Table of Contents. Message from the Board Chair and the President & CEO

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2 Table of Contents Message from the Board Chair and the President & CEO Executive Summary Institutional Context Business Plan at a Glance... 5 Opportunities and Challenges CREATING MORE ACCESS TO LEARNING Academic Plan CREATING MORE ACCESS IN MORE PLACES Capital Plan Technology Facility Maintenance Campus Expansion Project Creating Access through Fundraising CREATING MORE ACCESS THROUGH COLLABORATION Comprehensive Community College Launch Post-Secondary Application System External Relations Strategy SUPPORTING PEOPLE, IMPROVING PROCESSES Human Resources Strategic Enrolment Management Business Continuity Planning Supporting Government of Alberta Priorities and Goals Goals, Strategies, and Outcomes Goal 1: Improve Access Goal 2: Ensure Affordability Goal 3: Provide Quality Performance Measures Financial Plan Appendix I: Guiding Values and Learning Philosophy Appendix II: Strategic Monitoring Message from the Board Chair and the President & CEO The Business Plan establishes strategic directions as well as a destination for Bow Valley College. Specifically, it sets out how the college will assume the role of the comprehensive community college for Calgary and its surrounding region, an area that captures 1.2 million Albertans. This plan focuses on a framework that will enable the college to steward its region based on academic priorities as well as local needs. Becoming Calgary and region s comprehensive community college is a significant mandate change, but it is also evolutionary. Bow Valley College is well positioned to lead, having already established important interfaces and a long history of cooperation in both urban centres and rural Alberta. In these contexts, Bow Valley College and its broad network of partners, including adult learning agencies and Aboriginal community learning centres, will steward local learning needs through a coordinated strategy that leverages both new and existing infrastructure and resources. The college will continue to focus on program growth with an emphasis on flexible, accessible, and quality delivery as well as pathways that lead to viable employment opportunities. In addition, Bow Valley College is committed to serving the public interest, and as such, the college is in alignment with the Government of Alberta s priorities and goals, including resupplying the healthcare workforce, promoting strong and vibrant communities, stimulating innovation and commercialization, and building a skilled workforce to meet the needs of a growing population and economy. We are pleased to present this business plan, which draws on the collective wisdom of the college s many stakeholders and community members. The framework established herein builds on Bow Valley College s strong reputation as an institution committed to learner success and an attractive employer. In addition, it sets out a bold roadmap to position the college as the comprehensive community college for Calgary and its surrounding environs. Sincerely, Scott Thon Chair, Board of Governors Sharon Carry President & CEO BUSINESS PLAN 1

3 Executive Summary CREATING THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE This business plan establishes strategic directions as well as a destination for Bow Valley College over the next four years. It positions the college to assume the role of Calgary and its surrounding region s comprehensive community college, focusing growth through a framework that bolsters the learning experience and meets client and community needs. CREATING MORE ACCESS TO LEARNING Through the course of this business plan, Bow Valley College will be creating more access to learning, including mapping out a strategy for becoming a comprehensive community college as well as conducting market research to discern the need for new and existing certificate and diploma programming. In the development of new programming, the college will continue to balance student interest with labour market demand and ensure that its full mix of programming aligns with academic priorities. In support of these objectives, the college will undertake a number of initiatives to meet access targets, provide flexible delivery options, and ensure quality learning experiences that enable viable employment and qualities of citizenship. In particular, expanding programming for the health workforce will continue to be a priority. CREATING MORE ACCESS IN MORE PLACES As Calgary and region s comprehensive community college, Bow Valley College will also be creating more access in more places. The college s redevelopment and expansion project is already underway to transform its downtown Calgary campus into a renewed, modern facility from which to leverage new capacity to create curriculum and deliver programs and services into rural areas. The college will also continue to integrate new technology into the curriculum and classroom, enhancing the learning experience. Learner success is a top college priority, and success is best achieved when basic needs are met. That s why the college s fundraising efforts place an emphasis on supporting learners by enhancing student financial awards; building capacity of critical support services, such as the Aboriginal Centre; and providing childcare subsidies in recognition of a prominent need among changing demographics of learners. CREATING MORE ACCESS THROUGH COLLABORATION The college is also focused on creating more access through collaboration. One of the keys to achieving the college s vision and business plan goals is engaging the external community and gaining its support through a comprehensive community engagement strategy. To that end, the college will consider the points at which its internal audiences connect to the external community and aim to leverage those connections to assist the college in reaching its goals. One such connection is the college s interface with the provincial implementation of the Alberta Post-Secondary Application System (APAS), an online system that will allow prospective learners to apply to any of Alberta s post-secondary education institutions through a single web-access portal. Moving forward, the college is committed to integrating APAS with its own systems and processes, improving access points to learning pathways for prospective learners. SUPPORTING PEOPLE, IMPROVING PROCESSES Bow Valley College recognizes that its ability to meet the objectives identified in this business plan depends upon creating an environment where people students and staff can perform their best work. In part, creating such an environment requires supporting people and improving processes. To these ends, the college is moving forward aggressively with implementing its strategic enrolment initiative to better manage variables affecting the attraction and retention of learners, assist learners with discovering lifelong learning pathways, and improve learner supports and client services. Likewise, the college is building an integrated Human Resources Plan that focuses on the ongoing growth and development of employees and is responsive to both staff development needs and college priorities. By creating a positive workplace environment as well as valuing the contributions of staff, Bow Valley College continually strives to be a top employer, well-suited to attracting and retaining the best and brightest. To ensure well-managed and uninterrupted operations in times of unforeseen circumstances and/or emergency situations, Bow Valley College is working with other public colleges in Alberta to assess institutional risk, prepare institutional business continuity plans, and put the systems and processes in place to leverage resources and properly manage incidents as they may arise. FINANCIAL SUMMARY In accordance with the base grant increase information provided as part of the Provincial Budget, the Bow Valley College budget and subsequent budgets indicate a base grant increase of 6%, 6%, 3%, and 3% with the expectation that government will continue to fund the tuition subsidy established in BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

