YearReviewYear inYear Reviewin in Review Review youDid know? you know?the President Did you know? AUCC’s website attracts almost 54,000 unique visitors a month, President Didwho view some 500,000 web pages.you Among the most popular pages: a searchable database of more than 10,000 university programs; University Affairs’ career advertisements; and the section describing our member universities. AUCC’s Technical Cooperation division manages three major projects in Russia that create opportunities for Canadian university faculty engagement, while at the same time improving Russia’s juvenile justice, its approach to federalism, and its northern ?socio-economic development strategies. AUCC awards about $11 million in scholarships annually to about 3,500 worthy recipients on behalf of approximately 150 Canadian companies. Each year, AUCC responds to nearly 6,000 inquiries from students and their parents about higher education in Canada, mostly from international students. Almost three-quarters of them are looking for information about university scholarships, programs and admission requirements. Of AUCC’s 89 members, almost 70 percent attended AUCC membership meetings over the past year, and more than half are engaged in the Association’s Board of Directors or committees. With a joint investment of $323 million from the federal government and Canadian universities, the University Partnerships in Cooperation and Development program has strengthened the expertise of higher education institutions around the world through 142 partnerships in 70 countries since 1994. Did you know?theletter fromPresident the pres you know? Letter from the President hose new to the Association of Universities Over the next year, we will continue to make the Did youPresidentand Colleges of Canada are often surprised case forcefully for higher education and university Tby the wide range of what we do. From research on behalf of our members. We will find advocacy at the federal level to the management new opportunities and venues to get the higher of scholarship programs for Canadian companies, education and research message out to Canadians from research and policy analysis on trends across the country. In meetings with ministers, in higher education to the administration of Members of Parliament, senior officials, and knowledge partnerships between Canadian opinion leaders – and through our briefs, speeches universities and higher education organizations and discussions – we will stress the need to invest in developing countries, AUCC’s work spans the in higher education and research in order to build a country and around the world. strong foundation for Canada’s economic future. This Year in Review report aims to provide Our advocacy on behalf of our members is ? our members and others interested in the steadfast, and remains the most important and Association’s progress with a snapshot of our central service that we provide for our 89 member activities and programs. Appropriately, for an universities and university degree-level colleges education-related association, the report follows across the country. Through AUCC, Canada’s an academic year, covering the period September universities have a strong, united and forceful 2005 to September 2006. voice at the federal level, allowing all of our members to speak collectively and persuasively Throughout the year, our activities have been about the importance of higher education and united by a central thread: at their heart is a research to the future of Canada and Canadians. commitment to the support of our member institutions and to the value of higher education and university research. AUCC – and our member institutions – know that higher education is crucial to the future of our country. We know that investments in university research and higher education will help to ensure Claire M. Morris our competitiveness, and are key drivers for President and CEO Canada’s future prosperity. And we know that, in Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada today’s global knowledge society, these issues are more important than ever before. Highlights September 2005 More than 55 Canadian universities Highlightsoffer help to students and Highlights 2005-2006 institutions devastated by Hurricane Katrina, in an outpouring of support coordinated by AUCC. 2005-2006October 2005 AUCC launches Momentum: The 2005 Report on University Research and Knowledge Transfer, our first-ever report on the collective Highlightsvalue of university research. Some 160 Parliamentarians, senior federal officials, and community and business leaders gather during the AUCC membership meetings to celebrate the launch. Complementing the report, AUCC produces a companion website, video, and national magazine inserts. Also at the October meetings, AUCC launches a new section of its website on quality assurance, providing a comprehensive picture of the ways that Canadian universities ensure the quality and integrity of their academic programs. November 2005 AUCC’s election strategy committee, made up of executive heads across the country, provides advice and reviews messages and activities in the lead-up to the federal election and throughout the campaign. December 2005 AUCC asks the four main political parties to outline their views on higher education and research. Full results from the questionnaires are posted on AUCC’s special election website, and AUCC urges voters to carefully examine each party’s platform before casting their ballots. January 2006 Ads in the Globe and Mail and La Presse draw public attention to the importance of higher education and university research during the federal election campaign. The ads urge Canadians to show their support for the country’s future by discussing university funding with their local candidates. Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada – Year in Review March 2006 HighlightsHighlightsUniversity 2005-2006 leaders make up a strong and influential contingent, with 30 AUCC members and the Association’s President among the 300 stakeholders invited to attend the Postsecondary Education and Skills Summit. In opening the meeting, convened in Ottawa by the Council of the Federation, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Quebec Premier 2005-2006Jean Charest stress the critical importance of postsecondary education in today’s economy. April 2006 HighlightsAUCC’s spring membership meetings are moved to Ottawa to coincide with the opening of the new Parliament. A reception – held just hours after the Speech from the Throne – attracts a wide range of high-level attendees, with Members of Parliament, Senators, deputy ministers and other senior federal officials taking the opportunity to discuss higher education issues with AUCC members. May 2006 AUCC staff review the implications of the May 2nd federal budget for Canada’s universities, send a comprehensive analysis to all AUCC members on budget night and issue a news release welcoming those budget measures targeted at postsecondary education and university research. June 2006 Supported by “talking points” and fact sheets developed by the Association, AUCC members launch a coordinated effort to bring MPs and Cabinet ministers to campuses across the country to see first-hand how university research matters in their local communities. July-August 2006 AUCC members and staff provide expert input on a variety of government consultations on higher education and research, including discussions with senior government officials on governance of federal research support programs and the measurement of results; analytical work examining research support in the U.S., U.K. and Australia; and advice on a national strategy for S&T investments in Canada. September 2006 AUCC submits a brief to a number of government departments on the roles and responsibilities of the federal government in higher education and research, as well as a pre-budget brief, and appears before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. The pre-budget brief focuses on the opportunities created by university research for individual Canadians and their communities and argues that investing in university research is key to making Canada’s economy more productive and competitive. Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada – Year in Review 5 mp’s on campusesuniversity AUCC strategy connects MPs to university campuses hen the University of Northern British in their own constituencies, and could appreciate campusesColumbia staff in Prince George how important it is for the federal government to W invited Jay Hill, Conservative Member continue its support of Canadian university research. of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River, to tour the university’s research facilities, university AUCC Board Chair and Trent University President officials knew it would be a unique opportunity Bonnie Patterson emphasized that such a strategy for the politician to see the value and application requires ongoing effort. of research. But they didn’t anticipate just how profound the impact would be. During the tour, led by then UNBC President Charles Jago, a student’s impromptu demonstration of how high-performance computer technology is helping researchers understand pine-beetle infestations (currently a devastating problem for western forests) was “a big hit,” said Max Blouw, the university’s vice-president of research. “Within a couple of hours during the tour, Mr. Hill (who is also Chief Government Whip) became highly engaged with UNBC and was clearly impressed MP Carol Skelton and Saskatchewan’s