Embracing change 2019/20 ANNUAL REPORT 2 Embracing change Table of 3 Vision and mission 4 Mandate statement contents 6 Message from the Board chair 7 Message from the president and vice-chancellor 8 Accountability statement and management’s responsibility for reporting 9 Governance 10 Operational overview 12 Goals, priority initiatives, expected outcomes and performance measures 46 Enrolment plan and program changes 53 Research, applied research and scholarly activities 55 Community outreach and underrepresented learners 57 Internationalization 58 Information technology 59 Capital plan 61 Financial and budget information 66 Protected disclousure (whistleblower) activity 67 Self-generated revenue Appendix: Source for all data is Mount Royal University’s Institutional 2020 consolidated financial statements Analysis unit or the Institutional Planning and Assessment unit unless otherwise stated. Data is from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, which is referenced as the 2019/20 year. 1 2019/20 Annual Report Embracing change While navigating a changing environment, Mount Royal remained With the pandemic, the 2019/20 year saw an abrupt shift away from focused on its growth strategies in 2019/20. the face-to-face interactions and personalized learning experiences Mount Royal is known for. Despite being primarily online, student • Enrolment grew 3.7% year over year, achieved largely through the satisfaction with their overall educational experience remained high retention and persistence of continuing students. at 88%, compared with 79% at comparator institutions. Students’ • Growth in the credit student body as a whole outpaced growth in the well-being and learning continued to be prioritized with early support international student population, which remained steady at 1.9%. and peer mentoring programs, as well as on-the-job experiences such • The percentage of self-declared Indigenous students grew slightly as community service learning. to 6.1%, on track to reach 7.0% by or before 2025. • Approximately 3,400 seats were added to the course inventory, a Embracing change, Mount Royal remained focused on enhancing 3.1% increase over the previous year. opportunities for students, diversifying its programming and • Total credit course offerings increased by 9.9% since 2016/17. operations, and producing exceptional graduates with the problem- • Three new majors were implemented in the Bachelor of Business solving and analysis skills needed in the jobs of today. Administration: Finance, International Business and Supply Chain Management. In addition to increasing access to programs to meet high demand • Proposals were submitted for a Bachelor of Arts — Business in the Calgary area, last year Mount Royal addressed the Ministry’s Economics, a Bachelor of Social Work, a Bachelor of Science — priorities of affordability, quality and coordination, as set out in the Biology, and a Bachelor of Science — Computer Science, and the 2019 Comprehensive Institutional Plan and as described in this latter two were approved for Fall 2020. Annual Report. • The research and scholarship portfolio continued to mature. • Higher year-over-year volumes and a notable rise in revenues from events and conference venue rentals were being realized prior to the pandemic. 2 2019/20 Annual Report Vision Mission Mount Royal University: an exceptional undergraduate Since 1910, Mount Royal has built a reputation on a strong, liberal educational experience education foundation with an undergraduate focus. More than a century later, we remain responsive to the needs of our community through our enduring commitment to this legacy. We are a community of engaged citizens, providing personalized, experiential and outcome-based learning in an environment of inclusion, diversity and respect. Through our focus on teaching and learning informed by scholarship, we are preparing our graduates for success in their careers and lives. Mount Royal University is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda. We are situated on land where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. The traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Mohkinstsis,” which we now call the city of Calgary. The city of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation. 3 2019/20 Annual Report Mandate statement This mandate statement has been developed by Mount Royal University in consultation and lifelong learners are served through youth education, professional development with Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education pursuant to Section 103 of the Post- and contract training delivered through Continuing Education and Extension. secondary Learning Act (PSLA). tudents of all ages also benefit from the internationally recognized Conservatory music programming. 1. Type of Institution, Sector, and Governance Mount Royal University is a board-governed public post-secondary institution 4. Geographic Service Area and Type of Delivery operating in Alberta as an undergraduate university under the authority of the PSLA. Mount Royal University is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and delivers the majority of its programming at a main campus located in southwest Calgary, with an 2. Outcomes Aviation program delivered at the Springbank airport. The majority of the University’s Mount Royal University has built a reputation on being student-centred and offering students originate from Calgary and surrounding regions. a strong, liberal education foundation with an undergraduate focus. Mount Royal Mount Royal also serves a wider learner population provincially, nationally and is responsive to the needs of the community through its enduring commitment to internationally through face-to-face and distance delivery and through partnerships providing knowledge and skills to students which, in turn, provide the knowledge, with other post-secondary institutions in our province. Mount Royal serves its talent and resources necessary to sustain the local and regional economy, to advance communities by creating and communicating knowledge and by meeting the needs the province and to sustain the socio-cultural tapestries of surrounding communities. of the labour market in fields related to its program areas. Mount Royal is a vital part of Alberta’s higher education system, and offers a rich program mix of undergraduate studies that provide direct pathways into the 5. Program Mandates and Credentials Offering workforce or to further avenues in higher education such as graduate school. At Mount Royal University offers a wide range of programs in arts, business, Mount Royal, students work directly with their professors, gain practical experience, communications, health, community, education, science and technology. The take carefully constructed general education courses, participate in community-based University’s offerings align with the Alberta Credential Framework and include learning and research, and engage with and contribute to the broader community. At certificates, diplomas, postdiploma certificates, postbachelor’s certificates, Mount Royal, students’ educational experiences are underpinned by the high-quality bachelor’s degrees and foundational learning. services needed to ensure their health, well-being and success. Mount Royal plays a pivotal role in the Campus Alberta system. As an undergraduate Mount Royal also serves its communities by providing non-credit instruction in contract university, Mount Royal is both a sending and receiving institution for student transfer training, professional development, international programming and music instruction. and is committed to developing and maintaining partnerships with institutions within the Campus Alberta system. 3. Clients/Students Mount Royal University serves undergraduate students, youth, adult and lifelong 6. Special Program Areas/Areas of Specialization learners. Undergraduate programs are primarily of interest to high school graduates Mount Royal University supports scholarly activity that contributes to instructional and other students within the prime post-secondary demographic. Adults, families excellence and to the cultural, social and economic well-being of communities. 4 2019/20 Annual Report Mount Royal advances program offerings by building new undergraduate degrees 9. System Mandate and maors, and by expanding a core suite of diplomas and certificates that are Mount Royal University is committed to doing its part to rebuild the relationships driven by student and labour market demands. General Education is a signature between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Calgary and across the country component of all Mount Royal degree and diploma programs and serves as a by fostering student success and focusing on activities that respond to the Calls to launching pad for many minors. Unique to an institution of Mount Royal’s size in Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Canada, the General Education core is designed to equip students with a range of perspectives and skills to complement any specialization. Addressing the prevalence of sexual violence experienced by students who attend post-secondary institutions is a priority for Mount Royal, through delivery of impactful Mount Royal offers specialized programs including the Bachelor of Interior Design, and effective prevention, education and awareness initiatives, provision of support Bachelor of Midwifery, Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Communication to victims