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SEPTEMBER 2023ALGOMA UNIVERSITYREPORTTO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The Strategic Plan we built together is a signal to be bold. To be reverent of our history and proud to tell our stories.3As we consider the start of this fall term and the life changing opportunities Algoma provides, I nd myself reflecting on the feelings of our students. I’m excited for those who have chosen Algoma and are the rst in their family to go to university. I look forward to hearing more stories as classes plan for global experiences, connecting with faculty and peers in other nations to share knowledge and exchange research. I think about students who have come to Canada from across the ocean to study, dreaming of settling here. These are some of the moments I think about when sharing our report with you on our accomplishments and forward-looking plans.We’re beginning this term with a refreshed, forward-looking Strategic Plan. A document that will serve for the next three years as our guiding compass. It reminds us to remain focused on delivering high-quality education and unique learning environments across all three campuses. It’s a touchstone that reminds us that our Special Mission is the foundation for everything we are building. And it’s the blueprint for our work bridging global divides.Through the process, we engaged our stakeholders in a conversation about preparing for the next chapter in the University’s evolution. Our community encouraged our growth in research, programming and enrollment while holding tight to what makes Algoma unique: intimate and personal educational environments, cross-cultural learning and purpose-driven impact. It is your voice that helped us develop our beautiful new vision: Leading meaningful change for generations to come.The Strategic Plan we built together is a signal to be bold. To be reverent of our history and proud to tell our stories. And we have a lot to be proud of. In September, we launched the Learners’ Early Access Program (LEAP), in partnership with the Peel District School Board and Duerin-Peel Catholic School Board. Now, 50 Peel-region high school students are on the Algoma University Brampton campus, starting a journey that will make transitioning from high school to university easier — and showing these young learners that this downtown university campus is is a place they can belong. With the LEAP program, Algoma is breaking down barriers and providing pathways for learners traditionally underrepresented at universities. When a student is the rst in their family to graduate from university, they’re rarely the last. There are more students learning at Algoma University than ever before. 7,100 students across the three campuses are pursuing a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or graduate certicate at Algoma University. Our Continuing Education and LEAP programs are also expanding. Our highly-respected faculty members are securing a growing number of grants, including the most recent NSERC and Global Skills Opportunities grants.To accommodate our academic growth, we’ve witnessed the transformation of many of our classrooms and lecture halls into tech-driven, industry-leading learning spaces. We’ve expanded our Brampton campus by adding 56 Queen St. E. and plans are underway to increase research space across the University to accommodate the growth eorts in research, incubation, innovation and commercialization. We look forward to sharing campus master plan eorts as we move forward.
“Algoma University is changing lives so our students can change the world.”4We are moving ever closer to Makwa Waakaa’igan. The team leading its development envisions Algoma as a global leader in cross-cultural teaching and learning. Makwa Waakaa’igan will focus on truth, reconciliation and healing; preserving the stories and history of residential school Survivors and providing a place that supports classrooms to create spaces that welcome multi-world views and diverse perspectives. It will be built through the guidance and leadership of the Children of Shingwauk residential school Survivors. This one-of-a-kind space will bring together celebration and education, housing the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre archives and Indigenous teachings. It will integrate academic research, art, healing, and ceremony, rooted in respect. It will be a harbour for learning about history and Indigenous practices globally. We’ve also signed a collaboration agreement with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University — a big step towards a Mental Health and Addictions Research and Training Institute at our Sault Ste. Marie campus, to be housed in Makwa Waakaa’igan, as part of our commitment to increasing programs and research that support healing and wellness. Specically, this partnership combines research, training and community outreach to create holistic programs addressing the unique needs of Northern Ontario, Indigenous, and rural communities. We aim to enhance mental health services, combat addiction issues and provide comprehensive support through innovative initiatives, clinical experience, and preventive systems. At the core of this new centre will be mental health and addictions curricula and practices informed by both western and Indigenous ways of knowing. While Makwa Waakaa’igan is a top priority for Algoma University, we are deeply and fully committed to providing space and support for the Indigenous-led site search at the Sault Ste. Marie campus. Our construction and project timelines are considered draft and subject to change until such time as the area is cleared by the site search team.On the Sault Ste. Marie campus, the Reclaiming Shingwauk Hall project is now open to visitors. This permanent, award-winning exhibition space presents the history of the Shingwauk Indian Industrial Residential Schools within the context of colonialism, truth telling and healing. It’s a space built and curated by the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, Residential School Survivors and area First Nations. Reclaiming Shungwauk Hall is an example of Indigenous-led, decolonized history practice.We’re also strengthening ties with First Nations communities and Indigenous organizations. Our most recent partnerships are with the Mattagami First Nation and Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE). Our memorandum of understanding with Mattagami First Nation emphasizes cultural respect and education, and will work to enhance the university-community connection in Timmins. Our agreement with ICE will result in new, innovative hands-on Algoma University programming that will give our students the tools and training to work with Indigenous communities that want to build a community-driven clean energy future — one that respects Indigenous lands, treaties and rights.
