Goal
In addition to buildings, our infrastructure includes administrative processes, governance structures, policies, digital platforms, finances, and social infrastructure — the connective tissue that supports healthy participation by all members.
Our infrastructure review includes a review and update of our multi-campus master plan for our physical space. We will continue to pursue high standards of environmental stewardship and resource efficiency. And our new Digital Strategy will be a foundational, enabling companion of this strategic plan, positively impacting our core teaching, research, service, and student-life missions, and transforming processes and systems in administrative and support functions central to Dalhousie’s success.
We will establish and implement benchmarks to monitor our progress, satisfaction, and accountability through key performance indicators.
Actions
- Update our multi-campus master plan to develop clear paths forward for the renewal and modernization of our core facilities across each campus and identify long-term space planning needs based on key lessons from our COVID-19 experience and priorities related to Dalhousie's ongoing accessibility planning.
- Continue to strengthen and measure our commitment to environmental sustainability in line with our stewardship of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and guided by international rating systems such as STARS.
- Enhance the “curb-presence” and identity of our Halifax campuses and continue to augment public access to all our campuses and activities, systematically erasing the physical and functional boundaries between the university and the community. We will also leverage the full potential of our rural Truro Campus to widen access and diversity through a multi-Faculty presence.
- Launch Dalhousie's new Digital Strategy to implement critical digital infrastructure and related resources required to support the strategic plan to positively impact our core teaching, research, service, and student life missions.
- Launch an independent external review of our governance and administrative structures, which will be commissioned early in the plan period to engage in broad-based consultation to provide clear recommendations for any adjustments or realignments required to facilitate the success of our strategic plan.
- Focus on revenue enhancement, diversification, and allocation — full implementation of this plan and the attendant positioning of Dalhousie for long-term success will require additional financial resources. Our approach must include an ambitious fundraising campaign, partnerships with private sector, and modelling and leading best practices for Dalhousie with respect to expanding and diversifying enrolment, providing the highest standards of student experience and success, setting competitive tuition and fee rates, and strengthening retention.
- Identify and support process improvement priorities to increase efficiency and productivity and decrease delays through the development of digital competencies, use of artificial intelligence, and leveraging relevant technology.
- Initiate the development of a new budget model early in the plan period, under the shared leadership of the vice-president finance and administration and the provost and vice-president academic. Principles of effective resource management and sustained financial stability require allocating our revenue strategically and predictably to spawn initiative, growth, and entrepreneurship.