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Living & Learning Community​

Our Strategic Plan for Providence

Providence values a relationship with Christ in the context of a community that emphasizes academic excellence, curiosity about God’s creation, and dialogue about our diversity.

Our living and learning philosophy leads us to “develop a diverse campus environment that emphasizes student learning and faith development through relationally focused communities. The entire campus is a place to learn and grow – both in and out of the classroom.”

Providence seeks to become known as one of the foremost Christian Universities in Canada. Our ever-changing world needs well-educated, compassionate people who are skilled in critical thinking, communication and servant leadership.

Over the past 95 years, more than 10,000 people have moved on from Providence to serve the Lord around the globe, making an impact on churches, businesses, organizations and communities. They count their Providence experience as formative for their lives of service to God.

Our strategies focus on three areas: students, resources and our Christian identity.

Our Goals

Our three goals can be thought of as a tree. Students are the fruit of our labour. They are why we exist as an educational institution. Resources form the trunk, branches and leaves which support our work. Christ-centredness is the root which gives the tree its anchor, stability and nourishment.

Add value to the student experience

Providence aims to provide value in and out of the classroom that matches the resources students invest in their education.

Grow human & financial resources

We develop resources to fulfill our mission. Mission always comes first, but without resources, there is no mission.

Enhance our Christ-Centeredness

Providence exists to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. We unapologetically aspire to put Jesus at the centre of everything.

Our Strategies

A living and learning community is one that understands that intentional learning takes place in virtually all student experiences. Learning is not limited to the classroom and is not merely intellectual. Our students grow and develop through every Providence experience including the classroom, use of learning resources, field education, internships, chapel, residence life, commuting, cafeteria, recreation, retreats, mission trips, athletics, choir, drama and student leadership opportunities.

In the next three years we will implement tactics for each of our 14 strategies, which will move us toward achieving our goals.

  1. Implement an institutional “Living and Learning” philosophy
  2. Grow a missionally aligned and academically capable student body
  3. Build educational programs that partner with Indigenous communities, extend our reach to more non-traditional learning populations and enhance the international student experience
  4. Increase the capacity of faculty to integrate faith and learning
  5. Ensure all students understand our Christ-centredness
  6. Prepare and fully equip graduating students for their next steps
  7. Provide infrastructure for an excellent student experience
  8. Become a workplace of choice
  9. Create economic viability
  10. Expand the donor base and increase engagement of constituents, churches and alumni
  11. Build a strong relationship with the provincial government
  12. Leverage our rural location to benefit internal and external constituencies
  13. Align staff, faculty and Board more fully with our evangelical heritage and ethos
  14. Strengthen the Board

These strategies are a result of extensive consultation with staff, faculty, the Board, and students and was facilitated by People First, a human resource consulting company. Each of these strategies will be supported by various tactics developed in conversation with our stakeholders and will be implemented over the next two years.