Once again this year, in the days leading up to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also called Orange Shirt Day, Algoma University held somber ceremonies, hosted moving and thought-provoking talks, and held tight to each other as we remembered and honoured the victims and Survivors of residential schools, including those impacted by intergenerational trauma. For the rst time on our Brampton campus, the Indigenous leaders of Algoma University raised a teepee — one act in our ongoing commitment to Indigenize and decolonize our spaces, driven by respect.I’m proud of the work our faculty, sta and students have been doing globally. Our students’ Algoma University journeys have again spanned continents in the last few months, with students and faculty engaging in cross-cultural learning at home and around the world. That includes an intensive Articial Intelligence (AI) program in Belgium, research and knowledge-sharing work in Spain and Austria and work with North 2 North in Norway. In June, Algoma University welcomed a delegation of Indigenous and Black-Afrodescendant leaders from Colombia to our Sault Ste. Marie campus. Now, I’m excited to be preparing to lead the return delegation heading to Columbia. This cross-cultural exchange is part of a collaborative eort to deepen commitments to decolonization, diplomacy between nations and diverse peoples, and to support intercultural approaches to education and peace-building. This puts Algoma University on an international stage, and brings together a number of partners we value, including Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, NORDIK Institute, the Institute for Peoples, Territories, and Pedagogies for Peace, the University of British Columbia, the Global Center for Pluralism, the University of Toronto, and the Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS).With our new Strategic Plan in mind, let’s use this academic year to forge meaningful connections with our communities, continue to build an environment where every student and researcher can thrive, and to tell our stories with pride.At Algoma University, we’re changing lives so our students can change the world. Chi miigwetch, merci, thank you for all you do for Algoma U,Asima Vezina Algoma University President and Vice-Chancellor5
Gwekwaadiziwin HONESTY Dibadendizawin HUMILITY Debwewin TRUTH Nibwaakaawin WISDOM Zaagidiwin LOVE Mnaadendimowin RESPECT Aakodewewin BRAVERY VISIONLeading meaningful change for generations to come.Algoma University values respect, diversity, and adherence to academicfreedom.Algoma University values a supportive experiential learning environment.Algoma University values community partnerships and intercultural exchange.Algoma University values excellence in scholarship, creative endeavours, and research.AlgomaUniversity values and integrates Anishinaabe and Indigenous worldviews.Algoma University values and responds to the unique context and developmental goals of each of its campuscommunities.Algoma University values the historical significance of the Shingwauk Site.6
VISION AND VALUESAlgoma University Act, 2008 S.O. 2008, C. 13.The objects of the University are the pursuit of learning through scholarship, teaching, and research within a spirit of free enquiry and expression.SPECIAL MISSIONIt is the special mission of the University to,a) Be a teaching-oriented university that provides programs in liberal arts and science and professional programs, primarily at the undergraduate level, with a particular focus on the needs of Northern Ontario, andb) Cultivate cross-cultural learning between Aboriginal communities and other communities, in keeping with the history of Algoma University and its geographic site.VISIONLeading meaningful change for generations to come.VALUES• Algoma University values respect, diversity, and adherence to academic freedom.• Algoma University values and responds to the unique context and developmental goals of each of its campus communities.• Algoma University values the historical significance of the Shingwauk Site.• Algoma University values a supportive experiential learning environment.• Algoma University values community partnerships and intercultural exchange.• Algoma University values excellence in scholarship, creative endeavours, and research.• Algoma University values and integrates Anishinaabe and Indigenous worldviews.The Seven Grandfather Teachings are commonly shared guiding principles of the Anishinaabe: Nibwaakaawin (wisdom), Zaagidiwin (love), Mnaadendimowin (respect), Aakodewewin (bravery), Gwekwaadiziwin (honesty), Dibadendizawin (humility) & Debwewin (truth).7
Cultivate excellence through cross-cultural, equitable and engaging teaching, learning and research environments for all students. Develop compelling, future-focused programs and areas of research that are: - responsive to the interests of students and communities, - community - integrated; and - interdisciplinary Foster and simplify means for connecting community and university partners.2022-23 KEY METRICS/AREAS OF FOCUS WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED• We’ve launched the Learners’ Early Access Program (LEAP), partering with the Peel District School Board and Duerin-Peel Catholic District School Board. The innovative program invites Grade 11 and 12 students to spend a semester learning on our Brampton campus. This program is focused on helping students from groups underrepresented on university