Welcome to UNBC’s Academic Plan webpage. Here you will find an overview of the current academic plan, how that plan came to be, and links to other important documents and resources.
What is an academic plan?
While UNBC's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Ready defines UNBC’s mission to Ignite, Inspire, and Lead Change, and serves as a guiding framework for the entire University, the academic plan focuses on the educational aspect of the University, including curriculum and pedagogy, enrollment initiatives, academic structure, faculty renewal and development, community engagement, student experience and success, and more.
Snapshot of the Ready Roadmap: Academic Plan 2025-2031
In developing a refresh of the 2017 Academic Action Plan and aligning it with the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Ready, we heard from voices across the UNBC community including a wide variety of students, staff, faculty, and alumni about the need to focus on the core foundations of UNBC’s mandate to the region; to focus on curriculum renewal and pedagogical innovation; to focus on fulfilling student learning journeys. With this renewed focus, we must work in a coordinated manner to enhance our “Student First” approach and fulfill the vision our Founders had for our students.
As we look forward, the Ready Roadmap: Academic Plan 2025-2031 addresses the following priorities:
- Driving Strategic Enrolment Growth and Impact
- Empowering Indigenous Voices & Knowledge at UNBC
- Transforming Curriculum and Pioneering Pedagogical Innovation
- Building a Bold and Inclusive Regional Strategy
- Expanding Global Impact through International Strategy
- Optimizing Resource Allocation for Maximum Academic Impact
- Empowering Lifelong Learning and Enhancing the Role of Continuing Studies
- Championing Faculty Excellence and Development
Focusing on these core commitments to students and the community will ensure UNBC continues to lead as an institution of academic and regional excellence.
[In the full academic plan (see links below), each of the eight priorities are set in context, and include a non-exhaustive list of objectives to guide ongoing planning efforts.]
UNBC's recent academic plans.
- Current Academic Plan
- Ready Roadmap: Academic Plan 2025-2031. Approved through Senate in March 2025
- Previous Academic Plan
- 2017 Academic Action Plan. Approved through Senate in June 2017.
Why and how did we develop the current academic plan?
To align with and complement the actualization of UNBC's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Ready, it was vital to reflect on and refresh UNBC's 2017 Academic Action Plan. This refresh, leading to the creation of the Ready Roadmap: Academic Plan 2025-2031, will ensure relevance and innovation in UNBC's response to local and global trends in the post-secondary environment for years to come.
Between April 2024 and February 2025 an academic plan refresh process was led by the Interim Vice President Academic & Provost, Dr. Bill Owen. An Advisory and Working Committee was established to generate a project timeframe and to guide the communication and drafting process. A series of engagement opportunities on campus and online solicited the input of all staff, faculty, students and alumni whose input and sharing of perspectives would be invaluable in shape the future of UNBC's academic community.
This renewal occurred alongside the renewal of the UNBC Strategic Research Plan and the creation of the UNBC Global Engagement Plan: Ready for Student Success Plan.
Advisory and Working Committee
The Advisory and Working Committee was composed of internal academic and student representatives and was responsible for contributing to and steering the academic planning refresh process.
Members included:
- Bill Owen, Interim Vice-President Academic and Provost (Committee Chair).
- Shendah Benoit, Assistant Professor – School of Education.
- Heidi Dodenberg, Sr. Lab Instructor – School of Nursing.
- Clarence Hofsink, Sr. Lab Instructor – Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology.
- Nicola Koper, Dean – Faculty of Environment.
- Bella Mesquita, final year student in Biomedicine.
- Kealin McCabe, Research and Learning Services Librarian – UNBC Library.
- John McNeill, Director, Academic Operation and Quality Assurance - Office of the Provost.
- Kriston Rennie, Dean – Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities.
- Kyle Ross, 2nd yr UG student in Northern and Rural Community Planning.
- Katerina Standish, Vice-Provost, Graduate & Post-doctoral Studies - Office of the Provost.
- Todd Whitcombe, Professor and Chair – Chemistry & Biochemistry.
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Contact
You can reach out to the Office of the Provost to share ideas, comments, questions, or other feedback at provost@unbc.ca.