Mission, vision, values
TMU’s mission
TMU’s academic mission is to advance applied knowledge and research to address societal needs. This includes delivering programs of study that balance theory with application and preparing students for careers after graduation. As a leading experiential and applied learning institution, TMU is recognized for the relevance of its curriculum, the quality of its teaching and the success of its students in their career pursuits.
Located at the centre of Canada’s largest city, TMU has embraced its role as a city builder. Partnering with organizations that share our values, we are working on the complex challenges faced by Toronto, Brampton, the Greater Toronto Area and cities around the world. With our progressive values, we are champions of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
TMU’s vision
TMU is challenging conventional approaches to education and SRC activity, empowering our students, staff and faculty to lead positive change for our university, our communities and our society. We will continue to cultivate innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship as we tackle the real-life problems of our rapidly changing environment. In all decision-making and action, we will strive to challenge and dismantle oppression and advance EDI.
Building on the university’s past academic plans, a set of core values was articulated in our 2020-2025 Academic Plan and our Strategic Vision 2020-2030. Consultations with our community indicated that all of these continue to be relevant and reflective.
Underlying our values is our unwavering commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression — foundational principles of the university that support teaching, learning and SRC, all within a culture of mutual respect and freedom from discrimination, racism and hate. We are guided by our commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, access, antiracism, decolonization, anti-oppression and Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing in our actions and decisions, and to identifying and removing barriers to inclusion.
Our values are not simply aspirational, they are embodied in all aspects of our community. These values inform our identity and define the priorities that will guide all facets of academic life over the next five years.
TMU will demonstrate and model courage in decision-making and challenge the status quo to make decisions that align with our mission, vision and values. We will be bold in our pursuit of social justice, push boundaries and break new ground to best prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.
TMU is committed to embedding EDI, respect and belonging into everything we do to ensure that every member of our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni can thrive. Proudly diverse and intentionally inclusive, we celebrate the diversity of knowledge, perspectives and experiences that enrich every aspect of our community. This includes a commitment to support decolonization and Black flourishing and to undertake an active, intentional and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, identify and remove systemic barriers to equity, accessibility and inclusion, and cultivate respectful and welcoming spaces and opportunities for all.
The university is dedicated to embedding diverse cultural thinking, experiences and expertise into the way that we learn, teach and work. This includes identifying opportunities to reconsider how we deliver education, including curriculum and learning outcomes, and our relationships with various communities. TMU aims to engage students, staff, faculty and community members in planning and decisions and to enable student success. By challenging the dominance of colonial ideas, we will strive to bring diverse worldviews to the forefront.
TMU aims for the highest standards in everything we do, including academic programs, teaching and SRC activities that promote participation, engagement and empowerment, and a sense of belonging for all students, including those from equity-deserving groups. Through belonging, our students, faculty and staff feel accepted and included in the TMU community.
By means of continuous improvement, self-reflection, and peer review, TMU strives to offer high-quality academic programs led by world-class educators, researchers, creators and innovators. As we pursue inclusive excellence, TMU embeds a system-wide approach to EDI, defining true excellence as only attainable when it is inclusive. TMU strives to be a vibrant community that creates excellence by embedding diversity throughout the university.
TMU’s culture is based on shared success, mutual respect and community care. We commit to building the value of respectful collaboration into academic programming and fostering it in our students, ensuring they take it with them when they graduate. This includes supporting the success and well-being of students, faculty and staff. The university is committed to integrity through upholding the highest standards of ethics, transparency and accountability in all aspects of university life.
The university is committed to living harmoniously within the limits of natural resources so that all living systems can flourish for future generations. This requires a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary approach that advances and holistically safeguards the economy, social progress and the environment.
TMU is also committed to financial sustainability in order to ensure the long-term health of our institution for future groups of students, faculty and staff, and to allow us to continue supporting students, finding innovative solutions to real-world problems and driving economic growth for the benefit of our community and the world.
