Strategic Plan 2017-22

Faculty of Extension
2017-2022
STRATEGIC
PLAN

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VISION
To be a catalyst of social change,
engaging and bridging diverse forms of knowledge
for the empowerment of individuals
and communities.
VALUES
Building on the values presented in the “2016 Institutional Strategic Plan:
For the Public Good,” the Faculty of Extension is united by shared,
deeply held values that guide our teaching, research, and service.
We value lasting and meaningful
relationships and partnerships with
diverse communities and cultures.
We honour the findings and Calls to
Action of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (TRC).
MISSION
We value diverse forms of knowledge
and ways of knowing, including
The Faculty of Extension builds and nurtures
enduring relationships with local, national,
and global partners for the public good.
Through the scholarship of engagement, continuing and
professional education, and English language learning,
we place the University of Alberta at the forefront
of community engagement.
community and traditional knowledge
systems and diverse world views,
capturing the importance these bring
to our work to serve community and
university interests.
We honour the history and
traditions of our university and our
communities, celebrating our people,
achievements, and contributions
to society, and respectfully
acknowledging past injustices and
inequities.
Institutional Strategic Plan
Values
Above all, we value intellectual
integrity, freedom of inquiry and
expression, and the equality
and dignity of all persons as the
foundation of ethical conduct in
research, teaching, learning,
and service.
We value excellence in teaching,
research, and creative activity that
enriches learning experiences,
advances knowledge, inspires
engaged citizenship, and promotes
the public good.
We value learners at all stages
of life and strive to provide
an intellectually rewarding
educational environment for all.
We value academic freedom
and institutional autonomy as
fundamental to open inquiry and the
pursuit of truth.
We value diversity, inclusivity,
and equity across and among our
people, campuses, and disciplines.
We value creativity and innovation
from the genesis of ideas through
to the dissemination of knowledge.
We value the history and traditions
of our university, celebrating with
pride our people, achievements,
and contributions to society.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Developed through an intensive consultation process, the Faculty of Extension
2017–2022 Strategic Plan presents a series of objectives and strategies
distributed under five major themes, each of them are, in fact, introduced
by a narrative piece establishing the context that shaped and informed
the discussions.
The Faculty of Extension has structured this document around the same
five themes adopted in “For the Public Good.” The goals that define each
theme were sometimes adapted to reflect Extension’s unique sphere
of influence and are not always an exact equivalent to those in the
Institutional Strategic Plan. For the same reason, the goals in
the Faculty of Extension plan follow a different order.
EXPERIENCE is about different ways
of providing rich and relevant learning
experiences that adapt to learners’ unique
needs and bring them closer to reallife
community issues; about developing
accessible pathways into post-secondary
learning for adults; and about making
Enterprise Square a vibrant space for
learning in downtown Edmonton through
public educational activities that connect
with the surrounding communities.
EXCEL brings back the theme of
engagement, now through a different
lens: that of the Faculty of Extension’s
expertise and leadership in engagement
scholarship. Objectives in this section relate
to ways of advancing the thinking and
practice of the scholarship of engagement,
by sharing Extension’s experience with other
faculties and universities, and by creating
capacity in community-university research
that’s based on long-term, equal power
relationships. Also under this goal is housed
the design, delivery, and administration
of continuing and professional education
programming—another area of excellence
in which the Faculty of Extension has a
unique contribution to bring to
the University of Alberta.
Community-university engagement is at
the very core of Extension’s identity, so
ENGAGE is the first theme in the plan.
The goal associated with this theme is
to expand the many reciprocal, mutually
beneficial projects through which the
Faculty of Extension brings the
University of Alberta and community
together, as equal partners working
toward social change. ENGAGE is
also about strengthening numerous
partnerships with key local, national,
and global stakeholders through
continuing, professional and English
language learning programs.
As in “For the Public Good,” BUILD speaks to
fostering a diverse and inclusive community
of learners which extends, in the case of the
Faculty of Extension, to external partners
and communities. A central theme within
this section is that of responding to the TRC’s
Calls to Action and fostering a respectful
understanding of diverse world views,
such as those of Indigenous peoples.
Finally, SUSTAIN centres on the theme of
stewardship but goes beyond the discussion
of internal resources, encompassing the need
to nurture sustainable relationships with
partners to bring about impactful,
enduring social change.
The paths and directions provided by those five goals work together to draw a roadmap for the future.
They build on the institutional goals and the Faculty of Extension’s plans for how to accomplish them.
These goals also tell the story of Extension—a story of engaging minds and fulfilling
the University of Alberta’s promise of “uplifting the whole people.”

