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St.
Thomas University
ST.
THOMAS UNIVERSITY - STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN 2003 - 2008
INTRODUCTION
St. Thomas is a
flourishing undergraduate university. Established liberal arts research,
scholarship and teaching are complemented by newer focal areas including
human rights, gerontology, criminology, and the professions of education,
social work and journalism In recent years St. Thomas University has
built on its expertise in liberal arts to significantly expand its research
and scholarship. "We foster scholarship and research because we
recognize their role in the advancement of knowledge and in sustaining
the quality of teaching and intellectual life of the university"
(St. Thomas University Mission Statement, 1999-2004 Strategic Plan).
By 2003 the vast
majority of St. Thomas faculty in both the humanities and the social
sciences had active research agendas. Each year we appoint faculty in
their first full-time positions who are keen to develop their research
agendas, as well as faculty part-way through their careers with established
research profiles. During the last five years faculty have been funded
by SSHRC, CIHR, Health Canada, Justice Canada, Human Resources Development
Canada, Canadian Heritage, The Province of New Brunswick, and New Brunswick
Innovation Foundation, as well as a number of different industrial and
business sources and charitable foundations. Other research has been
developed without funding. The university defines itself as an institution
with a social conscience and its research and scholarship are rooted
in its concern with people, values and ideas that derive in part from
its Catholic heritage.
This plan identifies and describes six niche areas where many of our
research developments will occur
• Qualitative analysis
• Narrative Studies
• Populations on the margins of Canadian society
• Multiculturalism
• Atlantic Studies
• Human Rights and Social Justice
GOALS and OBJECTIVES
GOAL ONE
To conduct high quality research, particularly in niche areas that are
compatible with the mission, vision, unique characteristics and existing
expertise at St. Thomas University
Objective 1.1.
To strengthen and extend interdisciplinary, inter-institutional and
community research partnerships
Strategies
The university actively seeks information about possibilities for partnerships
and makes faculty aware of them though a research web-site, electronic
messages, memoranda, meetings, and information
sessions. It will extend this work. The university will encourage researchers
to expand community collaborations and seek external funding for individual
research studies and for research partnerships and research centres,
particularly in its focal areas.
Objective 1.2.
To enhance the reputation of this university as a national and international
leader in qualitative analysis.
Strategies The university will build on its existing strength in the
area of qualitative research. It seeks to enhance the reputation of
the university both nationally and internationally by nominating a Canada
Research Chair to act as a focus for research and scholarship about
qualitative analysis.
Objective 1.3.
To gain increased recognition regionally, nationally and internationally
as a university with distinctive research niches
Strategies The university identifies six niche areas in this plan. It
hosts conferences and conducts research in niche areas and will continue
to do so. The Canadian Research Chair will promote research in at least
three of the areas: qualitative analysis, multiculturalism, and populations
on the margins of Canadian society. The university will support new
research initiatives through internal funding and developing its knowledge
base about external support. The university will seek institutional
funding so that it can provide leadership in each niche area.
Objective 1.4.
To increase research that enhances understanding about life in the Atlantic
region.
Strategies The university encourages research that enhances understanding
about the life in the Atlantic region. To this end the university has
encouraged research in the disciplines of history, English and social
work by providing grants, course release and sabbatical leave to facilitate
this work. It will continue to do so. The university will promote research
partnerships through regional initiatives such as the Atlantic Metropolis
project.
Objective 1.5.
To increase research in areas that will promote human rights and social
justice.
Strategies The university actively promotes human rights and social
justice by providing accommodation for the Atlantic Human Rights Centre
that is a focal point for research and scholarship in the region. During
the next five years it plans to develop existing national and international
partnerships and extend research in this area.
GOAL TWO
To increase external and internal support for research at St. Thomas
University
Objective 2.1
To increase external resources for research and scholarship.
Strategies The university offers competitions for internal seed grants
so that researchers can apply for more substantial external research
funding. During the next five years it will increase its knowledge about
external funding and communicate this to researchers. Representatives
from funding agencies
will be invited to the university to discuss funding opportunities.
Partnerships and collaboration with the adjoining, more research-intensive
University of New Brunswick will develop further.
Objective 2.2
To increase internal resources for research and scholarship
Strategies The university will build upon its heavy investment in research
over the last five years
to ensure that it is fully utilized. It will review its mechanisms for
providing internal support for research so that funds are targeted in
areas that are most effective.
Objective 2.3.
To provide researchers with information, mentoring and support
Strategies The university will continue to give preference to junior
researchers in the allocation of a proportion of research resources.
