STRATEGIC PLAN 2010-2015
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MESSAGE TO THE DAWSON COMMUNITY FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL AND THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD As Dawson embarks on its fifth decade, we can be proud of our excellent reputation for the quality of our teaching, programs and research. In moving forward, we need to build on what we do well and be prepared to meet new challenges. We will continue to set our goals high and we will work together to attain them.
After consulting broadly with the internal community and external stakeholders, we
have identified three strategic orientations that will help us establish our priorities over the next five years. By focussing on academic excellence, enhancement of the learning environment, and service to society, we aim to ensure that our students emerge well-equipped to meet the challenges of education, work and life.
This strategic plan is a dynamic one. It provides direction to guide the use of
resources while giving the College room to meet unexpected challenges that may present themselves. Some aspects of this plan will evolve as we live it, and these adjustments will be reflected in our annual management plans.
The success of this strategic plan ultimately lies with each one of us, upon our
commitment and collaboration so that we can maintain our position as a leader in post-secondary education and respond to the rapidly changing needs of society. We look forward to working with you to ensure that these aims become a reality.
Bruno Mital Chair Dawson Board of Governors
Richard Filion Director General
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OUR MISSION The driving force of Dawson’s commitment to education was formulated 25 years ago in its Mission Statement. During the consultation process for this plan, the community expressed its opinion clearly that the Mission Statement is still valid as it articulates Dawson’s understanding of its responsibilities as an educational institution. As such, this Mission Statement remains a crucial component of Dawson’s Strategic Plan for the years 2010 to 2015. It reads as follows:
As a College in the province of Quebec, aware of its responsibilities to contribute to the intellectual, economic and social development of our society, Dawson College believes that it is equally important to prepare students for further academic education and for immediate employment. Therefore, the Mission of Dawson College is:
• to provide a sound education in English to the broadest possible student population;
• to value the ethnic and cultural diversity of our College and to celebrate this diversity in the context of an English education;
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to maintain standards of academic excellence essential to our students’ future success and to provide the appropriate programs, services and technology to ensure that any student admitted has the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to achieve these standards;
• to continue to develop innovative and flexible educational approaches to serve the needs of our students; • to affirm that the College, as a community, requires the participation and representation of all its members - students, staff and faculty in its governance; • to encourage the personal and social development of Dawson students through activities outside the classroom; • to develop the role of the College as a community resource and as a centre for life-long learning.
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OUR VISION DAWSON COLLEGE will be the college of choice for a diversity of students seeking to prepare themselves to succeed in a complex, rapidly changing world. We will be respected for our dedication to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning, and for our commitment to educating the student as a whole person. We will be acknowledged as an exemplary post-secondary institution that engenders a culture of learning and fosters a climate of innovation and continuous improvement among all its members We will be recognized for our effectiveness in anticipating and responding to the needs of our communities, locally and internationally. We will be seen as a responsible organization whose members collaborate to create sustainable solutions to the most pressing issues of our society.
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OUR VALUES Collegiality As an educational community, we are committed to a shared mission, draw on common values to perform our daily tasks and are dedicated to the pursuit of common goals. Collegiality expresses the need to reach beyond the particular commonality of purpose to create conditions where respect, openness and integrity foster a general sense of the common good. Accessibility Dawson’s history has demonstrated the community’s resolve to be accessible to the many students, young and adult, who show an interest in our institution. This commitment to accessibility for those with the will and aptitude to succeed in collegial studies has given rise to innovative, flexible and thoughtful educational projects that have become a Dawson hallmark and have made this College an attractive academic destination for so many people. Considering the projected shift in demographics, Accessibility must remain an important value in the forthcoming period. Responsibility We have been entrusted with a mission to provide the best education possible to all our students and to contribute to the best of our abilities to their intellectual, social and personal growth. This mission will not be fully achieved without the contribution of each member of the College. To state Responsibility as a main educational value means that all of us, as members of a learning community, take seriously our role as educators. This also means that our ultimate goal is to educate young people and adults so that they act responsibly in their personal, professional and social lives. Excellence As an educational value, Excellence has played a key role in Dawson’s quest for recognition. Over the years, the community has committed itself to the pursuit of excellence, accepting that this is the best way to remain consistent with the broad and generous reach of its educational mission. To remain faithful to the mission and to the importance the community has attached to it, excellence must be clearly seen in all our activities, throughout the programs and services we offer. We continue to uphold our high standards of quality and genuine care for student success.
