Strategic Directions, Goals and Objectives

Acadia 2025: Organizational Framework

Strategic Theme: Transforming Lives for a Transforming World

STRATEGIC VISION

Acadia University is the top choice for students seeking a transformative university experience dedicated to unleashing their potential to prepare them for a transforming world.

STRATEGIC MISSION

Acadia University provides an unparalleled learning experience through a liberal education model based on personalized attention, expanding the boundaries of knowledge, experiential learning, community engagement, environmental stewardship and global citizenship, and engaged research and innovation delivered by a passionate, dedicated and nurturing community within a beautiful and historic campus environment.

Caring for our students and employees

Goals:

Transformational student experiences focused on academic and personal success

An inclusive and supportive community campus culture

A campus culture passionate about professionalism, inclusion, service excellence, and leadership

Caring for our community’s safety, health and wellness

Msit No’kmaq - advancing acadia’s contributions to truth, reconciliation and decolonization

STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND GOALS

Caring for our planet Revitalizing our academic core Maximizing our impact regionally and globally

Goals:

Environmental stewardship and sustainability are signature institutional features of Acadia

Make measurable progress and establish a target date for achieving net carbon neutrality Goals:

Embrace a 21st- century liberal education model that is central to Acadia’s vision and mission

Enhanced support for teaching and learning excellence Goals:

New partnerships and collaboration to drive regional development and educational opportunities

Leadership and impact in environmental, rural and coastal research and innovation

Acadia’s research is impactful regionally, nationally and globally Sustaining our institutional future

Goals:

Achieve optimal rates of student enrolment to ensure institutional and campus community sustainability

Establish a culture of sustained fundraising and giving

Enhance infrastructure renewal and campus development to meet priority needs

Strategic Directions, Goals and Objectives

caring for our students and employees

Caring For Our Students and Employees: By Enriching the Acadia Learning and revitalizing our Working Experienceacademic core One of the distinguishing features of Acadia is that we truly and deeply care about our students and for each other as a learning community. Given Acadia’s small size, students and employees are not merely numbers, they are valued and treated as individuals. Acadia prides maximizing our impact itself on being a community where everyone supports each other, but especially where we all support and care for the welfare and success of our students. This sustaining our is a key part of Acadia’s commitment to a personalized institutional future educational experience, whether it be in small classes where professors know all their students by name, or whether it is from the individual support and mentoring of students by professors and staff alike. At Acadia, caring for students learn how to live and thrive in a community. This our planet extraordinary learning environment can only be delivered when our employees are fully committed to that goal and are supported in delivering outstanding educational and professional services to our students.

Goal: Transformational Student Experiences That Focus On Student Academic And Personal Success

The Acadia learning environment is one that is increasingly rare within Canadian university education, and it is shared by all Acadia students and not just select groups or cohorts. Inside and outside the classroom, students who choose Acadia will benefit from the implementation of a comprehensive Strategic Enrolment Management and Student Affairs (SEMSA) approach to support student academic and personal development. This includes advancing student employment and career success through improved career counseling and employment services; providing tools (such as an e-portfolio) to provide students with the ability to capture and describe their academic, experiential, and engaged learning experiences, skills, and capabilities; improving data and information management systems to provide accurate and timely information to support enrolment management (recruitment and retention) decision-making; and collaborating with our Maple League colleagues to leverage the advantages that our human-scale learning environments offer in providing an extraordinary student experience.

At the same time, Acadia’s students must become more globally aware through international learning experiences. This deliberate effort to increase cultural, political, and economic awareness through research, scholarly work, and experience will accelerate campus efforts to embrace diversity, inclusivity, and equity for all.