Orientation and mentoring sessions will continue to be held to inform
junior researchers about internal and external funding available and
provide guidance as research careers are developed. The faculty development
site will be updated regularly and newsletters will inform junior researchers
about new and existing resources available.
Objective 2.4.
To enable student researchers to make an increased contribution to research
activities and benefit from them
Strategies Students participate in planning teams for research conferences.
The university provides financial support for student representatives
to attend national and internal conferences. These initiatives will
continue. The university is hosting a Student Research Fair for the
first time in 2004. Through this fair student scholars will share their
work with faculty and other students. The thriving university student
employment programme and external research grants provide research assistantships
for many undergraduate students at this university and graduate students
from the University of New Brunswick. These opportunities will increase
in the next five years
MAJOR RESEARCH
THRUSTS, PLANS FOR CHAIR ALLOCATION
There are six major
focal areas for research at St. Thomas University. Each of these focal
areas is rooted in existing expertise. We plan to enhance internal support
and participate fully in opportunities provided by granting councils
for future research developments in each of these areas. As we expand
our research and qualify for more Canada Research Chairs, we will endeavour
to balance our nominations equally between Tier One and Tier Two candidates,
between internal and external candidates. Our nominations for chairs
will straddle two or more of these research areas, for example a narrative
researcher who researches populations on the margins of Canadian society,
or a researcher who explores human rights and social justice issues
in the Atlantic region. Our long-term goal is to have Canada Research
Chairs who will stimulate research developments in each of our focal
areas. We will develop strategies to support our researchers in all
of the disciplines at our university, including humanities, social sciences,
as well as applied and professional areas of research and scholarship.
Qualitative Analysis
St. Thomas University has two objectives in seeking its first Canada
Research Chair in this area of scholarship.
1. To develop its focus in research and scholarship about Qualitative
Research Analysis.
2. To contribute to mechanisms for mentoring and supporting researchers
who employ qualitative methodologies.
Qualitative analysis
is the preferred methodology for approximately 75% of the active researchers
at St. Thomas University. Many other faculty are keen to develop research
skills using qualitative methodology. Approximately ten faculty have
written, researched, or made presentations about qualitative research
methodologies which include symbolic interactionism, institutional ethnography,
narrative analysis, qualitative feminist analysis, reflexivity in qualitative
research, training students in qualitative analysis, and qualitative
research ethics. St. Thomas University hosted the Canadian Qualitative
Analysis Conferences in 1999 and 2000. Since then there has always been
a strong representation of St. Thomas researchers at this annual conference.
A total of 80 faculty and students researchers participate in the Qualitative
Analysis Network that is hosted jointly by St. Thomas University and
the University of New Brunswick that adjoins the campus of St. Thomas
University. A thriving group of qualitative researchers (students and
faculty ) from the two universities meet regularly to discuss their
work. Some faculty participants in this group have extensive experience
and others are novice qualitative researchers.
There are several
interdisciplinary research partnerships between St. Thomas faculty and
faculty at the University of New Brunswick in fields such as sociology,
social work, nursing, education and gerontology. A Canadian Chair could
build upon existing expertise by extending our research in qualitative
methodology so that St. Thomas enhances its developing national and
international reputation as a leader in this field. We seek to increase
our research about methods of qualitative analysis. Many Canadian researchers
use qualitative methodologies but we do not know of any Canadian institution
that focuses on qualitative analysis as a distinctive area of research
and scholarship for a Research Chair. We believe that we have the background
to do so, and we are supported by the expertise of colleagues in Qualitative
Analysis at the University of New Brunswick as we develop further this
area of research and scholarship. Our Canada Research Chair will enable
us to strengthen significantly our expertise in research and scholarship
about qualitative analysis. Also, we want to enhance researcher' skills
in actually conducting research that employs a qualitative methodology.
The incumbent could contribute to mentoring faculty and students at
St. Thomas University, and possibly the University of New Brunswick,
as they apply skills in qualitative methodologies.
Narrative Studies
Our objective is to enhance our international reputation in narrative
scholarship by expanding our interdisciplinary research in this focal
area of our work.
Research and scholarship
in Narrative Studies straddles the humanities and the social sciences
at St. Thomas University. Researchers in gerontology, social work, English,
education, psychology
and sociology at St. Thomas University together with colleagues or graduate
students in
sociology, nursing and psychology at the University of New Brunswick
and medicine at Dalhousie University, are actively collaborating in
externally and internally funded as well as non-funded research studies.
