People Strategy
The University Strategic Plan, SHAPE: A Strategic Plan of Impact, identifies our people as the cornerstone of our ambitions for the next decade. To fulfill this vision, the university is committed to developing and executing a deliberate plan to ensure that the U of A is a place where our people can thrive and flourish. To that end, we are excited to announce the launch of consultations to shape an inaugural People Strategy for the university.
The results from the 2023 Faculty and Staff Engagement Survey provided insight into the feelings of our staff and set a critical baseline for the beginnings of the People Strategy. The strategy, building on the survey results, will ultimately provide a roadmap to creating a culture and environment that supports our people to do their best work but, just as importantly, thrive personally and in their careers.
The strength of our people is absolutely foundational to realizing our future as a top-tiered educational institution and to the priorities and vision brought to life through SHAPE. Enabling our faculty and staff to flourish and excel is a critical element of our ability to deliver on our ambitious goals laid out for the next decade.
Related Strategic Plans
Several strategic plans have recently been completed or are currently under development at the University of Alberta. All of these plans reflect a common vision for the U of A’s future and, most importantly, each one is founded on the understanding that people are at the heart of everything we do. In this way, the people strategy will both reflect and inform the ongoing work at the U of A over the coming decade.
The People Strategy will prioritize alignment with Shape; Forward with Purpose; Braiding Past, Present & Future; and the current work guiding the university’s revamped strategic plan for EDI. The People Strategy will also link with and reflect other related work, such as the Healthy University Strategic Plan and the Culture of Care.
The Consultation Process
We want to stress how important our commitment is to addressing the issues we’ve heard from you in the engagement survey at an institutional level, which is why we want to hear more from our community in regards to the kind of culture and environment we need to advance to foster success. Phase one of the consultations for the People Strategy will begin in November 2023, with a series of community consultations for staff at all levels of the organization to get involved and share their feedback, including an online forum.
Once the first phase of consultations is complete, a What We Heard report will form the basis for phase two of consultations and will be available on this website. This report will share what the community has told us and provide you with another opportunity to tell us where we’re on track and what we need to refine. This detailed preparation work ensures that the planning process is truly aimed at elements that support our shared success, so the work of drafting the plan can begin.
The draft People Strategy document will be recirculated to our community for final feedback before it’s finalized in late spring 2024.
Community Consultations and Online Feedback
What We Heard Review
Draft Strategy Review
Steering Committee
To ensure the People Strategy reflects a positive future for our community, it is vital that consultation be guided by a thoughtful group of faculty, staff, leaders and community members from across the university and co-chaired by the Interim Provost & Vice-President (Academic) and the Vice-President (University Services & Finance).
Steering Committee members will lead consultation sessions with the community, review the results of the consultation, assist in translating what has been shared into a strategic direction for the university and endorse a draft of the final strategy.
The following list outlines the Steering Committee for the development of the University of Alberta’s inaugural People Strategy.
Committee Members
- Verna Yiu - Provost & Vice President Academic
- Todd Gilchrist - Vice-President, University Services and Finance
- Carrie Smith - Vice Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Florence Glanfield - Vice Provost, Indigenous Programming and Research
- Marvin Washington - College Dean & Vice Provost, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Jason Carey - Dean, Campus Saint Jean
- Marcie Chisholm - AVP, Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment (HRHSE)
- Stephanie Dickie -Team Lead, Student Programs Administration, Board of Governors Member, NASA Representative
- Heather Bruce - Professor, ALES, Board of Governors Member, AASUA Representative
- Philip Stack - Director, Health Safety and Environment
- Bishoi Aziz - President, Grad Student Association, Board of Governors Member, Graduate Student Association Representative
- Valentina Kozlova - Teaching Professor, Dept. of Economics
- Kate Young - Board of Governors Member, Alumni Representative
- Jeannie Smith - Chief of Staff, President's Office
- Verna Yiu - Provost & Vice President Academic
- Todd Gilchrist - Vice-President, University Services and Finance
- Carrie Smith - Vice Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Florence Glanfield - General Faculties Council
- Marvin Washington - College Dean & Vice Provost, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Jason Carey - Dean, Campus Saint Jean
- Marcie Chisholm - AVP, Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment (HRHSE)
- Stephanie Dickie -Team Lead, Student Programs Administration
- Heather Bruce - Professor, ALES
- Philip Stack - Director, Health Safety and Environment
- Bishoi Aziz - President, Grad Student Association
- Valentina Kozlova - Teaching Professor, Dept. of Economics
- Kate Young - Board of Governors Member, Alumni Representative
- Jeannie Smith - Chief of Staff, President's Office