Objectives: • Implement a comprehensive Strategic Enrolment

Management and Student Affairs (SEMSA) approach to support student academic and personal development • Advance student employment and career success through improved career counseling and employment services and the provision of tools (such as an e-portfolio) to provide students with the ability to capture and describe their academic, experiential and engaged learning experiences, skills, and capabilities • Improved data and information management systems to provide accurate and timely information to support enrolment management decision-making • Increase opportunities for students to gain international experiences. • Collaborate with the Maple League to support increased student success, retention, and engagement

Key Performance Indicators: • Increase rates of student retention and graduation • Increase student satisfaction through improved and streamlined service delivery and student information systems • Increase in number of students with employment placement on graduation • Double the number of students who study abroad or have some formal international experience as part of their academic program

Goal: An Inclusive and Supportive Campus Community Culture

Acadia’s student population is increasingly diverse, so our community needs to support and foster a genuine environment of inclusivity and equity. Within Canada, increasing access and support for Indigenous students, African-Canadian students, and students from minority and disadvantaged communities must be a priority. As domestic high school graduating class numbers flattenout, international students will become an increasingly important percentage of our first-year class.

Objectives: • Ensure that our student support services are responsive to the increasing diversity of our student community • Increase access and support for Indigenous students,

African-Canadian students, and students from minority and disadvantaged communities • Work with the Post-Secondary Accessibility Working

Group (PSAWG) and the Rick Hansen Foundation to develop an accessible campus strategy • Undertake Initiatives to promote respect, inclusivity, and professional collegiality across our campus community in collaboration with employee groups and the ASU

Key Performance Indicators: • Increase in the diversity of Acadia students, faculty, and staff • Increase the number of Indigenous students • Increase in the number of students from minority and disadvantaged communities • Compliance with requirements of Nova Scotia’s

Accessibility Legislation

Goal: A Campus Culture That Is Passionate About Professionalism, Inclusion, Service Excellence, And Leadership

The delivery of a transformational student learning experience only comes about because of a highly skilled, passionate and caring workforce, comprised of individuals who are dedicated to the success and wellbeing of our students. Educating the whole student means that Acadia’s employees care about each student as a complete person, where academic, personal, spiritual, and physical health and wellbeing are paramount. Acadia’s employees are all leaders because each one of them steps up to take the lead on helping our students get the support they need to succeed not only as students, but as adults in an increasingly complex and changing world. Diversity within our employee population must also be a priority consistent with the NSERC Dimensions Charter and our workplace must be equitable, inclusive, and free from barriers, harassment, and discrimination. Objectives: • Promote a culture of leadership and excellence with increased opportunities for professional development for staff as well as faculty • Make progress towards increasing equity and diversity in Acadia’s workforce and hiring practices, including gender, sexual orientation, and visible minorities. • Identify new approaches to improve efficiencies, effectiveness and excellence in service delivery • Make progress on addressing optimum staffing levels in areas of greatest need through strategic investment where resources permit. • Collaborate with the Maple League in supporting professional development and engagement between the four universities

Key Performance Indicators: • Number of employees engaging in PD and leadership initiatives • Meet or exceed expectations for employment equity and diversity • Increase levels of job satisfaction among Acadia employees

Goal: Caring For Our Community’s Safety, Health And Wellness

Acadia prides itself on being a safe and supportive campus community, and we are located in a safe and welcoming town and region. Yet we know that young people, and those of university age in particular, are facing an unprecedented level of mental health issues. One in five Canadians live with mental illness with an estimated cost to Canadian workplaces of $50 billion annually not including an estimated $6.3B in lost productivity. Also, sexual assault is a scourge upon our society, and is of particular importance in universities given demographic characteristics and diversity of campus communities. We support federal and provincial initiatives to eliminate sexual violence on campus and support victims and survivors. Organizations that embrace health and wellness programs

are leaders in avoiding the high costs of poor health and all universities are acutely aware of the important link between student health (both physical and mental) and their academic and personal success. Acadia’s leadership in combatting smoking, drug use, and inappropriate consumption of alcohol, as well as our commitment to healthy eating and diet are well established, and we are one of the few universities in Canada to have our own organic farm that supplies produce directly to our food services on campus. Acadia was the first university in The Maritimes to be officially designated as a “Fair Trade” campus.

Acadia’s is proud to be the smallest university and only one of eleven with over 100 Academic All-Canadians and boasts the highest proportion of varsity athletes achieving this status of excellence in academic and athletic performance. At Acadia, health and fitness is not just for student-athletes. Confronting the health and wellness needs of Acadia’s campus community and developing a proactive strategy to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being is critical to ensure that we truly do educate the whole student within a safe and supportive environment.