4 The business plan reflects tuition rate increases averaging 4.3% as well as a 2% increase in Full-Load Equivalent numbers for The business plan also reflects increased activity as the college continues to be a successful provider of contract services for both provincial and federal government departments and other public sector bodies and private agencies. In addition to new initiatives established to serve the comprehensive community college mandate, the potential impact of settlements for both the faculty and support staff collective agreements, which expire on June 30, 2008, are reflected in this business plan. The other major category of expenditure relates directly to the amount of leased space that the college has contracted during construction of its new facility, as well as the phasing out of those leases and increased facility operating costs as the new facility is occupied. The college expects to be in a positive revenue over expense environment until mid-year 2011 when its new facility will be complete and ready for occupation. Realignment of college plans between and will be undertaken to mitigate a potential deficiency of revenue over expense. GOALS AND STRATEGIES The college has identified three key goals improve access, ensure affordability, and foster quality and established several strategies to not only serve these goals but also those of the Government of Alberta s. GOAL 1 IMPROVE ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ADULT LEARNERS AND THE COMMUNITIES BOW VALLEY COLLEGE SERVES: Strategies include increasing physical space and rural capacity, developing new programs that support flexible delivery options, developing new bridging programs between English as a Second Language and career programs, enhancing learner support services (particularly for Aboriginal and immigrant learners), and establishing a broad mix of transfer and articulation agreements. GOAL 2 ENSURE AFFORDABILITY OF EDUCATION AND SERVICES FOR ALL COLLEGE STAKEHOLDERS: Strategies include developing and implementing course-based tuition strategy, expanding the number and value of donor-sponsored student awards, increasing capacity of institutional data collection for strategic planning, and increasing effectiveness of student recruitment and retention initiatives. GOAL 3 PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION AND SERVICES TO LEARNERS AND CLIENTS: Strategies include performing market research in new program development and ensure graduates gain employment, conducting innovative applied research to advance practice in adult learning and the workplace, launching new online programs, supporting learning through optimal use of technology, and providing opportunities for faculty and staff to receive professional development BUSINESS PLAN 3

5 Institutional Context MANDATE* Operating under the Post-Secondary Learning Act of Alberta, Bow Valley College is a board-governed public college that provides programs of instruction, training, and services to assist adult learners in acquiring and maintaining foundations of basic skills through the development of their communication skills, living skills, and production skills including: a) academic upgrading programs, b) career entry programs with a duration of one year or less, and c) English as a Second Language programs. These and emergent career certificate programs are offered to a wide range of learners, some with unique needs. Bow Valley College offers credit and non-credit learning on a full- and part-time basis on campus, in the community, in the workplace, and through distributed learning. Learning and services are delivered locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally to individuals and organizations, with primary emphasis on southern Alberta. In recognition of its responsibility to contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of the greater community, Bow Valley College also collaborates with a wide range of community service agencies, governments, business, and industry partners, and other learning organizations in the development of the community it serves. Approved by the Minister January 5, 2000 *The college intends to submit a new mandate statement to the Minister that will be aligned with the Roles and Mandates Policy Framework, once work on the framework is complete. 4 BOW VALLEY COLLEGE VISION To be an innovative world-class college, rooted in communities, enabling people to Learn a better living. MISSION Where people live and work, Bow Valley College will contribute to the vitality of communities and the strength of the economy through innovative adult education programs and services which equip people for successful living, lifelong learning, and work in a global knowledge-based economy. VALUES Excellence Learner-centred Accountability Concern for people Integrity Respect for diversity Teamwork and trust SPECIAL CLIENT FOCUS While Bow Valley College serves the community at large in a region that captures approximately 1.2 million people, it places a special emphasis on engaging underrepresented communities in post-secondary educational learning, including: Immigrants, Aboriginal communities, Rural communities, Persons with disabilities, International learners, Encore career learners, At-risk youth, Unemployed, Underemployed, Inmates, and Front-line workers. PROGRAM AREAS Nursing and health careers Community service and education careers Business careers Technology and design careers Bridging programs Literacy and essential skills Academic upgrading English as a Second Language International and intercultural communications Career development services Curriculum development and e-learning Adult learning facilitation DISTINCTIVE EXCELLENCE Bow Valley College will be: A regional leader in partnering to facilitate and deliver learning in communities where people live and work. A provincial leader in creating access for adults by customizing for special populations with unique learning needs. A national leader in assessing and integrating literacy and essential employability skills with relevant career training. CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE A centre of excellence is achieved in areas where there is recognized expertise, related services, applied research and dissemination, national reach, and a resource centre for experts. The college claims three centres of excellence: Foundational Learning, Immigrant and Intercultural Studies, and Paraprofessional Continuing Care and Education.

