Dominican University College Strategic Plan 2006-2011

Index


INTRODUCTION

ABOUT OUR COLLEGE

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 


INTRODUCTION

In April 2006, the Dominican University College undertook a strategic review and planning process, to identify:


The plan provides a stable framework, within which the Board and the departments of the College can make key decisions, and develop more detailed administrative and operational changes.

The goals and strategies have a clear time frame, in which concrete actions should be undertaken. Limited financial resources should not impede progress, providing everyone is willing to demonstrate flexibility, commitment, and creativity in meeting the various phases of implementation.

We have identified individuals or groups who are responsible for reaching the goals. The President has the overall responsibility for maintaining the vision and strategic direction, while operations and management of initiatives will also be shared by individuals and groups within, and aligned to, DUC.


To monitor the success and implementation of the strategic plan, a forum of representatives (maximum 7) chaired by the President, will be formed immediately.

 

The planning process is initiated by a committee with the following members:


ABOUT OUR COLLEGE

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Mission Statement

The College is a Catholic institution that provides, in French and English, a first class education in philosophy and theology, in the Dominican tradition of intellectual excellence, free inquiry, and spiritual growth.

History

Founded first as a House of Studies in 1899, the Dominican College was established in 1900, in Ottawa, by the Canadian Province of the Dominican Order.

The College received its Ontario University Civil Charter, through The Dominican or Friar Preachers of Ottawa College Act in 1967, granting it the right to offer civil university degrees in philosophy and theology. Since then it has welcomed students from outside the Dominican Order. The first female students were admitted in 1967.

Since 1975, by virtue of a decision of the Sacred Congregation on Catholic Education in Rome, the College has been authorized to confer ecclesiastical degrees to qualified theology students, and the Faculty of Theology has been declared a Pontifical University Faculty.

The College has three departments: the Department of Philosophy and the Faculty of Theology are in Ottawa, and the Institute of Pastoral Studies is in Montreal.

Academic Freedom

All College teaching and research is conducted in full respect of freedom of expression for both professors and students. The College is embedded in the Dominican tradition and open to discussing all trends of thought and to students from all religious backgrounds.

Teaching and Research

Teaching is done in both English and French. The students are exposed to a strong philosophical and theological culture. They acquire a solid education that will follow them in life, whatever career they choose.

Beyond the acquisition of fundamental knowledge, our undergraduate programs seek to develop in our students’ intellectual rigour, imaginative insight, and critical awareness. This is accomplished in philosophy by presenting a solid overview of the major currents of thought and, in theology, by providing a comprehensive vision of the Christian mystery.

The research interests of the philosophy faculty include history of philosophy and metaphysics, and contemporary continental philosophy. Theological research presently focuses on the Old and New Testament texts, ethics, and systematic theology. Students work closely with the faculty, as colleagues and collaborators, advancing many ongoing scholarly research projects. Our professors regularly publish books and articles, and attend conferences and symposia.

The Dominican University College is home for Science et Esprit, a long established bilingual journal in philosophy and theology. The editorial work International Journal for Social Economics is also done at the College; the current Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Editor are both members of the Department of Philosophy.

Some characteristics

Students have the opportunity to take courses and do research in a small college community with high academic standards. The ongoing intellectual exchange stimulates not only the inquiry and learning of the students but also the research activities of the professors. Both, students and professors, are united in a creative and imaginative acquisition of knowledge.

In addition, the Dominican University College offers students unlimited access to Faculty. A mentoring program assigns volunteer graduate students to new undergraduate students. We also hold every year an Essay Writing Workshop for all new students, as well as an Integration Seminar for students finishing their program.

Our library possesses a specialized collection of approximately 125 000 books. Its strengths are the period of middle ages and study of the scriptures. It possesses a unique collection of rare books, printed in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. This collection is carefully stored in a special room created thanks to the generous donation by the Wilson Foundation.

The students benefit from the scholarship and culture of an exceptional academic staff, including the full time professors of the College and visiting professors from other universities. Each year several important scholars come to the College to teach or carry out research activities.

The impressive building on Empress Avenue houses both the College and the Priory of the Dominican Friars. Students are in close contact with the Dominicans in the cloister, refectory, and church. Many of them choose to participate in some of the communal activities.

Students come from all over the country and abroad to live a unique experience of learning, which allows them to progress in their career and to develop as mature individuals.

