Introduction from the Director General
Since its inception in 1968, Dawson College has committed itself to providing students from all walks of life with a vibrant educational experience.
Drawing upon innovative and student-centered pedagogical approaches, Dawson has become a leading institution in post-secondary education in Quebec and abroad. Its community of faculty and staff has worked continuously to establish high standards of academic excellence and has shown great dedication in seeking new ways of engaging students in learning activities, both inside and outside the classroom, so as to enrich their experience at Dawson. From the beginning, this quest for excellence as well as the commitment to offering inclusive educational pathways for different learner profiles have stood at the forefront of the College’s mission.
In preparation for creating a new strategic plan, in 2016 the College consulted with its community and reviewed possible strategic directions to pursue over the next five years. These discussions provided faculty, staff and students with the opportunity to enter into a dialogue about the future of the College and to reiterate Dawson’s foundational commitment to student success. What has come out of this campus-wide discussion is a clear determination to work more collaboratively and deliberately toward a notion of student success that is bold and ambitious. This undertaking is grounded on the idea that successful learning occurs when students are encouraged to participate actively in their studies.
Reaffirming our commitment to the Graduate Profile
It is in this context that the Dawson community has reaffirmed its commitment to the Graduate Profile Outcomes developed in the Strategic Plan 2010-2015. These outcomes represent the overarching competencies our graduates are expected to develop and demonstrate during their years at Dawson, and establish the overall focus of our educational efforts, above and beyond the particularities of the programs in which students are enrolled. The Graduate Profile offers a framework for more intensive collaboration among members of our community, whether they teach in classrooms or laboratories, or participate in the development of an educational environment that is rich and meaningful for our students.
The dialogue about strategic directions provided community members with the opportunity to re-examine Dawson’s Mission Statement and its educational values, and to articulate a vision that will guide us. This process allowed us to reflect upon our raison d’être and identify the bedrock values that have characterized Dawson throughout its history.
In refreshing the Mission Statement to make it more relevant for the College’s present context, the importance given to inclusiveness indicates a willingness to widen the scope of what it means to celebrate diversity in a mature society. Similarly, the need to state our commitment to the building of a more peaceful and sustainable future stems from the urgency for Dawson to contribute toward the development of the knowledge and skills that will help future generations deal with the complexity of issues we face individually and collectively in this era of globalization.
Enriching the learning environment
The driving forces of our community have long been initiatives that aim to enrich the learning environment at Dawson and efforts to provide an educational experience that is transformative and positive for students and society alike. We intend to remain faithful to these principles. At a time of rapid and overwhelming societal change, in a world that is becoming more and more daunting and where interconnected phenomena pose ever greater challenges, this Strategic Plan 2016-2021 lays out a roadmap for accomplishing an educational mission that is relevant and clear.
I would like to thank all those members of the community — faculty, staff and students — who participated in this dialogue. Your involvement in the consultation process reflects a high degree of dedication to Dawson and, above all, to our students. My thanks also go to the Board of Governors of Dawson College, which has provided unwavering support to this planning process.
The dialogue will go on. The vision is set and the focus is clear: EDUCATE, ENGAGE, ENRICH.
Let’s make it happen now!
Richard Filion
Director General