Objectives: • Valuing the “whole person” through a culture of Health and Wellness throughout our campus community • Ensuring a safe, healthy and respectful learning and work environment for all students and employees • Work with the Acadia Students Union (ASU) and support government programs to address sexual violence and mental health issues within the student community • Work with ASU and Acadia Food Services to increase the use of locally grown, sustainable food on campus and continue to support the Acadia Farm and the

Wolfville Farmers Market • Work with Acadia Athletics and Recreation to promote greater fitness and wellness across campus and a more physically active community for employees and students

Key Performance Indicators: • Increased number of employees engaging in health and wellness activities • Reduced rates of employee physical and mental health illness • Reduction in student absence/withdrawal due to physical and mental health issues that can be supported through campus programs and support services

Goal: Msit No’kmaq - Advancing Acadia’s Contributions To Truth, Reconciliation And Decolonization

In 2017, the President’s Advisory Council on Decolonization released a series of actions that will help Acadia respond to the recommendation of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The newly formed Acadia Indigenous Education Advisory Council is positioned to guide progress on several fronts including the establishment of an Indigenous gathering space, increasing Indigenous representation among faculty and staff, introducing Indigenous ways of knowing into curricula, and increasing the partnership and synergies between Acadia and its Mi’kmaq community neighbours. Collaborations within the Maple League add an important layer of opportunity for further development.

Objectives: • Continue to implement the recommendations of the

President’s Advisory Council on Decolonization in collaboration with the Acadia Indigenous Education

Advisory Council • Work with the Maple League to support Indigenous student experiences across our respective communities • Develop new partnerships and collaborations with regional Mi’kmaq communities • Seek external sources of funding to support truth, reconciliation and decolonization, and create more appropriate space for Acadia’s Indigenous student centre (Welkaqnik)

Key Performance Indicators: • Increased satisfaction of Indigenous students as measured by internal surveys • Increase in number of Indigenous faculty and staff • Increased number of partnership activities with Mi’kmaq communities • External funding to support Indigenization initiatives on campus

caring for our planet

Caring For Our Planet: By Leading, Educating and Researching in Environmental Stewardship, Climate Change and Sustainability In 2019, the United Nations reported in its Emissions Gap Report that global greenhouse gas emissions rose to record levels. Climate change experts predict that at this rate our planet’s temperature will rise by 3 to 5º C with disastrous consequences. The IPCC special reports on the implications of a 1.5ºC increase in global temperature (2018) and on the oceans and cryosphere (2019) have provided further scientific proof of the existence of a climate emergency. There is simply no more time to delay the action necessary to reduce emissions, and while governments and industry have the primary role, it is important that organizations and individuals do their part, and that our students are educated about the crucial importance of environmental stewardship, climate change and sustainability. Today’s students are graduating into a world that is not only changing socially, culturally, economically and technologically at an increasing pace, but due to climate change it is also changing physically in a way that no previous generation has experienced. It is imperative that progressive educational institutions make environmental responsibility and sustainability as core elements in curricula, programming and institutional practice; and make progress towards becoming net-zero carbon emitters.

Goal: Environmental Stewardship And Sustainability are Signature Institutional Features of Acadia University

Acadia is uniquely positioned to attract students, faculty, and community partners based on its existing environmental leadership but an all-out effort across campus to broaden and strengthen this commitment to our environment represent an opportunity for growth in research, enrolment, and institutional reputation. Embracing Indigenous traditional knowledge about environmental sustainability and stewardship; and adopting appropriate globally recognized Sustainability Goals are but two examples of how learning communities can embed transformative measures of environmental sustainability into the campus community and culture.

