UNIVERSITY” Application for Ministerial Consent Under the Post- Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000

APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO USE THE TERM “UNIVERSITY” Application for Ministerial Consent under the Post- secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000

Submitted by University of Niagara Falls Canada

May 31, 2021

Application for Consent to Use the Term “University”

Application for Ministerial Consent under the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000

Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario

Primary Contact: Victoria Martin Chief Commercial & Compliance Officer Global University Systems Canada 626 W Pender St #100, Vancouver, BC – V6B 1V9 Email: [email protected]

Submission Date: May 31, 2021

Application for Consent to Use the Term “University”

1. Overview

Niagara Education Inc. seeks consent to use the term “University” and to use the name “University of Niagara Falls Canada” (UNF).

We believe that the university, as proposed in our application for Organization Review and our applications to offer Degree Programs, substantially meets the criteria set out in Section 10.1 of the 2020 Manual for Private Organizations.

This document demonstrates how the proposed university meets each of the ten criteria.

2. Legally authorized to grant degrees in Ontario or in another jurisdiction

Upon receiving the Minister’s consent, the proposed university will be legally authorized to grant degrees in Ontario.

Niagara Education Inc. is wholly owned by Global University Systems. With multiple subsidiaries and affiliated institutions comprising a worldwide network, Global University Systems has extensive experience delivering university education services in other jurisdictions.

The proposed university will benefit from the expertise of Global University Systems Canada, which has successfully operated University Canada West in Vancouver since 2014. ● University Canada West has received consent from the B.C. Minister of Advanced Education to use the term “university” and to offer certain undergraduate and graduate degrees, based on the review and approval process of the B.C. Degree Quality Assessment Board.

The proposed university will also have access to the expertise of the other universities in the Global University Systems network, including: ● The University of Law is the largest provider of professional legal education and training in the world with centres in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Manchester and Leeds, UK. It offers undergraduate degrees in Law, Business, Policing, Criminology and Politics, and graduate degrees in Law and Business. ● Arden University offers baccalaureate and master’s degrees through online distance learning and through blended learning courses at study centres in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Berlin. ● The University of Applied Sciences Europe (UE) is a prominent state-accredited higher education provider in Germany, with three campuses in Berlin, Hamburg, and Iserlohn. It offers programs in business, art and design, media and communications, sports management and psychology. ● Medical University of the Americas, based in Charlestown, Nevis, has enjoyed a steady track record of success, with more than 1,000 graduates, excellent performance on licensing exams and a history of winning top residency positions. ● Saba University School of Medicine, located in Saba, Dutch Caribbean, is one of the world’s leading international medical schools.

● St. Matthew's University is a fully accredited medical school and veterinary school, based in Grand Cayman, with successful graduates practicing in Canada, the United States and other countries.

3. Has a charter or statute including the word “university” in the organization’s title

Upon receiving the Minister’s consent, the proposed university will be legally authorized to use the word “university” in its title.

4. Has a mission and practice including the creation of knowledge through research and/or scholarly activity and the dissemination of knowledge through teaching, publication, and presentation

The mission statement of the university is “To prepare graduates to be leaders in a digital world through innovative degree programs and research.”

Aligned with its mission, UNF will focus on a foundational set of skills, knowledge and aptitudes for all graduates that will enable them to compete in the digital economy. This foundational education will be called “Digital Mindset”. The University believes that for graduates to succeed and be adaptable and resilient, they need to achieve a digital mindset – defined as a combination of growth mindset (a future focussed, collaborative, change oriented, learning disposition) and digital fluency (a combination of technical proficiency, literacy, ethics and communication).

UNF will be primarily a teaching university, but research and scholarly activity are essential to its mission. Full-time faculty will be required to engage in research and scholarly activity. The range of research and scholarly activities at the University will include discipline-specific research; research and scholarship related to business or professional practice; and research and scholarship related to improvements in university teaching and learning. Full-time faculty will engage in research and scholarly activity, with annual plans and funding jointly discussed between each faculty member and the Program Chair. An amount of funding for professional development will be allocated to each faculty member, and they may also apply for additional funding.