Our graduates

 

Our graduates can be found today in the most diverse sectors of our society. There are professors, teachers, pastoral workers, priests, church scholars, policy advisors, lawyers, politicians, doctors, journalists, business executives, psychologists, social workers, etc. In their own way, they make a significant contribution to the society at large. The recently founded Alumni Association organizes activities for all former students and informs them about all aspects of the academic life through the publication of the Alumni Bulletin 96Empress.ca.


GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

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The following five goals clearly indicate the key areas for development and progress for our university community:

1. Achieve Financial Health

2. Increase Presence in the Wider Community

3. Foster Academic Excellence

4. Improve Facilities

5. Strengthen Alumni Support and Participation


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Goal 1 - Achieve Financial Health

Increase the funding of our programmes of study

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Secure a successful affiliation with a publicly funded university

2006-2007

  • President
  • Board
  • Obtain the accreditation from the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies for the Graduate Program in Philosophy

2006-2007

  • Chair, Department of Philosophy
  • Master of Studies
  • Obtain the accreditation from the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies for the Graduate Program in Theology

2006-2009

  • Dean, Faculty of Theology
  • Master of Studies
  • Participate actively in the fundraising campaign of the Foundation of the College

2006-2008

  • President
  • Foundation
  • Departments
  • Administrative Board
  • Participate actively in specific outreach and fundraising activities

2006-

  • President
  • Communication Officer
  • Development Officer
  • Departments

 

Increase the number of full-time students

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Increase the number of full-time students by 60% over the next five years

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Development Officer
  • Departments
  • Administrative Board
  • Attract students from the worldwide Dominican community

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Registrar
  • Attract international students

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Registrar
  • Attract a greater number of francophone students

2006-

  • Communication Officer Departments
  • Attract a greater number of retired adult students

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Make a greater use of the alumni to attract students

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Development Officer
  • Alumni Association
  • Increase the number of targeted scholarships

2006-

  • President
  • Departments
  • Foundation

 

Develop a programme of fund-raising

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Hire a full-time Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

2007-2008

  • President
  • Diversify the means of fund-raising and targets

2006-

  • President
  • Foundation
  • Development Officer
  • Develop a network of friends of the DUC

2006-

  • President
  • Communication Officer
  • Development Officer
  • Departments
  • Develop a collective awareness of fundraising

2006-

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Departments
  • Call upon professional expertise in fund raising

2006-

  • President
  • Board

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Goal 2 - Increase the Presence of the College in the Wider Community

 

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Offer more outreach events (concerts, public lectures, expositions, book sales, guided visits, etc.)

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Reach out to identified communities of interest to the College (churches, religious communities, schools, universities, community centres, local business community, professional associations, all groups that might be interested in using the college facilities for the purposes that are morally, aesthetically, and spiritually consistent the mission and values of the College

2006-

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • See a much higher profile in both the English and French media

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Enhance the profile and importance of both philosophy and theology by giving talks in high schools, colleges, and other learning centres

2006-

  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Consider giving lectures in various Dominican priorys

2006-

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Consider giving lectures and courses outside Ottawa (provided that no territorial problem is created by such an activity)

2008-

  • Departments
  • Invite eminent figures of culture, arts, religion, sports, and politics to the College

2006-

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Organize concerts for the College choir in various religious and cultural centres

2007-

  • Choir Director

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Goal 3 - Foster Academic Excellence

 

Teaching

 

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Maintain the high quality of teaching: small classes, close interaction with students, senior faculty teaching undergraduate classes

2006-

  • Departments
  • Create a multi-purpose meeting place for students

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-president
  • Broaden the scope of the undergraduate programs; this would involve a more generalized programme of study in the first year with concentration in philosophy or theology thereafter

2006-2008

  • Department of Philosophy
  • Faculty of Theology
  • College
  • Study the concerns of potential students and institutions (church, corporations, schools, universities, etc) and propose reasonable and feasible adjustments

2006-2008

  • Departments
  • Promote the confessional character of the institution (a certain number of students come to the College because of this character)

 

  • Departments
  • Director of Communication
  • Hire at least six more full-time professors (three in philosophy, three in theology)

2007-

  • Departments
  • Strive to hire more women faculty

2007-

  • Departments
  • Invite internationally recognized scholars to teach graduate seminars

2007-

  • Departments
  • Obtain sponsorship for guest lectures

2007-

  • President
  • Development Officer
  • Offer more common courses between philosophy and theology

