The Telfer School of Management released its annual report setting ambitious goals to better internationalize the school, foster research, develop existing relationships with alumni, and build a stronger community involvement.
“The strategic plan was developed around the idea of raising the school’s reputation through the relevance of our research agenda, through the excellence of our programs at all levels, the expansion of our programs, and building stronger relationships with the community,” said dean François Julien.
He added that Telfer is developing its first PhD program.
The report emphasized the development of the school’s status through the expansion of its course portfolio and programs and activities in executive education, and an effort to expand its network of relations with alumni and corporations. These relations have allowed Telfer to increase its financial endowments from $1 million to $30 million.
“Building on the pool of relationships that we’ve been able to develop over time with our alumni will help us to internationalize the school,” Julien said.
Telfer plans to implement a more integrated approach to teaching by helping students make connections between the subjects they are taught.
“If you talk about marketing in one course, human resources in another course, and accounting in another course, what is the link between these concepts?” said vice-dean Jacques Barrette. “We created a course called integrated cases, so students are assigned an integrated case where all these concepts come together in one case.”
The school is also modifying certain programs, like the French master’s in business administration, by implementing courses that are available both online and in person to accommodate professionals who want to take full-time courses.
“We want to grow,” Barrette said. “We have more applications than last year and we are always addressing alternatives on how to achieve these ambitious goals.”
Telfer aims to provide students with unparalleled opportunities to gain the knowledge, skills, self-awareness, and learning experiences they need to enjoy rewarding careers. Enya Amalou, a second-year commerce student with a specialization in accounting, said the school’s efforts are apparent.
“They do a lot of recruiting and advertising for research programs, so everyone is very aware of those opportunities,” she said. “My plan this year is to really get involved. I did sign up to be in the Telfer Accounting Club and participated in a wine-and-cheese networking event. I’m really just trying to find opportunities.”
According to Julien, Telfer is looking to find new ways to make the school more inclusive, cohesive and prosperous.
“Our plate is really full,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of ideas and initiatives, but basically they are all in line with the idea that we’d like to continue building the school’s reputation.”