Objectives: • Promote awareness of climate change, environmental stewardship, and sustainability as focal elements of every part of our institution and community • Incorporate Indigenous Traditional Knowledge of sustainability and environmental stewardship across the campus • Build environmental responsibility and sustainability into all aspects of campus development, planning and infrastructure renewal: o Align with applicable UN Sustainability Development

Goals (SDGs) as guiding principles for Acadia’s development o Adopt an appropriate Sustainability Performance Index

Key Performance Indicators: • Incremental increases in Acadia’s compliance with selected UN SDGs and in adopted Sustainability

Performance standards • Number of environmental and sustainability initiatives and activities across all units and areas of the university • Increased use and recognition of Indigenous traditional knowledge and ways of knowing across the university

Goal: Make Measurable Progress And Establish A Target Date For Achieving Net Carbon Neutrality

While building institutional capacity and commitment to address climate change through research and education is important, Acadia has to join the worldwide movement to reduce its carbon footprint. Old and aging infrastructure with outdated mechanical systems present significant barriers but building environmental responsibility and responsibility into all aspects of campus development, planning, and renewal as opportunities arise will be critically important. We have examples of this commitment such as the K.C. Irving Environmental Sciences Centre and more recently the Huestis Innovation Pavilion and Science Complex re-development, but a concerted effort beyond infrastructure replacement will be required to make real, measurable progress.

Objectives: • Update the Acadia Sustainability Assessment and include a campus carbon-footprint analysis in order to determine an appropriate target date for achieving carbon neutrality, ideally by 2030: o Develop an appropriate monitoring system to measure carbon footprint reduction • Incorporate sustainability and carbon footprint reduction into all infrastructure investments and activities at Acadia • Find new opportunities for increased use of alternative energy production and energy efficiencies

Key Performance Indicators: • Continued improvements in energy efficiencies across campus • New external funding to support sustainability and carbon footprint reduction at Acadia • Progress in carbon footprint reduction over the life of the plan and determination of an optimum date for achieving carbon neutrality caring for our students and employees

revitalizing our academic core

Revitalizing Our Academic Core: Through Compelling and Impactful Programs, Experiential Learning and Inspired Teaching to maximizing our impact Prepare Graduates for 21st Century Careers When Acadia joined with its Maple League partners to formally launch the Maple League of Universities in 2016, sustaining our the four partners established the key differentiators that make our teaching and learning environments different institutional future from what has become the norm in Canadian postsecondary education. Top among these is the ease with which students engage directly with their professors, caring for colleagues, alumni and community members during their our planet learning process. Student proximity to and engagement in faculty research is another, as is the ability for students to engage in experiential learning in all programs, and to become part of one of Canada’s most highly community engaged universities. In its 2018 Humans Wanted: How Canadian youth can thrive in the age of disruption, RBC said “they will need a portfolio of human skills such as critical thinking, social perceptiveness, and complex problem solving to remain competitive and resilient in the labour market.” Regardless of their specific program or area of studies, Acadia students learn these skills due to the rich research environment in which our undergraduates are taught and the engaged community experience that is part of the Acadia experience.

Goal: Embrace The 21st Century Liberal Education Model That is Central to Acadia’s Mission

The Liberal Education model that is the core of Acadia’s academic excellence and success has never been more relevant than it is in today’s rapidly transforming world, where the ability to adapt and evolve will be important criteria for success. The learning environment at Acadia is ideal for all students seeking to develop the portfolio of skills cited by RBC. Faculty and staff awareness of and support for furthering Acadia’s differentiation is high and represents an opportunity to move forward on several fronts including removing barriers to increasing interdisciplinary learning; identifying new interdisciplinary or multi-Faculty programs; embedding research and experiential learning as hallmarks of Acadia’s undergraduate experience; building environmental stewardship and responsibility into the academic core; and embracing Indigenous traditional knowledge and ways of knowing.

Objectives: • Ensure that Acadia’s liberal education experience focusses upon academic and research excellence and remains at the leading edge of undergraduate education in Canada • Remove institutional barriers and increase opportunities for interdisciplinary learning: o Develop new strategic interdisciplinary/multi-Faculty programs with a focus on positively influencing student recruitment • Embed High Impact Practices (HIPs) as hallmarks of an Acadia undergraduate experience, including research, experiential learning, international experiences, community engaged learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship experiences: o Every Acadia Undergraduate Student will have at least one research experience upon graduation o Every Acadia Undergraduate Student will have at least

one additional HIP experience upon graduation o Increase opportunities for student participation in international experiences abroad and international student engagement on campus • Incorporate Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and ways of knowing across the curriculum • Build environmental responsibility and stewardship, and concern for climate change and sustainability into the academic core • Engage Alumni directly in supporting student success and mentorship

