that:

• Makes a difference in the lives of individuals in our Brock community, the Niagara Region, Canada and the world
• Demonstrates leadership and innovation in teaching and learning across disciplines; and
• Extends knowledge through excellence in research, scholarship and creativity

Brock is a comprehensive university with a wide range of graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as research and community engagements that contribute to the betterment and social, cultural and economic development of the Niagara Region, the province and beyond.

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

To continue to improve its contributions to the students and communities it serves, Brock aspires to enhance its academic excellence; its established strengths in experiential education, transdisciplinary programming and research; and its understanding and promotion of healthy communities. Brock is very much embedded in the Niagara Region and intends to deepen and extend its positive role in the region’s economic, social, and cultural development. To do so, it aims to expand its program offerings in areas that contribute to a positive student experience, the economic and social transformation of the region, the health and well-being of its citizens, and the talent, research and innovation capacity of the region. Niagara currently has one of the lowest household incomes in Canada, one of the lowest university attainments in the province and has been in a prolonged phase of economic transformation. This has generated economic, social and health challenges for individuals and communities. Brock takes its responsibility to contribute to well-being and post-secondary educational outcomes in the region and beyond seriously. Current in-process plans for new programming and ideas that are in the early stages of development are listed in Appendix two of this SMA proposal. In addition to these programs and proposals, and to assist the University as it strives to achieve its goals, the following three initiatives are of particular significance:

 Expansion of Brock’s differentiation area of strengths

We look to partner with the Ontario government to further our focus on areas of differentiation; respond to Building the Workforce of Tomorrow: A Shared Responsibility, the report of the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel; and have greater economic, social and cultural impact on Niagara. With enhanced funding from and partnership with the government, Brock could expand its differentiation and support many initiatives including: experiential education; encouraging local students to strive to attain a postsecondary education; and enhancing knowledge mobilizations and innovation partnerships.

Inter-professional health building

Building on its identified strength in a broad spectrum of health and well-being disciplines, Brock is looking to expand its academic, research and community impacts. This would differentiate Brock as a leader in specific areas of health and well-being education and research across a range of academic disciplines. A new health building, designed to provide additional and enhanced space for existing and planned university programs and community collaborations, would allow movement from inadequate and/or low quality current space and expansion of academic and community programming. It would promote inter-professional collaboration and bring together academic, research and community program activities in a single health hub.

Development of programs that respond to projected labour market demands and community needs and supports regional competitiveness and continued economic renewal

In light of the rapidly changing nature of the global marketplace, changing dynamics in Niagara’s economy and demographic shifts in Ontario’s workforce, Brock aims to work with the government of Ontario in support of the region to establish programming, for example, in engineering, that responds to projected labour market demands and supports economic vitality in the region and provincially, as well as other programming that serves community needs.

Shared Objectives and Priorities for Differentiation

Student Experience

This section captures institutional strengths in improving student experience, outcomes and success. This section recognizes institutions for measuring the broader learning environment, such as continuity of learning pathways; retention; student satisfaction; co-curricular activities and records; career preparedness; and student services and supports.

Institutional approach to improving student experience

At Brock University, we understand that learners desire an educational experience that is connected and relevant to their everyday lives and evolving future opportunities. In 2013, Brock committed to increases in co-op enrolments, community engagement placements and international capstone courses. Moving forward, we intend to increase the quality, breadth and diversity of our co-op programs, and to extend our commitment to a broader array of curricular and co-curricular experiential learning.

We will continue to grow strategically in both our undergraduate and graduate program offerings, as well as developing measures that assess student skill acquisition and employer satisfaction.

We will ensure that students have access to a greater mix of face-to-face, online, blended, flipped-classroom, accelerated and technology-enhanced courses and entrepreneurial learning in a way that maximizes student flexibility and allows options for accelerated degree completion. As well, a robust Spring-Summer academic term will aid students in accelerating their degrees while also providing flexibility for part-time or returning students and students who are trying to balance part-time employment with their education.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Campus wide co-curriculum (CWC): Since its 2014 inception, 56 % of Brock’s undergraduate and graduate student population have registered in the Experience BU portal. This online engagement portal allows students to learn about campus and community events, and is linked to Brock’s Campus Wide Co-Curriculum (CWC). The CWC is an interactive roadmap that groups student engagement events into 10 co-curricular learning domains designed to help students develop life skills and foster understanding with regard to learning outcomes and career competencies. Upon graduation, students receive a co-curricular record that reflects their CWC engagement. The integration of the co-curriculum in course design will increase the number of students registering on the Experience BU portal and activating their profile. Each Faculty is being encouraged to have at least one course that engages first- or second-year students in the CWC. One (or more) faculty members will provide oversight linking these experiences to disciplinary knowledge (i.e., outcome-based language, transferable skills and the ability to reflect on and apply these experiences to real-world contexts).