In particular, two faculty in the Gerontology Department have international
reputations in narrative studies and have made numerous invited presentations
about their work in many parts of Canada, the United States and several
European countries. Faculty have authored or co-authored books, chapters,
and journal articles in this area of research and scholarship. A faculty
member from St. Thomas University was the principal organizer for the
very successful Narrative Matters Conference held in Fredericton in
2002. This SSHRC-supported conference was attended by 212 delegates
from 12 disciplines and 15 countries. A second conference is planned
in Fredericton for 2004 and we anticipate more than 200 delegates. An
application for SSHRC funding has been made. The university research
office and several university departments have provided financial support
for this initiative. Our plans to increase scholarship, research and
publications in this focal area will be assisted by the increased faculty
interest and the possibility of developing new partnerships with conference
delegates. These partnerships should lead to more research proposals
for external funding and more scholarship that builds on research findings.
"Populations
on the Margins of Canadian Society"
Our objective is to increase interdisciplinary, inter-institutional
and community partnerships that promote research with and about populations
at the margins of Canadian society.
We are active in
research and scholarship relating to "populations on the margins"
of society including youth at-risk of custody, children in state care,
non-traditional families, seniors, sex-trade workers, and rural populations.
Our Centre for Youth at Risk has sixteen research associates from six
universities and disciplines including education, gerontology, psychology,
social work, and anthropology. This research centre conducts innovative
studies that have been funded through the SSHRC Aid to Small Universities
and Justice Canada. Major studies that have been sponsored by the Centre
for Youth at Risk include Building Bridges - Linking Youth and Community,
Breaking down Barriers between Youth and Older Adults, and Beyond the
Halls: Building Safer School-Based Community Environments. Researchers
from gerontology and psychology, together with family medicine at Dalhousie
University, collaborate in a CIHR-funded longtitudinal research study
of seniors over 80. This study is linked with parallel studies in Sweden
and Iceland. Our researchers are engaged in SSHRC-funded studies about
rural human services, francophone people, sex-trade workers, and older
women, and widowers. Research about other populations at the margins
including non-traditional families, has been funded or supported by
our province, foundations and internal sources. A SSHRC-funded International
Rural Human Services conference organized by St. Thomas University researchers
in 2003 included participants from Australia, Europe, North America
and Africa. Many national and international, single discipline and interdisciplinary
research partnerships have been developed or enhanced by this initiative.
We plan to expand our research in this area by seeking external funding.
We will develop existing expertise in the university research office
to support these studies and the projects that develop from them.
Multiculturalism
Our objective is to provide support for faculty researchers who have
interest in this area by exploring funding opportunities, encouraging
researchers to make research-grant applications, and developing internal
mentoring and review systems to increase the likelihood of applications
being successful.
St. Thomas University is poised well to develop research and scholarship
in multicultural issues. A Native Studies Department provides undergraduate
education. Faculty researchers, including an endowed chair, conduct
research in areas such as oral history of Native people, Native languages,
racism, and the residential school system. Researchers in departments
such as social work, religious studies and anthropology conduct research
relating to Native people and issues relevant to them. If funded, a
"Metropolis" Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Research on
Immigration and Integration will receive up to $2 million in support
over six years. The mandate of the Centre is to develop international
research linkages that foster comparative multidisciplinary research
on multiple aspects of immigration and integration. The expertise of
St. Thomas University in this area of research and scholarship has been
recognized by its nomination as one of the four lead universities in
a proposed Atlantic Centre and the facilitator and adjudicator for research
proposals in the area of education and the area of human rights and
social justice. The university has many international partnerships through
ICUSTA (International Federation of St. Thomas Universities Worldwide)
and other bodies. Departments with emerging and strong research profiles
in multiculturalism, trans- and cross-cultural issues are History, Anthropology,
Human Rights, Romance Languages, Native Studies, Sociology, Social Work
and Political Science. Ongoing research and scholarship are currently
conducted on cultural issues stemming from the following regions: Western,
Central and Eastern Europe, the Asia Pacific Region, the Caribbean,
Africa (Subsaharan Africa, the Maghreb, Central Africa), Latin America
(Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Chile), the United States, Canada (Aboriginal
cultures, Acadian and Quebecois cultures, Inuit and the circumpolar
North).
During the next
five years we plan to expand international partnerships and increase
our research in this focal area
Human Rights
and Social Justice
The major objective for this thrust is to increase interdisciplinary
and inter-institutional research so that St. Thomas University strengthens
its recognition as a leader in this field.