Key Performance Indicators: • Number of students registered in new multi-Faculty thematic programs and courses • Number of new thematic and relevant interdisciplinary programs • Increase the number of students participating in formal research and other HIPs • Number of students engaging directly with alumni mentors and employers

Goal: Enhanced Support For Teaching and Learning Excellence

Adapting to changing technology and learning practices is at the root of teaching innovation. Acadia has demonstrated its leadership in this area and its faculty continue to be among the most innovative teachers and researchers in their disciplines. But more can be done. On-line learning is an increasingly important aspect of the student experience and Open Acadia is uniquely positioned to make a more significant contribution to the campus by becoming a Centre for Teaching and Learning while continuing to provide its distance and non-credit programs. Developing an on-line learning strategy will be key.

In addition, more can be done internally to recognize academic innovators and collaborations with our Maple League partners provide exciting new opportunities to support and celebrate teaching and learning excellence.

Objectives: • Realign Open Acadia into a Centre for Teaching and

Learning to support teaching excellence and innovation, and high impact learning at Acadia • Create new learning spaces to support innovative

teaching, active learning and High Impact Practices (HIPs) • Develop an online learning strategy for Acadia • Increase internal recognition of teaching excellence, support faculty for external teaching awards, and seek funding to support teaching and learning professorships at Acadia • Work with the Maple League on collaborative initiatives to support teaching and learning excellence Key Performance Indicators: • Successful establishment of a teaching and learning centre caring for our • • Increase in the number of registrations in online courses and programs and associated revenues New learning spaces with appropriate technology and students and employees to support innovative learning for students and High

Impact Practices in teaching • Increase in the number of Acadia faculty winning revitalizing our external teaching awardsacademic core

maximizing our impact

Maximizing Our Impact Regionally and Globally: sustaining our Through Engaged Research, Innovation, and institutional future Collaborative Initiatives for Community Cultural and Economic Development Overlooking the highest tides in the world in the Bay of Fundy and the majestic coastal landscape of Cape caring for Blomidon and the Minas Basis, Acadia’s’ unique our planet geographic location in Nova Scotia is a defining feature of the Acadia experience. Acadia is blessed to be located in a region that is blossoming economically and socially, and to be part of such a beautiful community as the Town of Wolfville, Canada’s quintessential university town. Today, we also recognize that Acadia University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq nation. We value the seven sacred truths of Love, Wisdom, Truth, Honesty, Respect, Humility, and Courage, and we respect and honour the culture, traditions, and traditional knowledge of the Mi’kmaw people. We recognize these as small, but meaningful steps in reconciliation and our continued efforts to build

a strong relationship between Acadia and the Mi’kmaq nation, especially the communities of Glooscap, Annapolis Valley, Bear River, and Acadia within the Mi’kmaq districts of Sipekne’katik and Kespukwitk, two of the seven districts of Mi’kma’ki.

Acadia’s contribution to the growth and prosperity of our region is significant, and we also recognize the enormous contributions of our region and surrounding communities, as well as those of our provincial and federal governments, in supporting Acadia. Acadia supports and actively contributes to the goals of the Atlantic Growth Strategy, the One Nova Scotia Report, and the priorities established under the 2019-24 Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP) and the Province of Nova Scotia. We will continue to play an increasingly important role in the economic, social and cultural development of our region, our province and our country.

Goal: New Partnerships and Collaborations to Drive Regional Development and Educational Opportunities

Acadia’s remains committed to making progress on our contributions to the One NS and Atlantic Growth Strategy R&D goals. Acadia’s list of engaged learning experiences, both credit and non-credit, continues to grow. Every discipline on campus has an academic connection with the community and Nova Scotia’s K-12 system and Acadia alumni recognize this as a competitive institutional strength. However, the benefit received by Acadia’s external partners through this engagement is at least equally valuable. Across Canada, there is no universitytown model that can compare and there is a willingness by the community, the University, and its student body to further enhance this relationship.