6 Business Plan At A Glance Who is the Learner? What will we build? Who is the Primary investor? What is the Key Product Strategy? What is the Key Promotion Strategy? What is the Key Delivery Strategy? What are the Key Facility Requirements? WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Workforce Prep Workplace Learning (organizational contracts) Workforce Enhancement (lifelong skill development) Workforce Preparation (training + retraining) Assessment and Career Development services Education, Training & Credentialing Learnware, Consultancy & Applied Research Employers Contracts Individuals Tuition Individuals Subsidy, tuition, and contracts Help clients define need then develop and deliver or broker Build flexible new offerings for working learners Significantly expand career and access options supported by applied research Maintain and build strategic relationships with business and donors Implement distinct promotional strategies Target promotions to grow/optimize enrolment and reach in region In the worksite and online Multiple options (time, place, delivery strategies) yearround Blended delivery integrated with the workplace Operationalize CCI mandate Our clients worksites (offsite) and online Maximize campus utilization and use of partners facilities and rural sites Campus expansion and new sites in region Creating the Comprehensive Community College BUSINESS PLAN 5

7 Opportunities and Challenges The environment in which Bow Valley College operates poses long-standing and emerging opportunities and challenges that collectively influence the college s planning and directions. The following represent the key external trends that are affecting Bow Valley College s strategic directions for the period THE LABOUR SHORTAGE The labour shortage is an opportunity because the college plays a critical role in the community by developing a skilled workforce, including resupplying the health workforce, to meet employment demands. Likewise, the college has a long history of engaging underrepresented learners (e.g. immigrants and Aboriginals) in postsecondary education, the ongoing success of which is essential for Alberta to mitigate the labour shortage and sustain economic prosperity. However, the province s strong economy and labour shortage are creating conditions that draw prospective learners away from high school completion and post-secondary education studies, both of which pose significant challenges for the college. In a number of programs, enrolment is stagnant or dropping. Historically, this trend reverses whenever the employment market slows, leaving already vulnerable workers more in need of upgrading than before. The labour shortage also presents a challenge because the labour climate has produced a highly mobile workforce. The college is faced with higher than otherwise experienced turnover rates, disrupting the natural transfer of knowledge between new and experienced staff members. The labour shortage also contributes to an environment where wages and salaries are being driven upwards, making it more difficult for the public and voluntary sector to compete for and retain the best and the brightest. ENROLMENT AND REVENUES With respect to enrolment, a moderate growth trend is emerging, but overall volatility in enrolment makes long-range institutional planning difficult, particularly as it relates to revenue projections. This is so because some of the college s primary funding streams rely to a great extent on enrolment, mainly the provincial government s base operation grant and performance envelope as well as student tuition and ancillary fees. The risk posed to the college is that moderate or stagnant enrolment growth may compromise the college s capacity to meet rising operating costs with commensurate increases in revenue in future years. The fiscal environment in which the college operates is generally strong overall. The Government of Alberta has been reinvesting in the post-secondary education system in recent years, providing three-year projections that provide longer term planning 6 BOW VALLEY COLLEGE for operations. Likewise, the provincial government s investments into the Access to the Future Fund have allowed the college to leverage its fundraising success by earning matched public grants on private donations. Bow Valley College is also an entrepreneurial institution, building its capacity through contract-funded programs to support communities, workplaces, and people. Currently, 20% of the college s gross revenue comes from entrepreneurial contracts and grants. PUBLIC POLICY CHANGE Alberta Advanced Education and Technology is actively defining new policies and frameworks to provide leadership to the post-secondary education system. They include The Roles and Mandates Policy Framework, A Learning Alberta, and in collaboration with other ministries, including Alberta Employment and Immigration, Building and Educating Tomorrow s Workforce. The college is a committed partner to these strategies to help meet provincial priorities as well as expectations of the postsecondary education system. Likewise, the college will continue to work closely with Alberta Employment and Immigration to foster new investments in the Alberta Works program to enhance learning opportunities for underrepresented learners and address growing labour market needs, particularly with regard to the health workforce. CREATING THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE The Government of Alberta s Roles and Mandates Policy Framework enhances the post-secondary education system by more clearly