Strategic plan

Our vision reflects what we aspire to:  

We open doors to possibilities.

Our mission is a statement of our purpose:

We provide high-quality, dynamic learning opportunities that support personal and professional growth. Through our dedication to academic and service excellence, we offer a transformative experience to each lifelong learner.

Our values are what we stand for. They guide our decisions and inform our actions.

The primary driving force behind all that we do is our belief in the transformative and collective nature of learning. Underlying this core value are five additional principles that guide how we make decisions, work with others and perform our work.

• Academic + service excellence

  We believe in excellence in program design, teaching, evaluation and service. We achieve this by committing to engagement, support and the ongoing development of our learners, who are the foundation of our work.

• Accessibility

  We believe in improving access to post-secondary education for all learners. We provide a variety of learning opportunities, seek ways to minimize barriers to participation, and advocate on behalf of learners to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.  

• Innovation + collaboration

  We believe in a culture of innovation where people feel empowered to generate ideas, take strategic risks and collaborate. We build learning communities and partnerships that include the contributions of many, and transcend boundaries between programs, disciplines, services and people.

• Engagement

  We believe that engaging and developing our people fosters an environment of respect, integrity and commitment to the work and success of our division. We build this learning culture by engaging people fully in their work, recognizing contributions, and providing professional development opportunities.

• Sustainability

  We believe in being socially, financially and environmentally sustainable. Through careful planning, we strive to optimize our existing resources and ensure that our programs and services are relevant, resilient and ethically responsible.

The year 2020 affirmed the importance of diversification and adaptability. Over the next five years, the division will strengthen and vary its revenue streams, learners, programs and delivery methodologies. Across our domestic and international programs, we will revitalize successful in-person programs and expand in two key areas of growth: online learning and micro-credentials.

Online learning

Online learning extends our reach beyond geographic boundaries, and opens access to high quality education for learners around the world. The Division of Continuing Studies has been offering distance education for over 40 years. With a solid foundation in place, we are poised to intensify our efforts and advance the quality of our programs to an even higher level. In the next five years, we will increase our online and blended program offerings with a focus on elevating dynamic teaching and learning excellence. We know that the quality of our courses and our personal engagement with learners is paramount to our success.   

Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials are short, non-degree certifications that verify learners’ competence in a particular skill or group of skills. The Division of Continuing Studies already offers a wide range of programs that help our learners to advance their professional and career goals. Over the next five years, we will develop and deliver new micro-credentials that align with labour market, employer, government and community priorities. These may be open-enrolment public offerings or customized programs developed in partnership with others.

In-person programming

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us how valuable community and social contact is to learning, and to our overall sense of well-being. It also provided time to reflect on what is working well and what can be improved. Over the next five years, the Division of Continuing Studies will revitalize and strategically rebuild its in-person programs and services, with a focus on improving quality, relevance and efficiencies. We will continue to build a campus environment characterized by teaching excellence, dynamic learning, social connection and cultural awareness. 

Strategic facilitators are key elements that will enable successful implementation of our plan. Over the next five years, we will:

• Support our staff, teachers and instructors with tools, training and development required to remain current and confident in the ever-changing landscape of technology and educational programming  
• Cultivate and reinforce a culture of cross-collaboration throughout the division in order to inspire innovation and elevate best practices
• Refine and streamline divisional systems and processes to become more efficient, agile and user-friendly 
• Ensure our financial sustainability and resilience through careful resource planning and a diversified revenue portfolio
• Identify emerging trends and growth opportunities, and expand our marketing reach to engage new and diversified audiences