Objectives: • Create the Most Integrated University-Town Model in

Canada o Maximize collaboration opportunities with the Town of

Wolfville and the ASU under our 2017 Memorandum of Understanding to build a vibrant, sustainable learning community o New collaborative community initiatives and partnerships to support economic, social and

cultural development in Wolfville and its surrounding communities • Strategically align Acadia’s external facing units to maximize economic and social development and research opportunities to: o Deepen Acadia’s collaborations with economic development organizations, government agencies and industry associations o Increase support from the Office of Industry and Community Engagement and the Acadia

Entrepreneurship Centre for start-ups, new, and established companies interested in engagement opportunities • Develop a “Great Valley Initiative” (GVI) in partnership with the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and working with regional K-12 schools and organizations to increase learning opportunities for the Valley Region and build strong learning communities • Increase number of students engaged in internships with industry, co-op programs and other workintegrated learning opportunities

Key Performance Indicators: • Number of new collaborative community development and educational initiatives with Wolfville and the Valley communities • Number of students engaged in internships with industry (e.g. MITACS) and Co-op programs • Increase number of formal collaborations with NSCC,

K-12 schools, regional economic development organizations • Targeted programs designed to reach Indigenous,

African Nova Scotian and marginalized youth with the goal of increasing enrolment

Goal: Acadia is Recognized for Leadership and Impact in Environmental, Rural and Coastal Research and Innovation

Acadia’s 2015 strategic research plan established Acadia’s credentials in rural and coastal research through faculty expertise, capacity, and commitment while setting a plan for future research focus. Furthermore, Acadia has a long-standing tradition of excellence in environmental and sustainability research. Tidal energy, healthy living for aging populations, and food and beverage analysis are among the many areas of research in which Acadia

researchers are having an impact. Agri-food and agritechnology are emerging areas of research strength at Acadia that derive directly from the unique circumstances of Acadia’s coastal and rural location. With growing national concern about rural communities and economies combined with evidence that climate change will impact coastal communities more dramatically, Acadia’s researchers are poised to expand their influence

Objectives: • Engage with regional organizations and communities to further develop partnerships for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in environmental, coastal and rural needs and opportunities • Highlight Acadia’s signature world class facilities, such as the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, the

David Huestis Innovation Pavilion, and the Acadia

Entrepreneurship Centre to increase opportunities for world-class research and innovation with industry and community partners • Continue to contribute to the Valley Region’s success in achieving the One Nova Scotia and Atlantic Growth

Strategy goals • Create new opportunities for students to engage in applied research and commercialization initiatives with industry and community partners

Key Performance Indicators: • Acadia leads among undergraduate universities in industry and community partnerships in environmental, rural and coastal research • Increased collaborative research and innovation projects with regional industries • Increase in external funding for faculty and students engaged in applied research, innovation, and commercialization initiatives

Goal: Acadia’s Research is Impactful Regionally, Nationally and Globally

In the tradition of liberal education, Acadia’s faculty perform research in all disciplines and have been successful in securing the necessary external funding. At the same time, institutions outside the U-15 have faced significant headwinds given the Tri-Council bias toward Canada’s largest institutions. The consequence of this is that, with a few notable exceptions at Acadia, the voices of excellent researchers and brilliant academics are not being heard loudly enough. Reversing this will be a priority.

The academic collaborations made possible by the Maple League mean Acadia researchers can harness new opportunities through academic and research partnerships. Promoting and showcasing this work to external communities will attract student interest and raise the profile of Acadia’s faculty with potential external funders. A more concerted effort to nominate students and faculty for awards and prizes will, likewise, create interest in Acadia’s research program and individual faculty. A robust, well-recognized research program will enhance the undergraduate student experience, making already sought-after graduates even more attractive to potential employers and graduate programs.