Career Preparation: Brock University has recently reconfigured co-op, career and experiential education to provide a more integrated support network for students as they graduate and transition into their careers. This career education is being extended through the introduction of undergraduate curriculum-based career programming across all faculties. Our graduate student career training and development program (VITAE) is also to be expanded.

BrockU4U:  It is claimed that in October 1812, as Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock lay mortally wounded in the Battle of Queenston Heights,  he implored his charges to "Push on, brave York volunteers!.”  The Latin word he is reported to have used is Surgite, which means "press on”; this is the motto of Brock University. Using this motto as our motivator, the BrockU4U Campaign will be used by Brock University to improve student retention. Launched in May of 2017, 25 grassroots projects have been approved for the  BrockU4U Campaign aimed at improving retention rates in each year through a coordinated and targeted campaign across the Brock community focusing on interventions that address academic, financial, psychological, social and demographic barriers to student success.

Metrics and targets

Innovation in Teaching and Learning Excellence

This section focuses on innovative efforts including pedagogical approaches, program delivery and student services that contribute to a highly skilled workforce and ensure positive student outcomes.

This section captures institutional strengths in delivering high-quality learning experiences, such as experiential, entrepreneurial, personalized and digital learning, to prepare students for rewarding careers. It includes recognition of student competencies that improve employability.

It begins to identify indicators of quality that are currently available and within an institution’s control.

Institutional approach to innovation in teaching and learning excellence

Brock University believes that to prepare future-ready students we must create the conditions whereby undergraduate and graduate students develop 21^st-century competencies that allow them to meet the challenges of a quickly changing, knowledge-based global economy. We encourage students to acquire the life skills and knowledge that will allow them to be prepared for local, global and digital citizenship. This entails being prepared for life-long learning and responsible global citizenship in an ever-changing global workplace.

As outlined below, Brock is expanding its experiential education opportunities. Brock recently became the first Canadian university to have its experiential education definitions adopted by its Senate. This defined the very broad range of experiential opportunities available at the University, allowing such opportunities to be recognized through program outcomes and on the student co-curricular record. This connecting of theory and practice will allow students to link their experiential activities to their future career aspirations.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Experiential Education: Brock University has an outstanding reputation for the breadth and diversity of our co-op programs. Since 2008-09, enrolment in co-op programs, both graduate and undergraduate, has more than doubled — from 1,420 to 2,927. We will continue to strategically grow our undergraduate and graduate program offerings, and we are developing new measures to assess student skill acquisition and employer satisfaction. In order to more closely align learning outcomes and employment competencies, we will formalize the integration of co-op learning outcomes into the academic program review process. Each Faculty is being encouraged to develop Faculty-specific learning outcomes that enable students to understand how learning outcomes translate into career-ready knowledge, skills and attributes. In addition to co-op,  we began tracking service learning experiences in 2013-14. The number of student experiences has increased from 3,200 to 4,780 since then. We are implementing a new tracking system for 20 types of academic, research and community-based experiential learning in all undergraduate and graduate courses and programs across the University, thereby building capacity and choice in the breadth of curricular experiential learning offerings for students. Every undergraduate and graduate student will be afforded the opportunity to graduate from Brock with at least two curricular experiential learning activities.[1]

 Flexible teaching and learning: Brock University’s 2013 SMA prioritized the development of technology-enhanced courses and a robust Spring-Summer academic term. Online course enrolment has increased from 2092 in 2008-09 to 12,600 in  2015-16. Spring-Summer enrolment has grown from 9,089 in 2008-09 to 15,127 in 2016-17. We will continue to build on these strengths and increase the number of courses offered through alternate delivery modes, enabling access to a greater mix of face-to-face, accelerated and technology-enhanced courses as well as part-time program offerings in a way that maximizes student flexibility and allows options for accelerated degree completion.

Credit transfer and new learning pathways: Brock has a number of learning pathways that improved student access to postsecondary opportunities and reflect students' interest in flexible learning options that respond to academic and career goals. For example, its GAME program delivered collaboratively with Niagara College is novel and occupies a very select niche in Canada. Launched in 2016, the program pairs aspiring game developers with academic and industry experts. In four years, students will receive an honours BA or BSc plus a three-year advanced diploma in game development. Brock will increase the number of college and university articulation agreements that improve students' access of a Brock education, create new pathways and increase experiential and entrepreneurial learning opportunities.

Metrics and targets

Access and Equity

This section recognizes institutions for their efforts in improving postsecondary education equity and access. Institutions play an important role in providing equitable and inclusive environments that make it possible for students from diverse communities to thrive and succeed.

