Canadian university presidents collaborated for five years from 2017 – 2022 to accelerate their universities as a greater force for good. Supported by the McConnell Foundation, a group of 30 presidents (the Canadian University Presidents Social Impact Collaboration) created several tools, resources, and connections to scale their social impact and put Canada on a more […]
Learn moreCOVID-19 has demonstrated our collective need for increased social, economic and environmental resilience. This pandemic has often been framed as a ‘rehearsal’ – only one of many future crises. In this context, we have a collective imperative to rebuild our communities in ways that help us better weather future challenges. Supporting recovery and rebuilding requires […]
Learn moreThis is a tool for human resource professionals at post-secondary institutions whose strategic plans include commitments to community engagement, Indigenous reconciliation, social impact, sustainability, social justice, social change, and social purpose. It is designed to help identify opportunities to embed your institution’s societal goals into performance management and the employee experience for those working within […]
Learn moreThe intersecting crises of the pandemic, soaring inequality, the climate emergency, and the urgent need to combat systemic racism, are driving universities to raise big questions about their role as change agents. Universities are reconfiguring their missions and structures to address societal issues with greater intention, focus and impact. Over the course of 2020-21, a […]
Learn more“What is the untapped potential of post-secondary campus infrastructure projects in building social infrastructure for Canadian communities?” This paper seeks to answer this question, in response to growing interest across the Canadian post-secondary sector to utilize campus infrastructure (current and future) for societal benefit. This paper offers a call to action for leaders, administrators, and […]
Learn moreAs of January 2021, McConnell Foundation’s WellAhead initiative has sunsetted. To tell the story of the initiative, we recently developed this report, which recounts unexpected lessons, impacts and progress on our journey, and where to look next for developments in the field. In 2015, the McConnell Foundation committed to 5 years of funding for the […]
Learn moreRe-Code has developed practical and comprehensive guidelines for integrating social infrastructure into university and college strategic plans. This resource was developed based on a review of nearly twenty strategic documents from Canadian post-secondary institutes (and one American). The guidelines were then refined and tested by a group of University Presidents from across Canada. We hope […]
Learn moreThe initiatives and observations found in the Milestone Report reflect on the developments made to accelerate and scale the social impact of higher education since the launch of the 2017 seminal paper “Maximizing the Capacities of Advanced Education Institutions to Build Social Infrastructure for Canadian Communities”. The report is poised to help higher education institutions play an […]
Learn moreWhat is social infrastructure? “Social infrastructure” is the set of organizational arrangements and investments in society’s systems, relationships, and structures that enable society to create a resilient, just, equitable, and sustainable world. It includes social, economic, environmental and cultural assets. Examples in postsecondary institutions include offering bursaries to students with specific barriers to accessing education, […]
Learn moreWhat is social infrastructure? “Social infrastructure” is the set of organizational arrangements and deliberate investments in society’s systems, relationships, and structures that enable society to create a resilient, just, equitable and sustainable world; it includes social, economic, environmental and cultural assets. Educational institutions can use the idea of social infrastructure as a way to organize and communicate their efforts […]
Learn more