Integrated Strategic Planning (ISP) brings together people across TRU units, departments, teams, and faculties to collaboratively achieve the University’s strategic objectives. ISP promotes cooperation and relationship-building, breaking down silos to work collectively towards goals in alignment with TRU’s Vision Statement.
Focus areas
Under the leadership of Provost Dr. Gillian Balfour, consultations with the TRU community guided the definition of three key ISP objectives:
- Student success and research innovation through inclusive excellence in research faculty and staff recruitment.
- Eliminate achievement gaps across different groups of learners, and honour, truth, reconciliation and rights.
- To be recognized provincially, nationally, and internationally for our unique academic and trades programs that provide students with flexible learning pathways, experiential opportunities, and community research.
Why it matters
From 2019 to early 2020, TRU’s community, including students, faculty, staff, and community members, took part in one of its most extensive consultations, Envision TRU, to share our future vision. This input led to the adoption of a Vision Statement incorporating our mission, vision, values and four strategic change goals that reflect who we are and our strategic goals for the next decade.
Our goal
Guided by the Provost, Integrated Strategic Planning is setting the course to bring our Vision Statement to life. TRU is continually involved in planning activities like Strategic Enrolment Management and Research Plans. ISP aligns these efforts in support of achieving TRU’s vision.
Realizing Envision TRU 2023 – 2026
We’re excited to share the outcomes of TRU’s Integrated Strategic Planning (ISP) for 2023-2026. From an initial pool of 29 proposals, eight impactful projects have been selected for funding. These initiatives are brought together with a shared commitment to fostering inclusive and engaged student networks through inclusive, land-based learning, research-informed curriculum, and experiential learning.
Sen7kiw: All My Relations Indigenous Research Centre
All My Relations (AMR) researchers will directly mentor students from high school through graduate studies, with focus on high-impact practices for retention. The project will integrate Indigenous healing practices into first-year student experiences at TRU, and continue its role in advising pan-institutional approaches.
Environmental Research and Teaching Collaboration
This initiative integrates environmental studies courses with field-based research opportunities across the interior region, such as Wells Gray. The project will enhance TRU's research profile while inspiring students to engage with Indigenous knowledge on land management and climate change.
Honours College
This project will establish an interdisciplinary honours program across six faculties, offering in-depth research experiences and themed-based courses. Focusing on accessible excellence, this program offers small student cohorts enriched community learning experiences rooted in Indigenous knowledge.
Arts Cohort Project
The enhanced first-year arts curriculum will provide students with faculty mentorship and hands-on learning, emphasizing decolonization and Indigenization, with support from the TRU Library.
Research-Hub
This initiative will create curriculum-embedded research opportunities and mentor faculty on integrating community-engaged research into course design. The research hub will also support project teams in developing research skills with students.
Decolonizing and Indigenizing PLAR
This team will continue the development of decolonized prior learning assessment methodology, piloted alongside the Faculty of Arts, to develop portfolios that recognize Indigenous learning for academic credit.
TRU Open Press
Students and faculty co-create and disseminate research, provide support for the development of open-source course materials, such as zero-cost textbooks, and create student internships in open press editing and production.
Livable Cities, Collaborative Communities
This project launched as part of an upcoming conference, featuring climate change and environmental scientist researchers to Kamloops. This will be followed by the development of workshops and events focused on sustainability and community resilience.
In the coming months, we will develop an integrated structure, align resource needs, and create marketing and recruitment strategies. We look forward to welcoming our first student cohorts in the Fall 2026 semester.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this initiative. Your efforts will showcase the value of integrated strategic planning and help TRU achieve its 10-year strategic goals.
If you have any questions as we progress with this exciting venture, please feel free to reach out.
Dr. Gillian BalfourProvost and Vice-President Academic
Envision A decade of Integrated Strategic Planning
Since its transformation into a teaching and research focused institution in 2005, TRU has advanced its strategic planning through participatory and evidence-based practices. TRU’s first Academic Plan in 2011 identified key academic priorities and foundational principles.
In 2019, TRU launched Envision with the goal of developing TRU’s first 10-year vision statement. This process, guided by community input and completed in Spring 2020, established TRU’s mission statement, a vision statement with four core values, and four strategic change goals.
Integrated Strategic Planning process Realizing Envision 2023–2026
Realizing Envision began in March 2021, outlining a framework to advance TRU’s vision, mission, and values. This process helped operationalize TRU’s strategic change goals.
Planning activities 2021–2022
We conducted priority-setting activities to identify objectives and projects supporting our strategic goals. This included mapping out 27 units across our Kamloops, Williams Lake campuses, and Open Learning, analyzing objectives and constraints, and reviewing institutional data and partnership agreements.
With the arrival of Dr. Gillian Balfour as Provost and Vice President Academic in July 2022, we reviewed planning activities to set strategic priorities for 2023-2026. This review considered our commitments to UNDRIP, TRC Calls to Action, and our role in regional and international education.
