Before considering the response to this question it is helpful to summarise the
characteristics of these primarily undergraduate, relatively small universities (Table 5-11). Their current strategies are shown in order of importance in Table 5-12 and as
comparators in Table 5-13.
Table 5-11 Characteristics of Case Study Universities
Brock Lakehead Nipissing Trent
medium sized small sized Small sized small sized
local population 130,000 local population 117,000 local population 54,000 local population 74,600
120 km from Toronto 1,500 km from Toronto 330 km from Toronto 135 km from Toronto striving for comprehensive
status
striving for sustainability in the context of a declining population
striving for maturity striving for sustainability in
the context of a declining enrollment
Table 5-12 Summary of Main Strategies in Order of Importance
Brock Lakehead Nipissing Trent
recruitment and retention of international students
(evaluate opportunities to) increase international student enrollment
recruitment and retention of international students
recruitment and retention of international students globalisation of the
curriculum
international faculty and student exchanges
international faculty and student exchanges
year abroad student placements
student/faculty/staff mobility
relationships with foreign universities and institutions internationally-related research globalisation of the curriculum international research and
collaboration
Table 5-13 Summary of Main Strategies as Comparators
Brock Lakehead Nipissing Trent
recruitment and retention of international students
(evaluate opportunities to) increase international student enrollment
recruitment and retention of international students
recruitment and retention of international students globalisation of the curriculum globalisation of the curriculum student/faculty/staff mobility
international faculty and student exchanges
international faculty and student exchanges
year abroad student placements
international research and collaboration
internationally-related research
relationships with foreign universities and
It is apparent across all the case study universities that strategies appropriate for each setting characteristic need to be planned strategically and focus on themes that fit with each university’s vision. It is also evident that there needs to be clear communication across the university community and a mechanism for budget allocation that coincides with defined strategic priorities.
Brock is the most advanced, in terms of its strategies for globalisation. It is clear that global activities at Brock have been in progress for some while and they are embedded in the university’s psyche. The devolved model of responsibility and management for global activities appears complex at first but as interviewees describe their own perspectives it is clear to them and it seems to work well.
It is evident that Brock is striving to be recognised as a comprehensive university and there are several strategies in place to ensure that this will be achieved. Several
individuals are acknowledged as good leaders who are engaged in contributing to setting university wide goals and then implementing them. Achieving changes in universities and fulfilling the opportunities presented in contemporary HE requires effective leadership at many levels (Middlehurst, 1997) and this is particularly evident at Brock. On the whole it seems that communication at Brock is also good, with few disconnects.
Trent’s strategies are harder to identify as they are more ad hoc and the university has not planned them as strategically as is the case at Brock. It is clear that global recruitment, and therefore having a significant number of international students at Trent, is important for the university and this is the main strategy responding to globalisation. Trent also has strategies in place to encourage its students to study abroad and to develop curriculum that has a global focus, where appropriate.
Trent’s strap lines: “LEARNING TO MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCETM” and “THE WORLD
BELONGS TO THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND ITTM” are further evidence of the underlying
commitment at Trent to being part of the global community. Trent is striving for
sustainability with the realisation that it is becoming more difficult each year to achieve its overall undergraduate student recruitment target.
Another theme that emerges from the interviews at Trent is that it does not have a history of planning and that this is a relatively new phenomenon there. There is a broad
acknowledgement of the necessity for it, but still a sense of it not being fully embraced and embedded across the university.
but deems itself to be hindered by its size, location and (lack of) resources. It considers itself to be a young university playing ‘catch-up’ with universities that have been
established for longer. It is putting emphasis on planning to ensure its future sustainability.
Its main strategies are to facilitate the recruitment and retention of international students, to develop opportunities for student and faculty exchanges to other countries and to create and disseminate internationally-related research. These are all in the planning stage and Nipissing has a great deal of potential in these areas.
At Lakehead there is no clear and consistent sense of ‘what’ the university is nor how it is planning to develop. Several disconnects are evident not least in how the university is responding to opportunities presented by globalisation. Lakehead is trailing the other universities in that it is currently evaluating the opportunities to increase international student enrollment, rather than already having a strategy in place. Other Lakehead strategies are to support international exchanges for faculty and students and to foster relations with foreign universities and institutions.
It seems that Brock has a good model for strategies responding to globalisation with an extensive and diverse international student population, a global curriculum and well organised student/faculty/staff mobility opportunities that are all underpinned by international research and collaboration. Whilst there are some differences in setting characteristics for the case study universities, mainly in connection with their proximity to Toronto and their size, this model seems to be appropriate for all of these primarily undergraduate, small universities.