5. Offers a comprehensive range of degree programs normally including, but not limited to, arts and science

At the undergraduate level, the proposed university is seeking approval to offer the following programs: ● Honours Bachelor of Science - Biomedical Sciences ● Honours Bachelor of Business Administration – Majors in Digital Economy and Digital Marketing

Each of these programs will include elective studies that draw on a range of disciplines appropriate at a university level.

At the graduate level, the proposed university is seeking approval to offer the following programs: ● Master of Science in Data Analytics – Specializations in Marketing Analytics or Operations Analytics, as well as a General stream ● Master of Management – Specializations in Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship ● Master of Arts in Digital Media and Global Communications

These multidisciplinary programs will draw on a range of academic disciplines from the fields of Arts, Science, and Management.

We believe that this is an ambitious but achievable range of degree programs to offer during the university’s start-up years. Our intention is to expand the range of program offered as enrolments grow.

6. Normally offers programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and has appropriate curriculum design and degree level learning outcome standards for each program offered leading to the respective degrees

The proposed university is seeking approval to offer 2 undergraduate programs and 3 graduate programs.

The proposals for each program demonstrate how the program will conform to the Ontario Qualifications Framework. The proposals show the expected learning outcomes and a curriculum that aligns with those outcomes.

7. Has policies and procedures for admission, promotion, and graduation of students comparable to the policies and practices of Ontario universities

The Admissions Policy outlines the standards for admission to a program of study at the University. Admissions will be based on generally accepted Ontario university standards. To be admissible to an undergraduate program, Ontario students should hold an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with ENG4U and five additional 4U or M courses. The student’s academic average should be at least 70 per cent. Comparable requirements will apply to students from other provinces and international students. For admission to a graduate program, applicants must hold a recognized four-year undergraduate degree with CGPA of 3.0 (on a 4.33 scale) or better. Individual undergraduate or graduate programs may have additional requirements for admission.

Applicants whose first language is not English, or who have received their education in another language, must provide evidence of English language proficiency at a university level.

To recognize learning outside of the formal education system, we will put in place a rigorous prior learning assessment process that may help more mature students access our programs. A holistic admissions process will look at the whole person to make sure that they will be successful and engaged in our programs. We will accept credit from other institutions so students do not needlessly repeat courses.

We will look to sign articulation agreements with Canadian Colleges so that diploma holders have a clear pathway to degree completion. Our objective is for the complete articulation of suitable 60-credit diplomas into our undergraduate programs such that students are not required to take additional courses at the 100 and 200 level. At the graduate level, we will look to admit Ontario college honours baccalaureate degree holders straight into graduate school with no additional courses.

As outlined in the Promotion and Graduation Policy, to be eligible to graduate from a program of study, a student must be in Good Academic Standing, which is defined in the Academic Standing policy as a minimum CPGA of 2.0 for undergraduate programs and a minimum CPGA of 3.0 for graduate programs. In addition, a student must satisfy all graduation requirements for their program of study as outlined in the Academic Calendar in effect at the time of admission.

8. Constitutes a self-critical, cohesive academic community with a proven commitment to quality assurance, as evidenced by systems for internal and/or external quality assessment reviews of academic programs and operations

Part of the University’s values statement is that the university will constantly seek to improve its academic programs by high quality teaching and research dedicated to the success of its students.

The university’s Program Review Policy and Program Review Procedures assign specific responsibilities to the Vice President Academic, program chairs, course leads and faculty with respect to program quality, including the allocation of appropriate resources. Each individual course will be evaluated by students. Annually, each program will be reviewed for appropriateness of materials, assignments, readings etc. and course outlines will be updated. Every 5 years all programs will be subject to external review, consisting of the normally accepted self study, external review, response and action plan. The timing and process for these reviews will be consistent with any requirements set by the Minister. The results and action plans attached to program review will be overseen by Academic Council and the Office of the VP Academic.

