Polaris Program

Sky with stars — About us

Administration and services

Polaris Program

Polaris is a three-year continuous improvement program that aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the University of Ottawa’s administrative services for students, faculty, and staff.

Overview of the program

Since the launch of Workday in May 2023, we have worked hard to modify our new enterprise management system to get the most out of it. Now that this shift in technology is well underway, it’s time to rethink our administrative functions.

To achieve this, we will: design a new operating model to change how we offer services; implement sustainable best practices based on service excellence; and re-examine strategic procurement at the University of Ottawa.

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Vision

An empowered community that benefits from efficient, user-focused, and contemporary services to maximize the impact of teaching and research.

Mission

To relentlessly pursue service excellence through continuous improvement to enable every member of our community.

Outcomes

The University community experiences high-quality administrative services. The University maximizes its focus and resources in supporting and delivering its core mission (teaching, learning and research).

What is the link between UniForum and Polaris?

The University of Ottawa created Polaris following insights from UniForum – an annual comparative study on how universities around the world manage their administrative services. By collecting and comparing data, our leaders have been able to start conversations about delivering effective and efficient administrative services. The UniForum program helps us understand where we need to invest to improve our processes and experiences.

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Executive co-sponsors

Jennifer Doyle
Vice-President, Finance and Administration

Jacques Beauvais
Interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs

Our personal commitment to uOttawa's vision for excellence and continuous improvement of services is reflected in our role as proud co-sponsors of the Polaris Program. In this capacity, we work with the program team to oversee and deliver the best results for the University as a whole and invite all uOttawa faculty and staff to play their part in making this program a success.

Polaris Program Office (login required)

550 Cumberland
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5
[email protected]

Do you have feedback, comments or questions? (login required)

The Polaris program team wants to hear from you. Please share your feedback or comments or ask your questions about the program.