President's Newsletter – Issue 3 (January, 2009)
Allow me at the outset to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and to welcome everyone back to Kwantlen after the holiday break. If our first six months are any indication, we are in for an exciting 2009. Having said this, however, we should not dismiss the many challenges Kwantlen will face during the coming year. We have been named a university, but no one should be under the illusion that our task ends there. While the government has provided some general signals about the kind of university we should be, we still face the challenge (and the opportunity) to define our mandate as a new and different kind of university in British Columbia. In this connection, we must avoid the “wanta be” tendency and strike out on our own.
It is a fact that Kwantlen is facing some significant budget challenges, the result, not so much from becoming a university, but from the underfunding we experienced when a university college. That this places us in a less than satisfactory position as a university goes without saying, and securing new resources, even in these very difficult economic times, must be a priority in any advocacy with government.
I also realize that there is a substantial element of the unknown relative to Kwantlen, and that some people might worry about their future with the institution. Here we must find ways for people to grow and adapt to Kwantlen as a university, even as we value their past contributions and achievements and incorporate them into the new Kwantlen. Educational institutions never stay the same. They must, if they are to remain relevant, change in response to the needs and expectations of our students and society in general.
Budget Developments
I hope everyone had an opportunity to read my “End of Year Letter” in which I talked briefly about the budget and the budget process for the coming year. As a first stage in this process, we have established a set of institutional priorities, which are intended to assist in the shaping of the 2009-10 budget. As well, we have established a rather aggressive timetable for developing the budget.
Although to a certain extent we are feeling our way, we must aim throughout the budget exercise to ensure transparency and to encourage understanding relative to how the budget is developed. We shall be requesting the major budget units to submit proposals for 2009-10, which will be considered in the context of Kwantlen’s institutional priorities. These will be due towards the end of January.
Underpinning the budget exercise is the need to decentralize budget decision-making at Kwantlen, which the Deans and others have told me has been too centralized for far too long. This is a work in progress because there are currently systemic limitations in Kwantlen’s budget which inhibit flexibility. This does not mean, however, that we cannot begin the process of change.
It is also the case that we must look for good ideas and creative ways of doing things from all parts of the institution. This will only be possible if everyone understands Kwantlen’s priorities as well as the opportunities and challenges we have in the coming year. As part of this exercise we must look for better and smarter ways of doing things. This does NOT mean cutting budgets or laying-off people. Rather it demands that together we find ways of doing our jobs in a way that serves our students more effectively.
We would all agree that the reputation of an institution is built on the quality of the academic programs it offers and on the learning environment it provides for its students. But both these things are rooted in the quality and the commitment of the people who make up the Kwantlen community, and it is these people we must support if we are to achieve our goals.
Academic Programs
I wish to recognize the Faculty of Science, Mathematics, and Horticulture, along with the School of Horticulture, for the excellent academic plans they submitted just prior to Christmas. These reports focus on the general aims of the Faculty and School and address, more specifically, the development of new degrees to be implemented in 2009 and 2010. A great deal of thought and work obviously went into these reports, and they send a clear signal about the substantial academic ambitions of our colleagues as we begin the budget process for 2009-10.
As I suspect everyone knows, Kwantlen is subject to the Degree Quality Assessment Board, which must approve all new degree programs before they can be implemented. This slows down the approval process enormously. We have therefore applied for exemption from the DQAB process, now that we have in place a Senate to ensure the quality and integrity of our academic programs and procedures.
In the meantime, we have resubmitted Kwantlen’s proposal for the Bachelor of Fine Arts, and are hopeful that the proposal will receive positive attention this time. The quality of our Fine Arts faculty is as good as any found in Canadian universities, and Kwantlen most definitely attracts high quality students to Fine Arts. It is only appropriate that they be allowed to stay at Kwantlen to finish their degrees. More than this, the BFA clearly belongs in a “polytechnic” university as an applied, professional degree. It is well documented how important the cultural industry is to the Canadian economy.
