Strategic Plan Environmental Considerations

Environmental Considerations Strategic planning cannot ignore the environmental contexts in which Brock exists Environmental factors may constitute threats or opportunities Some environmental factors may constitute both threats and opportunities  The following lists are open to modification, discussion, etc

Technological Change and Increased Access to Knowledge Digital access to information Corporate and other training and educational offerings Expansion of  and competition among PSE Institutions–provincially, nationally, and internationally Open access to information initiatives

Demographic Context Stagnant or shrinking 19-24 age group (traditional university student body) Growing percentage of pop’n with post-secondary credentials who may need updates/upgrades Growing indigenous population with low PSE attendance rates Immigrant population that may need additional education for professional and other accreditation Niagara region: youth outmigration, larger percentage of population 55+, low PSE attainment rate

Government Policy and Context Provincial funding formula (stagnant or declining grant per student, corridor funding) and ongoing tuition regulation Federal research funding initiatives (STEM, AI, Women in Science) Three new campuses and Francophone university in Ontario Recognition of Aboriginal Educational Institutes as colleges and universities Federal and provincial focus on link between PSE, labour market outcomes, and economic development Truth and Reconciliation Commission Emphasis on Access and Service for equity seeking groups and health Lack of coherent and organized Niagara municipal government (12 municipalities for less than 500,000 population)

Economic Context University resources largely determined by enrolment (tuition and per capita student grant) Ongoing economic globalization (despite Brexit, Trump, etc) Intense economic competition (globally, nationally, provincially) Labour market disruption due to tech change Youth un- and under-employment rates (the “precariat”) High levels of household debt Rising interest rates Regional economic weakness (rates of poverty, employment, household incomes, etc in Niagara)

Cultural and Social Context Increasingly diverse student, faculty and staff population Truth and Reconciliation Report recommendations Changing student interest in academic programming Growth in cultural “industries” Increase in anti-intellectualism Spread of Social media