Report of the RMC Board of Governors By the Withers' Study Group
Balanced Excellence Leading Canada's Armed Forces In The New Millenium
4500-240 (ADM (HR-Mil))
24 September 1998
Cross-reference p. 3 of 63 of official printed copy of report
Aim:
The aim of the Study Group, as directed in their Terms of Reference, was:
"To ensure for each graduate, a broad-based education, well grounded in the sciences and humanities, with special emphasis being placed on the development of values, ethics and leadership skills needed for responsibilities and service to country".
Scope:
To achieve the aim the Study Group conducted its work in accordance with the assumptions and general guidelines contained in its Terms of Reference. These are included at Annex A. Essentially, these TORs directed the Study Group to examine all undergraduate academic, bilingual, military and physical education/fitness programs at RMC as to their applicability and effectiveness in meeting the aim of the review and in regard to the institutional requirement of an accredited Canadian university operating under a charter from the Province of Ontario.
The Study Group decided at the outset that these four pillars of RMC: academic, military, language and physical education, could not be analysed in isolation. On the one hand, RMC exists to meet the needs of the Canadian Forces. The institution must take care to understand the requirements of this broader community and respond directly to them. On the other hand, the senior leadership of the CF must articulate its requirements clearly and communicate them to the College. Therefore, we interpreted our mandate broadly and sought in its conclusions and recommendations to ensure that the relationship between RMC and the Canadian Forces would be the optimal one.
In practical terms this meant analysing the process by which RMC cadets were recruited, socialised into the military environment at RMC, trained during the summer or other training periods and employed immediately upon graduation. Whether RMC adequately addresses not only the training and education of young officers, but also lays the basis for continuing education and development throughout an officer's career was examined.