Forward Together
The University of Alberta People Strategy
Forward Together: The University of Alberta People Strategy 2024-2034
The People Strategy represents the university’s commitment to its people. It reflects the shared aspiration of the hundreds of individuals who contributed their ideas and suggestions, and it is dedicated to the thousands whose work shapes this outstanding university.
Read the full plan Lire Le PlanThe People Strategy is about cultivating a vibrant and inclusive community where people at all levels thrive professionally and personally.
Through the People Strategy, the university aims to attract, develop and retain top talent while promoting a supportive environment that values collaboration, well-being and continuous learning in the service of teaching, research and engagement. It is about refocusing on our culture and environment in ways that make us feel empowered, energized and supported, and that will make the U of A an employer of choice that supports people to create long and rewarding careers.
We invite all areas of the university to reflect — and then act — on how to support the kind of culture and environment in which we all want to work.
“We are inspired and humbled by the talent, commitment and integrity of the people who make up the U of A community. Thank you, and please join us as we move forward together.”
Verna Yiu, Provost & Vice-President (Academic)
Todd Gilchrist, Vice-President (University Services, Operations and Finance)
Connection to other plans
The People Strategy will sit alongside Braiding Past, Present and Future: University of Alberta Indigenous Strategic Plan and the refreshed Integrated EDI Action Plan as organization-wide foundations that underpin our work, as we deliver on Shape’s ambitious 10-year vision for education, research and engagement. These foundations integrate with and shape how we deliver on key institutional commitments, such as Igniting Purpose: The Student Experience Action Plan; Forward with Purpose: A Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation; and A Culture of Care: Safety Action Plan.
What makes a great workplace?
“The success of your efforts is recognized, and there is room to thrive and grow.
Fifteen years at the U of A
Theme 1: Prioritizing Health and Well-being
We need to ensure as an organization we prioritize the health and well-being of our people, including supporting people by providing sustainable workloads, resources to mitigate work-related stress, and broad-based supports for people experiencing difficulties both inside and outside of work. If we want people to flourish, we need to support them through challenges, both formally and informally.
In a University of Alberta that prioritizes the health and well-being of its people:
- Organization-wide, we demonstrate positive support for sustainable workloads, and the well-being of our people is a fundamental part of our daily operations. We lead and work with compassion and balance, grounded in purpose.
- People enjoy networks of support, including functional support from people in similar roles and in partner units, and are connected meaningfully as collaborators and knowledge sharers. This networking function is recognized and rewarded.
- People are encouraged to set healthy boundaries — examples include the opportunity to be open about capacity constraints without fear of reprisal; facilitating conditions so people can use their vacations and breaks; and encouraging teams to set practices around effective use of time to support well-being.
- Across the university, we acknowledge that to take on something new, we may need to reprioritize or reduce work in other areas. This means that, as an organization, we set clear priorities and then support teams across the university to adjust their work accordingly.
↑ Download the People Strategy to see the full list of goals and priority actions.
What makes a great workplace?
“Addressing the emotional, physical, mental, and cultural aspects of our well-being empowers us to reach our full potential.
One and a half years at the U of A
Theme 2: Enabling and Empowering Our People
For our people to thrive, they need to be — and feel — empowered and enabled. This means having the support to perform, the tools to succeed, and the safety and autonomy to creatively solve problems.
With empowered and enabled people:
- Our organization is geared to attract, retain and ensure the success of its people. We support people to act, make decisions and exercise creativity within the parameters of their roles. We work with colleagues who are both competent and invested in the university and its mission.
- We streamline review and decision processes with a view to empowering reviews and decisions at the appropriate level.
- We support each other through informal and formal communities of practice, and we recognize and reward the effort that such communities take to nurture.
- We are solution-oriented — within a standardized structure, we recognize the need for and value of local innovation. We place enabling the academic mission at the centre of our work design.
- Everyone understands that safety comes first and underpins all other decisions. If it’s not safe, we don’t do it.
↑ Download the People Strategy to see the full list of goals and priority actions.
What makes a great workplace?
“Together, we build a community of practice that celebrates a shared passion for enhancing everyday life.
Twenty-four years at the U of A
Theme 3: Outstanding Leadership in an Environment of Shared Responsibility
Leadership at the University of Alberta is both formal and informal. It includes the positional responsibilities of formal leaders, as well as the competencies and behaviours that can be exhibited at all levels of the organization.
