• Home
• Biography of the Vice-President
• Staff
  • Faculties
  • Services
  • Organizational chart
• Senate Committees
  • Evaluation of Undergraduate Programs
  • Senate Committees on Teaching and Teaching Evaluation
  • Committee on Academic Planning
  • Council on Undergraduate Studies
• Reports and Memos
  • Task Force on Programs and Services in French
  • Vision 2020
  • Vision 2010
  • Interdisciplinarity: Recommendations Approved by the Senate
  • Interdisciplinarity for the University of Ottawa
  • Dialogue and Controversy
• Prizes
  • Distinguished University Professor
  • Excellence in Education Prizes
  • Interdisciplinary Initiatives
• Academic Integrity
• Faculty Recruitment
• Centre for Academic Leadership
• Policy 94 on the Pro-Active Recruitment of Women Professors
  • Request for Grant Applications
• International Agreements
• Francophonie
  • Research Chairs in Canadian Francophonie
  • Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
  • Consortium des universités de la francophonie ontarienne
  • Consortium national de formation en santé
  • Task Force on Programs and Services in French
  • Standing Committee on Francophone Affairs and Official Languages
• Enriched University Experience
  • Committees
  • Initiatives
• Comments on the language of the services you receive

Committees on the Quality of the Student Experience

The University of Ottawa seeks to provide a stimulating learning environment that encourages interaction and collaboration, so that students can develop a desire for knowledge as well as intellectual autonomy beyond the university, in particular through social and community involvement which can change the world. This is at the core of our educational mission.

For this to happen, students must enjoy an unparalleled university experience, one which is constantly improving. Initiatives must be undertaken which encourage stimulating, enriching and active learning, as well as service excellence. This means a rich student life featuring extensive and fruitful interaction among faculty, staff and students, all in a bilingual setting. All of this is required to create a sense of belonging and commitment on the part of students, while keeping in mind the characteristics of the milieu, both internal and external, such as cultural diversity and physical space, to name but a couple.

To make the student experience a key concern for all and have the greatest possible impact, it is proposed that two committees be created, capable of effective action on a University-wide scale. This would allow for targeted actions which could profoundly alter the student experience through constant improvement.

Mandate

It is proposed that two committees on the quality of students’ university experience be established: one under the authority of the vice-president academic, dealing with academic matters, and the other under the vice-president, resources, dealing with ancillary services provided to students. 

The overall mandate of these committees would be to ensure the planning and implementation of initiatives, as well as to evaluate them, so as to determine best practices and allow the University of Ottawa to fulfil its mission and meet its commitment to students by offering an exceptional university experience. 

Responsibilities

• Analyzing results of various surveys dealing with all aspects of university life (academic life, administrative questions, community life), key elements of which can be found in the work of the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CCRÉU-CUSC), in the Graduate and Professional Student Survey (EÉMD–GPSS), in the National Survey of Student Engagement (ENPÉ-NSSE) and other similar ssurveys
• Holding consultations to delve more deeply into certain questions, particularly through discussion groups, meetings with student associations, public forums and other means, so that the student experience will be an ongoing priority
• Identifying best practices on other university campuses
• Establishing, implementing and coordinating a mechanism to solicit suggestions on how to improve students’ university experience, relying on activities such as the Good Ideas contest, creating an electronic suggestion box or using other media in order to reach the university community 
• Developing along with the faculties and services a comprehensive strategy to improve the student experience
• Working with the faculties to develop initiatives tailored to their particular needs
• Providing guidance on initiatives or establishing priorities, while ensuring the implementation of the Vision 2020 strategic planning initiatives
• Developing performance indicators in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures put into place
• Conducting an annual review of the new initiatives, activities organized and steps taken, while developing a genuine communications strategy.

Membership

The committee looking at academic matters would be chaired by the associate vice-president academic (student experience) and would include the following members:

• The associate vice-president, student services
• One member from Institutional Research and Planning
• One member from the Office of the Vice-President, Research
• One member from Strategic Enrolment Management
• One member from Co-operative Education Programs
• One member from the International Office
• One member from In the Service of Others
• One member from the Student Academic Success Service
• One member from the Teaching and Learning Support Service
• One member from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
• One member from the Library
• The vice-dean, academic (or another person responsible for the student experience) from each faculty
• Six students

The committee looking at ancillary services for students would be chaired by the associate vice-president, student services and would include the following members:

• The associate vice-president academic (student experience)
• One member from Institutional Research and Planning
• One member from Computing and Communications Services
• One member from the Community Life Service
• One member from Sports Services
• One member from Food Services
• One member from the Housing and Conventions Service
• One member from the Physical Resources Service
• One member from Protection Services
• One member from the Human Resources Service
• One member from Financial Services
• Six students

Students would be selected following an email appeal asking them why they wished to be on one of the two committees. The two committee chairs would select the best candidates along with the student senators, taking into account level of studies (undergraduate and graduate), citizenship (Canadian or other), area of study (humanities, science, professional programs), and place of study (Main Campus or Roger Guindon Campus). Priority would be given to students who are actively bilingual.  Term length could vary according to student interest in serving on these committees.

Meeting schedule

Normally, the committees would meet once a month, during the September to April period, but additional meetings could be held as required. 

Accountability

These two committees would report directly to the vice-president academic and the vice-president, resources.

Additionally, to facilitate coordination and to make an annual progress report to the Senate, a coordinating committee should be set up. This body would be co-chaired by the vice-president academic and the vice-president, resources, and would include the chairs of the two committees, as well as a student from each committee. The coordinating committee would meet as required.