Institutions will also be recognized for creating equitable access opportunities that can include multiple entrance pathways and flexible policies and programming, with the focus on students who, without interventions and support, would not otherwise participate in postsecondary education. Examples include outreach to marginalized youth, transition, bridging and access programs for adults with atypical education histories and who do not meet admission requirements.

Institutional approach to improving access and equity

 At Brock, we recognize that factors such as health and wellness, personal fulfillment, and financial sustainability are linked to academic success. The University seeks to attract the highest quality undergraduate and graduate students for our academic programs. We also believe that academic average is not the only indicator of quality and should not be the only determinant for admission. Brock’s recruitment efforts encourage a wide and diverse spectrum of potential undergraduate and graduate students, including underrepresented groups such as Indigenous peoples, new Canadians, persons with disabilities, first-generation students, students with low income and mature students. Improving access and equity includes focusing on initiatives that will increase the recruitment and retention of students from the Niagara Region. Niagara has one of Canada’s lowest per-capita household incomes and one of the lowest per capita university degree attainment rates in Ontario. It will benefit from greater access to higher education and the corresponding growth in Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) that would result from such initiatives.

Brock has a number of learning pathways, including collaborative programs with community colleges, that improve student access to the post-secondary environment and reflect post-secondary students' demand for flexible learning options that respond to their academic and career goals.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Niagara First: In the past 20 years, Niagara’s industrial base has shifted dramatically and its regional economy is being rapidly transformed by both demographic and technological change. Recognizing the critical relationship between access to higher education and the establishment of a stable and highly skilled workforce, Brock will offer priority (early) admission for all students from Niagara who meet undergraduate and graduate academic program requirements. Our internal data has shown that applications from Niagara high school students to Universities in Ontario has decreased 10% over the past 5 years. Our goal is to increase admissions of undergraduate and graduate students from the Niagara Region. Related to this, Brock historically has had a very large %age of students who are the first in their family to attend university. In 2015-16, Brock initiated "Trailblazer’s Week” – a University-wide celebration of the advantages to students who are the first in their family to attend a post-secondary institution. We will continue to explore new opportunities and programming to enhance recruitment of first-generation students.

Diversity and human rights: In March 2016, then-President Jack Lightstone established the Human Rights Task Force to create a unified vision for the advancement of human rights at Brock University. The final report was submitted in April of 2017. It recommends new policies, educational outreach initiatives and additional resources that demonstrate Brock’s commitment to human rights and equity. These measures will support a campus climate of student diversity and inclusion.

Brock’s commitment to diversity involves increased  outreach to Indigenous students. It has recently completed an extensive review of Indigenous educational programs and Indigenous student support. A direct outcome of the Brock Senate’s endorsement of this report has been the formation of a Two Row Council (the two rows representing the mutual respect and friendship shared by Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the Council). The mandate of this Council is to provide advice and expertise to Senate regarding the enactment and operationalization of the recommendations contained in the Indigenous Education Advisory Committee’s report. These efforts aim to improve the University experience for Indigenous students and scholars, while also increasing awareness of Indigenous issues and perspectives across campus. In terms of student access, Brock is increasing its overall scholarship opportunities for Indigenous students who do not have access to funding through their Band Council.

Health, wellness, and accessibility: At Brock, we recognize that factors such as health and wellness, personal self-management, and financial sustainability are linked to academic success. Brock University has recently implemented an institutional realignment of the student support services for health, wellness and accessibility. We have developed a peer support network that more fully engages community partners in order to identify and support student health. Brock recognizes that community partners are crucial to sustained success for students. Consequently, Brock is working with community partners, such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, to develop a comprehensive mental health strategy focused on prevention, intervention and postvention.

To ensure that this plan remains rooted in leading practices in the mental health and addictions field, Brock will establish a Mental Health Advisory Committee that will oversee the implementation of the plan. The committee will be comprised of internal and external stakeholders, including people with experience working in mental health.

Brock understands that partnerships are crucial to long-term sustainability. Consequently, it is working with Niagara College and Mohawk College to establish a collaborative consortium that provides guidance on leading practices and student wellness. The consortium will comprise staff, students and practitioners from Brock and McMaster Universities, Niagara and Mohawk Colleges, as well as the Niagara community. This collaborative approach will increase our opportunities for shared resources.

Metrics and targets

Research Excellence and Impact

This section captures institutional strengths in producing high-quality research on the continuum of fundamental and applied research through activity that further raises Ontario’s profile as a globally recognized research and innovation hub. It also acknowledges that research capacity is strongly linked with graduate education.