While a number of Faculties are working on the development of new degrees, we need to keep in mind the growing importance of Qualifying Studies, which will remain central in Kwantlen’s commitment to open access. Repeatedly I hear colleagues talk about Kwantlen’s role in providing opportunity to those who might not otherwise have access to post-secondary education. This was very much a part of the Creating our Future document. Kwantlen has ambitions to be different, and this continuing commitment to accessibility and opportunity is a cornerstone of this difference.
The same can be said for Kwantlen’s continuing commitment to the Skilled Trades. It has been made very clear by government that we are expected to provide and to enhance educational opportunity in the Skilled Trades, and it would be sheer folly for us not to pursue the continued expansion of these programs. That we have a fine faculty and one of the best Trades facilities in the country underlines the importance of our commitment.
I indicated in a previous Newsletter Kwantlen’s intention to get back into the Continuing Education business. In a meeting before Christmas, the VPs and Deans agreed that appointing a Director should proceed immediately. At the same time, it was recognized that Kwantlen must avoid the problems that plagued Continuing Education in the past. Key is the need to ensure a collaborative approach that provides maximum input from the Faculties and departments, and, to the extent possible, allows for revenue sharing. It is my understanding that everyone agreed that Kwantlen is missing opportunities by not developing new programs in continuing and professional education.
Langley Campus
I announced in December the appointment of Dr. John McKendry as Special Assistant to the President for the Langley Campus. In this role, John will take on responsibility for the management of Langley, for coordination of all programming at Langley, for spearheading new developments at Langley, and for interacting with the extended Langley campus. To repeat the obvious, the Langley campus needs revitalization, and we are past the point of simply making sympathetic noises. Actions speak louder than words.
Renovations are well underway for the move of our Newton colleagues to Langley, who will relocate in February. I had the opportunity to walk through their new offices in late December, and was impressed by the quality of the space. We did have a minor setback at Langley over the Christmas break with a blown valve and substantial water damage in the science wing. Facilities Management acted very quickly and I want to thank Karen Hearn and her colleagues for going the extra distance. Some adjustments will need to be made for the coming semester, but we are optimistic that there will be no disruption to our programs.
One of the ongoing challenges at the Langley campus has been offering a sufficiently comprehensive program attractive to students. Because enrolments have not for a long time been what we would like, Deans, confronted with limited resources, have moved under-enrolled sections from Langley to Surrey. This has, in turn, led to a situation where students have no guarantee about the availability of courses at Langley, with the result that fewer students attend the Langley campus, and choose instead to attend another institution. With fewer students, there are even more problems with enrolments resulting in a counterproductive downward spiral.
The only way to remedy this situation is to ensure course offerings on the Langley campus, and to stop the pattern of cancelling under-enrolled courses. We have therefore made the commitment to provide funding from institutional savings for course offerings at Langley for the next two years, and have asked the Deans to submit appropriate plans. Underpinning this initiative is the general matter of campus rationalization, something which needs serious consideration. At the very least, we should be putting together programs allowing students to complete two years at Langley with the expectation that they can move to the Surrey campus for years 3 and 4.
We must also consider the Langley campus as especially appropriate for one and two-year programs, in which students are not looking so much for a comprehensive undergraduate experience as they are for an efficient way of accessing post-secondary education for purposes of career advancement. While Langley is not readily accessible by Public Transportation, it is an easy vehicular destination, and we should take advantage of this situation. As well, we need to keep in mind that the Golden Ears Bridge will open next year, and provide all kinds of new possibilities.
I am very pleased, as well, that Peter Fassbender, Mayor of Langley, is hosting a lunch to highlight the importance of Kwantlen to the Langley community. I have been asked to speak, and I shall use the opportunity to indicate some of our plans for Kwantlen’s Langley campus.