defining institutional roles and responsibilities as well as by coordinating provincial and local strategies to address access needs. One of the key features of the framework is the establishment of six institutional categories based on types of programs offered, type of research conducted, and the geographic region served by the institution. The framework designates Bow Valley College as Calgary and region s comprehensive community college. This requires the college to steward the learning needs of its region by offering broad programming and working collaboratively with other education providers to ensure the full range of learning needs within the region are met. This represents a shift in the college s mandate but one that is also evolutionary. Bow Valley College is well positioned to lead in the implementation of this mandate change, having already established a long-standing presence in both urban and rural communities as well as close partnerships with adult learning agencies and Aboriginal community learning centres. However, the comprehensive community college concept is still developing, as there are residual gaps in its definition. Additionally, fully delivering this new mandate will require resources. In part, the college can mitigate these pressures by leveraging its own infrastructure and resources to develop innovative

8 program curricula as well as local infrastructure and resources to achieve flexible and quality program delivery throughout the region. Rural Alberta remains an important focus in terms of provincial policy, and Bow Valley College has a tremendous opportunity to continue to bring learning to rural learners with a mix of high-tech innovations and by using its base in Calgary to take programs to rural communities. The college relies on an extensive network of partners that enables it to identify and respond to community needs. However, the costs of delivery in rural and remote communities as well as achieving a critical mass to deliver programs pose financial challenges for the college to overcome. TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE ACCESS The application of technology in the educational sector introduces a significant opportunity to mitigate access barriers, particularly as they relate to distance. This is why Bow Valley College is one of the largest contributors of programs and courses to ecampus Alberta as well as a partner in the Alberta Post-Secondary Application System. By integrating technology into the curriculum and classroom, the college is bolstering learning by placing the latest technology into the hands of its learners. CHANGING LEARNER DEMOGRAPHICS A diverse student population comprised of individuals returning to school after many years of work, single parents, students with special needs, and underrepresented learners demands a responsive environment in which to optimize learning for a multitude of learning styles. The college is committed to innovation in teaching, distance and blended learning delivery options, and flexible timetabling and scheduling to meet the needs of learners and clients where they live and work. Calgary is increasingly a primary destination for immigrants coming to Canada. The heated economy is attracting immigrant professionals who often require transitional programs to resume careers they began in their homelands, and who bring with them families that often need initial and/or enhanced language training. The college is able to service both needs and has experienced much success in helping immigrants integrate into Canadian society and workplaces, as well as contributing to the skilled labour force. Access to enhanced language training programs is currently limited at the college by allocations from both the provincial and federal governments. The college would like to do more and the level of need would sustain increased efforts but greater investments are required. In addition to pure language instruction, newcomers to Canada are placing access demands on career programs across the college. This is an important trend, as immigrants play a key role in replacing retiring workers as well as contributing to the skilled labour force in Calgary and across Canada. CAMPUS EXPANSION AND REDEVELOPMENT The college is in the midst of a two-phased campus redevelopment and expansion project. The redevelopment will provide the college with the space and facilities necessary to meet current demand on programs, supports, and services, as well as provide for the long-term growth needs of the institution. While the process of reinvigorating the college s main campus continues, students and staff are faced with many study-place and workplace challenges, including service disruptions, intrusive noise, and building infrastructure that, in its present state, is unpleasant and uncomfortable. The college is actively managing these inconveniences, in part by engaging the college community in finding solutions. The situation will be mitigated over the short- and long-term as new space is introduced and as work begins to focus on the adjacent site. The Government of Alberta has approved the redevelopment project and provided funding, but projected cost escalations, driven largely by market pressures, well exceed the funding commitment of the government. The college is working diligently to manage cost escalations, but the project will require greater investments from both the government and the college to bring it to the desired conclusion, where new space and facilities are fully optimized in a two-building, one-campus model. The