In October 2023, the UBC Faculty of Arts embarked on a transformative journey with the launch of its Re-envisioning Arts strategic planning process for 2025-2030. This initiative marks a pivotal moment for our faculty as we work towards creating a focused, equity-centered, and forward-looking strategic plan that advances reconciliation and decolonization, and reflects our collective values and aspirations while adapting to emerging needs and opportunities.
Over the last few months, we’ve had the opportunity to hear from you on what matters the most to the Arts community in the years to come. We are excited to share our Arts Strategic Plan Preliminary Report, highlighting key themes from our Listening Phase, as well as our emerging strategic plan framework, which includes our draft vision, mission, values, commitments, and strategic directions.
The Preliminary Report
This report marks a significant milestone in our strategic planning process. It captures the essence of our community discussions, and synthesizes common themes and key insights gathered during the Listening Phase. In total, almost 300 students, faculty, staff, and community members participated in 26 focus group sessions, and over 350 shared insights through an online survey, contributing to a rich tapestry of perspectives.
We invite you to review the full report to understand how our vision is shaping the future of the Faculty of Arts.
Key Findings and Emerging Framework
The key findings and emerging framework outlined below provide a foundation for developing the full strategic plan. Alongside the four strategic directions, we are working toward a digital strategy that will encompass all areas of our mission.
Lead. Empower. Thrive.
Grounded in its commitment to place and knowledge, and Musqueam-led stewardship of the land, the Faculty of Arts will lead innovation in research and education, empower individuals and communities to thrive, and advance a more informed, just and sustainable world.
- Foster and mobilize research, knowledge and practice across disciplines within the Faculty of Arts and beyond on both local and global scales.
- Prepare students for the future and empower them to contribute positively to society through teaching and learning across our disciplines using a human-centered, critical and creative approaches.
- Elevate the impact of our work by addressing complex societal challenges and actively engaging and collaborating with communities at UBC, Musqueam, and beyond.
- Cultivate a sustainable, respectful and inclusive working and learning culture by advancing justice, equity and inclusion; and promoting situated relationships, decolonization, and Indigenous rights.
Based on your contributions throughout the Listening Phase, we have determined four strategic directions that will be the basis of this plan:
- Excel in research and creative practice
- Deliver transformative education
- Engage communities for greater impact
- Generate sustainable futures
Supporting these strategic directions, eight recurring themes have been identified by our community as crucial for the development and implementation of our emerging strategic plan:
- Commitment to Academic Excellence by embracing innovative teaching, learning, and research.
- Advancing Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (JEI) by implementing actionable initiatives for inclusive excellence.
- Advancing Indigenous Reconciliation and Decolonization by integrating Indigenous perspectives into our work.
- Fostering Collaboration and Connection, which are essential components for a thriving faculty.
- Elevating Influence and Impact by better articulating the value of Arts education and research, and cultivating intellectual curiosity and ethical leadership.
- Encouraging Innovation and Risk-Taking by cultivating a culture of experimentation and transformative outcomes.
- Prioritizing Wellbeing and Sustainability by fostering a supportive environment and holistic sustainability.
- Promoting Disability Justice and Accessibility by ensuring an inclusive and supportive environment.
- Developing Equitable Systems and Policies by creating structures that facilitate creativity and adaptability.
Our values underpin and guide all activities, interactions and decisions. They are long-lasting and act as a compass that orients our work within the Faculty of Arts.
- Curiosity: We serve society by cultivating curious minds, fostering intellectual enquiry, and promoting critical thinking. We acknowledge that the freedom to research, teach and express ourselves comes with the shared responsibility to foster respectful dialogue.
- Innovation: We promote creative thought and expression, encouraging experimentation, risk-taking, and courageous actions. We create an environment where new ideas and innovative approaches can flourish, embracing change as an opportunity for growth to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Together, we recognize disruption as a catalyst for transformation.
- Collaboration: We create a culture of collaboration rooted in respect, relevance, reciprocity and responsibility. We encourage interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary exchange, foster partnerships that transcend traditional boundaries, and embrace diverse perspectives and collective knowledge. We care about the wellbeing and connectedness of our students, faculty, and staff. Through this profound sense of collegiality and belonging, together, we create community.
- Accountability: We hold ourselves responsible for fulfilling our commitments with integrity and transparency, maintaining the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct. By fostering a culture of accountability, we build trust and credibility, and demonstrate authenticity and intentionality in all our endeavors.
Our commitments serve as our contract with society and ourselves. We embrace our responsibility to build a just, equitable and inclusive community for people, decolonize research, teaching, and organizational systems and ensure accessibility in all that we do. Our dedication to justice includes a firm commitment to Indigenous reconciliation, anti-racism, gender equality, and disability inclusion.
Our four cross-cutting commitments are:
- Reconciliation, Decolonization and Indigenous Resurgence: We acknowledge our role in perpetuating colonialist structures and practices and are dedicated to meaningful, measurable actions that support Indigenous students, staff, researchers, and faculty. This includes addressing the legacy of intergenerational trauma from residential schools and other colonial policies, with a focus on genuine relationships and collaboration with Indigenous communities, particularly the Musqueam people whose unceded lands our Point Grey Campus is situated on and whose members are directly and indirectly impacted by our actions and inaction.
- Justice, Equity, and Inclusion: We aim to dismantle entrenched colonial and exclusionary practices and transform our systems, operations, and structures to foster a more equitable and inclusive environment. This commitment goes beyond rhetoric, driving us to redefine excellence and realize the potential for transformative impact in research, teaching, and community engagement.
- Accessibility: We strive to build an accessible community where all students, staff and faculty can thrive. We support disability justice by endorsing inclusive initiatives and promoting a culture of respect and understanding. Our approach to accessibility involves ongoing critical reflection and refinement to ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities to participate and contribute.
- Sustainability: We are committed to sustainability across environmental, social and financial dimensions. We prioritize responsible resource stewardship, community well-being, and innovative solutions that promote long-term resilience and ethical leadership. By embedding sustainability into our practices, we aim to foster a thriving, future-focused community.
Please consult the preliminary report for more information on the commitments above.