Within a University of Alberta characterized by outstanding leadership:
- We understand that leadership competencies are fundamental to supporting and empowering people.
- We communicate clearly and transparently about our processes, priorities and roles. We are consultative and collaborative.
- We cultivate a sense of shared responsibility for the university’s goals and success by empowering people at all levels of the organization to exercise judgment and creativity, to solve problems, and to inspire others.
- Leaders at all levels embrace their accountability to the university community, and act at all times in a manner consistent with university values.
↑ Download the People Strategy to see the full list of goals and priority actions.
What makes a great workplace?
“Collaboration with a supportive, respectful, humble and gracious team allows everyone to learn and grow, and it fosters equitable opportunities and inclusivity.
Two years at the U of A
Theme 4: Creating Connection
People want to feel connected to each other, to the university and its mission, to our students and to the external community. Within a more connected University of Alberta:
- We are a community that values interpersonal relationships, both among each other and with the university.
- We make the effort to cultivate a shared work culture and to treat each other with respect, within the context of our commitment to excellence and authenticity.
- We understand and value building a positive, team-based culture, underpinned by mutual trust.
- We are grounded in the more than 100-year history of the U of A, and we value that it is a space where we can pursue passions and make a difference.
↑ Download the People Strategy to see the full list of goals and priority actions.
What makes a great workplace?
“Being able to be authentic in the workplace.
Thirty-eight years at the U of A
The Consultation Process
Our thanks to the many faculty and staff members who attended the more than 30 consultation sessions that took place in November and December 2023, with additional consultation concluding in January 2024. Your input — through both the consultation sessions and the feedback form — was vital to determining the kind of culture and environment we need to advance at the University of Alberta so that we can foster success.
What makes a great workplace?
“Respect, equity, diversity, inclusion and awareness.
One year at the U of A
Steering Committee
The People Strategy consultation was guided by a thoughtful group of faculty, staff, leaders and community members from across the university. It was co-chaired by the Provost & Vice-President (Academic) and the Vice-President (University Services, Operations & Finance).
Steering Committee members led consultation sessions with the community, reviewed the results of the consultation, assisted in translating what has been shared into a strategic direction for the university and endorsed a draft of the final strategy.
The following list outlines the Steering Committee for the development of the University of Alberta’s inaugural People Strategy.
Committee Members
- Verna Yiu - Provost & Vice-President Academic
- Todd Gilchrist - Vice-President, University Services, Operations and Finance
- Carrie Smith - Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Florence Glanfield - Vice-Provost, Indigenous Programming and Research
- Marvin Washington - College Dean & Vice-Provost, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Jason Carey - Dean, Campus Saint-Jean
- Marcie Chisholm - Associate Vice-President, Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment
- Stephanie Dickie - Team Lead, Student Programs Administration, Board of Governors Member, Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA) Representative
- Heather Bruce - Professor, Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Board of Governors Member, Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta (AASUA) Representative
- Philip Stack - Director, Health Safety and Environment
- Muneeb Masood Raja - Graduate Students’ Association, Associate Vice-President Labour
- Valentina Kozlova - Teaching Professor, Department of Economics
- Kate Young - Board of Governors Member, Alumni Representative
- Jeannie Smith - Chief of Staff, Office of the President
- Declan Ali - Dean, Faculty of Science
- Verna Yiu - Provost & Vice-President Academic
- Todd Gilchrist - Vice-President, University Services, Operations and Finance
- Carrie Smith - Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Florence Glanfield - Vice-Provost, Indigenous Programming and Research
- Marvin Washington - College Dean & Vice-Provost, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Jason Carey - Dean, Campus Saint-Jean
- Marcie Chisholm - Associate Vice-President, Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment
- Stephanie Dickie - Team Lead, Student Programs Administration, Board of Governors Member, Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA) Representative
- Heather Bruce - Professor, Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Board of Governors Member, Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta (AASUA) Representative
- Philip Stack - Director, Health Safety and Environment
- Muneeb Masood Raja - Graduate Students’ Association, Associate Vice-President Labour
- Valentina Kozlova - Teaching Professor, Department of Economics
- Kate Young - Board of Governors Member, Alumni Representative
- Jeannie Smith - Chief of Staff, Office of the President
- Declan Ali - Dean, Faculty of Science
What makes a great workplace?
“Picture this: You’re surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields, but they’re also down-to-earth and fun!”
Eight years at the U of A