University of Alberta
PAE-2: Strategic Plan

The University of Alberta’s Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP) is a board-approved document containing six primary chapters, including the institutional context and environmental scan; the academic chapter, which outlines teaching and research priorities; a chapter on capital priorities; the budget chapter; a chapter on resource implications; and a chapter on performance tracking. The CIP is based on the university’s vision document and current Academic Plan. It is updated yearly to reflect current conditions and priorities.

Environmental sustainability is addressed in the Capital Plan section of the Comprehensive Institutional Plan. The plan identifies sustainability as a key priority and states, "[The sustainability] initiative builds on the many sustainability practices and programs already in existence by bringing them together and adding to them through a more formal approach and focus. The ultimate goal of the Office of Sustainability is to demonstrate leadership and instill sustainability as a core value at the University of Alberta" (p. 91).

It also outlines past progress around environmental sustainability, including multiple initiatives undertaken to reduce the environmental impact of the University of Alberta’s Operations:

"…the university’s commitment to sustainability on campus is evident throughout various programs and services that have been in place for more than 30 years. In 2010, the
university was recognized by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers - one of only two universities on the list. The university continues to be recognized as a
sustainability leader based on the College Sustainability Report Card rating issued by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. A number of university buildings are seeking LEED® recognition, including: Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science; Edmonton Clinic Health Academy; East Campus Village Graduate Student Housing; Chemical Materials Engineering Building (CMEB) renewal and infill; and the Cooling Plant on Campus (CPOC). It should be noted that success measures for building and operational sustainability are not solely focused on the Canadian Green Building Council’s LEED® standards; rather, the University seeks to apply a variety of recognized standards and evaluation mechanisms that provide a best-fit to a specific project scope. For example, the University is working with
other certification processes such as BOMA BESt and Green Globe, which also accredit building design and operations from a sustainability perspective for our non-grant projects
and operations across the various campuses" (p.89).

The University of Alberta’s commitment to social sustainability is reflected in the important role played by the objectives of accessibility, affordability, and quality education in influencing and shaping the university’s planning processes. Actions on these objectives are mandated by the Government of Alberta through programs like Campus Alberta and the Access to the Future Fund (p. 114, CIP) and constitutes as response by the University of Alberta to a provincial context where "despite having one of the best K-12 education systems in the world, Alberta trails OECD peers, both in terms of the numbers of 18 to 24-year-olds participating in post-secondary education" (p. 3). Accordingly, these social dimensions are addressed at several points throughout the University’s Comprehensive Institutional Plan. Some examples, inter alia, include:

The CIP’s executive summary includes among its key objectives a commitment to "increase[ing] access and engagement of underrepresented groups, particularly Aboriginal and rural students, and expand[ing] our research and internship opportunities in rural Alberta and with underrepresented populations" (p. 7).

The ‘Academic Overview: Access and Research’ contains a number of strategies, which address the social dimensions of sustainability, including:

- "Ensure adequate counselling for mental health and academic success." (Access Strategy 2.1, p. 41)
- "Provide specialized services for students that need accommodations for learning through the Specialized Support and Disability Services unit on campus." (Access Strategy 2.1, p. 41)
- "Review support programs for international students, especially those designed to assist them in their cultural and linguistic transitions in coming to the University of Alberta." (Access Strategy 2.1, p. 42)
- "Ongoing communication and implementation of our newly approved Helping Individuals at Risk Policy." (Access Strategy 2.2, p. 42)
- "Through the Student Resources Task Force, identify all sources of financial assistance on campus, and remove barriers, if any, to accessing that assistance." (Access Strategy 2.3, p. 42)
- "Ensure financial support that is currently available for undergraduate and graduate students is being used effectively and for maximum benefit." (Access Strategy 2.3, p. 42)
- "Use endowments to increase financial support for undergraduate and graduate students." (Access Strategy 2.3, p. 42)
- "Work towards a financial infrastructure that strives to offer every interested and qualified individual an opportunity to complete a degree." (Access Strategy 2.3, p. 42)
- "Expand and develop effective and accessible academic support services that meet the unique needs of Aboriginal applicants and students, including the Transition Year Program (TYP) for Aboriginal Students." (Access Strategy 3.1, p. 42)
- "Support social, housing, and child-care needs of Aboriginal learners through provision of on-campus housing and the construction of the Aboriginal Gathering Place." (Access Strategy 3.1, p. 43)
- "Develop and support programs and initiatives for students at risk." (Access Strategy 10.1, p.49)
- "Enhance early identification of students at academic risk and support these students early in their programs." (Access Strategy 10.1, p. 49)
- "Provision of health and wellness activities which contribute significantly to student success (including, fitness and athletics, health services, counselling services, recreational activities, diversity support services, sustainability, spirituality services)." (Access Strategy 12.2, p.52)