college anticipates having the funding question resolved in COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS Bow Valley College s new campus will have important and direct interfaces with the Urban Campus, an initiative led by education providers, including Bow Valley College, to develop a combined education and mixed-use complex in Calgary s East Village. The site selected for the Urban Campus makes Bow Valley College a natural gateway to this unique facility such that the college and the Urban Campus will be seamlessly integrated. These intertwined facilities and the partnership of several education providers will enhance transfer and articulation opportunities for learners as well as foster strong program links and career paths, with a focus on health care and human services programs. Bow Valley College actively seeks partnerships where opportunities exist to advance the college s mandate to enhance access, meet learners needs, and promote community vitality. This commitment is honoured through the college s participation in organizations and networks that range in scope from local to global contexts BUSINESS PLAN 7

9 Creating More Access to Learning Academic Plan The college s academic vision is to provide adult learners with multiple pathways to lifelong learning by enhancing accessibility to learning opportunities, ensuring quality learning experiences, providing flexible delivery options, and focusing on learning outcomes that enable viable employment and qualities of citizenship. In addition, the college plans to accommodate 7,000 full-load equivalents by To get there, Bow Valley College s Academic Plan will reaffirm academic priorities and also respond to significant internal and external changes. In particular, the Academic Plan needs to reflect the college s new mandate as a comprehensive community college, leverage new and expanded campus infrastructure and facilities, and respond to changing labour market pressures and demographic trends. Bow Valley College will continue its focus on being both learner centred and learning centred. In their programs, students will gain not only discipline-specific skills but also nine college-wide learning outcomes: communication, thinking skills, numeracy, working with others, technology skills, positive attitudes and behaviours, continuous learning, health and wellness awareness, and citizenship and intercultural competence. To demonstrate their progress in each of these outcomes, learners develop reflective and career portfolios and will be tested upon completion of their program for proof of competence in key essential skills. Over the next four years, Bow Valley College will continue to: refocus the academic plan to include an overarching strategy for becoming a comprehensive community college; undertake market research to discern the need and demand for new and existing diploma programming from among selected institutions in Calgary and across Canada in preparation for increasing the college s program offerings; work proactively with partners and leverage the potential of the Urban Campus to define new transfer and articulation agreements; develop a plan and organizational structure for collaboration with other postsecondary education providers and community-based learning organizations to steward the college s defined region and enhance rural access; work aggressively with the province and Calgary Health Region on a health action plan for the region that includes increased capacity and enhanced flexibility in our health workforce programs; increase bridging mechanisms to Bow Valley College career programs from English as a Second Language and upgrading; provide a wide variety of work experience, career development, and assessment and integration services for learners, with special emphasis on the needs of Aboriginal and immigrant learners; 8 BOW VALLEY COLLEGE explore introduction of co-op programming; enhance online programming and support for online programming; introduce innovative non-credit, continuing education programming for those in career transitions and development, and for those seeking to enhance their interests and skills; introduce a broad spectrum of intercultural communication and academic courses for and in the workplace; expand international enrolments to increase the supply of skilled labour; continue to develop transfer/articulation agreements; enhance and more fully implement the Aboriginal Centre and its services; and strengthen the applied research unit and implement a long-term strategy to move forward on the college s applied research goals and priorities. Specific areas of program development have been identified, complementing both the college s core competencies and community needs. Particularly, health workforce programs continue to be an area of focused growth. In 2008, the college will introduce its new Human Resources Certificate, and in the following year, the Youth Justice Diploma Program and the Environmental Public Health Technician Diploma Program, both of which respond to emerging industry needs. Further program growth is closely linked to the completion of the college s redevelopment and expansion project, when more learning space becomes available to introduce new programs and enhance existing ones. In preparation, areas of program development include: nursing and health careers; community and education careers; business careers; bridging programs from upgrading to careers; bridging programs from ESL to careers; work experience programs for internationally-educated immigrants; and continuing education.

