Connect.
Inspire.
Transform.

Connect. Inspire. Transform.

At the heart of the 2023-2030 Academic Plan is a desire to remain true to who we are — a student-focused undergraduate university built on teaching excellence and grounded in community — while embracing the vast societal changes we face in today’s world.

What we heard from the community is a need for a meaningful, useful and achievable plan that builds upon what we are already doing well, pursues new opportunities that align with our strengths and deepens connections with people. Through enriched learning experiences and opportunities for growth through self-reflection, we can inspire the changes from within needed to transform lives and shape our communities.

As we implement this plan, “Connect. Inspire. Transform.” will guide each step we take.

Connect

• We will connect students to more enriched learning experiences.
• We will connect students with each other by fostering greater intercultural competence.
• We will connect students and employees in a more inclusive and welcoming community.

Inspire

• We will inspire employees to explore new and innovative ways to better support students.
• We will inspire students to positively impact others and contribute to their communities.
• We will inspire students and employees to be active and engaged members of our community.

Transform

• We will transform lives by supporting and cultivating personal and professional growth.
• We will transform our delivery of education through improved processes and practices.
• We will transform our communities through strengthened connections and partnerships.

Growth and access

We expect the demand for access to post-secondary education in Alberta to increase over the coming years. To meet demand, we will work collaboratively across academic faculties and divisions to develop a sustainable approach to growth, with sufficient resources to ensure we continue to provide the high quality of education and student-centred approach for which we are known.

To support growth and meet emerging societal needs, we will explore new programs as well as credentials that provide more flexible education options. We will also expand admission pathways for students who have traditionally faced exclusionary barriers to accessing and completing post-secondary education, such as Indigenous students, racialized students, students with disabilities and first-generation students.

Resources and implementation

We recognize sustainable enrolment growth is contingent on appropriate funding and resource availability. The development of a Strategic Enrolment Management plan will play an integral role in realizing this strategic priority.

Liberal education

Liberal education is an approach to education that aims to develop well-rounded students through the exploration of a wide range of disciplines, including the arts, social sciences, natural and mathematical sciences, and professional programs. At Mount Royal, General Education and experiential learning are two ways we deliver a broad liberal education. Through these components, we will prioritize students’ development of transversal skills , which include critical and innovative thinking, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, global stewardship, media and information literacy, and more.

General Education

Mount Royal has a well-established General Education provision with a unique model that ensures students receive a well-rounded education by exposing them to different subjects and perspectives. There is now a desire to reshape General Education to better deliver a liberal education that meets the needs of today’s learners.

We will explore thematic pathways and other possibilities to increase the value of General Education for students while meeting the intended outcomes of the program. This includes expanding professional development for faculty to foster excellence in interdisciplinary teaching. We will also ensure the value of General Education is well understood by students — during and after the course of their studies — and that faculty across the institution play a stronger role in its delivery and ongoing development.

Resources and implementation

Strengthening General Education will be a multi-year effort involving input across all faculties. Investments in instructional resources and curriculum development will be central in realizing this strategic priority.

Experiential learning

Experiential learning provides enriched learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom, where students learn through action and reflection. At Mount Royal, we pride ourselves on delivering a wide range of high-quality experiential learning opportunities, such as field schools, simulation learning, practicums, research opportunities, work-integrated learning and more. Experiential learning enables students to develop the skills they are seeking to enter their chosen professions, become career-prepared and pursue other interests that benefit their local, national and global communities.

More than ever, students are demanding experiential learning opportunities and we are in an excellent position to respond by building upon our current strengths in this area. By developing a strategic and cross-institutional framework for experiential learning, we will deliver a more consistent and high-value experience for students and community partners alike, streamline administrative work and grow the number of opportunities available to students. To ensure equitable access to experiential learning opportunities, we will work to address barriers facing some students, such as financial constraints, scheduling constraints, logistics and competitive entry.

Resources and implementation

Developing an experiential learning framework will be a multi-year initiative involving input across academic faculties and departments. Successful implementation will require the alignment of resources to facilitate growth in experiential learning opportunities.