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FACULTY
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EXTENSION
EXTENSION
STRATEGIC
STRATEGIC
PLAN
PLAN
2017-2022
2017-2022
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EXCEL
Enable and celebrate individual
and collective excellence in the
pursuit of distinction in learning,
research, and service.
FACULTY OF EXTENSION
2017-2022 Goals
3
EXPERIENCE
Provide a broad range of educational
experiences that contribute
to rewarding and transformative
lifelong learning.
1
ENGAGE
Engage communities to create
strategic, sustained partnerships for
the co-creation of reciprocal, mutually
beneficial opportunities for lifelong
learning, research, and service.
2
BUILD
Build a diverse, inclusive,
and equitable community of
learners and employees.
5
SUSTAIN
Contribute to advancing socially
just, economically viable, and
environmentally sustainable
communities.
1. ENGAGE

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1.
ENGAGE
GOAL
Engage communities to create strategic, sustained partnerships
for the co-creation of reciprocal, mutually beneficial opportunities
for lifelong learning, research, and service.
At the Faculty of Extension, striving to be a catalyst of social change is a fulltime
job. The concept of social justice informs the research we do, the programs
we create, and the relationships we build. Though social justice is a commodity
chronically in short supply, demand is climbing to new heights as governments
and institutions worldwide are challenged over their failure to address critical
needs of many communities. To play a role in this environment of uncertainty,
universities need to move away from the ivory tower of times past and work
in partnership with communities.
objective a Place reciprocal, mutually
beneficial community relations, community
engagement, and community-engaged
scholarship at the centre of all work.
• Initiate and join authentic, long-term
strategic partnerships to address shared
objectives for transformative change.
• Engage in respectful and ethical partnerships,
prioritizing community needs and
perspectives.
objective b Engage with communities for
the purpose of equity and social justice.
• Model unique and innovative engagement
that privileges community expertise
and knowledge.
• Establish equal power relationships in
learning, research, and service activities.
• Target and advocate for change to unjust
policies, programs, and practices.
Community-university engagement
The synergy that comes from university
is at the core of Extension’s identity
as a faculty. We bring university and
community together, as equal partners
and in respectful relationships. Together,
we look for long-term solutions for issues
such as poverty (EndPovertyEdmonton),
digital inclusion in rural areas (Digital
Futures workshops), and access to
quality early childhood education (ECMap,
Evaluation Capacity Network, CUP). We
work in partnership with communities
involved in alternative food initiatives
(FLEdGE), with Métis settlements (Life
Skills Journey summer camps), with
organizations fighting sexual exploitation
(Project Backpage), and many more.
and community working together allows
us to identify and address complex social
issues. At the end of these projects,
communities emerge stronger and better
equipped to deal with pressing issues—as
does the university. We grow stronger
partnering with communities and learning
from their expertise. Each community we
engage with makes us better and more
prepared to work with new partners.
The Faculty of Extension’s commitment
to engage with communities for social
impact will continue. Within the next five
years, we plan on expanding our portfolio
of reciprocal, mutually beneficial projects
which respond to community needs. We
will also strengthen existing partnerships
through our continuing education programs
and Extension’s English Language School.
objective c Seek, build, strengthen, and
sustain partnerships with key stakeholders
to improve the learner experience.
• Initiate and sustain cross-institutional
partnerships (i.e., Campus Alberta).
• Foster a culture of innovation by
building upon, strengthening, and
creating partnerships with professional
and academic associations, municipalities,
and aligned organizations.
• Strengthen relationships with global
partners, continuing to serve as
a gateway to the University of Alberta
for international students.
• Maintain open and transparent lines
of communication with all partners to
ensure learning, research, and service
remains relevant and responsive.
objective d Share the Faculty of Extension’s
unique learning, research, service, and
administrative models of community
participation with the University of Alberta.
• Communicate the Faculty of Extension’s
policies and procedures that support
community-engaged learning, research,
service, and administration.
• Articulate needed modifications to
Faculty of Extension and University of Alberta
policies and procedures in order to better
support learning, research, service,
and administration.
2. BUILD