Human rights and
social justice are themes that are strongly reflected in the Strategic
Plan of St. Thomas University and its mission. In 1989 an Atlantic Human
Rights Centre was established at St. Thomas University. A doctoral fellowship
programme enables up to two graduate students to complete their studies
and contribute to teaching in the human rights programme. The centre
provides a focus for developments in research relating to human rights
and social justice. Each year a graduate programme in human rights education
is provided and there are two lecture series. During the next five years
links with institutions such as University of Surrey (England), the
Irish Human Rights Centre, and the Human Rights Centre in Chile will
be strengthened to develop research partnerships in areas such as restorative
justice, human rights across the lifespan and the development of a Canadian
Social Charter. Our
expertise in this area has been recognized by the regional Advisory
Committee for the Atlantic Metropolis Centre when it appointed St. Thomas
as the lead institution with particular responsibility for
coordinating research and adjudicating applications for research grants
in Human Rights and Social Justice in this initiative.
We plan to expand
our work in this focal area by developing existing partnerships and
seeking new funding for research in this area.
Atlantic Studies
During the next five years we plan to develop and (when relevant) coordinate
the research that pertains to the Atlantic region that is conducted
in different disciplines.
Several St. Thomas
University researchers have ongoing work that is rooted in the Atlantic
region. An interdisciplinary SSHRC-funded study is exploring the development
of curriculum for
human service workers who will practice in rural and small town communities
in the region. A sociologist is conducting research about farming communities.
A researcher from the discipline of English is preparing a book manuscript
on a celebrated Atlantic novelist. A historian conducts research about
Acadian people. A researcher from the discipline of journalism is investigating
issues relating to Atlantic salmon. A social worker has a SSHRC-funded
study to explore practice issues for Anglophone social workers with
francophone clients. Another St. Thomas researcher has been funded by
the province of New Brunswick to investigate lessons that can be learned
from people who immigrated to the province several decades ago that
might be valuable for newcomers today. Research partnerships in rural
studies exist between researchers in England, Australia, the United
States and St. Thomas University. Researchers at St. Thomas University
are editors of the region's two most important critical journals (Acadiensis
and The Antigonish Review). The Metropolis project will enable St. Thomas
researchers to develop research partnerships relating to the Atlantic
region in gender, health, culture, language, education, human rights
and social justice, and economics.
St. Thomas is poised
well to strengthen the work of individual researchers and forge interdisciplinary
and inter-institutional research partnerships for studies about the
Atlantic region.
INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH
During the last
four years the University has enhanced support for research endeavours
in the following ways.
• 1999 Strengthening a University Senate-Appointed Research
Committee that oversees research and coordinates support for research
activities.
• 1999 Introducing a competition for a half or full-credit
course releases to increase time for researchers to prepare grant applications
or publish research and scholarship.
• 1999 Instituting a programme of automatic release from
a half-credit course for faculty who received a research grant from
an adjudicated granting council of $15,000 or more in the last year
or who received course release as part of a SSHRC grant.
• 2000 Establishing a Director of University Research and
providing release from 1/3 teaching duties for the incumbent.
• 2001 Hiring a half-time officer to provide technical advice
and support for faculty research activities.
• 2001 Establishing a Research Ethics Board to comply with
Tri-Council requirements
• 2002 Appointing an Assistant Vice President (Research
and Faculty Development) to facilitate and oversee research developments
after the term served by the Director of University Research ended.
• 2002 Developing a CFI-funded Campus Research Network to
facilitate collection, dissemination and analysis of faculty research
data.
• 2003 Appointing of a half-time assistant for the Assistant
Vice President (Research and Faculty Development).
Currently the university
provides financial support for research in the form of a professional
development allowance for all full time faculty at a level of 3% of
the floor for assistant professors. Faculty can apply for a six month
sabbatical leave after three years of service or a one year sabbatical
leave after six years of service so they can engage in research or teaching-related
professional activities. The Senate Research Committee holds two competitions
each year for internal grants to maximize participation by faculty in
conferences that relate to their areas of research and scholarship.
Course "buyouts" are available to researchers and scholars
at times of intense activity. There are two annual competitions for
seed funding for small research studies that will strengthen researchers'
applications for external awards. The Learning and Teaching Development
Committee at St. Thomas University provides grants to facilitate research
about teaching, and it provides financial support for faculty to share
their research and scholarship at conferences about teaching. The University
shares a library with the University of New Brunswick so the library
resources of a much larger institution are available to researchers
from St. Thomas University.
