Re-imagining the Undergraduate Learning Experience
November 14, 2005
Today I am releasing a White Paper, “The Lighting of a Fire: Re-imagining the Undergraduate Learning Experience,” which articulates a vision of possibilities for enhancing the quality of a Guelph education. It is a “re-imagining” because if we are to build on our successes and move toward the next level of achievement, we need to understand the assumptions and conceptual frameworks that guide our teaching and learning efforts, and be willing to reshape them if necessary. More than anything else, this document is an invitation to join a whole-campus dialogue on how we should approach undergraduate learning.
The educational environment is changing, and concern for the quality of undergraduate learning is growing on all sides. Quality has always been a priority for Guelph, but in recent years, this goal has often been only an internal priority, and our quality efforts have been a defensive holding action while the emphasis from government has been on growth. It is clear—from the Rae Report, from the broader message underlying the Maclean’s rankings, and now from the initial results of the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE)—that the focus on growth has had impacts on quality throughout the Ontario system. In the coming weeks we will be sharing with the community the results and analysis of our NSSE data. This represents the first time the University of Guelph has participated in this annual survey. For 2006, all Ontario universities have agreed to participate.
Strategic planning for the future of the Guelph undergraduate learning experience has been underway for some time—this white paper distills and presents the results of more than two years of discussions, research, and pilot programs. This is no quick reaction to the latest government pronouncement. But with renewed external attention being paid to quality, and the announcements that funding decisions will be linked to accountable quality measures, developing a clear and comprehensive strategy for enhancing quality becomes all the more important. This is our opportunity not only to build on Guelph’s record of success and leadership, but to help define what “quality” means in the university system, and contribute to the political and social understanding of what is possible and desirable in post-secondary education. We cannot afford to let that opportunity slip by.
The white paper is a starting point. In the coming months, the Associate Vice-President Academic, Alan Shepard, will lead the process of discussion and consultation on the themes, issues, ideas, and suggested initiatives raised in the document. That process is intended to develop, refine, and solidify a course of action for undergraduate learning, and its success will depend profoundly on the considerable insights and experiences of all members of the community.
I encourage you to participate in this process. Comments on the white paper can be forwarded to my office at provost@uoguelph.ca; the schedule for organized discussion fora will be rolled-out shortly; and I hope that hallway conversations will begin immediately. Your contributions to this effort are greatly appreciated.