大象传媒

The post-secondary sector, the province and our country continue to live through challenging times. As 大象传媒 prepares to support B.C. and Canada鈥檚 response to the trade war initiated by the current U.S. Administration through delivering a world-class education, training more doctors and driving new innovations and breakthroughs, we continue to face financial economic headwinds.

I think often about Nelson Mandela鈥檚 assertion that 鈥淓ducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.鈥� At this moment in time, universities and the post-secondary sector are more important than ever before. We will continue to champion and protect public investment in the post-secondary sector and advocate for the importance of our learning, teaching, research and work at 大象传媒.

The 大象传媒 community is strong, resilient and committed. Whatever lies ahead, I know that we will continue to collaborate, hold each other up and build the inclusive and sustainable future we all want to see.

Administrative updates and meeting outcomes

Leadership renewal

There are several senior leader searches underway at 大象传媒, including:

• The search committee for the next dean, Beedie School of Business has completed shortlist interviews and candidate visits and will be meeting shortly to decide on a final recommendation.
• The search committee for the next dean, Faculty of Environment is conducting long list interviews. The intent is to have a replacement hired before Dr. Naomi Krogman鈥檚 term ends in June.
• Applications are currently being accepted for the dean, Faculty of Health Sciences. The search committee will meet in late March to begin reviewing applications.
• The renewal process for the dean, Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology is well underway. The search committee will have their final decision meeting in mid-March. Dr. Carman Neustaedter鈥檚 first term as dean ends this summer.

Budget

At the March Board meeting, the Board approved 大象传媒鈥檚 2025-26 Budget and Financial Plan. As shared with the community shortly after the meeting, despite challenges, 大象传媒 remains financially stable and has balanced our consolidated budget for 2025-26. Our key budget commitments for 2025-26 include maintaining academic excellence, prioritizing investment in students, inclusive excellence, innovation and critical tools and resources, and diversifying revenue and strengthening partnerships.

Through creative problem-solving, careful resource management and an ongoing commitment to 大象传媒鈥檚 values, we will ensure the university remains a leading research university, committed to an inclusive and sustainable future. The 2025鈥�26 Budget and Financial Plan is now available on the 大象传媒 Finance website. 

Enrolments and recruitment

Undergraduate students

In 2024/25, 大象传媒 undergraduate program full-time equivalents (PFTEs) were 19,284鈥攁 surplus of 10% above the Ministry鈥檚 funded PFTEs. Compared with the targets set out in our Strategic Enrolment Plan, 大象传媒 exceeded our targets for overall domestic undergraduate PFTEs by 6% but fell short of our target for new domestic students by 3%.

International undergraduate student enrolment in 2024/25 was 3,562 PFTEs, which was 11% below target and equaled 16.4% of total undergraduate student PFTEs. As the Board is aware, 大象传媒 has had several challenging years in a row for international student enrolments. Federal policy changes by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continue to add fuel to these challenges. 大象传媒 received its Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) allocation on January 24, 2025; the allocation we received was not sufficient to meet our initial enrolment targets for 2025/26 and we have adjusted our targets downwards to accommodate this change.

大象传媒 continues to invest in our international recruitment strategy, which recruits students through a network of international recruitment agents, active marketing campaigns, direct recruitment in selected countries, more options for on- and off-campus housing and allocating more funds for merit-based scholarships. The effects of ongoing government policy changes continue to dampen international student interest in Canada, and a lack of admissions applications may eventually replace a lack of PALs as the constraining factor for international student recruitment unless 大象传媒 continues to invest in this area. Furthermore, PAL allocations to date have been based on the number of approved study permits in the previous year. 大象传媒 needs to ensure that all PALs are used, and that students receive study permits to prevent significant reductions in future PAL allocations.

Graduate students

In 2024/25, 大象传媒 graduate AFTEs (including Co-op) were 3,357鈥�5% below target, almost 4% lower compared to the previous fiscal year and 12% lower compared to the peak in 2021/22. Graduate enrolment numbers have been declining in recent years, partly due to declining international graduate enrolments in several faculties. In order to increase graduate enrolment numbers, the Beedie School of Business is adding more specialty programs and the Faculty of Education is restructuring several programs. 大象传媒 also offers guaranteed minimum funding for PhD programs, which helps to make research programs more attractive for graduate students; however, identifying funding in some faculties and departments for all eligible graduate students is challenging due to static funding in some Tri-Council grant programs.

Last year, IRCC extended the study permit application cap to include graduate students. Although 大象传媒 received a sufficient number of PALs for international graduate students this year, we continue to be concerned about the risk of a future reduction in graduate PALs.

Government relations

大象传媒鈥檚 government relations (GR) team has significantly increased its advocacy productivity and impact鈥攐ur strategic, focused approach has strengthened 大象传媒鈥檚 relationships with all levels of government, ensuring 大象传媒鈥檚 priorities remain front and centre with key decision-makers, especially during this challenging time for the post-secondary sector and Canadian economy. Over the past seven months, the GR team increased federal lobbying activities by 200% and we are being increasingly invited to the provincial and federal tables to share 大象传媒鈥檚 perspective.