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2.
BUILD
GOAL
Build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community of learners
and employees.
What we want: To build an inclusive community that values diverse world views
and respects individual differences. The challenge: While the world is becoming
increasingly diverse, intolerance is also on the rise. The last few years saw an
unprecedented number of migrants, displaced by war and persecution.
At the same time, disturbing narratives of fear are used to legitimize
hate speech and turn people against each other.
The Faculty of Extension welcomes diversity are involved with Indigenous research, and
and the wealth of knowledge that comes
Extension’s First Nations Children’s Action
along with different cultures. Every year, we Research and Education Service (FNCARES) is
build bridges between the university and the always developing new projects and activities.
world, as our English Language School brings
over one thousand international students
Our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness is
from nearly 100 countries to our classrooms. materialized into physical spaces that recognize
More and more, we build bridges with the
and support different needs. Extension’s
communities around us in the downtown area. student centre includes a contemplative room to
We also care for and expand the net of solid accommodate reflection and religious practices,
bridges we’ve been building with Indigenous complete with access to facilities in which the wudu
peoples in Alberta and beyond.
(ablution) can be performed before prayer. New
classrooms incorporate principles of universal
Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation
design, and a gender-neutral washroom respects
Commission’s “Calls to Action” is a moral
gender-identity minorities. We are pleased to
obligation that the Faculty of Extension is more have designed an Indigenous Gathering Space
than happy to fulfil. Engaging with Indigenous that accommodates ceremonies and welcomes all
peoples has been one of our priorities for several students to share in Indigenous knowledge.
years. We offer programs such as the Indigenous
Community-Industry Relations certificate and the The results: Aligned with the goals and objectives
Indigenous Community Engagement citation. outlined in the Strategic Plan, these initiatives
promise to make the Faculty of Extension a safe
Since January 2016, those programs have been space for learning and discovery, as we build a
hosting a series of events to promote public community of learners where everyone is valued
education about the culture and world views of and where differences are treated as assets
Indigenous peoples. Several of our academics rather than threats.
objective e Attract local, national, and
global perspectives to the Faculty of Extension
learning environment.
• Recognize and engage learners with
diverse personal and professional
life experiences.
• Embrace diversity and inclusiveness
to nurture learner success.
• Foster mutually beneficial learning
opportunities through collaborative
and reflexive dialogue.
objective g Develop, in consultation
and partnership with stakeholders, a
thoughtful, respectful, meaningful, and
sustained response to the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission of Canada Report.
• Foster engagement with Indigenous
people through partnerships that increase
access to and relevance of new
and existing programming.
• Facilitate conversations and partnerships
with tribal colleges and Indigenous communities
to co-create models for learning,
research, and service that privilege
Indigenous knowledge.
objective f Build infrastructure, policies,
and programs that support lifelong
learning success.
• Engage with stakeholders to support
learners’ needs (i.e., scholarships, tuition
support, new programming).
• Create communication strategies
that demonstrate how Faculty of Extension
activities intersect with stakeholders’
mandates.
• Contribute to the success of stakeholders’
initiatives through learning, research,
and service.
objective h Broaden access to continuing,
professional, and lifelong learning activities.
• Develop and maintain relevant face-toface,
online, and blended programming,
emphasizing learner needs for skillbased
and professional development,
capitalizing and building on current
systems and supports.
• Provide University of Alberta alumni and
employees with learning opportunities to
support professional and personal
development throughout the full range
of their career and life stages.
• Improve access to post-secondary learning
through alternative pathways that
transcend disciplinary boundaries.
3. EXPERIENCE

