Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Dear members of the U of G Community,

As you may be aware, the University of Guelph recently launched its 2022-27 Strategic Plan. The plan lays out institutional priorities that will guide our decision making in the months and years to come and encourages us to take action. Our priorities are clear:

• We will strive for global impact and excellence in teaching and learning;
• We will Indigenize our campuses while fostering equity, diversity and inclusion; and,
• We will advance U of G's distinctive student experience while promoting sustainability and fostering faculty, staff and student success.

The launch of our new strategic plan also allows us to pause and reflect on our ongoing work and consider what we need in place to achieve our goals. This is our time to take a hard look at how we operate day-to-day, what academic programs we offer to our students and to think about what kind of university we want to be. 

With that in mind, the University recently undertook a review of its academic programs to ensure current program offerings align with student demand and our vision for the future.

Academic Programming Review

At U of G, we have been exceptionally creative and forward-thinking around program development for many years. This is why we continue to be a destination of choice for students and one of the top comprehensive universities in Canada. However, we recognized a need to step back and assess our programs, particularly those programs that may no longer be of interest to students or meet the needs of industry, government or civil society at large.

Throughout March and April, the University reviewed undergraduate and graduate programs offered across campus. The objective of the review was to determine the slate of programs U of G will continue to offer and which programs will have intakes paused this fall. By undertaking this review and pausing intakes in some areas, we can ensure that our resources and efforts are focused on in-demand, innovative and strategically important programs. 

The review was an engaged and collaborative process involving college leadership teams, the provost and other academic leaders from across campus. Conversations focused on program health, which was initially assessed using application and enrollment metrics (e.g., fewer than 40 undergraduate or 10 graduate enrollments across all years of a program). Each college then had the opportunity to provide additional context and rationale not captured by these metrics to inform the decision-making process. After the consultation phase was completed, each college dean submitted a list of prioritized recommendations for their programs.

After careful review, I have approved an intake pause for the following U of G programs beginning in fall 2023:

Undergraduate areas of study 

• BA: Art History
• BA: European Studies
• BBRM: Food Industry Management (regular and Co-op)
• BSc: Biodiversity
• BSc: Biological and Medical Physics (regular and Co-op)
• BSc: Chemical Physics (regular and Co-op)
• BSc: Environmental Biology
• BSc: Environmental Geomatics (regular and Co-op)
• BSc: Nanoscience (regular and Co-op)
• BSc: Plant Science (regular and Co-op) 
• BSc: Theoretical Physics

Graduate areas of study

• MA: Art History (thesis and course based)
• MA: Critical Studies in Improvisation (course based)
• MA: Latin American and Caribbean Studies (thesis and course based)
• MSc: Clinical Studies (course based)
• MSc: Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (course based, CFT field)

While intake will be paused for 2023-24, we will continue to engage in further discussions about the future of these programs, including options for revitalization, consolidation with other programs and possible closure.

Impact on Future Students

The programs whose intakes will be paused for 2023-24 were primarily those programs with low or declining enrollment. The number of incoming students impacted by these decisions is minimal - around one percent of total applications - and we are now communicating our decisions to them directly.

Undergraduate students who have accepted an offer or who have received an offer of admission will now receive an alternate offer into a comparable program at U of G. At the graduate level, colleges are working to identify alternative options for these students.

Impact on Current Students

Students currently enrolled in these programs at U of G will not be affected. 

U of G will continue to offer all required courses for each program, ensuring that all currently enrolled students can complete their degree as expected.

Moving Forward

As a forward-looking institution, we must ensure we have the capacity to respond to and meet the evolving needs of students and other stakeholders, while also upholding our commitments to excellence in teaching and research and student success. 

The University will continue to assess our academic programs on an ongoing basis, ensuring engagement with colleges, governance committees, Senate and the Board of Governors, where appropriate. My office will continue to provide updates to the University community as further adjustments are made to our academic programming.

Gwen Chapman
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)