Foundational Goals and Themes

Images of students on campus, doing field research and in convocation regalia

Our four themes describe how we will make our vision happen. These are the areas on which we will concentrate to make sure we are leading a sustainable future through education, research, and community impact. Each theme features a series of strategic goals that detail what we hope to achieve, and our foundational goals run across all four. 

Foundational Goals

  • Support fulfilling student learning journeys.
  • Celebrate the best of ÂÜÀòÉäÇø’s achievements.
  • Attract and retain outstanding people for our community.
  • Influence local and global policy.

Our Themes

Cultivate Curiosity

We will excel at teaching, learning, and inquiry.

We will welcome, support, encourage, and inspire learners.

Strategic Goals

  • Foster a culture of curiosity.
  • Expand experiential learning.
  • Inspire discovery through research.
  • Nurture an inclusive and accessible University community that respects and learns from diverse perspectives and contributions.

Act on Truth & Reconciliation

We will continue on our path to advance and meaningfully enact reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, through dialogue, education, research, relationships, and service.

Strategic Goals

  • Endorse and implement learnings and articles from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
  • Advance decolonization and Indigenization.
  • Increase cultural awareness and understanding for cultural safety and humility.
  • Improve representation by recruiting and retaining Indigenous students, faculty, and staff.

Empower Northern Communities

We will collaborate, partner, generate knowledge and build capacity for the advancement of healthy, productive, thriving communities.

Strategic Goals

  • Create knowledge through community-based and community driven-research.
  • Work with communities and regional partners to identify and deliver timely solutions for pressing issues.
  • Mobilize knowledge and build community capacity and fellowship through education.

Foster Local Solutions for Global Impact

We will leverage our unique position to mobilize knowledge for local and global change.

Strategic Goals 

  • Value and leverage ÂÜÀòÉäÇø’s connections to place and people to solve locally and globally relevant challenges.
  • Harness the energy of alumni and global networks to collaborate, learn, and share.
  • Continuously enhance an innovative and supportive learning and knowledge generation ecosystem.