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3.
EXPERIENCE
GOAL
Provide a broad range of educational experiences that contribute to
rewarding and transformative lifelong learning.
Finding the place for “education” on someone’s timeline was once just a matter
of drawing a line between their sixth birthday and the year they became full-time
employees. Not anymore. Continuing education is now a career necessity.
Workers are expected to learn on an ongoing basis, riding the continuous transformation
wave always at its crest. This shift means that young adults fresh out of high school
are no longer solo players ruling the demographics of post-secondary education.
A different kind of learner is also looking for what the university has to offer:
one who needs learning to be faster, flexible, more engaging and relevant,
and immediately applicable to their life.
While it may be new territory for most
surrounding communities through our many
faculties, lifelong learning is a familiar
public education initiatives, spanning from
landscape for the Faculty of Extension.
lectures to cultural celebrations to free visual
We have a long history of catering to
arts workshops.
the unique needs of mature students.
Developed through evidence-informed
Just over ten years ago the Faculty of Extension
pedagogy, our courses and programs
moved into its new home at Enterprise Square.
respond to industry and community
Since then, we worked hard toward finding
demand, and are constantly updated to
our footing in downtown, and were pleased
keep pace with the fast-changing nature of to see Enterprise Square turn into a vibrant
continuing and professional education.
learning hub. Moving to downtown Edmonton
brought us closer to our partners in the city
Learners at the Faculty of Extension—
and widened the circle of our relationships
from graduate students to professionals with local communities. We now look forward
engaging in our certificate programs—
to the opportunity to work on joint projects
participate in rich and relevant learning
with our new neighbour in the building—the
experiences that bring them closer
Edmonton Public Library—and to providing
to real-life workplace situations and
more innovative experiences that inspire
community issues. We also provide
lifelong learning.
open door learning experiences to the
objective i Offer learning experiences
that provide the opportunity for learners to
use their talents, creativity, and curiosity.
• Provide opportunities for learners to
engage with communities (i.e., service
learning, community-engaged research,
publicly accessible learning activities
and events).
• Enrich courses and student opportunities
with interdisciplinary and cross-faculty
programming.
• Offer learning experiences that incorporate
Indigenous and western world views
through a holistic learning approach
(i.e., circle and ceremony).
• Contribute to the design, delivery, and
evaluation of curricula that will provide
curricular and co-curricular opportunities
for University of Alberta learners.
objective j Bridge, enhance, support,
and mobilize the unique experiences and
cultures of downtown communities for the
public good.
• Make Enterprise Square a vibrant
space of public learning and discovery by
facilitating diverse and open communityengaged
learning experiences.
• Provide opportunities for communities
to profile their expertise and build
community university relationships.
• Serve as a portal for stakeholders and
alumni to access the University of Alberta
community.
objective k Inspire, model, and support
excellence in teaching.
• Draw on and attract talented faculty
and instructors from Extension and across
the University of Alberta.
• Advance excellence and innovation
in learning through evidence-informed
pedagogy.
• Remain current and relevant in all
educational programming, investing
in new and unique courses of value
to learners.
• Connect learners to the
Faculty of Extension’s research
and knowledge mobilization activities.
• Strengthen the reciprocal relationship
between learning, research, and service.
4. EXCEL

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4.
EXCEL
GOAL
Enable and celebrate individual and collective excellence
in the pursuit of distinction in learning,
research, and service.
In EXCEL, we focus once again on engagement, now through the lens of our
expertise and leadership in the scholarship of engagement. In the past few years,
engagement has been on the radar of many Canadian universities as an emerging
priority, while talk about community university engagement becomes increasingly
present on campuses across the country.
As a faculty with a long-standing
traditional models) and an engagement scholar
commitment to community engagement, (who works with methods and goals of
we welcome this new influx of interest and engagement scholarship).
are excited to share our expertise in the
scholarship of engagement with a growing An active member in the Engagement Scholarship
number of colleagues.
Consortium, the Faculty of Extension is a
national and international reference in the field.
Each research project developed at the
Through programs such as our Master of Arts
Faculty of Extension is designed, built,
in Community Engagement (MACE), Certificate in
established, and evaluated through the
Community-Based Research and Evaluation, and
lens of the scholarship of engagement.
Citation in Community Engagement, we promote
A relatively new concept, the scholarship the study of engagement practices including
of engagement is profoundly different
methodologies, community involvement,
from traditional models of research.
partnership-building, knowledge mobilization,
The scholarship of engagement is about and evaluation.
research that is based on long-term, equal
power relationships with communities.
By contributing our experience and expertise
Its design is built in partnership with the to other faculties and individual researchers,
community and in response to what they we advance the understanding of scholarship
identify as their concerns, while outputs of engagement functions and best practices,
encompass a variety of knowledge
creating capacity to widen the reach of
mobilization and information-sharing
engagement projects. At the same time,
activities. These are just a few examples we work toward finding a common language
of the conceptual divide between what
around engagement to guide our dialogue
it means to be an engaged scholar (who
within the University of Alberta.
engages with the community through
objective l Advance research
excellence by pursuing fundamental and
original questions and ideas, pushing the
frontiers of knowledge, inspiring creative
experimentation, driving innovation,
and advancing society.
• Provide leadership in, and foster
the scholarship of, engagement.
• Lead innovative engaged learning,
research, and service through centres,
funded research, and other initiatives.
• Mobilize knowledge about engagement
and engagement scholarship through
high-quality research outputs, programming,
course offerings, and events.
• Strengthen stakeholder and academic
capacity in learning, research, and service
through community-engaged research.
• Reward and showcase excellence in
engaged learning, research, and service
locally, nationally, and globally.
• Identify and support signature learning
and research areas where the Faculty of
Extension’s disciplinary expertise
and community engagement will
contribute to success.
objective m Enrich graduate learners’
academic lives through experiential
learning that is integrated with personal
and professional goals.
• Explore investment opportunities
that will contribute to excellence in the
provision of programs and courses.
• Provide engagement research
opportunities for graduate students
across the University of Alberta.
objective n Achieve distinction as the
University of Alberta’s provider of choice
for learning and professional development
opportunities for all employees.
• Provide opportunities for new
and continuing employees to enhance
their professional skills for active
professional growth.
• Propose revisions to the
University of Alberta’s governance
and policies that facilitate employee access
to the Faculty of Extension’s continuing, professional
and lifelong learning programs.
• Provide diverse learning activities
and initiatives for employees and students
of the University of Alberta, including
workshops, public education, and credit
and non-credit programs.
5. SUSTAIN