10 Academic Plan (continued) Full Load Equivalent (FLE) History and Plan Department Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Forecast Budget Projection Projection Academic Foundations 1,524 1,281 1,303 1,333 1,139 1,063 1,075 1,107 1,140 1,186 % increase 13.2% -16.0% 1.7% 2.3% -14.6% -6.7% 1.1% 3.0% 3.0% 4.0% ESL and Languages 1,338 1,230 1,313 1,335 1,305 1,307 1,331 1,371 1,412 1,469 % increase 5.0% -8.1% 6.8% 1.7% -2.2% 0.2% 1.8% 3.0% 3.0% 4.0% Health & Community Care % increase 22.5% 10.5% 18.7% -7.2% -11.5% 21.6% 4.5% 3.0% 3.0% 4.0% Business & Industry % increase 28.6% -3.3% 6.8% 5.0% -30.8% 8.9% 12.0% 3.0% 3.0% 4.0% Total FLE (Without Brokered) 3,966 3,655 3,914 3,941 3,457 3,550 3,672 3,782 3,896 4,051 % increase 13.3% -7.8% 7.1% 0.7% -12.3% 2.7% 3.4% 3.0% 3.0% 4.0% Total Brokered Total with Brokered 4,137 3,876 4,138 4,196 3,691 3,697 3,772 3,842 3,956 4,111 % increase 14.3% -6.3% 6.8% 0.2% -12.0% 0.2% 2.0% 1.9% 3.0% 3.9% Projection Notes: Projections are based on government support and market factors. The decline in brokered enrolments is due to partnering institutions developing their own PN program, having demonstrated program viability in their local contexts in partnership with Bow Valley College BUSINESS PLAN 9

11 Creating More Access In More Places Capital Plan TECHNOLOGY Bow Valley College is committed to leveraging technology to increase access to and the quality of its programs and services, as well as create organizational efficiencies. There is an inextricable relationship between technology and learning, and as such, the college will continue to integrate technology into the curriculum and classroom to benefit its learners and clients. The college s Information Technology Services Department has developed an Information Technology Strategic Plan to guide technology investments over the span of this business plan. The plan was informed by a technology survey that was widely distributed to students, faculty, and staff, as well as purposeful deliberations among the college s leadership. In addition to establishing a renewed, modern facility for learners and employees, the college s campus redevelopment project provides an opportunity for the college to obtain some of the key priorities of the Information Technology Strategic Plan. In particular, this includes universally equipping classrooms with SMART classroom technology and establishing a dedicated facility to provide information technology training to staff. The campus redevelopment will also enable the provision of campuswide wireless Internet access and video-conferencing. The college will commit to the allocation of $1.5M in and $700,000 annually thereafter for equipment and other technology purchases. The main product categories for spending are as follows: SMART classrooms and projectors; desktop and notebook computers; file management backup system; and other technology purchases; FACILITY MAINTENANCE The college will minimize spending on leasehold improvements while the redevelopment project continues; however, to provide adequately for instructional purposes in the interim, certain equipment, furniture, and furnishings are required to ensure acceptable instructional support and provide for new enrolments. To keep these costs as low as possible, the college has deferred purchases to coincide with the construction schedule, and decanting costs are carried in the campus expansion project budget. CAMPUS EXPANSION PROJECT Bow Valley College is in the midst of a multi-million dollar campus redevelopment and expansion project, which will be complete in the course of this business plan. Given the protracted development time and the labour market challenge, it is difficult to predict a completion date and costs four years out. Phase 1, or activity on the north building, currently the main campus building, calls for a fully renovated and retrofitted building, the redevelopment of which will recapture 50,000 square feet on the building s existing footprint and extend the lifetime of the building by fifty years. Additionally, this renewed infrastructure will enhance the college s capacity to develop programming and delivery models to benefit Calgary and the region. Phase 2 calls for the demolishment of the old provincial court house, allowing the college to exchange the western portion of the block with the City of Calgary for the southwest corner of the block. This land transfer accommodates the redevelopment plans of Bow Valley College, the City of Calgary, and the Calgary Public Library and puts in place an optimal footprint for the college to construct its new south building as well as coordinate development with its partners to share capital costs and create ongoing operational synergies. The construction of the south building is critical to achieving the efficiency, space, and program breadth that the college and its region need ACTIVITIES NORTH BUILDING Construction on the north building will continue; Building will be closed in; Redevelopment and construction will continue on floors 1, 2, and 3; and The college will fully renovate two additional floors. SOUTH BUILDING The college has completed the environmental impact and purchase of the old provincial courthouse site; The college has completed the sale of usable materials that were in the courthouse building in preparation for demolition; The college anticipates digging on the site by the late autumn, 2008; and Full-scale construction will commence in the spring, BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

12 ACTIVITIES NORTH BUILDING Redevelopment activities are scheduled to pause until development work on the south building is complete, at which point work on the north building will resume until finished. SOUTH BUILDING Construction to build the south building will continue ACTIVITIES Construction on the south building will be completed; the two buildings will be connected by an elevated, two-level pedway system, and the college will occupy the space; and Redevelopment will continue on the north building to fully optimize the space and facilities of the two-building, one-campus site. URBAN CAMPUS PARTNERSHIP Bow Valley College s new campus will have direct interfaces with the Urban Campus, an initiative led by the University of Calgary involving various education providers, including Bow Valley College, but that remains in preliminary planning. The concept of the Urban Campus is the establishment of a combined education and mixed-use complex in Calgary s East Village. The site selected for the Urban Campus makes Bow Valley College a natural gateway to this unique facility such that the college and the Urban Campus