campuses to transition to post-secondary education. • The LEAP Program will include Unity Training. Through the unique AU-Unity partnership in conjunction with Professional And Continuing Education (PACE) Programming in the National Centre of Excellence, youth will have an opportunity to complete their Unity User Certication by the time they are high school graduates, widening access for opportunities to explore elds like media, manufacturing, robotics, automotive and more. • Our faculty members have been awarded new grants. Dr. Pedro Antunes, Dr. Christine Madlinger and Dr. Bill Dew received prestigious national grants for groundbreaking environmental research. Dr. Aaron Gordon has been awarded a Global Skills Opportunities grant for his research proposal The Utilization of Project Management Practices in the Business of Geothermal Energy: An Icelandic Investigation. • The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has developed a training schedule for the Fall term (extendable to Winter and Summer terms) to support faculty in implementing innovative and eective teaching pedagogies, LMS orientation, assessment strategies, academic integrity and plagiarism, remote and synchronous/asynchronous learning facilitation, instructional design, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Transformative, Cross-Cultural Learning in a Quality University ExperiencePRIORITY 1 8
• We have established a new minor in creative and professional writing, geared to meet the needs of the contemporary Canadian workplace. • Two students and one faculty member in the School of Computer Science and Technology attended an Articial Intelligence (AI) Summer Camp in Belgium through Algoma’s partnership with Howest University of Applied Sciences. • We have successfully secured funding from the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships Program to support the University’s eorts to advance decolonization and cross-cultural education through international community-based experiences. Only six out of 29 proposals were successful in securing funding, making Algoma University’s award even more impressive. • Three students in our School of Business and Economics travelled to Spain and Austria with Dr. Jody Rebek to engage in a 10-day learning experience involving research and knowledge sharing with students from two partner universities and industry. Students earned the Global Learning Leadership Skills Development Certicate.• With Mattagami First Nation, we’ve launched the inaugural Land Camp Program for Indigenous Youth in partnership with Canadore College. Since2018 -2019ALGOMA'S BRAMPTONDomestic StudentEnrolment has grown by405%9
WHAT’S NEXT• We’re planning for the establishment of the Graduate Studies Oce. • Three groups of students, faculty, and sta are preparing for short-term international learning opportunities this fall. Learning experiences include studying Shakespeare in Shakespeare’s hometown in the United Kingdom, learning the concepts of thinking sociologically and applying them to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Spain, and participating in a research project with students and faculty at a partner university in Belgium. • The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is developing eective teaching and learning pedagogies in relation to AI (Articial Intelligence) and its fair use by faculty. • Planning is underway to build a domestic admissions unit within the Registrar’s Oce to support Algoma’s largest ever recruiting drive with a focus on domestic students.10
Learn From, In and With CommunityPRIORITY 2 Grow and nurture strong and responsible relationships locally and globally based on the foundational values of respect, reciprocity, and relationality. Integrate and welcome diverse worldviews and cross-cultural perspectives into all aspects and areas of the university. Enhance eective communication and connectivity across campuses. Advance Indigenization and cross-cultural learning, within the spirit of our Special Mission.2022-23 KEY METRICS/AREAS OF FOCUS WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED• We brought together students, sta, faculty and external Indigenous stakeholders to provide feedback on the ongoing strategic visioning sessions to address gaps in the existing recommendations, and develop key metrics for evaluating progress.• Our School of Social Work and the Oshki-Wenjack Education Institute welcomed the rst cohort of Indigenous students in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program, delivered this summer in Thunder Bay at the Oshki campus.• We’ve launched Gaabegendaadawin, an interactive learning program for community, government and industry groups that bridges the understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. • Representatives from the International Aairs team travelled to Alta, Norway to meet with North 2 North Coordinators. The North 2 North program facilitates student exchanges to universities and colleges across the circumpolar north, including northern Canada. • A delegation of Indigenous and Black-Afrodescendant leaders from Colombia made a visit to Sault Ste. Marie to deepen commitments to decolonization, diplomacy between nations and diverse peoples, and to support intercultural approaches to education and peace building. • Our Arthur A. Wishart Library and the Brampton Public Library are working together to create a partnership in the heart of the Brampton campus. Students will have access to research support, resource materials and quiet study space with extended hours.11
