Ryerson students will have a chance to voice their opinion as the school starts two months of consultations on Wednesday for the design of its new academic plan.
The university establishes goals and plans its budget within this framework, which is revised every five years.
“It’s a kind of roadmap of what we want to do, and also to make sure that we have the resources to arrive at those goals,” said vice provost Mohamed Lachemi.
Lachemi said these goals shouldn’t be set at the administrative level, but decided collectively by faculty, students and the community.
“I will prefer not to give directions,” he said. “I would like our community to give us what are the future directions.”
The university revises its academic plan every five years. The current academic plan established in the 2008-09 academic year set five priorities: high quality undergraduate and graduate programs; student engagement and success; learning and teaching excellence; research intensity and enhancing Ryerson’s reputation.
Ryerson will hold a series of meetings and town hall sessions over the next couple months with individual groups and academic units, including faculty deans, chairs and directors, student unions, the library and the university’s various advisory boards in the community.
Lachemi said he doesn’t think the university needs to change all of these priorities, but that will ultimately depend on what comes out of the consultations.
“Some of (the priorities) definitely may be the same, just to enhance the things that we have been doing, but it’s up to the whole community to decide,” he said.
He said he especially wants to make sure students are aware of the consultations and part of the planning process.
“I want them to be part of the exercise to decide priorities for the university,” he said.
Lachemi said he hopes that he can have the document for the academic plan ready for senate review and approval by spring 2014.
Journalism made me do it.