The objective of these reviews is to foster improvement, maintain relevance, support the mission, vision and goals of the University, and ensure that institutional learning outcomes and degree level standards are being met. Suitable timelines, handbooks and project support will be supplied by the Office of the VP Academic.

9. Possesses a policy on faculty qualifications (hiring, retention, promotion, professional development, reward, termination) appropriate to the degree programs offered and to the mission of creating and disseminating knowledge

The University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF) is committed to hiring faculty with the qualifications required to fulfill the mandate of the university. Faculty candidates should: ● Have completed, or be near completion of a doctoral or terminal degree in a discipline related to the discipline area taught with evidence of related scholarly work; or ● Hold a master’s degree related to the discipline with extensive related professional/ business experience; or, ● Hold both doctoral and master’s degrees with post-secondary teaching experience in the field.

Doctoral degrees are normally required for teaching or supervising graduate students. Related professional and/or business experience is an asset for all faculty positions. Exceptions to these requirements may be approved by the Vice President, Academic (VPA).

Faculty will be recruited according to the standard rank structure well known in Canadian u niversities (Assistant, Associate, Full Professor). Promotion will follow the norms adopted by primarily teaching universities in Canada. While a trend is emerging for appointment in some teaching universities to be without rank, we recognize the importance of rank in the recruitment and retention of excellent faculty. A full set of policies and procedures regarding promotion will be developed. Initial faculty appointments will be probationary for a specified time and on successful completion will be moved to continuing. Continuing appointments will be subject to periodic review and will not be tenured appointments.

The duties of a full-time faculty member will include teaching, supervision of student research, university committee service and research and scholarly activity. Each program will have faculty allocated to ensuring that the curriculum is monitored, revised and improved on an ongoing basis.

Schedules will be developed such that each faculty member is provided with one non-teaching term for vacation, research and scholarly activity, professional development, etc. Course assignments will be developed by the VP Academic and Program Chair in consultation with the faculty member such that assignments reflect the academic and professional qualifications of the faculty member.

As a minimum, all faculty teaching at the undergraduate level including undergraduate research supervision will have qualifications at the master’s level or above. No less than 50% of the faculty engaged in undergraduate teaching of any kind will have qualifications at the terminal level (normally doctoral). All full-time faculty will be engaged in research and scholarship such that academic currency is maintained.

5 At the graduate level a minimum of 80% of the program will be taught by faculty holding a terminal qualification (usually doctoral). Members of supervising and examination committees will all hold terminal qualifications and records of on-going scholarly activity.

The office of the VP Academic will exercise the function of “Dean of Graduate Studies” ensuring that all faculty teaching in graduate level programs are suitably qualified and that examination criteria and assessment are suitable. Faculty will receive teaching release for the supervision of student research projects.

Sessional faculty will be recruited to teach and ensure quality curriculum, they will be expected to maintain scholarly relevance but would not supervise student research or carry out committee work. Academic currency of sessional faculty will be assessed at time of hiring and re-hiring.

10. Possesses or provides access to the learning resources (e.g., library, laboratories, equipment, research tools) appropriate to the range and level of programs offered and necessary for students to achieve the learning outcomes for the programs

The UNF Library will support students’ success in their academic careers. The library facilities will include a computer lab, individual and group study spaces, as well as printing and scanning tools. The library will provide students and faculty with high-quality resources and services, including: ● Library Reference Services (in-person, phone, email, and instant messenger) ● Research Assistance ● Workshops and training sessions on APA citation style, plagiarism, research skills and library orientation

In line with the digitally-focussed mission of the university, the Library will focus on developing its collection primarily electronically with a small number of physical stacks on site. This will allow students and faculty to have 24/7 access to all online library resources via the Library portal, which will connect users to: ● Over 380,000 e-books ● Over 60,000 full text scholarly journals ● Thousands of magazines, periodicals and trade publications ● Close to 25,000 business case studies ● Harvard Business Publishing Student Success Package containing 2,200 case studies and the Harvard Business Core Curriculum including 76 readings covering a range of essential business topics, including entrepreneurship, finance, accounting, marketing, operations management, organisational behaviour and strategy ● Other resources including company profiles, industry and market research reports, economic country reports plus SWOT analyses.

