In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Catherine Newell Kelly was appointed Registrar at the University of Waterloo just a month before this interview, after serving for two decades as Director of Waterloo’s Centre for Extended Learning, as well as stints as Executive Director of eCampus Ontario and President of CAUCE and OCULL. In this special bonus episode, edited to 7 minutes, Ken asks Cathy 3 key questions.
Innovations at Waterloo?
Cathy emphasizes Waterloo’s liberal intellectual property policies, and its roots in co-operative education, and its co-op program has grown to be the largest in Canada, with students earning $253 million a year. Waterloo is pushing the envelope to make experiential learning more flexible, like the EDGE experiential learning certificate program for non-co-op students. Waterloo’s Velocity is the largest free start-up incubator in the world. After 50 years in online learning, Waterloo is exploring Labster and Riipen to bring laboratory and co-op work experiences to online students.
The Decade Ahead?
Cathy predicts that university-business partnerships will become much more important, with the government’s emphasis on work-integrated learning. Transformative research, which changes what we know, will grow, and interdisciplinarity will continue to drive research and teaching. Universities will also need to enhance the flexibility of program delivery and structure for adult learners and working students.
Culture of Innovation?
Cathy believes that senior leadership has to foster a culture of entrepreneurship on campus, in which students, staff and faculty feel safe enough to take strategic risks.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
In September, the 10K crew went on location to the 2017 Ontario Universities’ Fair, to interview a dozen higher ed leaders about trends in innovation.
Alan Wildeman has served as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Windsor for a full decade. (He was appointed in July 2008 and recently announced his retirement for the end of June 2018.) In this special bonus episode, edited to 7 minutes, Ken asks Alan 3 key questions.
Innovations at Windsor?
Alan points to his university’s community engagement and new downtown facilities in heritage buildings. Innovative cross-border collaborative degrees with the University of Detroit-Mercy, such as the dual juris doctor (law degree) and Visual Arts – Architecture pathways. And the Sexual Assault Bystander Initiative, piloted last year, which will be rolled out to every incoming first-year student by Fall 2018.
The Decade Ahead?
Alan predicts steadily increasing interdisciplinarity, such as between computing and automotive engineering, or environmental science and the social sciences. He also observes that the steadily growing diversity of Canada and of its campuses, particularly the University of Windsor, will become a major engine of innovation in academe and the economy.
Culture of Innovation?
Alan observes that university leaders don’t have all the answers, but need to set the conditions and context for creative people to unleash their own potential for innovation. For example, Windsor’s SPF50 Strategic Priorities Fund is allowing them to hire 50 tenure-track faculty in priority areas, injecting fresh ideas and new diversity among the faculty. Windsor has also put in place a $1 million curriculum reform and development fund, to conduct market research, develop new courses and interdisciplinary programs.
Watch for more interviews soon, or to be sure you don’t miss them, join more than 15,000 Ten with Ken subscribers and followers on any of a dozen platforms. Stay in the Loop by subscribing to our free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/