will be seamlessly integrated. The types of multi-use space proposed for the intertwined facilities include a joint-use performance theatre, satellite digital library, registration and welcome centre, information technology and instruction support services, security services, retail services, recreation and amenity services, childcare services, and food services. CITY OF CALGARY, CALGARY PUBLIC LIBRARY PARTNERSHIP The block of land east of Macleod Trail S.E. and south of 6th Avenue S.E. poses a significant opportunity for the City of Calgary, the Calgary Public Library, and Bow Valley College to jointly redevelop the site. Such an arrangement will allow the parties to construct their respective projects while leveraging opportunities to develop joint facilities to save costs, create ongoing synergies, and establish complimentary interfaces between structures. The partnership is moving forward in earnest. The partners have assembled a draft memorandum of understanding, which the college hopes to have finalized and in place sometime in Capital Plan - Schedule (Thousands of dollars) Actual Forecast Budget Projection Projection Projection Technology $531 $300 $1,877 $200 $250 $300 Ongoing Operations $1,208 $480 $1,131 $160 $210 $260 Campus Expansion $18,147 $29,386 $58,272 $108,352 $79,448 $2,019 Total $19,886 $30,166 $61,280 $108,712 $79,908 $2, BUSINESS PLAN 11

13 Creating Access Through Fundraising Bow Valley College has successfully completed its inaugural fundraising campaign, Improving Lives Beyond the Classroom, which has resulted in strong community and philanthropic support for the mission and vision of the college. The college has committed to all donors and partners to maintain the highest ethical standards in reporting on their investments and will continue active stewardship strategies to support these valuable relationships. In addition, the college will continue to seek opportunities for future philanthropic partnerships that will enhance the life and vibrancy of its locations. As Bow Valley College continues to refurbish and expand its downtown campus and fulfill its mandate as a comprehensive community college, all fundraising activities over the next five years will revolve around positioning and supporting the key strategic goals of the college. Immediately, the college will embark on a needs assessment process to determine its funding goals and design a community fund development strategy to meet those goals. The college will continue to invite the participation of key business leaders in the community in the determination of the strategy, ensuring that those relationships remain meaningful and strategic at both a governance and faculty level. Because learner success is a top priority, scholarships and bursaries will continue to be a key fundraising focus. Not only will the funds raised be used to recognize and celebrate the success of learners and to ease their financial burdens, they will be used as an incentive to recruit and retain learners in their pursuits of lifelong learning. To assist with fundraising in support of scholarships and bursaries, Bow Valley College will continue to deliver events such as the Premier s Scholarship Fundraiser Luncheon, Learn a Better Living Breakfast, and Bow Valley College Golf Tournament. Additionally, the college will look at designing and delivering another landmark event in support of its fundraising activities and ensure it can receive matched-funding on private donations from the provincial government s Access to the Future Fund. Other areas and services within the college that will continue to benefit from fund raising support include: the Aboriginal Centre The Centre of Excellence in Immigrant and Intercultural Studies the Centre of Excellence in Foundational Learning the college s public art collection daycare provision and subsidies for learners applied research activities 12 BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

14 Creating More Access Through Collaboration Comprehensive Community College Launch External Relations Strategy Under Alberta Advanced Education and Technology s Roles and Mandates Policy Framework, Bow Valley College has been designated as a comprehensive community college for Calgary and its surrounding communities, an area that captures approximately 1.2 million Albertans. In order to properly steward the learning needs of its region, Bow Valley College will engage in a broad consultative process with community and industry leaders to discern strategies that meet learning needs and are responsive to local priorities both within the region and Calgary. In addition, the college will establish new access models that are sustainable and reach learners where they live and work. In part, the college will rely on its broad network of partners, including adult learning agencies and Aboriginal community learning centres, to reach new learners and leverage existing local infrastructure, as well as forge new partnerships to achieve flexible, accessible, and quality program delivery. Partnerships with other community and post-secondary education providers will enable the college to better serve the needs of its region and create opportunities for Bow Valley College to assist others with meeting needs in their respective regions. Post-Secondary Application System The Alberta Post-Secondary Application System (APAS) is an online system that will allow prospective students to apply to any of Alberta s post-secondary education institutions through a single web access portal. The Government of Alberta has allocated funding for the development of this initiative; however, member institutions have responsibility for the sustainability of APAS. Bow Valley College has joined with Northern Lakes College and Portage College to engage Agresso in developing the necessary functionality to integrate its namesake student application and registration software with APAS. Software development and integration will commence in mid 2008, and the new software architecture should be ready for testing during the spring 2009 trimester enrolment intake. The college anticipates the software to be fully functional in time for the fall 2009 intake of applicants, which is within the implementation deadline set by the APAS governing body. One of the keys to achieving the college s vision and business plan goals is to engage the external community and earn its support. To this end, the college has prepared an integrated and beyond External Relations Strategy. PURPOSE: Identify how external relations initiatives will advance the college s mission and vision; Identify how external relations activities will support the