À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ

Each Faculty is working on questions of efficient and effective delivery of academic programming. This subgroup will work to develop common approaches, where appropriate, with the primary goal of striking the best balance between quality of education and efficiency in light of the financial realities facing the University.
Ìý
With this intention, they will consider various mechanisms for achieving efficiencies and effective delivery of academic programming, including logistics, more effective use of technology, opportunities created by new AI tools, and changing approaches to teaching delivery and assessment of learning, to develop guiding principles that can inform academic program decision-making.Ìý

À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ is world-renowned for delivering high-quality education, preparing students to become the leaders of tomorrow through academic programs that help them succeed in their chosen fields and empower them to confidently face an unpredictable future. We do this by embracing innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and by cultivating within students entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills that they can apply in real-world scenarios through work-integrated learning.Ìý
To maintain this standard of excellence, this subgroup will take as its starting point that À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ’s academic programs, individually and collectively, should be academically credible, socially useful, and financially viable. Meeting all three of these conditions should be a necessary condition for any new programs, and an expectation for existing programs. As a result, this group will have five primary tasks:Ìý

1. Develop mechanism and supports for efficient and effective development of promising ideas into program proposals that can be more quickly approved and implemented.Ìý

2. Develop processes for providing meaningful and easily interpreted information for decision-makers tasked with assessing existing programming in relation to our financial situation, and designing supports for programs that can become viable through redesign.Ìý

3. Explore strategic partnerships with local, national, and international organizations that present new opportunities for delivery of academic programming in ways that are academically credible and financially advantageous to the University.

4. Investigate opportunities for and, as appropriate, make recommendations for facilitating better integration of new and existing high-impact learning activities in co-curricular and extra-curricular spaces at the University into the suite of learning activities available to À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ students.Ìý

5. Recommend process and support changes that can help foster efficient cooperation and cross-unit co-creation.Ìý

The AIWG will take under its umbrella an existing working group aimed at providing answers around non-credit credentials. There are many ideas around campus for credentials aimed at non-degree-seeking learners (e.g., mid-career professionals) or that are aimed at degree-seeking students but that are not part of the degree program (e.g., co-curricular learning). What is holding many of these ideas back is the lack of answers to these questions. This group is looking at both existing and proposed alternative credentials, aggregating and classifying them, identifying logistical challenges for each type, and developing solutions for these challenges.