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OUR PLANNING CONTEXT THE ENVIRONMENT In developing our strategic goals, we have taken into account a number of factors in the internal and external environment, including changing demographics, the economic outlook, job prospects for graduates, government policy on CEGEPs, and human resources. Demographics Student enrolments: Projections provided by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) indicate that there will be marked decline of the regular student population in the CEGEP network starting in 2013. For the Montreal region, the decrease is expected to be 11% between 2010 and 2016. For Dawson, the forecast shows a 16% decrease over the same period. Need for qualified workers: Due to the massive retirement of baby-boomers, the age cohort from 15 to 64 will start shrinking in 2013. As a result, there will be a shortage of qualified workers to fill available jobs and there will be added pressure on the educational system to train skilled workers. Immigration and language: Given the aim of government policy to make immigration a main source for filling labour needs, it is forecast that 200,000 new immigrants will settle in the Montreal area in the next five years. The integration of a large number of new immigrants into Quebec society will pose a specific challenge, especially in the Montreal area. Concerns have already been raised in some quarters that the use of the French language on the island of Montreal is in decline and that more immigrants than ever before tend toward the use of the English language. The language issue may give rise to more political activism in the near future and could have a profound effect on Dawson’s role as a major provider of English-language college education in the Montreal area. English-speaking youth in Quebec: A recent study (2009) conducted by the Quebec Community Groups Network found that English-speaking youth want to stay in Quebec and contribute to Quebec society. Moreover, English-speaking youth want to increase their level of bilingualism.
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Economic Outlook Economic growth: According to the Conference Board of Canada, economic growth in Quebec will be modest, starting with a slow return to growth in 2010, with a 1.8% increase in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by an average increase of less than 3% in the coming years. Budget cuts: In Quebec, the decision to spare the health and education sectors from budgetary constraints has been abandoned. The most recent provincial budget makes clear that these sectors will have to contribute to the economic recovery of the province by absorbing a decrease in financial allocations so that the government can balance its books no later than 2014. Job Prospects for Graduates Employment growth: Following Emploi Québec forecasts, after having experienced a negative growth in employment in 2009 (with a loss of 73,000 jobs), Quebec will return to positive growth in 2010. It is expected that an additional 271,000 jobs will be created between 2009 and 2018. 152,000 will be created in the first five years (2009-2013) while the other 119,000 will be added in the following five years (2013-2018). Service sector: Most new jobs (77%) will be created in the service sector. This includes, among others, the areas of commerce, health and social service, financial counselling and insurance, education, professional, scientific and technical services. Manufacturing and the production of goods will experience negative growth. Due to recent investment in infrastructures, the building industry will have a positive growth for the period 2009-2018, with a peak in the first five years. Four main areas of growth: The four areas of activity where employment growth will be superior to the average growth of 0.7%, are the following: • Pure and applied sciences, with an expected growth of 1.5%, due to the vigorous development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and increased activities in the sector of civil engineering and road construction; • Arts, culture, recreational sports and leisure with an expected growth of 1.2%, relying on the increase of domestic consumption;
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• Health and social service with an expected growth of 1.2%, mostly in technical and support services, to deal with the needs of an aging population and the integration of new immigrants;
• Teaching and childcare with an expected growth of 1%.
