2017-20 Strategic Mandate Agreement: Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University

Preamble

This Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and OCAD 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.

OCAD University Vision, Mission and Mandate

In 2015-2016, ocad university (ocad u) undertook a process of revising its vision and mission statements to reflect our identity as it has evolved into the 21^st century.

Vision statement

Transformed by Imaginations OCAD University challenges you to audaciously and responsibly pursue the questions of our time through the powerful interplay of art, design, social sciences, humanities and sciences.

Mission statement

You: We invite you to build aware, generous and joyful communities that integrate multiple perspectives and critical practices.

Audacious and responsible pursuit: We nurture diversity and resilience and practise equity, inclusion, sustainability and respect for Indigenous voices and cultures.

The questions of our time: We seek and respond to the questions of our time to enrich our disciplines and act as transformative social, economic, environmental and cultural agents.

The powerful interplay of art, design, the social sciences, the humanities and the sciences: We engage with materials, data, technologies, ideas, pedagogy and diverse Indigenous perspectives to support unique research, studio practice and learning, creating interdisciplinary and emergent forms of knowledge.

Mandate statement

Collectively, OCAD University’s new Vision and Mission and five-year academic plan comprise an interdisciplinary vision that supports a dynamic internal culture that is equally outward facing and porous, thereby ensuring relevancy and opportunity for our students and graduates. The university’s aim is to continue its trajectory of integrating learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines with arts and design, programming skills, business knowledge and the capacity to work in a global, highly diverse environment, leading the way to the globally innovative STEAM + D. Equally, OCAD University holds a deep commitment to advancing and supporting Indigenous knowledge and cultures and supporting expression and positive learning and career outcomes for the highly diverse individuals and communities that make up its student body and this province.

Celebrating its 141^st year, OCAD University is Canada’s largest and most comprehensive — as well as Ontario’s only — art, design and digital media, a STEAM + D University. OCAD University currently enrolls approximately 4,500 students in 16 undergraduate and seven graduate programs focused on art, design, digital media, and the application of these fields into wider domains. OCAD University currently employs more than 600 faculty and academic staff, and has 21,000 + alumni who are among Ontario and Canada’s leading artists and designers, and feed all sectors of the economy.

As Ontario’s only, and Canada’s leading art, design and digital media university, OCAD University brings specialized capacity to the workforce, creating jobs, stimulating innovation and contributing to economic development in Canada. The university trains individuals and teams who develop startups and industry partnerships, nurturing invention across a wide range of sectors. The contexts are remarkably varied: information and communication technologies (ICT), digital, mobile, the health sciences, gallery and exhibition venues, design studios, government, galleries, media companies and other cultural industries. In all of these areas, design-thinking, strategic foresight, inclusive design, the command of visual language, creative innovation, courage and curatorial knowledge are the value-added business elements.

OCAD University’s recently completed five-year academic plan, OCAD University: A Transformative Student Experience (2017-2022), sets the context for the university’s strategic aspirations in areas of student experience, teaching and learning, research and innovation. It is an ambitious plan that drives forward the priorities identified in Building the Workforce of Tomorrow: A Shared Responsibility, the report of the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel. The OCAD University SMA strategy in academic priorities, infrastructure, partnership, research and innovation aligns with the Government of Ontario’s commitment to investing in talent and skills, building modern infrastructure and supporting a dynamic and innovative business climate.

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

OCAD U’s five-year academic plan, OCAD University: A Transformative Student Experience, leverages the institution’s vision and mission to generate four strategies that are relevant to Building the Workforce of Tomorrow: A Shared Responsibility, the report of the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel.

Students, graduates, faculty and OCAD University will act as social, environmental, cultural and economic change agents able to undertake audacious and responsible investigations of the world’s significant questions. Design thinking and experimental approaches to art are fundamental tools needed to resolve the pressing social, environmental and economic challenges of the 21^st century, especially because they situate human factors at the centre of innovation. A web of partnerships, experiential learning, research, exhibition and engagement with local, national and international organizations will make this ambitious goal possible.