2006-

  • Departments
  • Prepare and implement international exchange programme agreements

2007-2009

  • Vice-President
  • Master of Studies
  • Communication Officer
  • Offer attractive summer activities to high school students

2007-

  • Departments
  • Communication Officer

 

Research

 

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Obtain grants for research from external funding agencies (e.g. SSHRC)

2006-

  • Master of Studies
  • Departments
  • Create a chair in both philosophy and theology and reinforce the research orientation of both graduate programmes

2006-

  • Departments
  • Increase the number of symposia, conferences and lectures. Insure the regular and continuing participation of faculty and graduate students.

2006-

  • Departments
  • Master of Studies
  • Create and maintain specific research centres for phenomenology, ancient and medieval thought, scripture study, and ecumenism at the College

2006-

  • Departments
  • Create research activities in collaboration with scholars of other Canadian universities

2006-

  • Master of Studies
  • Departments
  • Promote the creation of research networks on the international scales

2007-

  • Master of Studies
  • Departments
  • Maintain the high quality of the journal Science et Esprit and publish an electronic version

2008-2010

  • Editorial Board
  • Increase the amount of financial support for publication, travel, and research

2007-

  • Master of Studies
  • Encourage research activities and dissemination of the results among professors. Increase the number of publications by members of the faculty

2006-

  • Departments
  • Master of Studies
  • Invest in the library by maintaining and expanding collections

2006-

  • Librarian
  • Departments
  • Undertake the physical expansion of the library

2008-2010

  • President
  • Librarian
  • Solicit collections from retired professors and other possible donors

2007-

  • President
  • Librarian

 

Administration

 

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Establish an equity of salary. Both the lay and religious faculty will receive the same salary

2007-2009

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Administrative Board
  • Move to a merit-based approach to hiring and promotion

2007-2009

  • Departments
  • Offer sabbatical years for research

2007-2009

  • Departments
  • Improve the university’s academic and administrative support service by hiring additional staff

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Modernize the administrative structure of the College

2006-2008

  • President
  • Create a full-time registrar office

2008-2009

  • President
  • Foster initiatives among administrative staff

2006-

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Departments

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Goal 4 - Improve Facilities

 

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Make a better use of the existing facilities by modernizing the infrastructure

2007-2009

  • President
  • Vice-President

 

  • Make the classrooms, entrance hall, Albert the Great Hall, galleries, and library more attractive and cleaner

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-President

 

  • Introduce a special “look” that guides changes in painting, décor, furniture, curtain, etc.

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Communication Officer
  • Create for the student a common study room. This exists in all universities. This large room could be used for receptions and similar public events (book launching, lectures, etc.)

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Create a board outside the College for a greater visibility

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Communication Officer
  • Re-design parts of the building for a more efficient use

2007-

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Improve the entrance of the College so the faculty and students can come and go with ease without endangering the security of the building and its inhabitants

2007-2008

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Set up a recreational facility for both students and staff

2009-2010

  • President
  • Vice-President

 

 

It is proposed that, over a ten-year horizon, the College aims at

 

  • the purchase of the building from the Dominican Order, provided, of course, that such a purchase suits the interests and objectives of both parties

2006-2016

  • President
  • Board
  • the purchase of an additional building

2006-2016

  • President
  • Board

 

It was noted that heritage designation of the building may be useful as a means of securing funds for restoration and maintenance of this historic structure.

 

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Goal 5 - Strengthen Alumni Support and Participation

 

Strategy

Time Frame

Responsible

  • Cultivate the alumni as perpetual members of the College and develop their support

2006-

  • President
  • Departments
  • Development Officer
  • Develop methods of collecting and updating mail and e-mail addresses

2007-2008

  • Development Officer
  • Organize activities regrouping alumni graduating in the same year

2006-

  • Development Officer
  • Alumni Association
  • Publish a bilingual Alumni Bulletin at least twice a year

2006-

  • Development Officer
  • Involve alumni in fundraising and outreach activities

2007-

  • President
  • Departments
  • Alumni Association
  • Call on alumni for the promotion of the College

2006-

  • President
  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Alumni Association
  • Involve alumni in recruitment activities

2006-

  • President
  • Communication Officer
  • Departments
  • Alumni Association
  • Create awards for the recognition of distinguished alumni

2007-2008

  • Alumni Association