Technical jobs: Technical jobs requiring college-level education will be, along with professional-level jobs associated with a university degree, the fastest growing category in the labour market. Government Policy on CEGEPs Forums on education: In its budget speech of 2010-2011, the Quebec government announced three important forums to take place starting in Fall 2010. One of these three forums will tackle issues related to universities in Quebec, such as funding, accessibility, quality, etc. A second will address the question of management and modes of delivery of vocational and technical training in Quebec, while the third will look into the structure of school boards. These forums will provide an opportunity to reassess the relevance and the effectiveness of the educational system of Quebec and to draw new perspectives for its future. Although it is difficult at this stage to anticipate the full scope of these discussions and the conclusions that will flow from them, they will certainly raise a range of views and questions for which the College must be prepared. CEGEP governance: The current discussion about governance reform in CEGEPs and universities is expected to end with the adoption of Bills 38 and 44 by the National Assembly of Quebec. This new legislation will have a significant impact on the way the College governs itself. Human Resources Renewal of staff: The last few years have seen a major renewal of the College’s staff. The need to recruit, integrate, and retain new staff was a factor identified in the last Strategic Plan and, given the current projections for retirements, voluntary work reductions, etc, staff renewal will continue to be a challenge for the College in coming years, especially in those areas where competition for qualified staff will be severe.
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MELS Strategic Plan In its 2009-2013 Strategic Plan, the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport recognizes the importance of having a highly qualified work force capable of succeeding within the context of a global economy and a knowledge-based society. To respond to the population’s legitimate concern about the performance and overall capacity of the education system to address the challenges society is facing, and to demonstrate the achievement of objectives related to graduation, qualifications and long-life learning, there is a requirement to reinforce mechanisms for accountability and enhance rules of governance within the education system as a whole. The following seven ministerial strategic goals are to be retained as pertinent for the College’s own strategic planning process: • • • • • • •
to promote and value vocational and technical training, general education for adults and continuing education; to reinforce the recognition of prior learning and competencies (reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences); to increase the number of graduates with a diploma in vocational and technical programs; to augment the relevance of programs with respect to the labour market needs, in collaboration with related partners; to contribute to the upgrading of knowledge (rehaussement des savoirs); to improve the quality of French at the collegial level; to better support research activities.
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STUDENT SUCCESS DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PERSON Planning and Commitment Over the last five years, Dawson College has worked continuously to improve the key performance indicators identified in the last Strategic Plan. These achievements are all signs of strong, healthy trends in academic performance for students. The recent evaluation of the previous Strategic Plan has provided the College with a straightforward view for moving forward with fewer and more focused outcomes in the area of student achievement. In its strategic planning for 2010-2015, Dawson will continue to increase and stabilize the levels of performance shown in its now traditional indicators. Beyond that, the College will enrich its approach to student success so that the College community as a whole, and the society within which we operate, will see Dawson’s deeper educational values at play in its plans and goals. As a strategic orientation for student success, Dawson has developed a Graduate Profile that delineates key learning outcomes for students and serves as the overriding guide to all members of the College as they work to fulfill Dawson’s educational mission. This profile strives to make explicit many of Dawson’s deeper goals. It sets Dawson on a path to aim more comprehensively at integrating all major forms of learning and action for the benefit and advancement of students. Student success is the nucleus of college success and is a dynamic element in the enrichment and development of society as a whole. As an organizing principle for Dawson, student success provides the College with norms for achievement as well as directions for attaining those goals. This orientation commits us to understand and respond to students as individuals and to the place of the College and its students within the context of contemporary society. For the College to function at its highest level, student success requires the collaborative participation of community members from all sectors of the College and a highly focused effort by students themselves. Dawson’s commitment to society ensures that the College is dedicated to having our students attain an enhanced and relevant education. The full range of program goals and competencies continue to be pivotal to the future of students’ lives, and they are doubly so when we acknowledge that they are grounded in the idea that students should be educated as full individuals within the entire spectrum of human potential.