Students will learn diversity and resilience, and OCAD University will practise equity, inclusion, sustainability and respect for Indigenous voices and cultures. Equity, diversity and inclusion provide a wellspring of alternative knowledge that equips the university — as well as its students, faculty and graduates — to respond to complex issues, changing how we see, think and act in the world and with one another. OCAD University is uniquely positioned to take transformative action in advancing sustainability as an essential cultural and material practice. To that end, the university will embrace critical thinking, alternative practices of material engagement, life-cycle design, systems thinking and collaborative action. Finally, OCAD University is committed to acting on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Ongoing reflection, social justice, critical methodologies and Indigenous values and perspectives will be included in our relations, curricula, teaching, research practices, policies and processes.

OCAD University will provide a transformative educational experience fuelled by the powerful interplay of art, design, the social sciences, the humanities and the sciences. Students, faculty and partners will engage with materials, data, technologies, ideas and Indigenous perspectives to pursue unique research, studio practice and learning. As creators of new techniques, tools, processes and knowledge, OCAD University’s artists and designers will continue to experiment with more humane and environmentally responsible technologies. Our students and faculty will also leverage data — one of the richest, most abundant sources for both art and design — to analyze and express them in meaningful ways and promote creative numeracy. OCAD University will further build its leadership in STEAM+D and will bring art and design to these fields, thereby strengthening interdisciplinary capacity. An interdisciplinary education will foster students’ capacity for critical inquiry and foreground the ways we produce knowledge. It will also equip them with the skills and methodologies for answering the critical questions of our time. In this context OCAD University seeks to expand its degree granting capacity, retaining a focus on art and design, yet providing a breadth of university level degrees relevant to contemporary knowledge in our fields. These include the Bachelor of Arts (BA), the Bachelor of Science (BSc), the Master of Science (MSc) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is increasingly considered the terminal degree in OCAD University’s fields. A change in the OCAD University act would facilitate the ability to offer these degrees.

OCAD U will promote student success through building generous and joyful communities, both within the boundaries of our institution and through powerful partnerships. Emotions and experiences — positive and negative — are a main source of the creativity that is at the core of OCAD University’s mission. Building resilience and courage — the ability to adapt and recover from adversity, illness, trauma and other significant stressors — is critical to the educational process at OCAD University and to the development of a flourishing campus. For example, considerable teaching, research and practice strength from a range of disciplines has been leveraged to meet the challenges of healthcare and wellness in the 21^st century, through the graduate programs in Design for Health and Inclusive Design and faculty members’ growing research activities. OCAD University will continue to leverage those strengths, both internally and beyond the campus.

For 140 years, OCAD U artists, designers and researchers have been intrinsically embedded in communities, establishing the powerful reach of a diverse, seamless campus. As a site of permeable learning, we will continue to create new roles and relationships among individuals, cultures, organizations, industries and governance systems.

During SMA2, OCAD University aspires to work very hard to maintain precisely what distinguishes it as a flagship art, design and technology teaching, learning, professional practice and research institution—an institution that represents the epitome of STEAM+D. As part of this and in addition to the focused differentiation priority initiatives outlined in this document, OCAD University has aspirations to obtain a PhD program, full degree- granting capabilities and expropriation powers.

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

As an entirely non-residential university, OCAD University’s approach to the student experience is highly integrated with the institution’s academic mission. This entails developing tightly coordinated programs and interventions that meet students where they are: in studios and classrooms, in galleries and study spaces, in laboratories and in the context of their diverse lived experiences and their ambitions as creative people. This is enabled, in part, by OCAD University’s unique studio-based learning environment and comparably low faculty-to-student ratios

Examples of institutional initiatives

Launching the Creative City Campus (CCC): The Creative City Campus will revitalize and expand the core of the institution’s campus by adding 50,000 square feet and renovating 95,000 square feet of existing space. The fundamental goal is to ensure students have full access to technology-enabled, studio-based and experiential learning. This multi-year project will generate collaborative and social spaces critical to enhancing the OCAD University student experience. The CCC project is underway and some elements are expected to be completed over the SMA2 period. The project will result in students spending more time on campus and engaging more deeply with co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities. The Centre for Experiential Learning and George Reid House refurbishment will be completed during SMA2, while the rest of the campus revitalization will be completed during SMA3.

