This fall, U of G will begin a strategic renewal process — it’s been 20 years since we last updated our strategic vision.
Where do we see ourselves today? What does this University stand for, and how will we chart tomorrow’s path?
As you know, the University has many respected traditions and long-standing areas of strength. Those aspects are as timeless as the values that have sustained us for the past 50 years as a university and the past 150 years since our college beginnings.
This strategic renewal will help us integrate those traditions and strengths with new and emerging themes. Since I joined U of G more than a year ago, I’ve had plenty of conversations and new experiences. I sense a deep pride in the University’s heritage coupled with an appetite here for change, as we adapt to a fast-changing environment.
What will this strategic renewal process look like? I see it as an extension of those conversations and experiences.
Think of it as a larger conversation among our community — students, staff, faculty, alumni, our Board of Governors and Senate, and external partners. I plan to lead the discussion with help from the University’s senior leadership team and with guidance from a broadly representative strategic planning committee to be established in the coming months.
We will begin by gathering your ideas and identifying themes to be explored in greater depth to distill a vision that will shape the University’s future. In addition to creating a document to guide our planning over the next five to 10 years, these conversations also aim to do something else that is just as important, if not more so. They will help us affirm and further strengthen institutional pride while fortifying confidence in our ability to work together to create a vibrant future for this University.
The resulting vision and renewed sense of identity will guide us into our shared future — a future focused on continued excellence in research and teaching; on preparing graduates to see their potential and make connections in new and transformative ways; on new and innovative connections with our other key partners; and on fostering pride in our shared accomplishments.
I invite you to join in this conversation to help chart our path to tomorrow.
Franco Vaccarino
President and Vice-Chancellor