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Learning and Student Success Broad student access and the pursuit of excellence form central pillars of Dawson College’s mission. Equally important, the development of broad and enriching skills, knowledge and attitudes - the key learning outcomes that will prepare our students for the demands of further study, work, citizenship and life - goes to the core of what Dawson does as an institution of higher education. The Graduate Profile embraces nine key learning outcomes and provides an integrative definition of student success. The Graduate Profile makes explicit the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the College envisages all students either to demonstrate or to develop through their education at Dawson and it will assist students in seeing their potential as engaged learners. The education of any student at Dawson is more than the sum of the separate components that constitute any particular academic program or discipline, although it most assuredly embraces these central elements. It also encompasses the interconnected, diverse and complementary activities offered by the College to embody an enriched learning and social experience within our multicultural environment.
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THE GRADUATE PROFILE: KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES The Graduate Profile outlines the skills, knowledge and attitudes that we expect students to develop and demonstrate upon graduating from Dawson College. It provides a basis for our students’ development and success as they pursue their future endeavours. It also provides a framework for greater collaboration within our community in fulfilling our educational mission. Learning to Learn Students will become active and engaged participants in their own learning through the effective use of learning and self-motivation strategies to enable them to achieve desired educational results. Mastery of Program Competencies Students will demonstrate the skills, knowledge and attitudes as expressed in the competencies of their program. Communication Students will demonstrate effective knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, presentation of self and delivery of information, in English and French. Quantitative Reasoning and Information Technology Literacy Students will understand and apply mathematical concepts appropriate to their field of study and be able to use general and field-specific information technology applications. Critical Thinking, Problem-solving Skills and Imagination Students will be able to collect, organize and evaluate information from a variety of sources, analyze and synthesize relevant information to draw informed conclusions and make decisions, and apply knowledge, skills and imagination to new settings and problems. Engagement, Teamwork and Leadership Skills Students will know how to collaborate with others toward the setting of goals and priorities and implementing the means to achieve them. Students will learn to manage interpersonal relationships, resolve conflicts and assume responsibility for their own actions. They will be encouraged to become involved in extra-curricular and community activities.
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Health and Well-Being Students will understand lifestyle choices that will contribute to sustained health and well-being. Ethical Understanding and Behaviour Students will practise academic integrity and demonstrate ethical behaviour appropriate to citizenship in a democratic society. Social Responsibility and Global Awareness Students will develop an informed concern for the larger good, appreciate social and cultural diversity and respect the values of others. They will learn to act responsibly toward the global community and the environment.
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STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND GOALS In order to be consistent with our educational mission and to strive to realize our Vision Statement, the College commits itself to pursue development in three strategic directions: • Academic Excellence • Enhancement of the Learning Environment • Service to Society Our strategic goals take into consideration our many accomplishments in the recent past and the active development of creative and innovative initiatives, both academic and para-academic. They also take into account the environmental scan and the challenges that lie ahead. Academic Excellence The pursuit of academic excellence is central to our mission. We recognize that in order to maintain our leadership position in a competitive environment and continue to offer excellent programs and services, we must recruit faculty and staff of the highest calibre and help them to develop to their highest potential.
Goals • To deliver high quality programs and services • To help our faculty and staff to grow and to develop to their highest potential.
Enhancement of the Learning Environment The College will offer a supportive learning environment to every student admitted, thus assuring each student has the opportunity to succeed. Development, enrichment and engagement become a collaborative process undertaken by the active participation of a community of learners.
Goals • To develop the student as a whole person as outlined in the Graduate Profile. • To enhance the learning environment in support of student success.
Service to Society Dawson has an obligation to serve society through the development and delivery of learning activities and programs that meet its needs. To be a leader in the service to society requires that we provide relevant responses to current issues and needs, and seek out new opportunities.
