Part 2: Priority initiatives

Seneca Au Large

With the shift to virtual and diminished revenue occurring at the same time, Seneca had both the opportunity and the requirement to re-examine both what we do and how we do it in the context of our core mission of offering a great polytechnic education.

Seneca Au Large took a hard look at the former Seneca and recommended how we can emerge from the pandemic with a renewed sense of mission and purpose.

This section will focus on:

benefitting from the digital and virtual expertise acquired throughout the organization
capturing improvements and efficiencies from going online, including changing or eliminating policies and procedures to enable more virtual activities
proposing both new opportunities to pursue and activities to discontinue in the context of Seneca’s core mission

Business Plan Outcome 1: an equitable Seneca

Achievements:

established an employee Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Committee to advise the president on three initial areas, all of which are underway:
a review of student and human resources policies through an EDI lens
engagement and education initiatives
student and employee censuses to better understand our populations

Business Plan Outcome 2: a sustainable Seneca

Achievements:

hosted institutional-wide consultations engaging more than 500 students and employees
establishing an Office for Sustainability
developing a Seneca-wide sustainability plan using community input

Business Plan Outcome 3: a more virtual Seneca

Achievements:

engaged program co-ordinators, chairs and deans to transition programs and courses to the more virtual post-pandemic environment
held consultations with front-line employees to plan the transition to a new model of service delivery, keeping transactional services virtual and transformational services in person with virtual connections
surveyed more than 2,000 employees on working remotely preferences
established a Working Remotely Advisory Committee
increased online teaching training for faculty
distributed technology stipend for remote work to employees

Highlights of 2020-21

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee announced
After an amazing response from across Seneca, the inaugural membership of the Equity Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee was announced. Chaired by Mark Solomon, Dean of Students & Indigenous Education, the EDI Committee helps accomplish the tasks outlined in the Seneca Au Large report related to building the renewed Seneca as an equitable Seneca.

Working Remotely Committee established
After an amazing response from across Seneca, the inaugural Working Remotely Committee was established. The Working Remotely Committee helps create a remote working policy that balances the needs of employees and Seneca as part of the Au Large initiative to create a more virtual Seneca. The committee is chaired by Dean Hughes, Executive Director, Advancement & Alumni.

Seneca joins forces with leading climate-action institutions
Seneca and seven Canadian colleges, polytechnics and CEGEPs launched an initiative to educate a post-pandemic workforce to support a climate-focused economic recovery. Called Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery, the initiative identifies and responds to the needs of employers in the emerging sector of climate resilience, supporting a recovery that is positive for the environment, addresses socio-economic inequality and delivers good jobs.

Seneca Business commits to a sustainable future
Seneca Business has joined more than 800 leading business schools across 85 countries as a signatory of the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Management (PRME). Using the PRME framework, Seneca Business is incorporating sustainable business principles into its curriculum and increasing research related to corporate citizenship.

CITE earns a gold
Seneca’s Centre for Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship (CITE) earned a gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the Canada Green Building Council. CITE earned this certification after being rated highly for human and environmental health, sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality. Achieving LEED Gold certification for CITE reinforces Seneca's commitment to sustainability.

Newnham Campus buzzworthy with new pollinators
About 10,000 bees settled into their new home at Seneca in summer 2020. Thanks to funding received through WWF-Canada’s Go Wild School Grant, a new beehive was added at Newnham Campus — its 11th. Along with 17 other beehives at King Campus and 20 more at Peterborough Campus, Seneca beehives are responsible for producing upwards of 200 pounds of honey per hive, amounting to 10,000 pounds of honey annually.

Annual symposium highlights climate awareness
Seneca’s annual Green Citizen Symposium, hosted by TD Insurance, took place virtually in October. During the three-day symposium, guest speakers discussed climate change, sustainability in business, past and current efforts to address the global challenge of climate change and much more.

Seneca receives green funding to add native trees and shrubs to Newnham Campus
Seneca received $73,654 through the City of Toronto’s Greening Partnership Grant to plant 1,220 shrubs and trees native to Ontario at Newnham Campus. The funding will add to the more sustainable and naturalized landscape taking shape on campus, helping reduce Seneca’s carbon footprint and creating more green spaces for students, employees and the community to work, study and relax.

Digital strategy

Seneca’s substantial investment in its information technology infrastructure, combined with a recently launched Digital Strategy, allowed for a faster and smoother transition to online than many other institutions. Seneca is transitioning its academic and services operations to digital platforms. This includes the Digital Learning Strategy, developing the digital competencies of our students, enhancing teaching practices, designing enriched curricula and creating a flexible and adaptable information technology infrastructure. Administratively, digitization is streamlining business processes, increasing online operations, saving energy, expanding cloud strategies and digitizing records.