Intercultural competence

Mount Royal strives to foster a community that is grounded in anti-racism and anti-oppression, whereby all members are accountable for upholding principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and contributing to an environment in which everyone feels they belong. We will continue to advance EDI, in part, by cultivating intercultural competence through international and intercultural learning experiences, and by strengthening self-connection and reflexivity as part of the academic experience.

Recognizing a plurality of values across cultures and communities, intercultural competence is the ability to navigate and adapt to diverse contexts by understanding and respecting each other’s differences and backgrounds. Developing intercultural competence as part of a Mount Royal education can endow graduates with the awareness and confidence to tackle racism, discrimination, bias, prejudice and all forms of systemic injustice, thus contributing to the vitality of today’s diverse local and global society.

Global learning emphasizes the development of intercultural competence and global stewardship through international and intercultural learning experiences. We will explore creative methods to nurture intercultural competence through enhanced global learning experiences in our programs. In addition to broadening international exchanges and field schools, we will offer more local and online learning opportunities that tap into the diversity of our local and global communities.

Resources and implementation

Increasing learning opportunities to build intercultural competence will be ongoing work, led by faculties and academic departments as part of curriculum renewal, program review advancement plans and other work.

Indigenization and decolonization

Through our journey toward Indigenization and decolonization, we will thoughtfully and respectfully incorporate Indigenous perspectives throughout our programs. This includes teachings on Indigenous ways of knowing and the realities of Indigenous peoples, such as the history of colonization and settler colonialism. Ensuring the careful and appropriate inclusion of Indigenous perspectives into our programs will allow Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to learn from one another, helping to create ethical space and counteract the racism, discrimination and oppression that has long impacted the well-being of Indigenous communities.

We will support Indigenous faculty in teaching Indigenous ways of knowing and developing course content that incorporates Indigenous perspectives and realities. We will also provide all faculty with support in the delivery of Indigenous course content, through personal and professional development, guidance, mentorships and more.

Resources and implementation

Integrating Indigenous ways of knowing and content into curriculum is expected to be ongoing, cross-institutional and collaborative work. We will be guided by members of Indigenous communities, including Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous faculty and staff to ensure the careful and meaningful implementation of this strategic priority. The Indigenization and Decolonization Plan will expand on this strategic priority.

Inclusive and accessible programming

Teaching excellence is a hallmark of a Mount Royal education. We are committed to providing students with high-quality programming and an academic experience that is grounded in community, belonging and the rich benefits of an in-person learning environment.

To sustain teaching excellence, we must continually assess our pedagogical practices and the evolving needs of learners. As such, we will enhance supports for faculty in applying new and innovative approaches to curriculum development and delivery, such as Open Education , Universal Design for Learning and new educational technologies. This, in turn, will foster a more equitable landscape for students to achieve their academic goals.

In addition, we will respond to students’ desire for greater flexibility in how, when and where they learn. We will thoughtfully adjust modes of delivery and course scheduling options to meet students’ needs without compromising the sense of connection and community for which we are known.

Resources and implementation

Diversifying pedagogical practices will be ongoing work, led by faculties and supported by academic departments. Resource allocation to support pedagogical practices, including the development of course materials, will be largely determined at the faculty level.

Research and scholarship

Mount Royal fosters a culture of scholarly inquiry for the betterment of the broader community, where undergraduate students have the unique opportunity to participate in faculty research. We take pride in the research and scholarship accomplishments of Mount Royal faculty, Canada Research Chairs and our Institutes. We are also an Ashoka Changemaker Campus, recognized for our commitment to excellence in social innovation education to address local and global challenges.

We aim to grow research and scholarship at Mount Royal by increasing undergraduate student research opportunities, expanding faculty supports and growing funded research. In addition, we will strengthen our community partnerships and connections through more sponsored research, community-based research and participatory action research projects. Through this work, we will promote the economic, cultural and social well-being of our communities, and grow our reputation as a leading undergraduate university.

Resources and implementation

Mount Royal’s Research and Scholarship Plan will expand on this strategic priority, including implementation and alignment of resources to advance the supporting initiatives.