A message from Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor.
About a year ago, I was asked what my big rock issue was. My answer? In times of uncertainty, a university president rarely faces a single big rock. Instead, we manage meteor showers – smaller projectiles arriving all at once, each demanding attention.
I also spoke of the need to forge ahead with our Teaching Greatness vision by being bold, adaptable and intentional. As uncertainty continues to be a hallmark of our collective experience, I want to build upon that theme and delve deeper into what practices we can adopt to be more responsive and confident in our path forward.
From my line of sight as president, the meteor shower is constant: complex issues, shifting expectations and emerging opportunities. How we respond to each one affects our ability to deliver on Teaching Greatness for the many communities we serve and ensures our actions meet today’s needs while maintaining a focus on growth and evolution for the future.
Amid that motion lies the possibility for innovation, which requires curiosity, kindness and a refusal to over-react. That is the calm in chaos that I often refer to. Being at the centre of a meteor shower does not mean we freeze. It means we remain grounded, courageous and visionary as we chart MacEwan’s path forward. It means we approach challenges with intent and purpose, seeking to gain a full understanding and identifying actionable solutions.
For example, we’ve been exploring how to enhance pathways that guide students from their K to 12 educations to post-secondary studies and further on to meaningful careers. Bringing K to 12 and post-secondary educators, policy makers and industry leaders together to identify new opportunities helps us better understand each other’s needs, explore innovative ideas and find common ground from which we can build. This collaboration creates space for shared vision and illuminates opportunities we might miss if we worked in isolation.
Sometimes we can see meteors approaching from a distance, giving us time to plan and adapt. For example, the province released its budget last week. While this year’s outlook is positive, the projections for the remaining years of the three-year budget are less encouraging. The opportunity before us is to work with the province on a new funding formula, one that recognizes enrolment growth, impact and operating costs, as recommended in the Mintz report.
When we take the time to examine and respond to issues in a measured, holistic way, we often find that challenges create opportunities to work more efficiently and further MacEwan University as an innovative and creative institution.
I also analyze the meteor shower for patterns.
For example, when I use a systems approach to examine an issue more deeply, I often find meteors that can be grouped around a common theme or root cause. That’s when opportunities emerge to address them collectively, rather than trying to manage numerous individual issues. This approach also reveals how different elements influence one another and how a change in one area can affect the entire system.
Another approach I use is to look at issues through the interconnectedness of reputation, resources and reform.
If people think highly of MacEwan, we’re more likely to attract resources in the form of government grants and increased enrolment. If we are seen to be evolving and aligning with the needs of our students, our reputation grows and more students want to study here. If we are seen to be tapped into the needs of industry and the community, our ability to attract philanthropic gifts, work-integrated learning opportunities and partnerships increase. Each step we take has a ripple effect across our institution and beyond.
At MacEwan, we are well equipped to navigate these meteor showers. We collaborate with diverse groups across our community to address current, real-world issues. We think long term as we work to provide our students with durable skills that meet the evolving needs of business and industry. And our research continues to explore solutions to the challenges we all face.
Across Canada, the important role of universities – and our ability to navigate through meteor showers – is being recognized. New national research by Universities Canada shows public trust in Canadian universities is rising as growing economic uncertainty and competition increases. We are seen as institutions that serve the public good, strengthen our communities and prepare Canada to surmount long-term economic and social challenges. I encourage us to continue to apply a lens of intention, collaboration and systems-thinking to the challenges that come our way.
Dr. Annette Trimbee
President and Vice-Chancellor