key college plans; Present a common understanding and approach to the college s external relations activities that cut across organizational boundaries; Outline the main ideas and strategies that inform external relations activities; and Present the general directions and strategies for external relations functions and allow staff to implement specific strategies to affect audiences. KEY OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES: Roles and Mandates Policy Framework: Respond to this initiative by supporting the evolution of the college into a comprehensive community college; Academic Plan: Help to achieve the goals of the Academic Plan related to: Expanding access to meet the needs of individuals and employers; Achieve program development plans; and Mandate expansion; Financial: Help achieve revenue targets and financial objectives; Campus Redevelopment and Expansion: Help to secure the funding required for completion of the redevelopment project and support communications; Donor Development: Help to achieve new fundraising objectives; Strategic Enrolment Management: Help to achieve enrolment targets, and assist in the implementation of learning supports and student services; External Business/Community Services: Expand and promote these services; and Reputation: Build on Bow Valley College s reputation as an institution committed to learner success and an attractive employer. MEASURING SUCCESS: The college will measure success by tracking and plotting data to determine whether the trends in priority areas meet defined objectives or show a trajectory toward meeting targets over the short- and long-term. Such variables include public awareness of and attitudes toward the college; intensity of interactions between prospective applicants or clients and the college; enrolment levels; fundraising results; revenue achievement; public investments into new infrastructure; new program growth; student service growth; community and employer service volumes; and other indicators as new, relevant data sources become available BUSINESS PLAN 13

15 Supporting People, Improving Processes Human Resources Strategic Enrolment Management Bow Valley College recognizes that its success in reaching its goals is the direct result of its people. The college s employees are dedicated to creating a positive learning experience for their learners and clients, as well as a supportive working environment for their colleagues. Bow Valley College values the contributions of all of its over 600 employees and is working to make the college an even better place to work. To accomplish this, the college s Human Resources Department is leading the creation of a Human Resources Development Plan. The Human Resources Department provides leadership and direction to Bow Valley College in all areas of human resource management. Calgary s current climate has created many challenges in human resource management, such as a shortage of skilled and professional labour, an aging workforce, and limited resources. Through the Human Resource Development Plan, some of these issues will be addressed. Areas that the plan will concentrate on include: Providing excellence in the administration of human resource transactions by improving the efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness of all human resource service transactions, a factor in the retention of employees. Addressing succession planning and knowledge transfer issues within a dynamic workforce. As the current workforce at the college ages, it is critical that plans are made to recruit, retain, and develop individuals to replace employees who retire or leave. It is also important that plans are developed to support the transfer of knowledge from employees who retire or leave and reduce the impact on the delivery of programs and services for learners and clients. Providing strategic advice and services in human resources management. The Human Resources Department will work on providing support and advice in areas such as labour relations, employee development, performance management, and recruitment and retention in order to provide the foundation of information, practice, and precedent to allow supervisors to make informed decisions about their employees. Creating a training and development plan. To support the ongoing growth and development of our employees, the Human Resources Department will review training and development requirements across the organization and create specific programs for college departments that address those needs while positioning the college to meet the goals laid out in this business plan. Under the direction of the President and CEO, realigning the leadership structure of the college to achieve enrolment goals and continuously improve learner outcomes, in the context of this business plan. In December 2006, Bow Valley College received a commissioned report, prepared by external consultants, with respect to strategic enrolment management. The report contained a series of recommendations intended to improve the college s capacity to attract new learners. The college established a strategic enrolment management initiative to establish new strategies and a framework with respect to: mapping processes for students from the point of inquiry to the point of enrolment to ensure services and systems that foster student success are in place; improving communication with students during the process of moving from inquiry to enrolment; placing responsibility for meeting overall enrolment goals with one college leader; developing a knowledge management system as a competitive force for enrolment and institutional success; undertaking staff development in enrolment management; improving metrics and tracking processes related to enrolments; improving processes for program development; and improving client services at critical points within the organization. As part of the strategic enrolment initiative, a new Vice President of Enrolment and Learner Services has been hired the college has purchased a software product called Emaspro to interface with the student services system, Agresso; the college has developed a prospective learner forecasting model; the college s academic departments have undertaken to develop new communication plans; and the college s leadership has initiated changes to the college s organizational structure. The anticipated impact of this software implementation and other changes to the college s processes and structures relative to the strategic enrolment initiative are reflected in this business plan in the enhancement of services to prospective learners and increased enrolments. 14 BOW VALLEY COLLEGE