Introduction
We’re at a point where the hype and reality of Generative AI (GenAI) are starting to settle. The reality of what GenAI can do is substantial, and it is reshaping industries and educational paradigms. There are many universities worldwide that are reassessing their roles, strategies, and value propositions. Many of these examples are from business schools but the rest of the university will also need to understand the changes coming. 3
The first step in analyzing a university’s or postsecondary’s existing strategy is to categorize, organize, and analyze the business model, value proposition, and strategic plan to analyze GenAI’s impact. It is no small irony that GenAi itself is an excellent tool for summarizing, categorizing, and analyzing an organization’s strategy. Through some prompt engineering and the publicly available documentation on their website (https://ucalgary.ca/), it was possible to pull together a summary of the organization that could be used for the analysis. Like many public institutions, information about the organization and its strategic planning is available on its website.
Although the U of C was used to create a case study on the impact of GenAI on that organization, many of the challenges and opportunities will be common to all higher education institutions. Analyzing U of C’s business model, value proposition, and strategic plan made it possible to gain insights into how a leading public research university can position itself to thrive in an AI-driven future.
The University of Calgary Overview: A Model of Adaptation and Innovation
Established in 1966 in Alberta, Canada, the University of Calgary has evolved into a centre of innovation and community engagement.
Business Model
U of C’s public institution model, funded through government grants, tuition fees, and research grants, supports three core activities:
- Education: Offering over 200 diverse programs to more than 33,000 students.
- Research: Spearheading cutting-edge investigations across 80+ research institutes and centers.
- Community Engagement: Local and global partnerships facilitate lifelong learning and knowledge transfer.
Value Proposition
The U of C distinguishes itself through:
- Academic Excellence: Delivering high-quality education and research opportunities.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset among students and faculty.
- Community Impact: Driving positive change locally and globally.
- Global Perspective: Fostering a diverse, inclusive environment that prepares students for global challenges.
Strategic Plan Summary
“Ahead of Tomorrow” (2023-2030)
U of C’s strategy for the future, “Ahead of Tomorrow,” outlines a vision for 2023-2030:
Mission: “The University of Calgary powers positive change. We strive for inimitable excellence through innovative teaching and learning, cutting-edge exploration, and community linkage.” 1
Foundational Commitments:
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
- Indigenous Engagement
- Mental Health
- Global Engagement
- Sustainability
Strategic Goals:
- Enhance Access to Future-Focused Education
- Leverage Research and Innovation for Societal Challenges
- Prioritize Community in All Activities
- Optimize Processes and Operations
Key Initiatives:
- Boost financial support for thesis-based graduate students. 1
- Offer one-semester financial aid for first-generation university students. 1
- Develop innovative programming anticipating future demands. 1
- Expand understanding of the university’s foundational commitments. 2
- Enhance required programming in entrepreneurial thinking, research, and creative scholarship. 2
U of C aims to establish itself as a global intellectual hub, balancing academic excellence with innovation and community engagement. The strategic plan underscores the university’s commitment to addressing societal challenges, fostering entrepreneurial thinking, and preparing students for the future while honouring its Calgary roots and values.1 2
This is a quick summary of the organization, and there are undoubtedly some additional pieces that need to be included. Many strategic and business documents will be proprietary and confidential. Despite this, there is enough publicly available data to create a summary suitable for a strategic analysis of the U of C. A couple of points need to be made about how this analysis was conducted. By using GenAI tools, it was possible to take the existing data and do a complete analysis in a couple of hours. This has two major impacts:
- An organization’s strategic analysis can happen every few months; it doesn’t need to wait for years before it starts to assess the impact of GenAI on its operations.
- The pace of change in AI makes it difficult to keep track of all the potential impacts. Being able to use GenAI to assess an organization’s strategy also allows for the analysis of the most recent breakthroughs in the technology and the evaluation of their relevance.
Sources
1 2023-2030 Ahead of Tomorrow. https://www.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/10/UCalgary-Strategic-Plan-Ahead-of-Tomorrow.pdf
2 Ahead of Tomorrow: UCalgary’s 2023-2030 Strategic Plan https://www.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/10/UCalgary-Strategic-Plan-Ahead-of-Tomorrow.pdf
3 A manifesto for business schools to ensure the smart and deep integration of generative artificial intelligence into the curriculum. https://www.aacsb.edu/insights/articles/2024/04/future-proofing-higher-education
Graffiti Comet 