Promoting student health and wellness: Promoting health and wellness entails designing accommodation strategies (particularly for studio-based education); developing training for faculty and staff; and shifting attitudes and removing barriers. These efforts will draw on lessons learned from OCAD University’s three-year campus-wide mental health project (2012–2015), funded by the Government of Ontario, which transformed its approach to well-being. Tangible outcomes of this project were an expanded student Health and Wellness Centre, a peer support program, multiple community partnerships and clear protocols for referring students in distress.

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

During the SMA period, OCAD University will continue to enhance and advance studio learning, building on the niche teaching and research-creation that it has practised for more than 141 years.  

OCAD U’s new academic plan includes several priorities that directly relate to its approach to innovation in teaching and learning excellence:

Experiential and work-integrated learning takes a broad and multi-pronged approach to experiential learning that recognizes the myriad of student goals (e.g., employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship, social innovation) and the ways in which students can engage (e.g., work study, course-based placements, exhibitions, internships, research assistantships.)

Language, digital and business skills and technology-enabled learning round out OCAD University’s curriculum to ensure our students, while specialists in their disciplines, have the competencies of a generalist required for success beyond graduation. Given the dynamism and instability of contemporary society and technological change, the university recognizes that students must graduate with data literacy; business and professional planning skills; programming skills; the ability to represent themselves and their work; the capacity to work individually and collaboratively; and the ability to combine literacy and numeracy. As well, OCAD U will provide additional specializations and minors and launch majors that provide students with opportunities in STEAM+D knowledge and skills development.

Disciplinary porosity and cross-fertilization entail creating greater flexibility in OCAD U’s programs. By sharing courses and resources (e.g., instructional, studio) among programs and with partner institutions, the university will be better able to integrate knowledge and methodologies from multiple disciplines

Examples of institutional initiatives

To support innovation in teaching and learning excellence, OCAD U plans to:

Advance and expand the Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers: OCAD U’s approach to career development and experiential learning tightly weaves opportunities within and alongside the formal curriculum, guiding students in the development of portfolios, professional networks, work experience and the articulation of transferable skills. The Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers (CEAD) crafts pathways for early exposure to exhibition opportunities through: OCAD U’s gallery system, entrepreneurship programs though the Imagination Catalyst, facilitated commissions, projects and sales through Career Launchers and placements within industry and community organizations through experiential learning courses and paid internships. During SMA2, OCAD U will grow the CEAD in close collaboration with on- and off-campus partners to scale up the number of opportunities and provide a comprehensive suite of internships, work-study, service learning and exhibition opportunities for experiential learning and community engagement. The CEAD will anchor the new Experiential Learning Centre opening in 2018 (part of the MAESD supported Creative City Campus project), connecting students to industry and community in an active, open and visible hub at the corner of Dundas and McCaul streets.

Making accessible to students a greater variety of courses within the STEM disciplines and provide leadership in providing STEAM + D content development: Art and design are in-demand disciplines by engineering, computer science, health and science programs that seek to establish creative approaches and derive applications in their fields. Equally, artists and designers require the mastery of science, engineering, data literacy and technologies to succeed in today’s quickly evolving world. In partnership with institutions, OCAD University will work to ensure that other specialized institutions can benefit from its niche areas of creativity and that its students can benefit from others’ expertise. Enhanced STEAM+D learning will be augmented by innovation training and business skills.

To realize these objectives, OCAD U will create new academic partnerships, courses and joint degrees with a number of institutions to expand access to OCAD University. These relationships could provide capacity to deliver joint degrees and areas of specialization beyond OCAD U’s current faculty mix. For example:

• OCAD University will explore collaborative opportunities with UOIT to combine design and design thinking expertise at Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) with STEM and expertise at UOIT such as material sciences (OCADU) with life sciences (UOIT); digital futures/integrated media (OCADU) with communications and digital media studies (UOIT). Forms of delivery can include joint appointments, parallel programs and on-line curriculum
• OCAD University has completed four articulation agreements with George Brown College in the areas of Digital Media and Fashion Studies, enabling diploma students to complete a degree. In the next phase of the Strategic Mandate Agreement, OCAD University will continue to work with George Brown College to enable more diploma students to obtain degree credentials, including working on a collaborative degree in digital entertainment. The Campus for the Connected World’s location near GBC's waterfront campus will result in further opportunities for partnerships
• OCAD University will continue to build take up of our articulation agreement between Humber College’s Architectural Technology program and OCAD University’s Environmental Design program to enhance opportunities for students to study sustainable and carbon-neutral design processes
• OCAD University will explore collaborative opportunities with DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and with IBM, combining DeGroote’s expertise in business with OCAD U’s expertise in design, art, and design thinking, and IBM’s strength in design thinking, business and innovation