Institutional approach to research excellence and impact

 Research at Brock has strong connections to our surrounding communities and to broader understandings of the health of these communities, which includes physical and mental well-being, healthy economies and healthy social and cultural sectors. Documenting and improving the quality of the communities' health through leading-edge research has been a primary focus of Brock’s research strategy, whether in the regional, provincial, national or international communities. Brock researchers are also strengthening our international reputation through partnerships that create the knowledge, services and infrastructure required for the Niagara Region’s success in a globalized economy.

Understanding these broad-based issues requires an expertise across all disciplines — a transdisciplinary approach. Transdisciplinary research involves intellectual environments in which researchers across disciplines combine their expertise to create new forms of inquiry and new types of solutions. Transdisciplinarity is in Brock’s DNA, and since it was founded, the University has worked to challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries, encouraging its students to engage with multiple theoretical and methodological approaches to knowledge as they complete their studies in a range of unique programs. We have many successful initiatives providing knowledge mobilization within Niagara and beyond.

Brock’s first major commitment to transdisciplinary research began in 1996 with the establishment of the now, internationally recognized Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) to undertake research that benefits local, provincial and national grape and wine industries in Canada. The only research centre of its kind in Canada, CCOVI's activities range from complex laboratory research to in-the-field programs that alert grape growers to imminent threats from severe weather. Today, CCOVI has strong linkages to the competitiveness of the grape and wine industry in the region and across the country. The Institute’s combination of research, outreach and education activities have contributed more than $91 million and the equivalent of 307 jobs to Ontario’s economy in 2014-15, according to a recent economic impact study.[2]

In 2013, Brock established five new transdisciplinary research units (TD hubs):

• The Advanced Biomanufacturing Centre
• The Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being
• The Environmental Sustainability Research Centre
• The Centre for Lifespan Development
• The Social Justice Research Institute

Each TD hub was provided with $1 million in funding over a five-year period. Through the hubs and other initiatives, like the Niagara Community Observatory, Brock undertakes important research that is relevant to key Niagara industries, including tourism, agriculture, performing arts and culture, and the broader business community, as well as larger environmental concerns. The success of these hubs has encouraged further transdisciplinary activity at the University and is leading to new research projects and new opportunities for both students and faculty.

As a component of their degree programs, graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to engage in basic and applied research as valuable members of a research team, which may or may not be associated with the TD hubs. They are able to interact with principal investigators and contributors from across multiple disciplines, allowing students to develop their skills and experience new areas of research capacity that are vital to their future success. Students have been increasingly partnering with private and social enterprises through entrepreneurial learning opportunities, and the addition of the Brock Learning, Innovation, Networking and Commercialization Centre (LINC) will further encourage and expand these.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Brock Healthy Youth Project (BHYP): As part of the Centre for Lifespan Development Research transdisciplinary hub, the BHYP is led by a team of researchers from Brock along with colleagues from other Canadian and International universities, working  with more than 20 community partner organizations, as well as a Youth Engagement Committee comprising Niagara-area youth aged 14-24. This committee enables local youth to assist the research team in developing research ideas, providing information on youth health and happiness, and injecting a youth voice into the project’s events. BHYP provides one of the first truly comprehensive studies of positive youth development by examining how life choices, environmental experiences, health-risk behaviours, mental health, physical health and brain development interact over time. Knowledge mobilization is a key component of the project, as schools, community agencies, government agencies and health professionals that promote youth well-being will be given a summary of the overall results of this project.

Niagara Community Observatory (NCO): A public policy think tank working in partnership with the local community to foster, produce and disseminate research on current and emerging issues that are relevant to the surrounding region. The NCO engages in research both on its own initiative and by working with other organizations. Its major research focus is the Niagara Region, but with reference to how the Niagara Region is situated in the provincial, national, binational and international spheres. The NCO offers regular community events where locally-based policy briefs are introduced.

Vector-borne diseases research: Brock’s Containment Level 3 Lab is the only one with an insectary at a Canadian university that studies the transmission of viruses new to Canada. The lab identified two invasive mosquito species, both known vectors of West Nile, and the dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. Recently, Brock researchers worked to determine whether Ontario mosquitoes were capable of transmitting Zika virus.

Environmental Ergonomics Lab (EEL):  Unique to North America, the EEL is funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science. It enables cutting-edge research into the effects of environmental stress (e.g., extreme temperatures, high altitude, cold water) on human physiology and performance. This research spans fundamental investigations into the mechanisms of human physiology and is applied to making work and recreation safer and more productive in extreme settings. The lab’s team currently includes a post-doctoral fellow, two PhDs, one Master of Science and four BSc Kinesiology research students through scholarship funding from Mitacs, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship program, as well as from many partners, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Workplace Safety Insurance Board, Transport Canada and Mark’s Work Wearhouse.

