It is customary for the the Provost & Vice-President, Academic to provide a report to each meeting of Senate outlining plans, priorities, issues and other news. As these reports are already public through the University Secretariat Office, they will also be shared regularly through this memorandum page.

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Provost’s Report to Senate – December 16, 2020

With the Fall term quickly coming to a close, I want to thank all of Brock’s faculty members, librarians and staff for their work to support our students in their academic activities.

On November 30, I announced that the University would be extending its holiday break, delaying the start of classes for the Winter term until January 11 and granting two additional days off to Brock staff. This was an issue that I raised informally for discussion at our last Senate meeting, and I then spent the next two weeks consulting with various student, staff and faculty groups around campus. While we heard strong arguments on both sides of the debate, the will of the majority was overwhelmingly in favour of extending the holiday break and delaying the start of the Winter term.

In particular, as part of the consultation process I reached out to all faculty members by email, inviting feedback on the potential academic impact of delaying the start of the Winter term. The comments I received in return painted a picture of just how challenging this semester has been for faculty members and for students. While some comments reassured me that everything was going well, they were in the minority. Instead, most described students who were running behind, struggling with online learning, or who were not performing up to their potential as a result of the additional stressors brought on by the pandemic. Students were described in many cases as disconnected, tired, stressed, anxious and burned out. Faculty members used similar words to describe themselves as well, explaining that they would value the additional time to continue preparation for their Winter term courses and to help ensure that students receive the best learning experience possible.

The comments I received during this consultation are a sobering reminder of the way in which the pandemic has taken its toll on all of us, sometimes in ways that we recognize but often also in ways that have escaped our notice as we work to adjust to this new normal. I hope that everyone in the Brock community will take the additional time over the holiday break to rest, reconnect with family and friends, and come back to the University refreshed for the Winter term. 

Learning Management System review

Working closely with the IT&I Committee and the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation, I have launched a process to review and potentially replace SAKAI as our current learning management system. Under FHB III.C.5.5-6, the first step is a ‘need assessment’ process, in which I will be consulting with the ‘academic users’ of the LMS to understand the performance of our current product and to assess whether there is a need and desire to replace it. As the ‘academic users’ in the case of an institution-wide implementation such as an LMS would include all faculty members, I have agreed with IT&I on a process whereby the Deans will be responsible for consulting closely with those in their Faculties to identify and understand any concerns, which will in turn be reported to me and then to IT&I. From there, we would enter a ‘needs assessment’ phase, during which a committee would be constituted in accordance with FHB provisions to determine the technical specifications of any potential replacement and to evaluate candidates. I will continue to update Senate as the process progresses.

Micro-credentials and budget

Following USAC’s approval of a formal definition of micro-certificates, work continues to develop Brock’s first series of micro-credential offerings. In addition to announcements in the recent provincial budget, the federal government has also pledged its support for micro-credentials as critical to the economic recovery from the effects of COVID. The first series of micro-certificates is expected to come forward to UPC for approval early in the new year. My thanks go out to the faculty members who have brought their hard work and creativity to this important initiative.

Burlington planning

As you know, Brock announced in November a formal partnership with the City of Burlington to relocate its current Hamilton campus. While efforts continue with city representatives to identify potential sites, consultation will begin with Deans and academic units to understand which academic programs could be offered at the Burlington site. Discussions with administrative units will also begin to plan for the coordination of services to students and other relevant administrative activities between the Burlington and St. Catharines campuses.

Fall planning

Finally, discussions will also begin in earnest for Brock to be as open as possible in the Fall 2021 term. This will require us to consider the relationship between our planned activities and the health and safety measures anticipated in the Brock stages document, in addition to ensuring the coordination of academic activities with Deans and faculty members. Planning will continue over the coming weeks and months, and any decision points will be brought to Senate as appropriate.

Sincerely,

Professor Lynn Wells

Provost & Vice-President, Academic