The Centre for Higher Education Research and Development (CHERD) brings together members of the university and wider community with a commitment to higher education research and development. Through scholarly activity, CHERD aims to influence the development of higher education policy and practice both within the University of Manitoba and other post-secondary institutions across North America. Responding to the evolving needs stemming from a changing higher education context, research projects within CHERD focus on significant higher education issues that are of concern to the three main stakeholders within the post-secondary setting, namely students, faculty, and administrators. The significance of the research carried out within CHERD spans the continuum from traditional scholarly inquiry to the practical application of research findings.

The Centre's research has long been highly regarded in academic settings as shown by the numerous publications in prominent scholarly peer-reviewed journals such as the Canadian Journal of Higher Education and Research in Higher Education and conference presentations including the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education and the American Educational Research Association (Division J – Post-Secondary Education).

With the ongoing collaboration between CHERD and various units within the University of Manitoba such as University Teaching Services, these research findings are implemented in ways that provide practical assistance to foster more effective teaching and administration, which in turn contribute toward a greater learning experience. Moreover, an integral part of CHERD's research accomplishments clearly comes from the contributions of the many graduate students working under the supervision of CHERD faculty members.

For the upcoming year, among the several research projects currently underway, the research objectives of CHERD will focus mainly on three areas of current importance. One area looks at the issue of teaching effectiveness with respect to specific instructional approaches and the evaluation of teaching performance. Another main concern has to do with accessibility and retention. More specifically, what are the characteristics among the rapidly changing student population that are best linked with academic success? Finally, we are examining more closely the direct and indirect ways in which key components of the post-secondary environment influences student learning and development.