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Ï㽶ÊÓƵ signed today a performance agreement with the Quebec Department of Education.

McGill Principal Bernard Shapiro today met with Education Minister François Legault to sign the University’s "entente de performance," in the presence of Richard Pound, Chancellor of the University and Robert Rabinovitch, Chair of its Board of Governors.

The formal agreement will result in an increase in the UniversityÂ’s operating funds amounting to just under $50 million by the end of 2003. The University for its part has developed, in keeping with its mission and strategic planning process, a series of performance goals over the next three years which have met with the MinistryÂ’s approval and endorsement.

Speaking of the new agreement Principal Shapiro said: "We attach a great deal of importance and value to our relationship with the Quebec government. It has been a considerable challenge to engage in such a complex process, but the collaboration has offered a significant opportunity for McGill to articulate explicitly just what it is that the University aspires to do and to be, over the next few years, in its service to Quebec and the world." Principal Shapiro added, "Quality performance and accountability are nothing new to McGill: we welcome the occasion to demonstrate our responsiveness and commitment in all teaching and research programs."

Below are the main elements upon which McGill and the Department of Education have signed a performance agreement:

1. Accessibility:

Increase McGillÂ’s market share of Quebec students from 9.3% to 9.8%, while maintaining high admissions standards.

2. Internationalisation:

Increase the proportion of international students from 21.3% to 25%.

3. Academic staff renewal:

Within three years, increase by 100 the total number of professors.

4. Graduation rates:

Maintain the high graduation rates found in the majority of its bachelor-level programs (close to 80%) and increase it in rare instances where a 70% level has not been reached. McGill is currently second among AAUDE (American Association of Universities Data Exchange) universities in terms of graduation rates. Its objective, for each of its programs, is to position itself in the first quartile among North American universities.

5. Research:

Maintain its research performance relative to other Canadian universities. McGill currently leads Canadian universities in terms of federal research grants per professor.

6. Academic Programs:

In order to ensure the relevance of its academic programs, McGill intends to:

• Ensure that the foundation disciplines remain the core of its programs and that their teaching remains dynamic through academic staff renewal;
• Develop academic programs related to the following disciplines: information sciences and technology; advanced materials; life sciences (genomics / proteomics, bio-informatics, etc.); language acquisition; e-commerce;
• Favour a multidisciplinary approach and instil an international perspective when appropriate;
• Emphasise the integration of research within bachelor programs in order to take full advantage of McGillÂ’s strengths in research;
• Conduct the next series of cyclical reviews according to a shorter time frame.

7. Efficiency of its administration and services:

• Ensure that the policy of having all professors remain active in teaching and research is followed.
• Refine its central data collection aimed at tracking the various aspects of the evolution of course offerings (e.g. percentage of courses offered by tenure/tenure-track professors, number of students per course, optimal use of classrooms, etc.), and ensure that McGill is competitive in terms of academic staff workload.
• Increase the quality and quantity of services offered to students, especially those aimed at the francophone Quebec population.
• Increase the number of support staff in order to ensure the viability of its academic endeavours. The development of new programs, the increase in number of students and services offered to them, the renewal of academic staff and the increase in research activity all justify the need for a consolidation of McGillÂ’s support staff.

8. Balanced Budget:

Balance to be reached in 2002-03.