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

OCAD University approaches access and equity at many levels. The academic plan commits the university to employing best practices for increasing and sustaining a diverse faculty, staff and student complement. This will entail making teaching and learning inclusive of every member of the community and addressing structural, technological, systemic, linguistic and cultural barriers. To that end, OCAD University will draw on its expertise in inclusive design to inform its approach to access and equity.

OCAD University is a leader in art, design and institutional engagement with Indigenous knowledge and culture. OCAD University is committed to including Indigenous knowledge across the institution, providing Indigenous students with an environment in which they can succeed and thrive and supporting Indigenous faculty and staff. To respond to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, OCAD University has pledged to adopt the 13 Principles on Indigenous Education outlined by Universities Canada as critical to redressing the intergenerational and ongoing legacy of the residential school system. The university will also adhere to the recommendations in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; The Journey Together: Ontario’s Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples (Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation); and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. As resources allow, OCADU will build the capacity to do this as set in the academic plan.

OCAD U is also committed to facilitating student mobility within Ontario’s postsecondary system, providing increased access through articulation agreements and joint degree programs, including with: Six Nations Polytechnic; George Brown College as a college partner; UOIT in the STEM disciplines and basic business training; and exploring collaborative opportunities with DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

Over SMA1, OCAD U has expanded pathway agreements between studio-based certificate and diploma programs and its own undergraduate degree programs. These agreements, if developed strategically and planned well, have the capacity to meet enrolment objectives and to provide advanced opportunities to students of exceptional potential who begin their studies at colleges and Aboriginal institutes. There remain, however, many barriers to a smooth transition between institutions, and OCAD University will need to dedicate resources to meet students’ needs for improved clarity and reduced redundancy in the transfer process. There needs to be targeted communication for advanced standing students as to what they can expect from studying at OCAD University and how that would complement their already-acquired professional skills.

Finally, at the faculty level, OCAD University’s recently completed Presidential Task Force Report on Under-Representation includes wide-ranging recommendations. The university’s executive has committed to extensive efforts to ensure the faculty complement reflects the diversity of the student body.

Examples of institutional initiatives

Initiatives exemplifying OCAD U’s approach to access and equity include the following:

Embed Indigenous knowledge and ways of learning across the university: One of the priorities in OCAD University’s new academic plan is focused on increasing the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing into all aspects of the university. We will be striking a Provost’s Task Force to facilitate this process and will hire an Indigenous administrative leader to oversee inclusion of Indigenous knowledge, governance and culture across the institution. OCAD University will prioritize hiring Indigenous faculty to teach across the curriculum and integrate Indigenous knowledge into student services.

OCAD U’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Interdisciplinary Studies (FLAS/SIS): FLAS/SIS has formed a partnership between the Indigenous Visual Culture (INVC) program and Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP). Students who intend to enter the INVC program and who obtain the one-year Visual Art certificate at SNP gain equivalency to OCAD U's first-year INVC and are qualified to transfer into the program’s second year (OCAD University adjusted its policy regarding credit acquisition to facilitate this partnership). Currently, FLAS/SIS is working with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (CIT) to formalize a partnership that would benefit both INVC and CIT students.

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

OCAD University is in a position to pioneer novel research paradigms, practices and traditions at the intersection of the visual arts, design, science, engineering, the humanities and the social sciences. Research carried out at OCAD University is characterized not only by individual faculty members’ pure research and creative and professional practice, but also by its partnerships with industry and not-for-profit organizations in diverse sectors; and by a wide range of beneficial outcomes. For students, participating in research provides essential skills and competencies they require to play a transformative role in Ontario’s economic, technological, social and cultural future.