Objectives: • Promote and showcase faculty and student research across campus and to the external community • Nomination of high performing faculty and students for awards and prizes related to research contributions and impact • Encourage the development of research teams and other collaborative initiatives internally and within the

Maple League and with other academic institutions and organizations to enhance Acadia’s strategic research strengths and harness new opportunities • Increase external research funding through increased mentorship and support for faculty applications, and seek funding for new research professorships to support graduate and undergraduate programs

caring for our students and • Take a leading role on research initiatives in the Maple League employees Key Performance Indicators: • Increase in the number of faculty and students nominated for and receiving external research awards revitalizing our and grants academic core • Increase in the number of students and faculty engaged in collaborative research with Maple League partners • Acadia ranks in the top 50 post-secondary research institutions in Canadamaximizing our impact

sustaining our institutional future

Sustaining Our Institutional Future: Through Optimizing Enrolment, Fundraising caring for our planet and Campus Infrastructure Renewal Institutional sustainability takes on many meanings in today’s world. Achieving greater financial security is a top priority for Acadia as we seek to improve our revenue base, without which we will not have the resources to maintain our current level of operations let alone invest in new areas of development. Optimizing enrolment is, therefore, a critical component of our ability to sustain ourselves as a viable institution, as is the need to maintain an effective level of fundraising at all times. However, institutional sustainability also involves environmental stewardship, and ensuring that we do everything we can to become more energy efficient, more effective in our use of resources, and work towards net-carbon neutrality. While some of these initiatives cost more money up-front, they also bring long-term savings, as seen in our recent successes in lowering energy and water consumption, reducing single-use plastics on campus, composting and recycling, and committing to fair trade.

For a university like Acadia, institutional sustainability also includes conserving and enhancing our historic infrastructure, ensuring that we preserve the unique architectural heritage and natural beauty of our campus.

Goal: Achieve Optimal Rates of Student Enrolment to Ensure Institutional and Campus Community Sustainability

Undergraduate student enrolment growth will be necessary to sustain Acadia’s financial future. With provincial funding increases capped at modest levels for the foreseeable future, student tuition revenue through increased enrolment is one of the few significant means to offset rising costs. A challenge for all institutions is the general decline in enrolment in the Arts, precisely at a time when the RBC report cited earlier says graduates will need critical thinking and communications skills more than ever. Acadia can capitalize on the capacity and faculty strength it has within its Arts program with a view to achieving long-term stability in Arts enrolment.

Optimizing enrolment (matching program capacity with demand) in order to preserve the essence of what defines an Acadia student experience will be a priority. This will require intense focus on several fronts: recruiting the right students to Acadia, pursuing diversity including international student and domestic students from underrepresented groups, and dramatically improving Acadia’s retention rate.

Objectives: • In a controlled and measured approach, increase overall undergraduate enrolment by at least 10% by the conclusion of the Acadia 2025 Plan • Increase African Nova Scotian and Indigenous student enrolment as a percentage of domestic student enrolment • Increase international student enrolment to at least 20 percent of the overall undergraduate enrolment • Increase student retention and graduation rates to exceed regional averages for Maritime universities with a longer-term goal of being in the top quartile for

Canadian universities

Key Performance Indicators: • Increase overall undergraduate enrolment by at least 10% by 2025 with international student enrolment at least 20% of total enrolment • Increase student retention and graduation rates to exceed national averages for Maritime universities with the goals of being in the top quartile for all

Canadian universities

• Increased Indigenous and African Nova Scotian student recruitment, retention and graduation rates

Goal: Build a Culture Of Fundraising to Continue Beyond the Successful Completion of Campaign for Acadia

The Campaign for Acadia has been tremendously successful due to the hard work of Acadia’s fundraising team and the generosity of donors and supporters. Launched earlier than anticipated, it has proven the benefits to students, faculty, and staff of a sustained fundraising model. Reaching or exceeding the campaign’s $75M goal will deliver significant benefits through improved infrastructure and financial support for students and faculty. Following the completion of the Campaign. Acadia must maintain an appropriate level of ongoing fundraising capacity in order to ensure that we maintain our donor community and sustain external revenue growth for the university.

