University's Board of Governors Approves Lakehead's Strategic Plan for 2013-2018
(March 8, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON)
After over two years of development, meetings and consultations with the University community and its various stakeholders, Lakehead's Board of Governors proudly approved the final draft of the University’s Strategic Plan for 2013-2018.
The Plan, entitled, Nurturing a Passion to Lead, embodies the bold, new vision that will oversee the collective vision of the University for the next five years: ‘To provide a transformative university experience that is far from ordinary.’
“Completing this Strategic Plan is a major milestone," said Board of Governors’ Chair, Cameron Clark, "And we know that this is just the start.
“Our Strategic Plan will serve as the framework to foster intellectual and human connections while giving students the tools to construct their own destiny,” Clark added.
The Strategic Plan’s mission for the University is ‘To be recognized as an innovative comprehensive university that provides an education that is about how to think, not what to think.’
Lakehead President & Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson, said, "By listening to many voices, we have created a Plan that embraces Lakehead’s tradition of encouraging students and faculty to explore big questions and find original solutions.”
Dr. Stevenson added, “I am very excited about my role in implementing this Strategic Plan and for the future of this University and the communities that continue to make us unique.”
The Strategic Plan will dovetail with the University’s Academic Plan passed by Senate in March 2012. Together with Lakehead’s operational plans, the Strategic Plan’s priorities will foster vibrant community partnerships and greater economic development for Northwestern Ontario and Simcoe County.
Centred on nurturing scholarship, the Strategic Plan will employ and embrace Five Priorities:
Nurturing Scholarship
The term scholarship was chosen for this direction because it accurately reflects the Board’s belief that teaching and research, although they may be seen as separate activities, are inextricably linked and driven by a common focus on learning.
Learner-Centred Experience
Lakehead University offers unrivalled opportunities for life experiences that are far from ordinary. The University, through the dual focus on one-stop services and giving students the tools to carve their own unique path to success, will bring additional richness to the Lakehead experience.
Growth & Capacity Development
The Board anticipates that by 2018, major new initiatives to attract and keep international, aboriginal, and graduate students, coupled with the university’s successful undergraduate and graduate programs, will result in an overall enrolment of 10,000 students. As a result, Lakehead University will be broader, deeper, and more sustainable.
Community Engagement
A critical element is expanding working relationships with aboriginal groups, school boards, municipal governments, non-profit groups, private businesses, and alumni.
Economic Development
Beginning with the positive financial impact on the community stemming from the purchasing and spending of university staff, faculty, and students; the University provides trained graduates for new jobs created by the knowledge economy; enriches the community through its faculty and staff’s involvement and support of art, music, culture, and recreation; and research fosters innovation that leads to the emergence of new companies and industries.
The University invites the Lakehead community, as well as its friends and partners, to submit their stories of collaboration with Lakehead through the Strategic Plan (2013-2018) website: www.lakeheadu.ca/presidents-office/nurturing-passion
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Media: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.
Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.