OCAD University has a long history of internationally recognized creative and professional practice and, more recently, a burgeoning program of research-creation, scholarship and innovation. Faculty members’ scholarship in teaching, research and professional activity is the backbone of the university. Over the past decade, OCAD U has built on its long history of studio-based art and design to establish significant leadership in art- and design-related scholarship. OCAD U has, for example, led important research initiatives in: inclusive design, design for health, art and the environment, visualization and engineering, digital media and other fields. These initiatives have created transdisciplinary collaborations and new models for undergraduate and graduate learning and research in labs, studios and classrooms.

OCAD University requires specialized research metrics that reflect this growth and output, metrics that capture, for example, exhibitions, policy reports, designs, catalogues and reviews. OCAD University has expanded its research, scholarship and research-creation capacity by securing grants from Tri-Council agencies, the Canada Council, other federal, provincial, foundation and private sources. In 2015/16, OCAD U’s research revenue equated to approximately $32,662 per full-time faculty.

With a growing number of research centres and the Imagination Catalyst as an incubator for student, faculty and alumni innovation, OCAD U is establishing itself as playing a specialized and critical role in research and innovation in Toronto and beyond. For example, OCAD University will collaborate with industry partners like IBM and Scotiabank to bring design capacity to the Superclusters and Toronto/Waterloo corridor.

Examples of institutional initiatives

OCAD University’s plans to demonstrate research excellence and impact to include the following:

Continue to define and grow research: Since SMA1, OCAD University has embarked on a process to define research activities germane to art and design. This effort has resulted in the development of a framework that provides the university with a way to measure the activities, outputs and impact of research and research-related creation outside traditional measures (e.g., patents, publications, citations), thereby addressing the limitations of these measures. The university is now building on this work to further consolidate the output and impact measures and to incorporate these within the faculty CV database as outlined in SMA1. This work is important because social and economic productivity demands a focus on design thinking, and the contributions of research in design and art need to be accounted for in order to maximize their impact. OCAD University is committed to expanding and refining the university’s research culture, while increasing partnerships and opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to explore and apply new knowledge and practices.

Launch the OCAD University Partnership Platform (OCAD UPP):Over the past year, OCAD U created OCAD UPP to provide models of practice for engaging with potential partners across a range of opportunities, using a professional client-services approach for partners accessing its resources. OCAD UPP encompasses the many ways in which partners engage with the university: including research, experiential learning and professional practice partnerships. OCAD UPP ensures that partners have positive and consistent experiences and a graduated onboarding for preferred partners encourages greater engagement and investment over time.

Launch the Canadian Design Initiative: OCAD U is leading a pan-Canadian design-research and commercialization consortium that will provide crucial design capacity to industrial clusters and innovation centres across the country (Ontario partners include Ryerson and Carleton universities). This consortium of interdisciplinary university design faculties and programs will work in partnership with industry design leaders to bring design thinking, design methods and design itself to Canada’s emerging innovation clusters. Design is as critical as business planning, high-speed infrastructure and ubiquitous machine learning to a successful cluster and innovation strategy. Ensuring that the future focal areas of economic growth in artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data and the Internet of Things are informed by design research will enable Ontario and Canada to differentiate their economic growth on the world stage

Metrics and targets

*OCAD University research outputs require differentiated metrics

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

OCAD University’s students, faculty and alumni bring fresh ideas to the corporate, not-for-profit and public sectors, providing leading-edge design and solving business challenges — from healthcare to banking and beyond. The university’s partners understand that art and design lie at the heart of creativity and innovation for all industries and sectors. They recognize that partnerships with OCAD University can fuel their research and development, and provide opportunities for philanthropic initiatives that align with their brands’ value propositions to customers and add to their intellectual property. A recent $1 million partnership between OCAD University and Scotiabank demonstrates how businesses seek new partners to drive their creativity and innovation.

OCAD U’s gallery system exhibits art, design and digital media work by students and faculty members, as well as by internationally renowned professional artists, designers and researchers. Exhibitions provoke critical cultural conversations and champion cross-disciplinary practice, collaboration and integration of emerging technologies. Comprising nine galleries with distinct mandates, OCAD U’s gallery system is unified by a commitment to exhibiting innovative works that interact with the university community and the wider public sphere. OCAD University collaborates closely with Toronto based major institutions including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Power Plant and Museum of Contemporary Art, creating learning and internship opportunities for students.