Social Justice Research Institute (SJRI): The SJRI seeks to: nourish the construction and mobilization of knowledge addressing contemporary social problems; open pathways to progressive social change; and help to build a more just society in and beyond the Niagara Region. The research addresses a wide range of topics, including labour relations, gender relations, ethnicity, indigeneity, transnational social justice movements and issues related to animal rights. The Institute co-organizes numerous local events that engage members of the Niagara community and it partners with local groups on a range of grassroots research projects. SJRI also organizes an annual international conference  that attracts scholars from around the world, with results published in an online journal and readers in more than 140 countries.

Metrics and targets

Innovation, Economic Development and Community Engagement

This section recognizes the unique role institutions play in contributing to their communities and to economic development, as well as to building dynamic partnerships with business, industry, community members and other colleges and universities. It focuses on regional clusters, customized training, entrepreneurial activities, jobs, community revitalization efforts, international collaborations, students, partnerships with Aboriginal Institutes and a program mix that meets needs locally, regionally and beyond.

Institutional approach to innovation, economic development and community engagement

 Brock, Niagara Region’s only university, strives to support local cultural, social and economic development goals. The University is uniquely positioned to build partnerships that genuinely strengthen and contribute to local businesses, industry, not-for-profits and community members generally. Brock places a premium on mutually beneficial initiatives, using its strengths and resources in ways that support local needs as well as expanding opportunities for students, growing cutting-edge research and developing innovative programs, services and technologies. The University’s impact is most prominent in the areas of economic development, health and well-being, education and training, social and cultural development, and environmental sustainability.

The combined effects of multiple economic downturns, the decline of traditional manufacturing, high unemployment rates, and an aging population have created economic pressures with long-term impacts in the Niagara Region. As the Niagara Region moves to diversification and restructuring of the local economy, Brock is serving as a catalyst for recovery through collaborative social and economic partnership initiatives. Examples include Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts supporting downtown renewal; Brock’s support of the Niagara Region’s 2022 Canada Games initiative; and CCOVI's engagement with the grape and wine sector in Niagara and across Canada.

Brock is responding to local needs by capitalizing on and developing the community’s own intellectual property. Brock emphasizes research in areas that involve businesses, not-for-profits and community members as partners, both as participants in research projects and as receivers of research outcomes that are locally relevant. This approach results in two-way knowledge exchange, commercialization of intellectual property, the creation of spinoff companies in partnership with the Niagara Regional Innovation Centre and joint venture activity between the University, industry and community organizations.

Brock believes that learning takes place across a lifetime, through formal institutional structures as well as less formal avenues that help individuals gain the knowledge and skills to achieve personal and professional success. Brock aims to strengthen education opportunities for the Niagara Region’s youth and expand the Niagara Region’s training and skills development opportunities for individuals across their lifetime. Brock strives to have a mix of programs that meet the needs of the community, tailoring its programs towards current and potential local growth areas such as oenology and viticulture, nursing, tourism, health and well-being, gaming, education, fine and performing arts, and entrepreneurship. This specialized training for in-demand areas supplies the region with needed talent.

Brock is actively engaged in partnerships that allow the University to affect the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Niagara Region’s traditional and emerging economic clusters by working with public, private and not-for profit organizations, local entrepreneurs and innovators to support job and business growth. The University offers world-class research strengths in disciplines that compliment existing strengths in the Niagara Region’s culture and economy, such as the grape and wine industries, or the needs of Canada’s booming population of retirees. In addition to supporting existing local strengths, the University provides research, training and incubation to nurture and drive growth in evolving or developing clusters.

The University recognizes that challenges and opportunities in our community can affect a person’s capacity to reach their full potential. The impact can be especially pronounced for vulnerable groups who face direct, indirect and systemic discrimination and barriers that limit their opportunities. The University is using partnerships to empower people and to build a community that provides greater opportunity for all.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Entrepreneurship and innovation: Brock was a founding partner in the building of an innovation mechanism for the region. The creation of Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen) was sparked by the desire of Brock’s Faculty of Humanities to integrate teaching and innovation. nGen created a digital interactive collaborative hub that brought Brock together with such like-minded groups as Niagara College, Interactive Ontario, the Niagara Region, the City of St. Catharines and the Niagara Enterprise Agency. nGen was expanded to create Innovate Niagara, which is Niagara’s Regional Innovation Centre. The Brock LINC, to open in 2018, will build on and enhance Brock’s efforts in commercialization, entrepreneurship and innovation. It will provide a range of flexible, purpose-built spaces designed to promote transdisciplinary and collaborative research and technology-enabled development, including dedicated facilities for incubation, business support and capacity building. It is a means of connecting Brock’s research (including that of undergraduate and graduate students) with community and industry partners. It is also a means of encouraging students to employ their expertise in the Niagara Region, assisting in the community’s transition into a knowledge-based economy.