• With the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University, we have signed a collaboration agreement that advances the establishment of a Mental Health and Addictions Research and Training Institute at our Sault Ste. Marie campus. • The Faculty of Business and Economics organized a symposium titled The State of Indigenization and Decolonization in Canadian Business Schools at the 2023 ASAC (Administrative Science Association of Canada) conference at Toronto Metropolitan University • The Faculty of Science held the rst ASCO Symposium — a four-way Memorandum of Understanding with Algoma University, Sault College, Canada Forestry Service and the Ontario Forest Research Institute. Forty researchers representing these institutions successfully revitalized the MOU. • The Faculty of Humanities, Social Science, and Cross-Cultural Studies has launched the Community Engagement project. A central activity of the Community Engagement initiative is to provide an opportunity for its student members to experience and get to know community life in the city of Sault Ste. Marie and the region. The students who are members of the program will carry out diverse activities for and in cooperation with the community, with the aim of promoting and fostering joint community responsibility. • The Faculty of Humanities, Social Science, and Cross-Cultural Studies met with Tel-Hai Academic College, Peres Academic Center, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine Ahliya University and AAU. Several faculty members participated in these meetings to explore future academic collaborations, starting with the upcoming mental health conference. • Our 2023 Algoma University Classic Golf Tournament brought together Alumni and supporters from the Sault region to support current and future students. With S&T Group as the tournament’s title sponsor, the event raised $30,000 towards the Student Relief Fund (SRF). EstimatedECONOMICIMPACT on theBRAMPTON ECONOMY$1.5 BILLIONBY202812
WHAT’S NEXT• We’ll be building opportunity and supporting student, sta, and faculty participation in the North 2 North mobility program. • The CTL will Develop a SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) Workshop Series to encourage faculty to engage in SoTL projects to promote the establishment of an active community of researchers at the university. • Through recruitment of Anishinaabe Teaching and Learning Specialist, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will promote indigenization of academic programs and cross-cultural learning with the spirit of Special Mission and assist Anishinaabe faculty in developing innovative teaching and learning pedagogies.13
Celebrate and share Algoma University’s impact. Promote unity by articulating and representing the Special Mission in a way that resonates across campuses and in the communities we serve. Execute a comprehensive student enrolment strategy to ensure the prosperity and creativity of the University into the future.Share Our Stories: Past, Present and FuturePRIORITY 3 2022-23 KEY METRICS/AREAS OF FOCUS WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED• This fall, there are 7,170-plus bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or certicate students on Algoma University campuses.• The Reclaiming Shingwauk Hall project is now open to visitors on the Sault Ste. Marie campus. Built and curated by the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, Residential School Survivors and area First Nations, this permanent, award-winning exhibition space presents the history of the Shingwauk Indian Industrial Residential Schools within the context of colonialism, truth telling and healing. Reclaiming Shungwauk Hall is an example of Indigenous-led, decolonized history practice. • We’ve launched our largest-ever advertising campaign, targeting domestic recruitment and reputation enhancement. • Library sta took part in a professional development opportunity to discuss strategies for emotional labour front-facing work. • We’ve launched our PMYA curriculum to integrate Indigenization and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). The PMYA program is fostering the growth and understanding of Canadian History and Indigenous peoples by integrating core courses focusing on Turtle Island, EDI and Working across Cultures into the Project Management curricula. • We hosted the International Conference on Mental Health and Addictions in April 2023, featuring speakers from Canada, the Middle East and the United States. The event gave us a chance to connect with International publisher Springer. • Student Life took students camping at Pancake Bay this summer, and visited the Agawa Pictographs to help reflect on the history of our region.14
WHAT’S NEXT• On Oct. 12, we’ll hold our John R. Rhodes Scholarship Dinner — a gala event in support of our most prestigious and generous award. This scholarship celebrates academics, and empowers deserving students to achieve their educational goals, so they can have an impact on the communities they serve. This year, we will honour the late Brent Lewis, a man of immense wisdom and character, dedicated to service. • In October, we’ll celebrate new grads from our Brampton campus at a convocation ceremony. • The Alumni and Advancement team is working on a new issue of Algoma U Today Alumni Magazine.• Algoma University is sending its largest-ever delegation to the Ontario Universities Fair (OUF) in Toronto, Oct. 21 and 22. Algoma’s team consists of faculty, students, sta, and administration. OUF is the largest education fair in North America. Over 100,000 prospective students and parents are expected to attend over the weekend.15NUMBER OF bachelor’s degree master’s degree and certificate students on Algoma university campuses this fall:7,171