The Imagination Catalyst is OCAD U’s campus-linked accelerator (CLA), a design-focused hub that also offers services for design thinking, entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization. Fully connected to regional talent and other campus-linked accelerators through the ONE Network and funded through public and private investors, the Imagination Catalyst has incubated more than 75 companies, created more than 150 jobs and generated investments totalling over $5 million. The number of active commercialization projects in the Imagination Catalyst per year has increased from six in 2012-13 to 25 in 2015-16. It now provides co-working space for up to 25 design-focused companies and social ventures each year, while also leveraging OCAD U’s investment in world-class research labs and studios. The Imagination Catalyst is supported by the CLA program and private venture funding. OCAD U has built relationships throughout the ONE Network, providing design thinking training as well as design support. The university plans to seek even stronger collaborations between its incubator, support services and other institutions and programs.

Examples of institutional initiatives

To support innovation, economic development and community engagement, OCAD University plans to:

Launch the Campus for the Connected World: SMA1 outlined the university’s intention to build a campus on Toronto’s waterfront. This vision is being realized with the Campus for the Connected World (CCW). The CCW will be a purpose-built facility designed for leveraging and supporting the new formulation of the Imagination Catalyst and the OCAD University Partnership Platform. An interdisciplinary, experimental zone for the development of creative digital solutions to today’s urgent social, economic, technological and environmental challenges, the CCW will be designed to engage partners in research, education and solutions-based activities. Students will gain from experiential learning and applied research opportunities with industry and community partners, specifically in areas relevant to the new economy areas, such as the Internet of Things, Big Data, artificial intelligence and visualization. In addition to dedicated research labs in these areas, the space will house innovation studios and sprint space, where partners can engage with faculty and students on educationally and economically meaningful project work with a focus on application in social and economic contexts. IBM Canada, Scotiabank and Canadian Design Initiative partners are lead partners for the CCW, leveraged in part through Supercluster initiatives that include OCAD University .

Build Imagination Catalyst 2.0: In collaboration with the Centre for Emerging Artist and Designers, OCAD U will strengthen its campus incubator and accelerator, Imagination Catalyst. OCAD U’s social and economic impact is achieved through its teaching, research and entrepreneurship programming. Throughout SMA2, with ongoing support from the Ministry of Research, Science and Innovation and from the Government of Canada, OCAD U will continue to enhance its social and economic impact by expanding the Imagination Catalyst and by leveraging its capacities to foster an inclusive entrepreneurship and innovation curriculum across the undergraduate and graduate experience.

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 6,686.88 Weighted Grant Units (WGU) will be the corridor midpoint value for OCAD University. This value was determined using the institution’s actual enrolment (expressed as WGUs) from the 2016-17 academic year. OCAD 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, Version 1.0.

Projected funding-eligible undergraduate enrolments

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

Note – for this table, Full-time Headcount should be reported for Fall term only. Full-time undergraduate headcounts at OCAD University are defined as students enrolled with an 80 %   course load.

Graduate allocation – SMA 2017-2020

Below are the allocation of funding eligible graduate spaces for OCAD University

Note – allocation shown in FTEs

Projected international enrolment

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

Note:  International enrolments include all funding ineligible international students.

International enrolment strategy and collaboration

OCAD University has long recognized the benefits of a strong international reputation and of global partnerships and networks that enrich its students’ learning and extend the impact of its students’ and faculty members’ practice and research. OCAD University has active research relationships in Latin America, China, India, Europe (including the United Kingdom), Australia, the Philippines and the US.

International enrolment has grown steadily at OCAD University, currently standing at 12 % of undergraduates and 25 % of graduate students. Over the course of SMA2, the proportion of international enrolment is anticipated to grow to 19 % of undergraduates and to be maintained at 25 % of graduate students.

International enrolment growth has been and will continue to be achieved through reputation and profile-building, pathway development with local partners (international high schools, language schools), limited and careful use of international agents (e.g., IDP Canada) and web-based and on-the-ground outreach and coaching in portfolio development.

