Saskatchewan Polytechnic revealed the objectives and values of its new strategic plan for the next five years during a video launch event on Aug. 26, sharing details that will shape the institution’s path between now and 2025.
The new plan, titled Leading the Rise: bringing polytechnic education to new heights, is a completely new strategic plan rather than a refreshed version of Polytech’s previous plan, Tomorrow in the Making. It is the first strategic plan released by the academic institution in five years, following the branding change from SIAST to Saskatchewan Polytech in 2014.
Dr. Larry Rosia, president and CEO of Sask Polytech, introduced the new strategic plan, joined by numerous other members of the leadership team, industry partners, students and Polytech alumni.
Sask Polytech has dedicated itself to continuing to improve the educational opportunities offered to students, said Rosia, with employer-driven and learner-focused programs that provide flexible, career-ready education.
Part of the plan is to continue developing opportunities like those offered by the new School of Continuing Education and to increase faculty engagement initiatives.
“As we try and reengineer and try to be innovative in our learning space there will be a need to strengthen our employee development,” said Rosia. “I can’t put a dollar amount on that right now, but that is something that will cascade out of this plan.”
The new plan is built on the foundation of the Cree phrase miyo wahkohtowin, which embodies the value of interconnectedness and a commitment to good relationships with people and the environment.
Leading the Rise states that Sask Polytech’s mission is to “inspire success in every learning journey,” using a cascading strategy plan focused on the values of respect, integrity, sustainability and excellence.
In developing the new institution-wide strategy, Sask Polytech collected insights from staff, students, industry partners, stakeholders, and surrounding communities to best detail strengths and weaknesses in its programs.
Rosia praised the new plan as innovative, forward-thinking, and extensive in collecting the input of diverse perspectives.
“This plan is about equipping us, everyone at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, to step up and lead the rise in polytechnic education,” said Rosia. “We know that by empowering learners to realize their career goals throughout their learning journey, a journey that will last a lifetime, we can create a better Saskatchewan and a better world.”
The launch event also had Polytech leaders speak on the ongoing project to consolidate a Saskatoon Polytech campus at the University of Saskatchewan, as well as the upcoming renovation project planned for the Moose Jaw’s campus.
The Moose Jaw campus will receive $12 million from the Ministry of Advanced Education for its mezzanine project, to fix health and safety concerns and to renew several buildings on campus.
The project is expected to be complete within two years, and a plan to relocate courses from buildings undergoing construction, once students return to campus, is currently in development.
Over 950 attendees registered for the online launch event, said administrators, which was followed by a question and answer period.
The full details of Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s new strategic plan, Leading the Rise, can be found here.
