Academic Plan (2023 - 2026)
Academics
Current Academic Plan Progress
Events
Keeping Our Promises, Living Our Mission
| Initiative | Status |
|---|---|
| Build a plan for a unique “SJU Start” First Year Curriculum/Experience. |
In progress Committee formed. Members of the committee include:
Call for Experssions of Interest realeased and shared with Academic Committee, Ad Hoc Working Group is considering next steps. Separate Advising/Communication project around First Year courses at SJU being worked on by Britt Scowen and Christina Mancini. Handouts have been developed and shared with first-year students. |
| Teaching Excellence (a) Address amongst ourselves how we engage in practices that incorporate peer and learner feedback. |
Complete Senate Council has agreed to ongoing use of the UW online course perception instrument. Will need to continue to discuss ways to address this beyond these instruments including more qualitatively. |
| Teaching excellence (b) Pursue teaching awards. |
In progress There were several nominations of SJU faculty for teaching awards at UW in 2024-2025. Chad Wriglesworth awarded 2024 Arts Awazrd for Excellence in Teaching. Details here. |
| Teaching Excellence (c) Broaden communications strategy to include more teaching content. |
In progress VPAD holds bi-weekly meetings with Director of Marketing and Communication. Have featured courses/instructors as part of HHUM launch. |
| Teaching Excellence (d) Departmental Discussions about Equity/Experience strategy. |
In progress Ongoing conversations with Department Chairs. |
| Create Wellness Implementation Team [WIT] (a) Translate McMurray report into specific action plans within Student Affairs. |
Complete WIT is established and work in this area is ongoing. |
| WIT (b) Explore additional collaboration between student-support units and academic departments (e.g. Well-Link, SMF). |
Complete WIT is a collaboration with the Well-Link lab and work in this area is ongoing. |
| WIT (c) Develop strategies for supporting faculty and staff who find themselves on the frontlines of new and challenging student mental health and accessibility challenges. |
Complete Wellness Coordinator Angelina Dodds has recently been certified as a Mental Health First Aid Facilitator from Mental Health Commission of Canada and this will allow us to do internal trainings/certifications for those interested. Frst training was offered Spring 2024, with additional training sessions scheduled for Fall 2024. |
|
Implement SJU EDI Action Plan
Recommendations that fall under VPAD office. |
In Progress The EDI Standing Committee meets monthly. |
| Work with Indigenous Advisory Circle Leverage Indigenous Reading Collection partnership. |
In progress IAC formed, will work collaboratively on Indigenous Strategic Plan. |
| Address Human Sciences/Catholic Studies Program Reviews (if not addressed by SJU Start program). |
In progress Pending SJU Start conversations. |
Leveraging Our Strengths to Reach New Audiences
| Initiative | Status |
|---|---|
| Micro-credentials (a) Using feedback from Advisory Committee develop at least one micro-credential that is formally recognized by Diocese of Hamilton |
In progress Cohort 1 has launched with 23 participants. Diocesan endorsement for Employer Partnership/Certificate in Catholic Leadership. |
| Micro-credentials (b) SMF - Summer Certification for Practitioners |
Complete Summer SAR Certification took place on June 1-2 , 2024. |
| Micro-credentials (c) Other areas where there is an interest |
In progress |
| Partnerships with ACCUC on shared courses | In progress |
| Work Integrated Learning in MCT | In progress |
| SJU Library materials for micro-credentials | In progress |
| Investigate a Living Learning Community (LLC) |
In progress Pending outcome of SJU Start. Student Affairs beginning its own strategic planning and benchmarking work which could inform desire to pursue. |
| Summer Institutes (a) Tie micro-credentials to summer institutes |
In progress SMF Summer Program in Summer 2024. Summer components of Employer Partnership Program/Certificate in Catholic Leadership. |
| Summer Institutes (b) High school student camps etc. |
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| Summer Institutes (c) Service learning for graduate students, alumni, and other community members |
In progress |
| Lecture Series (a) Fundraise to establish Health Humanities series |
In progress Included in Case for Support. |
| Lecture Series (b) Fundraise to establish Bridges series |
In progress Included in Case for Support. |
| Lecture Series Fundraise to establish Lectures in Catholic Experience series |
In progress |
Enriching Lives Through Research
| Initiative | Status |
|---|---|
| Commitment to Research (a) Explore whether internal funding can be used to buy out time rather than offset expenses |
In progress |
| Commitment to Research (b) Develop internal opportunities for successful grant recipients to support those who have not yet applied for or received funding |
Complete Previous Research Officer established Teams space/mechanism for connecting people working on applications. Ongoing support from current Research Officer. |
| Commitment to Research (c) Ensure our commitments to decolonization and indigenization include adequate consideration for alternative forms of knowledge in our internal funding allocation processes |
|
| Investigate creation of a Research Centre as an umbrella research hub | In progress |
| Enhance opportunities for students to learn about and participate in faculty research and faculty-student collaborative research (a) Encourage external funding applications |
In progress |
| Enhance opportunities (b) Fundraise for scholarships to fund students interested in working with a faculty mentor for a semester |
In progress Included in Case for Support. |
| Enhance opportunities (c) Consider mechanisms for recognizing faculty who take on significant mentorship work |
|
| Enhance opportunities (d) Establish culture of student-meet-prof events |
|
| Transform SJU Archives into site of expanded scholarly activity | In progress |
| Create a process and framework for creation and periodic evaluation of Centres, Labs, and Institutes that wish to be housed or continue to be housed at SJU | In progress |