The process of consultation and feedback across the McGill community produced a number of valuable lessons learned that inform this planning process. Based on these lessons, ASAP 2012 signals the following:
- McGill is, and must remain, a truly international university in every sense of the word and one with considerable global outreach;
- there are incredible strengths in human resources at our institution ranging from exemplary students, to superlative faculty, and their achievements are possible thanks to the efforts of an extraordinarily talented administrative and support staff;
- the vast array of expertise and significant accomplishments that already characterise McGill’s presence in the local, national, and international arenas need to be better communicated to all stakeholders;
- there is considerable interest in furthering opportunities for collaboration across Faculties, Schools, Departments, Centres and other units involved in research, teaching and learning, and community engagement;
- McGill must harness information technology advances that are rapidly transforming research, teaching and learning, and engagement with individuals and communities on and beyond the campus;
- McGill must respond more quickly and more aggressively to the major changes that have emerged since 2006—economic, political, social, and technological.1
Planning for ASAP 2012 acknowledges, expands on, and makes full use of, these lessons learned.