From the Nominator

As Canada’s entrepreneurial university, the University of Calgary used its strategic planning process to deepen relationships on campus and within the community and to increase and diversify the voices shaping our shared future. In the fall of 2022, UCalgary launched eight months of strategic planning, resulting in the largest engagement exercise in UCalgary's history. Pop-up booths, online surveys, workshops, community meetings, socializing a What We Heard report, and second- and third-round consultations on the draft strategy engaged a record 23,913 individuals – more than double the amount engaged in previous strategic planning. "Ahead of Tomorrow" is a bold vision compelling UCalgary to power positive change. This strategic plan includes four main pillars established in direct response to ongoing consultations: (1) Increase access to impactful and future-focused education; (2) Harness the power of research and innovation to tackle society’s biggest challenges; (3) Locate community at the center of all we do; and (4) Make our processes clearer, simpler, and better than any other university's. In September 2023, UCalgary lived its pledge to “locate community at the center of all we do” by unveiling the strategy in a diverse Calgary neighborhood and announcing a first-in-family program as part of efforts to increase access for students. By listening, validating what we heard, and listening again, UCalgary created a dynamic strategy that will help our community thrive Ahead of Tomorrow.

From the Judges

Most strategic planning processes are boring and dry, but the University of Calgary's Ahead of Tomorrow initiative was dynamic and responsive. We especially liked how iterative the process was and how administration incorporated fresh changes along the way to avoid the fatigue that can often happen. To measure more than 26,000 engagements with this initiative demonstrated the significant impact on the community.