The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies Launches New Strategic Plan to guide next four years

Recent years have witnessed graduate education in Canada and across the world undergo a dramatic transformation. New ways of living and organizing our daily lives – both on and off campus – have radically shifted how we think about education and the world of work.

Much has changed since CAGS’ last strategic plan was released in 2016, and the Association has worked hard to respond and adapt to new challenges with creativity and introspection. In 2019, we invited an external advisor to conduct a thorough review of our governance policies, which resulted in sweeping changes ranging from increasing the efficiency and impact of board meetings to renewing the governance structure of the association. These strategic planning activities concluded with a two-day workshop in the spring of 2022, during which time the board of directors mapped out a shared vision for the future of the Association.

CAGS will be guided by three strategic priorities as we navigate the next four years. We remain committed to enhancing our value to members, and to expanding engagement with the broader graduate education community through innovative, accessible, and inclusive offerings. We aspire to build organizational capacity as we develop these new initiatives, and to increasing our financial resources to better align with current economic conditions. In the following document we outline CAGS’ strategic priorities and goals, and chart a forward-looking path for the years 2023-2027.