Governance
The new University Senate will be fully operational with its first meeting in January. As well, individual Faculties are now working on the development of Councils, which will determine academic programs and policies for each Faculty. The University Senate has determined that individual Faculties should be allowed to determine whether they wish their Councils to operate as “representative” councils, in which representatives are elected by each academic department comprising a Faculty, or as a Faculty of the whole, in which all faculty members in a Faculty comprise the Council. Senate has asked Faculties to inform it concerning this first decision by March 16, 2009. Should a Faculty determine to have a representative council, it must inform the Governance Committee of Senate by March 16, 2009 for consideration by Senate on March 30, 2009 on how membership of the Council will be determined.
As most people already know, the Office of the University Secretary is now responsible for providing administrative support for both the Board of Governors and for the University Senate. Having a single administrative office for both the Board of Governors and the Senate is necessary to ensure effective interaction between the University’s two governance bodies and to prevent them from developing as two solitudes within the institution. To accommodate this change, the University Secretariate has moved to Surrey Campus Building C208.
That the President will chair Senate as of January 1, 2009 is a major difference in Senate operations. It should not surprise anyone that the President does not have the time to handle the volume and detail associated with Senate operations. Therefore we have determined that Dana Cserepes and Tak Sato, as First and Second Chairs of Senate, will provide day-to-day coordination for Senate through the Office of the University Secretary. It is my intention to review this model at the end of the current academic year.
I am also pleased to inform the Kwantlen community of the appointment of two new members of the Board of Governors. These new members are
Ms Kim Richter
Mr. Shane King
I welcome both Kim and Shane to the Board.
One of our biggest challenges during this early formative period of Kwantlen as a university is to ensure effective communication in the institution. As we know too well, information can sometimes be misinterpreted as it is transmitted from one group to another. Issues and concerns are not necessarily addressed in a way that provides people with the degree of understanding and security that we need during our first year as a University. At present, Kwantlen has the President’s Group, comprised of the President, Vice-Presidents, and Associate Vice-Presidents, which meets every Tuesday, largely to discuss and to make decisions about ongoing operational issues. As well, the Deans Council, chaired by the Vice-President (Academic), meets every second Thursday to consider both policy and operational issues. Chaired by the Vice-President (Academic), the Deans Council is comprised of the Deans, Associate Deans, the Vice-Presidents, and the Associate Vice-Presidents.
The need to ensure open and broad communication was further confirmed by the two very successful days we had in December with Sheldon Levy, President & Vice-Chancellor of Ryerson University, and Errol Aspervig, Former Provost of Ryerson. People will know that Ryerson went through a very similar process as the one in which Kwantlen is engaged at present, having gone from a Polytechnic Institute to a Polytechnic University to a University. While we necessarily had to limit attendance, the turnout, especially from Department Chairs and Coordinators, underlined the importance of this group in determining institutional direction.
I therefore intend to establish a Department Chairs/Coordinators Forum (those responsible for an academic department or program), which will be chaired by the Vice-President (Academic) and meet once a semester to provide opportunity for a candid exchange of views. I am committed to attending this forum. We are also looking at introducing a similar opportunity for administrative directors, although in the meantime, I have asked Human Resources to bring together all excluded staff for a town hall in the near future. This meeting is also intended to allow for questions and comments concerning Kwantlen’s directions and plans.
Institutional Mandate
As I have discussed elsewhere, an immediate challenge for the new universities in British Columbia is to determine a mandate that distinguishes them from the established research universities and that makes clear what is stated in the enabling legislation. As well, we know there will be many operational issues to be faced in the coming year—budget, collective agreements, faculty status, research funding, capital investment. These issues cannot be addressed until there is agreement between the Government of British Columbia and the new universities concerning their mandate, both collectively and individually.
Accordingly, the five new universities have created a joint Mandate Committee that will, in the first instance, draft a mandate document pertaining to all the institutions. We expect this document will be available in early January, and we shall endeavor to make it generally available to the University community. In anticipation of this document, the Deans did meet before Christmas with the Vice-President (Academic) to provide input on the broad principles we believe should be included in any mandate document. We shall in due course also be consulting with KFA and the BCGEU. The final mandate document will be presented to both Senate and the Board of Governors.
