Dawson College has a new Strategic Plan to cover the five-year period between 2016 and 2021. Extensive consultation began in Fall 2015, involving 2,000 students and some 250 employees, and culminated in the Board of Governors approving the document at its meeting on October 26.

For the first time in more than 30 years, a new mission statement has been adopted at Dawson, expressed in the now favoured shorter, more direct manner used by institutions of higher education including McGill, Concordia, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and leading schools in the US and Europe.

Mission Statement

Dawson College is a vibrant and inclusive community dedicated to providing quality higher education.

Our mission is to:

Educate a diverse population of students through transformative and innovative learning activities;
Engage learners and empower them to become active, responsible citizens;
Enrich society by offering life-long learning opportunities, cultivating partnerships and contributing to a peaceful and sustainable future.

This more concise formulation allows for further elaboration in the values and vision section, which in the new Strategic Plan 2016-2021 reads as follows:

Values

Excellence

We seek to challenge our students and educate them to the highest standards. To that end, we commit ourselves to providing excellent teaching, programs and services that are attained through self-reflection, evaluation and evidence-based inquiry.

Collaboration

Recognizing that support for student learning engages us in diverse and multiple ways, we value a community in which our members feel encouraged to share their experiences, insights, knowledge and skills so as to nourish and enrich the learning environment. We affirm that the College, as a community, is strengthened by the participation and representation of all its members in its governance.

Innovation and Creativity

We promote innovation and creativity that acknowledge both success and failure and build upon authentic, rich and dynamic learning experiences, inside and outside the classroom, to provide cutting-edge pedagogical and technological approaches to teaching and learning.

Well-being for All

We cultivate a healthy and inclusive learning and working environment in which all members of our community feel respected, valued and supported in the pursuit of their personal and professional goals. We aim to promote long-term health and well-being for all, sustainably.

Vision

To be a leader in the delivery of innovative academic offerings and transformational learning experiences through student-centred pedagogical practices that foster student success and seek to develop informed and engaged citizens.

Dawson’s Strategic Plan reaffirms its commitment to student success in the following way:

• fostering a broad notion of student success that encourages all students to develop as active and engaged learners
• ensuring student success by leveraging Dawson’s expertise to adapt evidence-based best practices
• stimulating engaged citizenship and positive action in response to pressing societal and ecological challenges

Strategic Goals

Below are the eight goals the College has set as strategic priorities and foundations to support student success.

Development of the Graduate Profile outcomes
Goal 1. Foster intentional and coordinated approaches to developing the Graduate Profile outcomes.

Enhancement of accessibility and support to students
Goal 2. Support new students in their transition to Dawson.
Goal 3. Provide coordinated and accessible services to students.

Relevance of programs and educational offerings
Goal 4. Ensure that programs and educational offerings are relevant to the needs of society.

Foundations to support student success
Goal 5. Be a leading employer dedicated to employee development and engagement.
Goal 6. Promote a culture and practice of continuous improvement in all areas of the College.
Goal 7. Be a leading Canadian educational institution in promoting and practising sustainability in all its endeavours.
Goal 8. Establish active working relationships with Dawson’s external partners and alumni and engage them in helping the College to reach its strategic vision.

The full document will be posted online before the end of the term in an attractively designed format. A hard copy at-a-glance version will be made available at the Welcome Back General Assembly on January 17, as well as a video featuring students from their perspective on student success.