Goal • To be a leader in anticipating and responding to the needs of society. Strategic Plan 2010 - 2015 Strategic Plan 2010 - 2015 21 19
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Goals
Strategic Directions
OUR MAIN STRATEGIES
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
ENHANCEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
To deliver high quality programs and services
To develop the student as a whole person as outlined in the Graduate Profile.
To be a leader in anticipating and responding to the needs of society.
To help our faculty and staff to grow and to develop to their highest potenital.
Support and implement ongoing evaluation in programs and services
Main Strategies
Provide additional support for the development of language skills for students and staff Identify the characteristics of students at risk and develop early interventions to help them succeed Strengthen the support for professional development of all employees
To enhance the learning environment in support of student success.
Promote the graduate profile learning outcomes and their integration into all College activities Enhance the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning. Foster academic integrity Expand research in support of innovation in academic and paraacademic activities Reinforce the role of professional and support services to enhance student success Provide ongoing support to student life Increase opportunities for student engagement.
Develop continuing education activities that respond to individual and social needs particularly with respect to the renewal of the workforce in Quebec and the integration of immigrants Expand on-line offerings Continue to integrate awareness of environmental issues and sustainability into our academic curricula and student activities Foster entrepreneurship in our educational endeavours Continue to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with other members of our community, both local and international
Optimize the use of space
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Goals
Strategic Directions
OUR MAIN INDICATORS OF ACHIEVEMENT
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
ENHANCEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
To deliver high quality programs and services
To develop the student as a whole person as outlined in the Graduate Profile.
To be a leader in anticipating and responding to the needs of society.
To help our faculty and staff to grow and to develop to their highest potenital.
Number of programs and services that implement on-going evaluation Student and graduate satisfaction with the quality of teaching and with instructional effectiveness
Main Indicators of Achievement
Student, graduate and faculty satisfaction with the level of support for students Employment rates of career graduates in their field of study Rates of graduate acceptance into university Comprehensive Examination Pass Rates Course success rates Retention and graduation rates English Exit Exam Pass Rates Number and effectiveness of initiatives designed to identify and help students at risk Number of teachers and staff taking part in internal and external professional development activities Number and effectiveness of initiatives to integrate new faculty Number and effectiveness of initiatives to develop new and experienced faculty
To enhance the learning environment in support of student success.
Number of graduating students who indicate that they have developed the key learning outcomes as outlined in the Graduate Profile Number of external stakeholders (e.g., employers, universities,) who indicate that Dawson graduates demonstrate the outcomes as outlined in the Graduate Profile Number of student notations in the Registry of Student Involvement Benchmarks of student engagement Number and effectiveness of College, initiatives to enhance the use of ICT in teaching and learning Number of research initiatives in support of innovation in academic and para-academic activities
Number and effectiveness of continuing education activities that are geared towards retraining of the workforce Number and effectiveness of continuing education activities that are geared towards the integration of new immigrants Number and quality of on-line offerings Number of initiatives to integrate awareness of environmental issues and sustainability into academic curricula and student activities Number of initiatives related to entrepreneurship Number and effectiveness of partnerships developed with local and international partners
Faculty, employee, and student satisfaction with the use of space Student and faculty satisfaction with the professional and support services involved in the enhancement of student success Rates of cheating and plagiarism Student and faculty attitudes towards academic integrity
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STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Dawson’s Strategic Plan will require coordination and collaboration in its implementation. Departmental, program, and management workplans will set out the specific objectives, strategies, and indicators related to the strategic goals. The engagement and commitment of all employees in the implementation of this Strategic Plan will be key to maintaining Dawson as a leader in college education in Quebec. In order to keep up with internal and external changes that may have an impact on the Strategic Plan, the College will review the environmental scan annually.
Strategic Plan Implementation Cycle
Set Objectives & Priorities
Adjust Strategic Plan (if necessary)
Develop Operational Plans
VISION MISSION VALUES Review Environmental Scan
Implement Strategies
Measure and Report Results
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