Objectives: • Successfully complete Campaign for Acadia by reaching or exceeding the $75 million goal • Develop an ongoing fundraising strategy to be in place following completion of Campaign for Acadia • Set annual goals for ongoing fundraising

Key Performance Indicators: • Total raised in Campaign for Acadia equals or exceeds $75 million • Amount of funds raised annually after completion of the

Campaign • Increase in number of active donors throughout the life of Acadia 2025

Goal: Enhance Infrastructure Renewal And Campus Development To Meet Priority Needs

Acadia is blessed with one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada if not the world, and we have an obligation to ensure that we pass it on to future generations. Acadia’s historic campus is beautiful, but its maintenance costs are higher per square foot of space than more modern campuses. Even some of Acadia’s newer buildings are nearing the time when they require significant upgrades to key components such as roofing, HVAC systems and insulation. Increased research and innovation activities have also intensified, placing more pressure on existing laboratory and research space and in some cases demanding an expansion. The pressure to meet new demands while faced with a significant accumulated deferred maintenance deficit is an almost impossible problem to solve. In addition, Acadia’s hidden infrastructure – its information and data management systems – has fallen well behind currently available technologies. A key strategy is to address these deficiencies over time and within the availability of resources, while being innovative in seeking new ways to finance infrastructure improvements.

Objectives: • Revise and update the Acadia Campus Master Plan to

Align with the Priorities of Acadia 2025 • Continue fundraising for infrastructure priorities with emphasis upon: o SUB Renewal/Centre for Student Success o Renewal of the Vaughan Memorial Library and BAC • Generate and allocate increased financial resources to deferred maintenance and IT infrastructure renewal o Continue strategic upgrading of information systems • Develop a space policy that reflects current infrastructure capacity, academic and community priorities, and more efficient and effective allocation and use of space on campus in support of strategic goals and priorities

Key Performance Indicators: • Completion of updated Campus Master Plan by early 2021 • Key infrastructure renewal as identified by the Campaign for Acadia – Students’ Centre, Beveridge Arts Centre,

Vaughan Memorial Library • Progressive action on addressing accumulated deferred maintenance • Funds raised to support completion of new infrastructure projects and deferred maintenance • More efficient use of campus space

Phased Implementation Plan For Acadia 2025

The implementation of Acadia 2025 will be accomplished in a phased approach to ensure that all aspects of the plan are developed and implemented within the fundamental principles of balanced budgets and no increase in Acadia’s debt load. This will require an up-front emphasis on those aspects of the plan that we can work on within existing financial restrictions and those components of the plan that are aimed at generating new revenues. Other aspects of the plan will be implemented subject to availability of resources and capabilities. It is understood that some parts of the plan involve stretch goals and objectives and may not be implemented due to lack of resources or will be only partially implemented in accordance with available resources. Three years into the plan, we will assess progress and make adjustments to the plan if necessary. The planned phased implementation of Acadia 2025 is shown below.

Acadia 2025: Phased Implementation Plan

PHASE I: Student success and building resources 2019/20 - 2020/21

Priority goals: Transformational student experiences focused on academic and personal success

Achieve optimal rates of student enrolment to ensure institutional and campus community sustainability

Embrace a 21st century liberal education model that is central to Acadia’s mission

Environmental stewardship and sustainability are signature institutional features of Acadia University

Msit No’kmaq - advancing Acadia’s contributions to truth, reconciliation and decolonisation PHASE II: Building and sustaining 2021/22 – 2022/23 Mid-Plan Review June 2022

Priority goals: Enhanced support for teaching and learning excellence

New partnerships and collaboration to drive regional development and educational opportunities

Determine a date for and make measurable progress towards achieving net carbon neutrality PHASE III: Investing for the future 2023/24 – 2024/25

Priority goals: Enhance infrastructure renewal and campus development to meet priority needs and reduce our accumulated deferred maintenance deficit

Establish a culture of sustained fundraising and giving

Acadia’s research activities and outcomes are known regionally, nationally and globally

Incremental goals: • An inclusive and supportive community campus culture • A campus culture passionate about professionalism, inclusion, service excellence, and leadership • Caring for our community health and wellness • Acadia recognized for leadership and impact in rural and coastal research and innovation

Notes and ideas

Office of the President

15 University Avenue Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, B4P 2R6

acadia2025.acadiau.ca