Invest in and rene our systems and processes to support growth and prioritize - intimate and personal learning experiences, - cross-cultural leadership; and - purpose-driven impact Implement the Algoma University Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy and Action Plan. Develop and implement a robust people and recruitment strategy with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. Continue to invest in student-centric infrastructure that provides supports for all learnersContinue to Build Inclusive and Inspiring Teaching, Learning, and Working EnvironmentsPRIORITY 4 2022-23 KEY METRICS/AREAS OF FOCUS WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED• We’ve nalized a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy with clear targets and goals. • The library team is working with Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) to ensure accessibility across all physical spaces and technology, and will collaborate with provincial partners to make sure Algoma University Library spaces and resources are in alignment with accessibility standards (AODA). • We’ve launched the Request for Proposals (RFP) for a master campus plan in Brampton. • We’ve issued the RFP for a student residence in Brampton. • Our Sault Ste. Marie residence is now fully occupied, and sta are helping students with o-campus housing in Sault Ste. Marie and Brampton, including support with tenant rights, alternate housing programs such as Canada Homestay and emergency accommodations. 16
• We’ve participated in the expression of interest for the city of Brampton’s Centre for Innovation (CFI) building. • We’ve erected the rst teepee on the Brampton campus. This moving ceremony was done prior to this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.• We’ve begun rolling out a leadership training program to senior leadership across the organization. Our rst cohort attended the Ivey leadership program in May, and the second cohort is set to go in November 2023, with a third possibly going in the winter. • We’ve conducted a review on workspace in Sault Ste. Marie and Brampton with key recommendations coming forward to begin implementation as early as this fall. • Thunderbird Athletics athletes, coaches, and administrators have taken pledges for Safe Sport, True Sport, and the Responsible Coaching movement as we commit ourselves to providing a safe and inclusive sport experience for all involved. • Athletics has created a new EDI handbook in collaboration with our AU EDI department, and all teams are doing truth walks on the SSM campus as part of their new season orientation. • We continue to see enrolment growth from diversity markets Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines. We have hired in-market representatives in the Philippines and Latin America to accelerate growth in those markets. An in market representative in Pakistan is scheduled to be hired prior to the end of 2023. • Student First (the PACE Student Information System) is now live including capabilities like student and class registration, student portal, timetables, reporting, student accounts, technical support and more. This system will automate many requests from students making student services more ecient. • We’ve completed the transfer of the international admissions unit from Growth & External Relations to the Registrar’s Oce. 1717Since Fall 2021 BRAMPTON’SCOMPUTER SCIENCE degree students has increased by570%
WHAT’S NEXT• We’re establishing a call centre to better serve our students and ensure all calls are answered in a more timely manner. • We are continuing eorts to improve our course, faculty and exam scheduling through the implementation of a new scheduling system called Infosilem. As we continue the challenge of returning all students to in-person learning, these scheduling improvements will lead to greater student satisfaction, improved classroom and lab utilization and space utilization. • We’re hiring additional sta dedicated to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and we’ll work to support the implementation of the EDI strategy across every department and faculty. • Through better understanding and use of LMS, we’ll help faculty promote eective teaching and learning practices to develop inclusive learning environments in physical and online classrooms.• We signed a new agreement with Algoma University Students’ Union (AUSU) to operate our Food Services in Sault Ste. Marie. This new level of cooperation with our student leaders gives our students greater influence on their food choices, and will help us as we tackle food security for our student population. • Intramurals have been established at our Brampton campus, using the YMCA facilities. This has started with soccer and basketball, and will expand with cricket this Fall.• We are continuing implementation of our new student administration system (SAS), Colleague, with launch expected in mid-February.
Chi-MiigwetchThank youMerci
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