RRU in the Media: Steenkamp on Canada's post-secondary challenges
A global pandemic, followed by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, a rapidly evolving workforce, compounded by major restrictions on international student visas, have collectively shaped a landscape of instability for Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Amid this post-secondary financial crisis, Royal Roads University President and Vice-Chancellor Philip Steenkamp speaks with Alex Usher on The World of Higher Education Podcast, sharing how RRU has carved out a unique position in the sector.
Steenkamp discusses how Royal Roads’ market‑oriented governance structure helps it adapt to lower provincial funding, driving innovation in program delivery and international partnerships.
Here is an excerpt from their conversation:
“But the fundamentals we have to address at Royal Roads are that we’re a small, special-purpose university in a very competitive environment. And the content game is over. So what are we offering? What is our unique value proposition? ...We’ve established three advisory councils in the areas of those three schools, which advise us on programming, with the intention of being much more closely aligned with the labour market and getting students career-ready.
I’ve mentioned the diversification into undergraduate education with the establishment of the Langford campus. We’ve also invested significantly in overhauling our recruitment and admissions processes. We’ve really upped our game in terms of communications and marketing. We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in research income over the last couple of years—a 400 percent increase. We had a record year in advancement last year, raising $20 million. For a small institution with just over 2,000 students, that is huge.”