Health and well-being:  Interprofessional Education for Quality Improvement is a joint partnership between Brock, McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Niagara Public Health and the Niagara Health System (NHS). It is an extension of the classroom, providing an opportunity for students and front-line staff to work together on a variety of quality initiatives that improve patient care. Projects take place at the NHS, Tabor Manor and Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre. The wide-ranging projects include: prevention of falls, diabetes and insulin safety, sepsis awareness and education, patient transitions from one healthcare provider to another and reducing mental health emergency room visits. The Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being connects research directly to community needs while providing opportunities for student training. The Centre includes a 5,600-square-foot fully equipped gym and operates four community-based programs dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of Niagara residents. Through exercise and life management seminars, all of the programs offered at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being aim to improve function, promote well-being, and reduce the risk of diseases associated with inactivity.

Environmental sustainability: Brock University is located in a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Biosphere Reserve. The Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) encourages transdisciplinary research and knowledge mobilization in areas related to sustainability, with issues ranging from water resources, climate change, and resilience to gender issues, development and health. The UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability is located within ESRC. Its mandate is to strengthen initiatives in sustainable agriculture and community-based natural resource management, with an emphasis on empowering women. Local engagement has led to the development of Niagara projects that examine soil health in local vineyards, sustainable agriculture at the local level and impacts on climate change, especially extreme weather effects on meadows and rural lands.

Metrics and targets

Enrolment Strategy and Program Direction

Enrolment plan and corridor midpoints

This section also establishes the agreed-upon corridor midpoint that will form the basis of enrolment-related funding over the course of the SMA period.

Corridor midpoint

For funding purposes 28,157.98 Weighted Grant Units (WGU) will be the corridor midpoint value for Brock University. This value was determined using the institution’s actual enrolment (expressed as WGUs) from the 2016-17 academic year. Brock University will receive funding consistent with this level of enrolment and subject to the policies contained within the Ontario University Funding  Model Technical Manual, May 2017, Verison 1.0

Projected funding-eligible undergraduate enrolments

Below is the institutions projected enrolment of funding-eligible undergraduate enrolments for Brock University

Note – for this table, Full-time Headcount should be reported for Fall term only.

Graduate allocation – SMA 2017-2020

Below are the allocation of funding eligible graduate and PhD spaces for Brock University

Note – allocation shown in FTEs

Projected international enrolment

Note:  International enrolments include all funding ineligible international students.

International enrolment strategy and collaboration

Brock University’s internationalization strategy is rooted in our vision, mission, values and strategic priorities. It speaks to our commitment to the highest quality academic and student experience and to serving the 21^st-century learner. In an increasingly interconnected world, we are compelled by an ever strengthening imperative to graduate global citizens. This will include diversifying the Brock community and welcoming larger cohorts of international students, faculty and staff. It will also include proactively developing our intercultural competencies, student support structures and internationalization initiatives, so that we can fully realise the benefits of this diversity. Brock’s vision is an integrated model for internationalization, where recruitment, student exchange, and academic experience are woven together and build on each other rather than stand alone in silos. The internationalized Brock experience will see us as a global university of choice, located in an internationally renowned region, that provides unparalleled intercultural exposure where all students, domestic and international alike, gain the skills to succeed in diverse cultural environments, share their voices and ultimately thrive.

To operationalize our internationalization strategy, Brock University has adopted the Canadian Bureau of International Educators Internationalization Statement of Principles  for Canadian Educational Institutions (CBIE, 2016) which identifies seven internationalization principles to which all Canadian institutions should adhere.

Brock’s commitment to diversity involves ensuring greater access for international students seeking degrees in Canada, we will increase our undergraduate and graduate international student admission by increasing recruitment efforts into new and emerging markets (e.g., Latin America, Africa, Middle East) while continuing to ensure our campus culture and services respond to the diversity of our student body. These developments will include investment in initiatives that will improve retention rates among International students. Brock is providing opportunities for more of our students to participate in study abroad, exchange, and international field courses led by faculty members. We recognize that international activities offer our students a range of benefits and respond to the changing needs of future-ready learners. International exchanges, study or work abroad programs and programs with international perspectives enhance the student experience and build new skills that make our graduates more competitive in the 21^st-century marketplace.

The number of international students attending Brock University has doubled since 2008 and increased steadily over the past five years. International students from 94 countries represent 10 % of our student population. These students fully participate in degree programs across the entire University campus and across all of our faculties.

Brock University also offers specific international pathways to graduate degrees in the faculties of Education, Mathematics and Science, Social Sciences and the Goodman School of Business. There are approximately 210 students entering these International Student Pathways each year.