MEASURING SUCCESS
Success will be
measured at the end of the five period by:
• an increase in internal mechanisms to support research;
• a growth of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research
partnerships;
• a 30% increase in applications for external research funding;
• a 30% increase in externally funded projects;
• enhanced acknowledgment regionally, nationally and internationally
of St. Thomas University as a leader in research about qualitative analysis
and its other focal areas;
• Canada Research Chairs with active programmes in all focal areas
of research at St. Thomas University;
• More scholarly productivity in the form of books, articles, and
conference presentations.
PLANNING AND APPROVAL PROCESS FOR STRATEGIC PLAN
The planning and
approval process involved bottom-up and top-down discussions and reviews
of drafts of the plan. During the spring and summer 2003, meetings of
the Senate Research Committee open to all faculty researchers discussed
the research thrusts and the focus for the Chair. The President of the
University was apprised of these discussions and gave his general approval
for the direction that discussions were taking. In the fall semester
the Senate Research Committee met weekly to construct the plan and consulted
with faculty researchers and the University President as it did so.
A Strategic Research Plan written in 2001 was extensively revised between
March and November 2003. Six focal areas for research were identified
and the specific focus for the Canada Chair was determined.
March - August
2003
March 2003 The President of St. Thomas University decided that the institution
should make an application for a Canada Chair and asked the Assistant
Vice President (Research and Faculty Development) to lead the process
of preparing an application. The University Senate Research Committee
(chaired by the AVP [Research and Faculty Development]) consulted with
senior administrators to determine a process for making this application.
It was determined that the University Strategic Research Plan should
be substantially re-written.
March - August 2003 A series of meetings of the Senate Research Committee
opened a process of discussions about the Strategic Plan. The meetings
were open to all faculty. There was feedback to the research community
and a request for further participation between meetings. Faculty researchers
suggested a number of focal areas for research and a possible focus
for the chair. It was determined that guiding principles for the process
should be openness, transparency, and the participation of as many members
of the university research community as possible.
September - December
2003
The Senate Research Committee met weekly to continue the process of
developing the plan and deciding on the focal area for the Chair.
September 2003 A list of possible focal areas was published and all
members of the university research community were asked to select from
these areas four preferred focal areas, and the focus for the Chair.
Submissions from the St. Thomas Community were considered and the University
President was consulted. Six focal areas and a provisional focus for
the Chair (Qualitative Analysis) was identified. The Canada Chairs secretariat
was consulted to clarify that the proposed focus would be acceptable
to reviewers before the final decision about the focus was determined.
October 2003 The Strategic Research Plan and Research Plan Summary were
completed in draft form and posted on the University research pages
for comment. The Canada Chair was advertised internally and also externally
on the H-net Job Guide, University Affairs on-line, and six e-mail lists
(Canadian Association of University Research Administrators, STU/UNB
Qualitative List, Qualitative North American List at University of Georgia,
POLCAN political science list, Narrative Matters Conference List, Qualitative
Analysis Conference list). A Search Committee was appointed that represented
different constituencies and demographics among St. Thomas researchers
(Senate Research Committee, gender, discipline (humanities/social science/professional
programmes), stage of career, length of service at St. Thomas University).
A representative from the University Employment Equity Committee was
a member of the search committee.
November 2003 Shortlisting, interviewing and selection of the Chair
were completed. Selection process involved candidates making presentations
that were open to the entire research community at St. Thomas University
and The University of New Brunswick.
December 2003 Strategic Plan was approved by St. Thomas Senate. Nomination
of Chair, Strategic Plan and costings were completed. All paperwork
was submitted to Canada Chairs secretariat.
DEPLOYMENT OF
CHAIRS
St. Thomas University
proposes to deploy its first Chair to enhance its expertise in Qualitative
Analysis.
By conducting research about Qualitative Analysis, and modelling expertise
is conducting qualitative studies, the Chair will strengthen the international
reputation that the institution has already gained in this area of scholarship.
Novice and experienced researchers will be attracted by the unique Atlantic
Centre for Qualitative Research and Analysis. The first Chair will also
contribute to research in two other research niches at this university
("Populations on the Margins of Canadian Society" and "Multiculturalism").
These research activities will enhance the university's ability to attract
and retain researchers who are recognized internationally as leaders
in their fields.
USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
FUNDS
The Atlantic Centre
for Qualitative Research and Analysis (ACQRA) will be the home for the
Chair in Qualitative Research and Analysis. The bulk of the infrastructure
funds will be used to contribute to the cost of a new building that
will include an office suite for the ACQRA which will become a focal
point for qualitative research in the region. Infrastructure funds will
also be used for developing a library of books and computer software
as well as research hardware that is necessary for qualitative research
endeavours.
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Strategic
Research Plan