We have heard that many faculty and staff want to advocate with their elected representatives on behalf of 大象传媒 and the post-secondary sector. The GR team has now developed a toolkit to help mobilize our 大象传媒 community. The toolkit is available on the Government Relations website and includes helpful information about how to set up a meeting with an MP or MLA, what to expect and how to support 大象传媒鈥檚 advocacy efforts. Members of the community looking for additional information or support are encouraged to reach out to the GR team at govrel@sfu.ca.

The GR team is actively monitoring successes and refining 大象传媒鈥檚 annual GR plan and roadmap to ensure that we are taking a strategic and coordinated approach to GR across the organization. We are also collaborating with Universities Canada and the Research Universities鈥� Council of British Columbia to maintain consistency in messaging and show a strong and united post-secondary sector.

Indigenous Welcoming Procedure

At the March meeting, the project team of the Indigenous Welcoming Procedure (IWP), co-led by Chris Syeta鈥檟tn Lewis, Indigenous Executive Lead, and Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian, Associate Director of Indigenous Policy and Pedagogy in Graduate Studies, provided an update to the Board.

The IWP upholds 大象传媒鈥檚 formal commitment to the rights of Indigenous Peoples by aiming to protect Indigenous students, staff and faculty from the impacts of fraudulent claims to Indigenous identity and ensuring that any supports intended for Indigenous members of the 大象传媒 community are not misdirected to those who falsely claim Indigenous identity. Implementing and sustaining this procedure directly supports 大象传媒鈥檚 strategic priority to uphold Truth & Reconciliation. In addition, it will bolster mentorship and recruitment efforts and strengthen Indigenous community at 大象传媒.

Three units, including the School of Medicine, are in the process of implementing pilots for the IWP. We look forward to reporting back to the Board as the pilot programs progress and the Indigenous Council Office develops a plan for university-wide implementation. The executive team is grateful to Chris, Dorothy, the Indigenous Council Office and the IWP project team for all their work to date.

Faculty of Graduate Studies

At the March meeting, we were thrilled that the Board approved the establishment of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS), following Senate鈥檚 approval of the faculty in November 2024.

Previously, the Office of Graduate Studies functioned as an administrative office without the governance authority of a faculty. The transition to a FGS aims to enhance collegial governance, increase transparency, improve recordkeeping and support interdisciplinary coursework and programming. This shift aligns 大象传媒 with best practices at other Canadian institutions and ensures compliance with the B.C. University Act.

Congratulations to Mary O鈥橞rien and the FGS team for all their work to date, and we look forward to seeing how the FGS will transform the 大象传媒 experience for graduate students across the university.

Advancing strategic priorities

There is work occurring across the university to advance the What鈥檚 Next strategic priorities. Several key examples are highlighted below.

Uphold Truth & Reconciliation

• 大象传媒 education professor Dr. Amy Parent has been granted the UNESCO Chair in Transforming Indigenous Knowledge Research Governance, Self-Determination, and Rematriation. This recognition highlights Parent鈥檚 significant work to advance Indigenous research governance, rematriation, languages and knowledge systems with Indigenous Peoples on a global scale. Parent shares the UNESCO Chair with computer scientist and activist Dr. Sonajharia Minz from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
• 大象传媒 continues to make its public platforms a vehicle for the amplification of Indigenous voices. 大象传媒 Public Square recently supported Dr. Zoe Todd, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair and associate professor, 大象传媒 Indigenous Studies, with the online event Sovereignty First: Tackling the White Possessive in an Era of 鈥楥ollaboration鈥�. The panelists, which included Indigenous faculty from UBC, Princeton University, University of Alaska-Southeast, University of Manchester and the University of Alberta, were joined by Dr. Wenona Hall, chair of 大象传媒鈥檚 Indigenous Studies Department. Over 500 individuals were in attendance and the event recording has garnered nearly 800 views to date. 

Engage in Global Challenges

• The Sustainability and Climate Office has launched the Impact Lab, a pilot project designed to provide funding for graduate students, support faculty research and address the unique sustainability and climate challenges faced by our corporate partners. In its inaugural year, the Impact Lab is partnering with the Canadian National Railway to develop AI capacity to identify and map invasive species of noxious weeds along rail lines. The project and its researchers are supported by over $95,000 in funding.
• The Centre for Dialogue brought together more than 100 stakeholders, including senior government officials, Indigenous and labour movement leaders, key private sector players in the local tech industry and researchers from across 大象传媒 together for a full day of deliberations on the responsible adoption of AI in BC. The event, which opened with the Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue on AI and the release of an 大象传媒-commissioned , has already led to new initiatives and collaboration, including joint work between 大象传媒 Labour Studies and IATSE Local 891 on a human-centric approach to AI implementation.
• 大象传媒 Climate Innovation and the Centre for Dialogue collaborated on the first annual 大象传媒 Climate Innovation Researcher & Partnership Workshop. The workshop, which drew over 100 participants and was supported by 11 partners across 大象传媒, is part of a series of events that convene climate action and innovation researchers and leaders across academia and community to discover new areas of collaboration and create new interdisciplinary community-centered projects. 