In addition to international students registered in degree-granting programs, Brock also has a strong and vibrant English as a Second Language Program that attracts over 700 students each year and provides many of these international students with bridging courses to help support their transition into full-time degree-seeking programs.

Brock University also has a very robust student international mobility program, supporting approximately 300 students on its student exchange partnerships with universities in over 20 countries around the world. Each year, approximately 140 students participate in international field study and service learning courses abroad offered by Brock faculty and staff members. Brock currently has more than 150 international agreements with institutional partners in 54 countries to support student exchanges, research collaborations, study abroad and other experiential opportunities geared around its internationalization strategy. In 2015, for example, this led to 70 visiting scholars from 20 countries coming to participate in the Visiting International Scholars program.

Despite steadily increasing participation of international students in degree programs at Brock and increased engagement of faculty and students in international exchanges and opportunities, internationalization is a particularly vulnerable component of any institution, due to factors beyond their control. These include, but are not limited to: changes to immigration policies (both domestic and foreign), political instability, currency fluctuations, fraudulent applications, increasing competition for international students, changing demographics, and curriculum changes in home countries. The often-narrow range of program interests of international students creates challenges with diversity and capacity in courses. Despite these external influences, Brock University is prepared to mitigate such risks through its International Office. Examples of the kinds of actions this may involve include waiving application fees and offering transition awards for students recently affected by travel restrictions in the US, increasing recruitment efforts in emerging markets in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, increasing scholarship and bursary support for international students, providing additional language support for international students pursuing graduate or undergraduate degrees, providing funding to Brock University students who participate in student exchanges and study abroad courses, ensuring transition support for new international students and holding an annual celebration of nations event to foster cultural awareness across Brock’s campus.

The Vice-Provost, Enrolment Management and International (VPEMI) is responsible for the implementation of Brock University’s Internationalization Strategy. The VPEMI, in conjunction with the Director of Brock International, works closely with various sectors of the university in both the development and activation of the Internationalization Strategy. For instance, these sectors include the Senate, Board of Trustees, Senior Administrative Council and Council of Academic Deans.

Strategic areas of program strength and expansion

Program areas of strength

1. Health and Well-Being through the Lifespan
2. Business
3. Sustainability and Social Justice
4. Arts, Cultures and Communication
5. Scientific and Technological Applications
6. Education

The proposed areas of program strength are intended to inform program approval processes.

Program areas of expansion

1. Health and Well-Being through the Lifespan
2. Sustainability and Social Justice
3. Business
4. Arts, Cultures and Communications
5. Scientific and Technological Applications

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.

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.

Institutional Collaborations and Partnerships

 In 2016-2017, Brock University has articulation agreements with 24 Ontario colleges, providing 180 possible pathways for college graduates to enter programs across six faculties at Brock. For Brock graduates wishing to move to a college program after graduation, there are 26 formal agreements in place.

The first cohort of students entered the GAME program in the fall term of 2016. Delivered in collaboration with Niagara College,  this novel program occupies a very limited niche, unique in Canada, where courses are fully integrated and delivered at both institutions. The program pairs aspiring game developers with academic and industry experts. In four years, students will receive an honours BA or BSC plus a three year advanced diploma in game development.

In addition to the GAME program there are 17 pathway options for Niagara College graduates/students to enter Brock to complete a range of undergraduate degree programs. Examples include Dental Hygiene to Public Health, Pharmacy Technician to Community Health and Business Administration Marketing to Business Administration.

Continuing a successful joint venture between Brock University and Niagara College, the Joint Recruitment/Liaison Officer is a unique joint institutional employee reporting to both Registrars and acting as a shared Student Services resource. Responsible for facilitating the successful transition of targeted groups of students between Brock University and Niagara College in partnered and articulated programs, the officer provides academic advising services and transition planning, with responsibilities in aspects of recruitment activities for articulated programs between the two institutions, and for the tracking and assessment of student success in these programs. In addition, the officer acts as a liaison between the two institution’s student service and academic areas specific to pathway initiatives, issues and opportunities.

The Joint PhD in Educational Studies is offered jointly by Brock University, Lakehead University and the University of Windsor. The Joint PhD program is the only program of its type in Ontario (and indeed one of very few in Canada and North America) that combines the resources of three universities to offer a uniquely empowering PhD degree. Consequently, it continues to receive inquiries from other universities interested in developing a similar model of graduate scholarship and doctoral training with other institutions.

The Joint PhD Program is jointly offered and implemented and overseen by a Director with the assistance of the Office of the Secretariat. As a result, every aspect of its operation is negotiated collaboratively amongst the participating universities, since a shared organizational structure ensures smooth joint functioning of the program. The program as a whole, and the Office of the Secretariat in particular, are supported by pooled funding that covers the administrative expenses of the Director, including general program administration, the salary of the Administrative Assistant and operating costs. In addition to the Director, the program has a Program Committee that is composed of at least one representative from each partner and serves in an advisory and policy-making capacity. The position of Director and the Office of the Secretariat rotates among the three participating institutions every five years.

