17吃瓜

Below is a message from President Abd-El-Aziz that was issued to the campus community earlier today.

 
Dear colleagues,

Universities are rated and ranked by several organizations using a variety of methods. Some reports are international, while others like The Globe and Mail鈥檚 鈥淐anadian University Report鈥� and 惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚 鈥淯niversity Rankings鈥� are Canadian in scope. Some data is comparative, either comparing universities of similar size or within a region, while other data, like that collected in the National Survey of Student Engagement, is more customized so that the university can use it as an improvement tool. It turns out that both The Globe and Mail鈥�s and 惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚 data are issued in October.

The published on October 22, rates 17吃瓜 as above average in terms of bursaries and awards, positive change, and library resources. I am so proud to see that 17吃瓜 student Alexandra Heighington is prominently featured in one of the stories included in the report about how location plays a part in a prospective student鈥檚 decision on what university to attend. Also, in the profile for 17吃瓜, it states, 鈥�17吃瓜 announced construction of the School of Sustainable Design Engineering, an interdisciplinary approach to engineering that aims to train students to be globally aware, creative problem solvers. The opening of the new school is one of the first steps in the university鈥檚 plan to tailor all programming to prioritize hands-on and applied learning.鈥�

惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚 released its annual 鈥�2016 University Rankings鈥� to subscribers last evening. I am pleased to report that 17吃瓜 has moved two spots from tenth to eighth position among primarily undergraduate universities in Canada. In the 25-year history of 惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚 rankings, this is the 13th year in a row that 17吃瓜 has been in the top ten in the country.

We are proud that we have ranked in the top ten in nine of the fourteen categories that form the overall ranking, including fourth in 鈥渟tudent awards鈥� and 鈥渢otal research dollars.鈥� We remain consistently strong in categories like 鈥渟tudent/faculty ratio鈥�, ranking seventh, and 鈥渙perating budget鈥�, ranking sixth.

A significant part of the 惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚 rankings focuses on reputation. In the national reputational survey, 17吃瓜 has moved up two spots, as well as in the 鈥渉igh quality鈥� and 鈥渋nnovation鈥� categories. 17吃瓜 has jumped eight spots in the 鈥渂uilding leaders of tomorrow鈥� category. Also, for the first time this year, 惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚 surveyed students directly. We were ranked sixth in 鈥渟tudent life staff鈥� and 鈥渁dministrative staff鈥� and fifth in 鈥渂ureaucracy鈥� (having the least red tape). This reaffirms 17吃瓜's efforts toward the student experience, a key priority in the 鈥�17吃瓜 Strategic Plan, 2013-18鈥�.

One category in the student portion of the rankings where 17吃瓜 did not fare as well was in 鈥渃ritical thinking.鈥� We feel this will shift positively in the near future as it is a lagging indicator. As identified in our Strategic Plan, with every program initiative, such as Engineering, Mathematics, and in Arts, we are building this key skill development into project-based curricula that is married to theory.

We recognize that connecting what we teach and how we teach it is fundamental to moving 17吃瓜 forward. For the most part, the markers found in the 鈥淐anadian University Report鈥� and 鈥淯niversity Rankings鈥� confirm that 17吃瓜 is a vibrant institution that supports the delivery of outstanding experiential learning opportunities.

I would like to thank you, our faculty, staff, and administrators for your commitment to our promise of delivering such quality higher education. You are second to none. We can all be proud of the education system in Canada, as there is really very little that separates the quality of our institutions from coast to coast to coast. Our system is ranked highly around the world, and 17吃瓜 plays its role. From discussions with many of our international partners, I have learned that they rate 17吃瓜 among the top in terms of quality and student interaction.

We must thank our students for choosing to be a part of our great 17吃瓜 community. Whether from PEI, across the country, or around the world, students are our reason for being, and we will continue to promise them a community of scholars and researchers that encourages them to develop to their full potential.

Let鈥檚 keep up the good work!

Best wishes,

Alaa

Dr. Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz
President and Vice-Chancellor
17吃瓜