210 likes | 327 Views
Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Presentation to the Board of Governors April 28, 2011. Why Graduate Programs are Important: The External Context.
E N D
Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral StudiesPresentation to the Board of GovernorsApril 28, 2011
Why Graduate Programs are Important:The External Context [The] creation of highly‐qualified personnel, in the form of graduates with an advanced understanding of research methods and the capacity to undertake research and apply it, is an integral part of a university research program. (Academic Transformations, Clark et al., 2009: 61)
The Need for HQP • Reaching Higher: “investments in graduate education to develop the top talent to conduct cutting-edge research and translate innovative ideas into solutions.” • 15,000 new spaces were planned by the end of the Reaching Higher expansion in 2011-12 • Coalition for Action on Innovation in Canada, 2010: increase per capita graduation rates at the Master’s and Ph.D. levels • Ontario’s Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress, 2010 : increase the number of master’s degrees attained, esp. in business and management • Federal Funding Agencies (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR): emphasis on training HQP as an important criterion for success in grant competitions
Results of Reaching Higher: Number of New Programs Approved to Commence by Institution 2000-2010 (Expanding Opportunities for Graduate Studies:The Recent Experience of Ontario, HEQCO, April 12, 2011)
Laurier Context for Graduate Expansion • Century Plan called for “crossing the Rubicon” into • more research intensiveness, new graduate programs, and increased capacity in existing programs • Result was addition of programs as recommended by Faculty strategic plans • Plan was to increase the percentage of graduate student enrolments to total enrolments: • 2000: 7.5% of enrolments • 2005: 5.8% • 2010: 6.7% • projected 2011: 7.4%
After Expansion:Differentiation? • Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario: Transformations (Clark et al., 2009) • Recommend: “an evolution toward substantial differentiation, the employment of more predominantly teaching full-time faculty, and greater innovation in pedagogy…” (p. 194) • COU: • universities are “already highly differentiated across many dimensions, including the composition of their student bodies, approaches to teaching, program mixes, research breadth and focus, and external partnerships “ (News release, 2010)
What do we need to do? Find a way to define and support differentiation • Laurier’s graduate programs already differentiated into five strategic clusters • Differentiation is consistent with the Academic Plan and mission of the university to excel in “limited number of focused, nationally and internationally recognized areas of research excellence” (Premise #4, Presidential Task Force on Multi-campus Governance).
Global Governance • International Public Policy • Political Science Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies: Strategic Clusters • Biology • Chemistry • Geography • Psychology • Business Administration • Finance • Management • Mathematics • Economics
Institute for the Study of Public Opinion & Policy Centre for Global Relations International Migration Centre Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa Laurier Centre for Music Therapy Research Laurier Movement Disorders Research & Rehabilitation Centre Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Manulife Centre for Healthy Living Research Centres • Centre for Strategic Leadership • Centre for Supply Chain Management • Centre for the Study of Nascent Entrepreneurship & the eXploitation of Technology • CMA Centre for Responsible Organizations • Financial Services Research Centre • CMA Canada Centre of Excellence in Management Accounting for SMEs • Centre for Economic Policy • Southwestern Ontario Research Data Centre Centre for Community Research, Learning & Action Cold Regions Research Centre Laurier Institute for Water Science Wilfrid Laurier Herbarium
Academic Plan domains mapped on Graduate Studies/Research Clusters
Differentiation through Integration Laurier’s strengths: • Teaching and learning • Fostering of community • Enhancement of the student experience • Research interdisciplinarity • Movement along the “Purposeful Pathway” to high impact practices We are poised to: integrate undergraduate, graduate education, and research in a number of strategic areas
Integration in a Laurier Context Purpose of Integration (a Core Principle from the Academic Plan) • Move beyond the generation and transmission of knowledge in a particular discipline to various modes of synthesis as found in multi- and interdisciplinary programs and research centres; • Apply both theory and practice in academic and professional programs; hybrid forms of pedagogy including interdisciplinary courses; and community, practicum, volunteer and work placements; • Develop curriculum and assessment practices to enable interdisciplinary teaching; the connection of work and learning; and the connection of social, personal and community responsibilities with intellectual life.
How would it look in FGPS? • Collaborative programs • Registration in home degree program + courses/research experience in one or more other disciplines • Interdisciplinary programs • Degree program composed of elements from several base disciplines • Combined programs • Two degree programs completed together: graduate and/or undergraduate
Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Program in Cognitive/Behavioural Neuroscience
Priorities Strategic plan for FGPS: with Faculty deans and GFC, determine local needs, capacity and available resources: • Focus on integration opportunities • Special concerns: • sustainable mix of research-intensive and professional programs • low doctoral enrolments and revenue implications • increasing numbers of master’s programs (enrolment beyond targets) • graduate programs in science (especially doctoral) • TA needs • recruiting and funding international students • new program models (Rethink Committee) The graduate student and PDF experience: • training opportunities inside and outside the classroom (HEQCO, OCGS, CAGS priorities)