In 2015-2016, following on the success of the Goodman School of Business BBA Dual Degree program with the European Business School in Germany, two additional partnerships, NEOMA Business School in France and Dublin City University in Ireland, were formalized. These limited enrolment programs (20 Brock, 20 Partner school) offer students the opportunity to obtain a dual degree with studies completed annually at both Brock and one of the partner business schools. Students begin study at Brock and then move to one of the partner institutions or they begin at EBS, NEOMA or Dublin City and then move to Brock to complete the program. Built into the program is the requirement for students to complete an internship or co-op placement during the terms spent away from their home institution.

The Joint Interdisciplinary MA in Canadian-American Studies is an interdisciplinary, interfaculty and international program jointly offered by Brock University and the State University of New York at Buffalo campus. While taking courses on both campuses, students will have the opportunity to consider the interplay between discipline-specific topics and broader issues salient to the Canadian, American, or North American landscape and, in particular, to explore their field of research from both American and Canadian perspectives. Courses and instruction in theory and research methods will equip students to approach their field from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Cooperation between the McMaster University DeGroote School of Medicine and the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences has led to a number of joint initiatives, including improved inter-professional education between medical and nursing students, shared human anatomy teaching laboratories, regional health services quality studies and related experiential education opportunities for health sciences and medical students. New initiatives include planning and cooperation in development of plans for the new inter-professional health building, which may include exclusive, as well as shared, educational and research space and development of new cooperative initiatives in areas such as Medical Humanities.

Ministry/Government Commitments

• The SMA2 process has focused on implementing the first stages of the new funding model and demonstrating the ongoing commitment by all colleges and universities to student success. Future growth will only be funded through negotiated changes to an institution’s funded enrolment corridor. Through the SMA2 cycle, the ministry will continue to work closely with institutions to ensure all dimensions of the funding model are implemented
• In a memo to colleges and universities dated March 7, 2017, the ministry committed to using the SMA2 (2017-20) process as a transitional phase to commence the collaborative and joint development of performance metrics and targets, tied to funding, for SMA3 (2020-23). The ministry reiterates this commitment and reaffirms that metrics and targets included in SMA2 are not tied to funding at this time and are a beginning point for further discussions with the sector prior to their application in SMA3. Colleges and universities will have the opportunity to reset and realign metrics prior to the application of metrics in SMA3. The ministry will also engage other stakeholders as part of discussions on a broad metrics strategy.
  • The ministry commits to establishing a joint working group with each of the sectors and to begin detailed discussions in fall 2017 on metrics/targets and to seek input on the performance measurement methodology for SMA3
• Colleges, universities and the ministry all benefit from processes that are transparent and non-duplicative. The ministry commits to work with colleges and universities to continue to streamline processes and seek opportunities to further reduce red tape (in part through increased access to other tools) , including reducing or eliminating duplicated reporting requirements
• Through SMA2 discussions, the ministry has heard concerns about the challenges of delivering breadth in programming for Francophone and Francophile students, including the cost and funding of such delivery. Starting in fall 2017, the ministry commits to consulting institutions who have a formal mandate for bilingual and/or French-language delivery to review the delivery of French-Language programming and consider these concerns
• In 2016, an extension of the existing tuition policy framework was announced to support a major reform in OSAP. The ministry will engage with both the college and university sectors around the next tuition policy framework, including examining the issue of tuition anomalies in certain professional programs as a result of past changes to tuition policy, and, for colleges, examining tuition levels relative to competitive college tuition frameworks in Canada
• In recent years and during the SMA process, there has been an increased interest in the creation of a new polytechnic designation in the Ontario postsecondary education system. Starting in fall 2017, the ministry commits to undertake a review that examines whether improved benefits for students and employers are sufficient to make such a change. The ministry commits to working collaboratively with institutions across the sectors on this review
• The ministry commits to continue to work collaboratively with universities to assess the anticipated need for additional graduate spaces related to programs that are currently under development
• Starting in fall 2017, the ministry commits to undertake a review of the university Northern Grant working collaboratively with universities to examine whether the criteria for access and allocations of the Northern Grant represent an equitable approach

[1] See Brock University’s Experiential Education Categories for a list of curricular experiential learning. These categories

were approved by Senate, December 7, 2016. (Appendix attached).

[2] MDB Insight: CCOVI Economic Impact Assessment (2014/15) Final Report (January 15, 2016)

2014-2017 Strategic Mandate Agreement, Brock University