Digital technology is reshaping many aspects of society, including higher education and research. Queen’s University is considering how digitalization can best support our mission of teaching, learning, research, and knowledge-sharing, and looking for community input on how to do it.

Digital planning looks at the university’s vision for its core missions through a digital lens. Queen’s is developing the first phase of a comprehensive digital strategy, in a process initiated by Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), and Donna Janiec, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration).

The Digital Planning Project Group, co-chaired by Martha Whitehead, Vice-Provost (Digital Planning) and University Librarian, and Jennifer Doyle, Associate Vice-Principal (Information Technology) and Chief Information Officer, is facilitating engagement with the Queen’s community in this planning.

In late March and early April, a series of discussion groups will be held to hear from our campus community about the ways changes in digital technology affect universities globally, and specifically impact our work here at Queen’s. Groups will also discuss what principles should guide Queen’s in developing an institutional digital strategy, the processes we should undertake in the development of the strategy, and where our attention and emphasis should be directed first.

The first phase aims to stimulate conversations across campus about the principles, processes, and priorities that should frame Queen’s digital strategy. Later phases will develop strategic priorities to support the digital learning ecosystem and digital research infrastructure, as well as enable other infrastructures such as administrative systems.

Queen’s digital planning recognizes that one of our university’s key strengths is its strong sense of community and its close alignment and collaboration with Kingston, regional and national partners, and the international community.

“This is a journey we’ve been on for some time and the task at hand now is to capitalize on the enormous opportunities from the digital world and to ensure we have a clear view of where we want to go next,” says John Fisher, Interim Vice-Principal (Research) and a member of the planning group. “These discussions are critical, as Queen’s future research successes are intimately linked to how effectively we plan for the future of digitalization.”

The development of the strategy will be built on Queen’s current digital strengths.

“This is about enhancing human interactions and experiences,” says Barbara Crow, Dean of Arts and Science and another member of the planning team. “We have enormous opportunities at Queen’s to be leaders in shaping the digital society.”

All members of the Queen’s community are invited to contribute their thoughts in this conversation and shape the future of Queen’s. Not sure where to start? Check out the planning team’s Environmental Scan, which summarizes insights from digital strategies from other institutions and other reports on digitalization’s impact on higher education.

For more information on digital planning at Queen’s University, including updates on the discussion groups, visit www.queensu.ca/strategicplanning/digital or contact the planning group at digital.planning@queensu.ca.