The CIP also outlines more direct measures for achieving these objectives. For example, the plan includes provisions for a $3-5 million dollar scholarship and bursary program for the purposes of ensuring "under-privileged groups such as Aboriginal students, students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, new immigrants and Albertans whose parents do not have a university education [are] given the opportunity and resources to participate in a university education" (p. 152).

Finally, accountability measures addressing the social dimensions of sustainability are also included in the Comprehensive Institutional Plan’s key indicator section (‘Tracking Our Performance’ p. 160-178). For example, the University of Alberta monitors a Rural and Aboriginal Student Proportions of Undergraduate Headcount indicator. This indicator, which measures the extent to which under-represented populations are represented in post-secondary institutions, is tied directly to the university’s goal of "draw[ing] on the diversity within our province and increase[ing] the proportion of under-represented students attending the university" (p. 164).

According to the Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP), the University of Alberta is mandated by the Province of Alberta to ensure on the one hand, “careful stewardship of existing resources in the day-to-day delivery of our core learning and research mission,” and on the other, “strategic and visionary long-term planning to sustain and enhance the university’s capacity to produce highly skilled graduates, advance knowledge, and conduct research to the benefit of Alberta, Canada, and the world” (p. 1).

Furthermore, as the province’s flagship university, the University of Alberta interprets this mandate broadly; ensuring sufficient consideration is given to the economic dimensions of sustainability. This is referenced at several points throughout the CIP. For example, in the CIP’s executive summary, the university acknowledges its role in securing Alberta’s economic future, "As the province’s flagship university, the University of Alberta has a broad responsibility and mandate in building toward this future. We must provide comprehensive and diverse educational choices that prepare Albertans for citizenship in the world of the future. We must create enriched and dynamic learning experiences that reflect the changing demands of students and the new technologies increasingly integral to society. We must ensure that the discoveries we make and the knowledge we disseminate are of value to society—in social policy, in competitiveness and industry, in scientific and technological innovation, in creative change, and in quality of life"(p.3).

In further addressing the economic dimensions of sustainability, the university has also committed to cooperating with other post-secondary institutions in the province. This is also stated early in the CIP, "To help meet the needs of Alberta’s students and the labor market, Advanced Education and Technology encourages post-secondary collaboration through Campus Alberta. As the flagship institution within Campus Alberta, the University of Alberta has, through several initiatives, leveraged government investment in our institution to the benefit of others within the system. We have played a leadership role by creating and facilitating collaboration with our partner institutions to create innovative programming, in sharing resources on planning and project management, by increasing administrative and system efficiencies, and in leveraging economies of scale(p. 4)."

Finally, the university’s consideration of the economic dimensions of sustainability is also further reflected in the financial stewardship the institution exercises over its own budget. For example, over the past couple years, in response to the zero net increases in funding from the provincial government, the university has prevented expenditures from rising in all areas except scholarships, which were permitted to rise slightly (p.135). Further information about the university’s financial responsibility is outlined in Chapter 7 of the Comprehensive Institutional Plan.

Additional Responsible Parties:

Name: Len Sereda
Department: Energy Management & Sustainable Operations, Facilities & Operations
Position: Director