It is planned that facilities for the initial years of operation will be leased space suitable for instructional purposes with the ability to expand as needed. As the institution grows, it is expected that a purpose- built campus will be ready for occupancy by year 6 of operations.

6 The institution will maximize space utilization, without sacrificing educational quality, in the following ways: • Instructional hours for on-campus study will be set as 8:00 am – 9:00 pm, Monday – Thursday and 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Friday. • Hybrid delivery of Master’s programs will see up to 50% of total graduate enrollments delivered in this format, which combines periods of online study with weekend instruction on-campus– utilizing instructional facilities during periods that are traditional idle. • Targeting 80%+ space utilization during instructional hours

11. Has a governance system in which faculty members participate in decisions determining academic standards, that provides for appropriate student involvement and that is committed to principles and practices of academic freedom and responsibility consistent with those adopted by Universities Canada

The University of Niagara Falls Canada will have a system of governance similar to the bicameral system in place at many other Canadian universities. GUS’s commitment to this structure is evidenced by the fact that such a structure is in place at University Canada West which is owned by GUS.

The Board of Governors will be responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the university including fiduciary, legal and financial responsibility, with a role and mandate similar to that of Boards of Governors for public universities.

The Academic Council will consist of broad representation of senior administrative staff, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external members. Decisions about academic programs and policies will be made by the Academic Council as per the approved bylaws.

Academic Council’s responsibilities are: ● the establishment, revision, or discontinuance of programs at the University; ● the evaluation of programs and educational services; ● policies concerning the library and resource centres; ● policies on qualifications for faculty members; ● the adjudication procedure for appealable matters of student discipline; ● consultation with community and program advisory groups concerning the university's educational programs; ● setting the academic schedule; ● criteria for awarding academic credentials; ● curriculum standards for programs leading to degrees; ● qualifications required of applicants for admission as students to the university or to a program, department or faculty of the university; ● policies concerning examination and evaluation of student performance; ● policies concerning student withdrawal from courses, programs, or the university; ● criteria for academic standing, academic standards, and the grading system; ● policies and procedures for appeals by students on academic matters and establishing a final appeal forum for these appeals;

7 ● policies on curriculum evaluation and credit transfer; ● policies with respect to university research and research ethics; ● policies regarding residency requirements for awarding credentials for courses and programs; and,

The University supports freedom of inquiry and institutional autonomy in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. Freedom of inquiry comes with the responsibility to ensure that scholarship and teaching are conducted ethically and in accordance with the laws of society and the accepted principles and methods of research inquiry and teaching. The University adopts the definition of academic freedom approved by the Universities Canada.

The Academic Freedom policy upholds the principles of academic freedom in the conduct of research, teaching, and learning so that University members are able to pursue inquiry, make independent judgments and to express views or publish without fear of censorship, retribution, or pressures to unduly influence their work. The policy ensures that UNF is able to fulfill its mandate as a university under provincial legislation. The policy also ensures that there is a process for addressing concerns about academic freedom openly and fairly.

Academic freedom applies to all University members who are conducting scholarly research, teaching, or who are engaged in learning. The right to academic freedom is balanced by the professional standards of the research discipline and by the obligations of the university to organize and manage institutional resources in achievement of the mission and mandate of the University.

12. Relevant policies

The UNF Policies and Procedures attachment includes the relevant policies to this application, including: • Scholarly Activity for Faculty Policy • Admissions Policy • Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Policy • Academic Standing Policy • Promotion and Graduation Policy • Program Review Policy • Hiring and Appointment of Faculty Policy • Academic Freedom Policy