UBC Reports | Vol. 49 | No. 12 | Dec.
4, 2003
A new vision for the future
By Brian Lin
Trek 2000, UBC’s strategic plan, is undergoing a face-lift
as the university re-examines its current vision and looks
forward to a landmark year for British Columbia.
Tentatively titled Trek 2010, the new strategic planning
document is gathering input from a wide range of internal
and external communities on what UBC’s long-term goals
should be for the rest of the decade. Ten thousand copies
of a discussion paper and survey have been distributed on
and off campus. The survey is also available online at www.trek2000.ubc.ca/future.html.
“2010 will be a significant year for UBC and the province
with the Winter Olympics showcasing the best we have to offer,”
says Herbert Rosengarten, executive director of the President’s
Office. “It’s also a reasonable target for us
to achieve a new set of goals.”
Published in 1998, Trek 2000 identified steps to advance
the university in five areas: people, learning, research,
community and internationalization. Supplemental pamphlets
and annual “report cards” were added to assist
members of the campus community implement the strategies from
both the macro and micro levels.
“Our grand vision in Trek 2000 was to become the best
university in Canada,” explains Rosengarten, widely
regarded as the official keeper of the Trek vision. “For
Trek 2010, we want to examine whether that goal was too ambitious,
or whether we should extend our horizon and compare ourselves
to the best universities in the world.
“Meanwhile, we must remember that first and foremost
we are here to serve our students,” says Rosengarten.
“We need to be tuned into the world around us while
recognizing that our primary commitment is to the citizens
of British Columbia.” Since the publication of Trek
2000, research funding has almost tripled and student bursaries
and scholarship have increased significantly. The aggressive
recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty has made
UBC an attractive place for top students in both the undergraduate
and graduate levels. Much stronger links have been forged
with external and international communities through the Learning
Exchange, the downtown Robson Square campus, and the International
Student Initiative; and the expansion of the medical school
will double the number of medical students by 2010.
“We’ve made great progress and achieved many
of our original goals,” says Rosengarten. “But
in the area of First Nations student recruitment, in particular,
we recognize the need to devise new approaches and set realistic
targets.”
The “one thousand by 2000” motion passed by the
Senate in 1996 stipulated that UBC was to recruit 1,000 First
Nations students by the year 2000. The goal was incorporated
into Trek 2000 but remains one of the most difficult to achieve
— currently there are approximately 500 self-identified aboriginal
students at UBC.
As a result, Trek 2010 will seek input specifically from
aboriginal students and communities through the First Nations
House of Learning and through band counsellors. “Right
now, a reasonable goal looks something like increasing First
Nations student enrolment by 10 per cent every year,”
says Rosengarten, who adds that such a strategy can better
ensure continuous growth in aboriginal student recruitment.
“Trek 2010 will be our guide through dramatic changes
in store for UBC, including the creation of a vibrant University
Town, and the development of the new Ike Barber Learning Centre,
which will provide our students with cutting-edge learning
technology,” says Rosengarten.
“One of the biggest challenges ahead is to improve
the learning environment despite constraints in space and
funding, and a good strategic plan will definitely make things
easier.
“That’s why we encourage everybody to participate
in the survey and tell us what they think is important to
UBC’s future.”