Make a Difference for B.C.

• The School of Medicine (SoM) has made critical progress towards several key initiatives, including accreditation, curriculum development and space planning.
  • UGME Accreditation: The School鈥檚 Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) accreditation application has been approved and the school has been granted 鈥楥andidate Status鈥�. Site visits for the UGME program are scheduled for May and June 2025, reflecting the program鈥檚 alignment with accreditation standards and its readiness to deliver high-quality medical education. 
  • Curriculum: We continue to make meaningful progress towards curriculum development for the MD program, in preparation for the accreditation site visits. Curriculum sequencing and mapping efforts are crystalizing, and work is underway to develop detailed outcomes for the program鈥檚 different classroom and clinical learning experiences.
  • Space: The School has completed its comprehensive programming review and, in consultation with 大象传媒 Facilities, selected KRA as the architecture firm for the interim space. The project is structured in two phases: Phase 1 will utilize the renovated Innovation Plaza on the Surrey campus for the first cohort, while Phase 2 will expand facilities to include labs, study zones and clinical simulation rooms. Meanwhile, we finalized the permanent building鈥檚 functional program and Adam Architecture completed a base building design, with a business plan submitted to the Ministry in February 2025.
  • Recruitment: Recruitment for key leadership roles within the School of Medicine is progressing steadily, with roles such as associate dean of accreditation, assessment and evaluation, associate dean, UGME and associate dean, research either confirmed or close to completion. Active searches for several other leadership and administrative roles continue, and faculty recruitment is also advancing. The School intends to have made at least 100 formal clinical faculty appointments before the accreditation site visit in June.
• The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development announced close to $23 million in funding to establish the National Invention to Innovation (i2I) Network. As part of the NSERC Lab to Market program, this funding expands on the award-winning i2I program founded at 大象传媒 in 2015. 大象传媒 and 13 leading Canadian research universities and health research institutes, along with 57 partner organizations, will collaborate on the Network to provide innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship training for students, researchers and highly qualified personnel in STEM and healthcare fields.
• 大象传媒 VentureLabs launched a thanks to $2.5 million in funding from PacifiCan through the Business Acceleration Pilot, a new initiative helping businesses with high growth potential achieve their scale up ambitions. The program is specifically tailored to address the unique needs and challenges of deeptech and life sciences ventures and will focus on driving business growth and technology development to attract customers, partners and investors. 
• The 大象传媒-led B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation (BCCAI) is investing in 19 new agritech projects and nine training programs aimed at strengthening the province鈥檚 food production and job growth. The new projects and programs represent a total investment of more than $15 million, including nearly $5 million in support from BCCAI matched with more than $2 million cash and more than $8 million in-kind from industry. These projects will help companies scale up their technology and create more made-in-B.C. solutions with B.C. farmers, delivering opportunities for training and upskilling to create a stronger, more resilient agriculture industry. 

Transform the 大象传媒 Experience

• 大象传媒鈥檚 People Strategies continues to develop an employee well-being strategy, one of our commitments outlined in the People Plan. Proposed goals and key action areas for the strategy have been identified with evidence-based inputs from the Okanagan Charter, National Standards for Psychological Health and Safety and Rapid Assessment data. Planning is underway to engage the 大象传媒 community in spring 2025 for feedback on the proposed goals and action areas.
  • In support of this work, the People Strategies team facilitated The Working Mind training鈥攁n accredited and evidence-based mental health literacy training and stigma reduction program鈥攆or those in leadership roles within the vice-president finance and administration portfolio. Planning is underway to roll out this program to the rest of 大象传媒鈥檚 leadership community starting in spring 2025.
  • People Strategies and 大象传媒鈥檚 extended health and dental benefits provider, Pacific Blue Cross, hosted learning sessions for employee groups in January 2025 to increase awareness and navigation of supports available to 大象传媒 employees. More than 500 faculty and staff attended these sessions.
• The collaborative recruitment team made up of Student Services鈥� central recruitment and the faculties are working to develop this spring鈥檚 鈥淜nowYour大象传媒鈥� events. These events are aimed at welcoming new incoming students who have accepted their offers, as well as helping students who haven鈥檛 accepted an offer yet to feel confident and welcomed by the university. KnowYour大象传媒 events include faculty showcases, department participation and campus tours, helping students know what to expect from resources, supports and programming and connecting them to their future university experience at 大象传媒.

Sincerely,

Joy Johnson
President & Vice-Chancellor
大象传媒