Partnership: Over the course of SMA2, OCAD University will explore launching a joint degree program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) that expands its Digital Futures offerings and is complemented by a SJTU degree in business and other fields.

Impact of global events and trends: OCAD University has been actively diversifying its source countries for international enrolment by developing a presence in new and emerging markets, expanding US recruitment and developing plans to cultivate recruitment in India, Turkey and the Middle East.

Financial issues: Despite visa requirements that require demonstrating financial means, international students do at times encounter financial barriers (e.g., due to catastrophic events in their home countries or unforeseen changes in family income). OCAD University redistributes one % of international tuition fees to financial aid programs that provide on-campus work opportunities and bursaries to international students.

Language barriers: Retention of international (and domestic) students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) can be negatively affected by language barriers. OCAD University has developed an ELL strategy that embeds pathways for language learners within curricula and augments support through the Writing and Learning Centre

Strategic areas of program strength and expansion

Program areas of strength

1. Fine Art
2. Design
3. Digital Media
4. Visual and Critical Studies

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

Program areas of expansion

1. Design
2. Digital Media
3. Visual and Critical Studies
4. Fine Art

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

The following lists highlight some of the partnerships not mentioned elsewhere in the document.

OCAD University is a highly collaborative institution and partners with industry, the creative sector, various levels of government and other academic institutions.

OCAD University has created deep partnerships with industry. Ontario and Canada’s design associations and their members assist in the refinement and modernization of curriculum, provide internships and challenges. Industry and institutional partners as diverse as Umbra, IBM, SAP, Herman Miller, AMD, Google, Globe and Mail, N-Logic, DHX Media, Scotiabank, GM, RBC, Baycrest, University Health Network, Corus/Shaw, Rogers, Esri and a host of small and medium-sized enterprises bring challenges into OCAD University’s classrooms and studios, host classes and interns and collaborate on research. Venture capital firms such as Relay Ventures and investors such as IBS support companies in the Imagination Catalyst.

OCAD University works closely with all levels of government in a partnership capacity, providing research and consultation services as well as training. For example, OCAD University has been working with the City of Toronto’s Division of Parks, Forestry and Recreation to help them better understand and visualize their recreation use data. OCAD University is also working with Parks Canada and Department of Canadian Heritage to provide design thinking and creative services (e.g. graphic design and photography) to department and divisions that have these skills gaps. As well, OCAD University faculty and staff are engaged in local, provincial and federal policy initiatives that range from advice on public art, urban ecologies, the design of Smart Cities, Indigenous contemporary culture, inclusive design, social innovation, digital transitions, the integration of design thinking into industrial decision-making, virtual world construction, cultural analytics and transportation management. OCAD University is a go-to expert in user-centric design for businesses as diverse as financial services and healthcare providers.

OCAD University regularly collaborates with cultural and creative sector partners such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Aga Khan Museum, the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the Media Lab at the Canadian Film Centre and integrates students, researchers and policy thought leaders into the partnerships. OCAD University also drives community engagement through artist and designer residencies; hosting talks, forums and interactions with world-renowned cultural thinkers, artists and designers; and participating in outreach events such as Toronto’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.

OCAD University’s gallery system is a cultural and academic resource. Opening in a new 8,000-square-foot Category A space this year, Onsite is the largest and primary gallery in OCAD University’s network of galleries, each catering to an important niche. Onsite’s mission is to draw from regional, national and international sources to create and host exhibitions that explore urban identity and experience through art, design and digital media exhibition inside and outside its walls, creating a conversation with our world in all its diversity. OCAD U’s galleries intersect with the undergraduate and graduate programs, which are training the next generation of curators, and we are active in alliance with other university galleries and are hence able to develop large-scale collaborative exhibitions.

Collaborating with other post-secondary education institutions, OCAD University will create new academic partnerships, courses and joint degrees with a number of institutions to expand access to its unique university-level education. These relationships could provide capacity to deliver joint degrees and areas of specialization beyond OCAD U’s current faculty mix. Examples detailed in Section 2 of the SMA include the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, George Brown College, Humber College and the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University as well as Six Nations Polytechnic and the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Section 3.

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

 2014-2017 Strategic Mandate Agreement, Ontario College of Art and Design University