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5.
SUSTAIN
GOAL
Contribute to advancing socially just, economically viable,
and environmentally sustainable communities.
We live in impatient times. People are always on the lookout for immediate
solutions, for the quickest fix. Social interventions are often isolated, episodic,
and surface-level. Add to that a challenging funding environment, which isn’t
particularly friendly to long-term initiatives, and the stage is set for impact to be
short-lived. At the Faculty of Extension, however, we look beyond the culture of
immediacy—and adopt sustainability as a keyword rather than a buzzword.
Sustainability is a key concept for the
community, and industry partners is also a
scholarship of engagement, where the goal part of Extension’s approach to sustainability.
is to achieve long-term, impactful results We excel at developing trust and building quality
that multiply over time. The emphasis
relationships that endure and keep delivering
on capacity and community building is
results year after year.
one of the ways to make sure a project’s
legacy will endure. An example: ECMap,
Sustain also speaks to the need for
an Extension project on early childhood
accountability and responsible stewardship of
development, officially concluded in
resources. The Faculty of Extension’s activities—
2014—but dozens of community coalitions its entrepreneurial and innovative continuing
that were created as part of the study
and professional education (CPE) and English
are very much alive and active, working
Language School—generate significant revenue
toward giving children a better start in life. and have capacity for new growth. We bring
Life Skills Journey, a resilience-building
expertise to the management and development
summer camp for Métis children started in of CPE programming, including registration and
2010, is currently training “lead facilitators” records management, facilities management,
from the communities it serves so that they risk management, marketing, finance, instructor
may eventually take over the reins of the support, and the full range of operations. In
program. And the list goes on, with many addition, Extension has developed effective
other projects including components
budget models to facilitate decision-making
in their design that are aimed
with respect to new and established programs.
at program longevity.
Our experience in continuing education can be
shared with other units within the univesity,
Building and nurturing ethical, longstanding
relationships with learners,
a wider range of lifelong learning
supporting the university as it explores providing
opportunities.
objective o Provide a healthy
workplace in the Faculty of Extension
for all employees.
• Infuse health-promoting practices
into everyday operations.
• Create a culture of compassion.
• Leverage new and build upon existing
partnerships to facilitate continuity
and stability of learning, research,
and service endeavours.
objective q Work with partners to
develop initiatives that emphasize holistic
and sustainable approaches to learning,
research, and service that improve
individual and community well-being.
• Create co-learning opportunities
that identify and build upon
stakeholder assets.
• Create linkages between stakeholders
to strengthen partnerships and outcomes.
• Secure resources for innovative
approaches to sustainability.
• Develop and enhance models of practice
that emphasize long-term, holistic,
and sustained impact.
objective p Refine and innovate systems,
procedures, policies, and models that
ensure financial accountability and
sustainability.
• Empower employees to build
and sustain programming.
• Develop and implement assessment
methods to determine effectiveness
of work across learning, research,
and service.
• Build and revise programming
and administration that supports
resilience in the face of ever-changing
socio-economic and political
environments.

EXCEL
EXPERIENCE
BUILD
SUSTAIN
ENGAGE

The University of Alberta respectfully acknowledges
that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional
gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples including
the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene,
Ojibway/ Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, Inuit, and many others
whose histories, languages, and cultures continue to
influence our vibrant community.
uab.ca/extension
A catalyst of social change,
engaging and bridging diverse forms of knowledge
for the empowerment of individuals and communities.