New Strategic Plan for UNBC Builds on Strengths

Friday, November 05, 2010 01:30 PM

Prince George, B.C.- The new President of UNBC , Dr. George Iwama, ( in photo at right) has unveiled a new strategic plan for the University of Northern British Columbia. The plan builds on the foundations laid when the university first opened, and charts a bold course for the future.

“In developing this Plan, I came to respect and appreciate the emotional connection so many people have with this University,” says Dr. Iwama, who became UNBC President on July 1, 2009. “I feel this Plan is true to the vision of the founders, who would accept nothing less than an excellent, research-intensive university that would serve this magnificent region. I feel the Plan is also relevant to our students and alumni who embody the promise and potential of the University and its people.”

The Plan is the result of consultation with members of the university community around northern B.C. including students, alumni, faculty and staff, and supporters.

The Plan concludes with six goals:

As Canada’s Green University, be a leader in renewable energy
To engage all of our undergraduate students in research or experiential learning
To enrich the learning experience through new teaching and instructional models
To increase the impact of our research through enhancing capacity and building external linkages
To encourage a respectful, supportive, exciting, and friendly environment throughout the University
To transform our communities through the contributions of our alumni

“Building on these broad goals, the University is developing an action plan that identifies particular activities and strategies related to each of these goals. In this way, the University will be focused as it matures and grows,” adds Dr. Iwama.

Complete copies of the plan are available by clicking here.

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Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 01:30 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: univ on November 5 2010 5:48 PM

UNBC this summer hired a new dean for its college of science and managment (CSAM) which is a good development. The previous
dean of CSAM removed the technology from the main components of the UNBC vision and gave it a minor role.

UNBC needs to bring the technology to the forefront of UNBC vision and include it
in the UNBC goals.

Posted by: gus on November 6 2010 11:04 AM

What do you mean by "the technology"?

Research applied to the operational community outside of the University?

Research applied to pulping, sawmills, forest operations, transportation, medical processes, health administration, pharmaceuticals, etc.?

Posted by: gus on November 6 2010 11:07 AM

The proposed wood tech centre and what that should look like in practice and where such a centre can go over the next 10 to 20 years comes to mind since an opportunity has been handed to the UNBC on a bronze platter.

Posted by: univ on November 6 2010 6:31 PM

Yes wood tech centre and distance education technology are examples. To see how it can be spelled out, search for the word /technology/ in the 2006 Academic Visioning Initiative report available at
http://www.unbc.ca/assets/reports/final_senate_avi_version_april_20.pdf

My favorite quote in the New Stetegic Plan is:
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We exercise "good governance" in the management of the university. In our practices, we are effective, transparent and compassionate.
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Posted by: univ on November 6 2010 7:29 PM

If you search for /technolog/ , you will get all variations of tech (i.e. technology, technologies and technological). See also the ACTION plan report for 2002-2007: http://www.unbc.ca/assets/reports/action.pdf

It would be important to see in the future action plan, a discussion on the effectiveness of past objectives and strategies by finding out whether UNBC reached those expected outcomes of ACTION 2002-2007. Especially, for task forces related to enrolment and technology.

Posted by: supertech on November 6 2010 7:52 PM

The larger majority of the populace will continue to scratch out a living regardless of the strategic plans of the UNBC. Most of us retired people will soon be joining gangs, merely to keep up with the frivolous spending of this city. We may have to become 'dedicated decoys' for the thieves.

Posted by: univ on November 7 2010 12:03 AM

UNBC actually has a number of plans for its development and the strategic plan is one of them. UNBC has a 5 year capital plan which is due in 2011.

Unlike the 2002-2007 ACTION plan(by VP Puff), the 2006 AVI 5-year plan (by VP Brunt) did not produce a detailed list of objectives, strategies and expected outcomes.

The closest report has been prepared by
an external group hired by Cozzetto in 2007. Some of the recommendations of the 2007 report has shaped the creation of a VP for external relations and expansion of the responsibilities of the Dean of Enrolment.

My impression was that the current action plan will be developed by the VP Dale and the Assistant Provost (AP) for enrolment that Dale is hiring will assist him in task forces such as (enrolment, student life, first nation, ...) which are now part of the AP's duties. Hmm ...??

Posted by: gus on November 7 2010 2:18 AM

Okay univ .... did as search through the docs and discovered that "technology" deals with the age old tech as applied to teaching/communications.

While the university is doing very well in its research, I suspect it could do better in the area of applied research such as in the fields I described. Perhaps they do not wish to go in that direction. That would be too bad because I feel if they did it would generate more advanced industries here. I suppose it is not an MIT-like university.

Perhaps UNBC could work together with CNC to establish such research programs which could help industries to improve processes.

Posted by: univ on November 7 2010 7:05 PM

CNC has more TECH programs than UNBC. UNBC could also work together with UBC
to establish more programs, but it seems that UNBC has reached a limit in its undergraduate enrolment which is not sustainable in the long term, especially if the budget of the universities are reduced, as in the UK

UNBC has been doing pretty good in research and graduate enrolment. But the main challenge for UNBC is the undergrad enrolment and the next person, hired for the enrolment management (currently vacant), needs to come up with strategies for increasing it and the TECH programs come into this context.

The last person in charge of enrolment in UNBC (2005-2010) did not have a TECH background despite the fact that poor performance in reaching the expected TECH enrolment contributed to more than 60% of UNBC's shortfall in reaching the total enrolment targets by the BC government.