Business Plan Outcome 1: ITS worked closely with Teaching & Learning and Human Resources to support employees teaching and working virtually

Achievements:

supported learning and working remotely by:
- offering multiple teaching platforms and digital tools for online delivery of majority of courses and services
- improving accessibility options for students studying virtually, including VPN-based access for specialized labs and for students with difficulty accessing North American sites
- launching Virtual Commons, allowing students to virtually access computers located in Computing Commons on campus
- distributing loaner laptops and internet sticks and making available software programs through software streaming
- moving all student- and employee-facing transactions online, eliminating paper and in-person transactions to focus on higher-value interactions such as advising and complex service needs
- implemented digital transcript for students, enabling self-serve capacity – first college in Canada to do so

Business Plan Outcome 2: as students and employees safely returned to campus, implemented Smart Campus initiatives through advanced lighting and sensor technologies to improve services and increase efficiencies

Achievements:

continued lighting renewal project with smart LED at Newnham Campus
implemented pilot at Newnham Campus with Internet of Things, including smart classroom monitoring, waste collection and washroom cleaning
implemented Wi-Fi based contact tracing capability, digital identity and access card capability

Seneca2020

Seneca2020 is the multi-phase and multi-year project to manage the largest set of program and employee moves in Seneca’s history. Among the impacts will be optimizing space use, increasing collaboration opportunities among programs and enhancing the student experience with new and renovated buildings.

Business Plan Outcome: completing program moves, Newnham Food Hall, CITE 4th and 5th floors, and Newnham parking structure and expanded parking lots

Achievement:

completed all Seneca2020 projects as planned with the exception of the parking structure, which was affected by supply chain difficulties and cost increases

International strategy

The pandemic has severely disrupted international education around the globe, challenging all institutions to find ways to build back the recruitment channels and partnerships that have provided both richness on campus and financial stability. International education is an area of strategic importance to Seneca and one in which it excels.

Business Plan Outcome 1: launching Seneca International Academy (SIA) at Markham Campus to offer more learning opportunities for international students

Achievement:

launched SIA in fall 2020 in hybrid format, similar to programs at other campuses

Business Plan Outcome 2: continuing to diversify international recruitment in key markets to provide a great learning experience and mitigate country risk

Achievements:

made significant efforts to diversify international enrolment despite pandemic-related travel restrictions
completed preliminary planning to reinstate intended diversification when travel restrictions lifted

Business Plan Outcome 3: expanding international contract training to diversify income sources and provide development opportunities for employees

Achievements:

introduced virtual training projects with two new contracts
planning for in-person training underway to resume when travel restrictions lifted

Highlights of 2020-21

Seneca signs new student exchange agreement
Seneca’s International Mobility Office and the Faculty of Arts virtually signed a new student exchange agreement with Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES) in Ecuador. The agreement allows students from the Honours Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree program to study at UEES for a semester. Students from the Veterinary Technician diploma program will have the option to fulfil their field placement requirements at an animal rescue centre near the university when international travel is permitted.

New platform to connect students with all things Canadian
Seneca created a new online platform called SeneCan Connect to offer students a unique behind-the-scenes peer perspective on living, learning, working and celebrating in Canada. Students, whether studying online internationally or domestically, discovered the different cultural experiences in Canada and engaged in weekly book and film recommendations, fast facts, trivia fun, playlists and more.

Seneca awarded LatAm Visionary Award
Seneca was named the 2020 recipient of the LatAm Visionary Award, which was presented to President David Agnew at Newnham Campus by Miryam Lazarte, CEO of LatAm Startups. The LatAm Visionary Award honours an organization that supports inclusion and diversity with a unique vision to developing a stronger technology ecosystem, as well as access and support for Latin American companies to establish in Canada. Seneca HELIX has worked closely with LatAm since 2016 and has hosted several LatAm entrepreneurs.

Seneca signs new agreement with Paris institution
Seneca and L’École des Nouveaux Métiers de la Communication (EFAP) in Paris, France, signed a student exchange agreement. Under the agreement, a faculty member from Seneca’s School of Marketing and EFAP would virtually guest lecture about esports marketing during the pandemic. When possible, students from both schools would participate in a semester exchange or summer academic program.

New agreement signed with Thai university
President David Agnew and Sompop Manarungsan, President of Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) in Thailand, signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement will allow faculty from Seneca's School of Hospitality & Tourism to virtually guest lecture PIM students during the pandemic until a faculty-led program abroad can be delivered in Thailand.

Marketing student helps create online storefronts for free
Thanks to COVID-19, Seneca student Khadijah Deshong spent most of her first few months in Canada behind closed doors. Yet the Seneca international student from Barbados has been virtually building a network and burnishing skills while helping local businesses and artists create an online presence through ShopHere, an initiative started by the City of Toronto. Read more about the story

Funding provides students with new international opportunities
As part of the federal government’s International Education Strategy, Seneca received $50,000 for two innovative projects that will provide more opportunities for students to study or work abroad. The funding is being managed by the International Mobility Office.

Supporting a stronger, younger workforce in Kenya
Seneca partnered with Niagara College and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland to create new work opportunities for young people in Kenya. The project, Young Africa Works in Kenya — Youth Employability Through Technical and Vocation Education and Training program, is supported by the Mastercard Foundation and Colleges & Institutes Canada.