Any general mandate for the new universities must inform the specific mandate for Kwantlen. While we are moving towards defining an institutional mandate, it is largely occurring serendipitously, as, for example, when we determine our priorities for the coming year. Granted these priorities are ones to which we all can agree—that Kwantlen is committed to comprehensive undergraduate education, that, consistent with its role as a polytechnic university, it is committed to offering applied programs that respond to labour-market needs, and that it aims to respond through its teaching and research programs to the regional needs of the south Surrey area.
But we need to be more disciplined in determining how we define ourselves and we need to collectively agree to what our mandate should be. I am therefore establishing the President’s Task Force on Institutional Mission and Mandate. This will be a broad-based group comprised of faculty, staff, students, Board members, alumni, and community members, which will be charged with drafting a mandate and mission specific to Kwantlen. It is my intention to Chair this group. While we must ensure that drafting a mandate document is an inclusive one, we need also to be expeditious and produce something in a timely fashion. Any final document will be sent to Senate and the Board of Governors for input and for final approval. I wish to have this exercise concluded by May 30, 2009.
In my last Newsletter, I talked about the need for Kwantlen to develop a strategy for research and innovation. This is also the case for teaching and learning, which, according to the University Act, are the cornerstone of Kwantlen’s identity. We must therefore encourage good teaching and recognize it. We must look for new and innovative forms of pedagogy, and we must ensure that how we teach supports our commitment to accessibility. We need to continue to provide bridging programs for special populations, and, in fact, to make them a cornerstone of our identity as a university. We must support the excellent work done by the Centre for Academic Growth. Nothing is going to be achieved overnight, but we need, over the next few months, to determine strategies that will forward Kwantlen’s role as a research and teaching institution. It is not enough, in other words, to say we are a teaching and learning institution; we need to demonstrate it repeatedly.
Up-coming Events--February Convocation, Open House
This year we shall have two Convocation ceremonies scheduled for February 12, 2009. We are having these ceremonies because the usual Fall Convocation was Kwantlen’s inaugural Convocation as a University, and we did not graduate any students on that occasion. At the February Convocation, the Government will present to the University a dedication plaque commemorating our transformation into a university. My understanding is that Minister Coell will attend the ceremony when this occurs. Second, we shall receive and dedicate the University’s mace, which is currently being carved by Drew Atkins, a member of the Kwantlen First Nation, and one of Canada’s pre-eminent First Nations carvers. Obviously we want to have as many faculty and staff as possible to participate in Convocation. It is important to keep in mind that Convocation now belongs to Senate as the chief academic body of the University.
Kwantlen will host its first ever High School Open House, appropriately labeled “Kwantlen’s Big Open House” on February 27-28. This is a significant milestone for Kwantlen, and an important step in developing a comprehensive recruitment strategy. One of the challenges we face, of course, is our four campuses. This year’s Open House is scheduled for the Surrey campus, although the intention is to represent all of Kwantlen’s programs regardless of the campus at which they are offered. We have been working closely with the various School districts to ensure that students attend the Open House. It should be noted, too that this is something for which the School Districts have been asking for a long time.
Building Legacies Naming Committee:
I am pleased to advise that the Committee to name buildings and facilities is now established. Its members are as follows:
Mary Jane Stenberg, President’s Office (Chair)
Karen Hearn, ex efficio
Jeff Norris, ex officio
Marilynne Waithman - administration
Arthur Coren, administration
Ronnie Skolnick - faculty
Panteli Tritchew - faculty
Maurice Bedard - staff
Tom Radesh - staff
Steve Lee - student
Kristen Ash – alumna
The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for January 14, 2009, and I am optimistic that the committee will move forward expeditiously with its work.
A Final Few Words
I remember saying when I arrived at Kwantlen last July that I was happy to be leaving the winter behind. It hardly needs saying that I had no idea of what was to come. While we might all be getting tired of the snow, we are still beginning a new year with all its hopes and expectations. Once again, I wish everyone at Kwantlen my very best wishes for 2009. May it be a safe, healthy, and rewarding year.
David W. Atkinson
President & Vice-Chancellor
