FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
Discussion Guide:
This discussion guide is an accompaniment to the draft Faculty Complement
Foundational Document and provides context to the document as well as posing
a few focused questions to guide the discussion of the draft document.
Focus Questions:
1. What are the top three ideas addressed in the document?
2. What ideas expressed in the document should be redefined?
3. What gaps do you see in the document?
Feedback:
Please provide written feedback to the steering committee by contacting Kyla Shea,
strategic planning and projects officer, institutional planning and assessment.
Email: kyla.shea@usask.ca
Phone: (306) 966-4685
Context and Purpose of the Foundational Document
As excerpted from the Terms of Reference approved by University Council
on March 7, 2005.
With roughly one-third of the nation’s faculty expected to retire by 2010, the Strategic
Directions appropriately identified the global competition for faculty as a hallmark of the
first decade of the 21st century. Given the defining nature of decisions associated with the
faculty complement for the University of Saskatchewan over the next 30 years, and the
turnover of faculty we anticipate in the immediate future, there is a pressing need to be
certain that we have the policies and processes in place to support our goals and aspirations
and that we deploy all of the university’s resources most effectively to our teaching, research,
and outreach mandates as we seek to become one of the most distinguished universities in
Canada and the world.
The University of Saskatchewan is already in the midst of significant turnover of its faculty
complement; this is expected to accelerate to 2010 and slightly beyond. The Strategic
Directions provide guidance on who we should attract: “intensify our commitment to the
recruitment, support and development of faculty who meet international standards” and the
changes we need to contemplate: “create a university complement plan which provides more
flexibility within the appointments process, encourages faculty who embrace the teacherscholar ideal, and facilitates collaboration across units and disciplines to build critical mass.”
A Framework for Action: The University of Saskatchewan Integrated Plan 2003 – 2007 calls for
(page 39) a Faculty Complement Foundational Document “to address a full range of issues
related to faculty recruitment and retention.” It suggests that the Foundational Document
“is likely to propose different kinds of faculty appointments including genuine joint
appointments and appointments to units other than departments and colleges.”
Discussion Guide
Purpose
The primary purpose of the Faculty Complement Foundational Document is to provide an
overarching vision for the nature, composition, recruitment and retention of the University of
Saskatchewan faculty complement over the first 20 years of the millennium. Building on best
practices at other universities, in Canada and elsewhere, as well as the initial work completed
in the development of College Complement Plans for the 2004-2007 planning cycle, the Faculty
Complement Foundational Document is expected to, as a starting point:
Define what is meant by the term “faculty” in the context of the broad institutional
commitment of the university and its partners to the creation, integration and
application of knowledge within a dynamic framework of teaching and learning;
Develop an institutional plan for appointment categories to realize this broad
institutional commitment, including: providing guidance on the relative proportion
and mix of our faculty complement; exploring opportunities for joint appointments
with co-located non-university organizations; ensuring equity and other diversity
goals are realized; and providing the flexibility that is needed to make the most of
research groups and interdisciplinary initiatives;
Project the future size of the faculty complement and the financial and infrastructure
support required for the university as part of a growing province and community;
Provide guidance on strategies to attract and retain outstanding faculty, and to engage
and fully utilize the expertise and skills of retirees, adjunct faculty and community
based clinical faculty; and
Develop a set of principles to take maximum advantage of the existing pool of
talent and expertise available on the campus and to provide opportunities for
faculty to contribute to the overall institutional goals by meeting individual and
institutional objectives.
Through the development of a Faculty Complement Foundational Document, the University of
Saskatchewan has committed to investing in dialogue and research aimed at the nature and
composition of its teaching and research faculty and the technical and support staff required to
ensure that they meet their potential. The vice provost will lead this dialogue, which will require a
broad-based consultative approach.
Discussion Guide
The following timeline shows the development of the Faculty Complement
Foundational Document (FCFD) as well as relevant changes which have arisen
through collective bargaining.
2004–05
Steering committee formed; initial meetings and draft work plan developed; background
documents and statistics reviewed.
Key issues in FCFD identified as: joint appointments; teaching or alternative faculty stream;
recruitment of faculty and compensation issues (salary and merit); and workload and
continuous contributions of faculty.
March 7, 2005
Terms of Reference approved by University Council
April 2, 2005
Workshop to discuss key issues
2005–07
Faculty bargaining underway
Work on FCFD suspended until bargaining concluded
2007
New collective agreement covering 2005-07 and 2007-09 signed
Joint appointments
Memorandum of Agreement on flexibility on starting salaries
Letter of Understanding on refreshing university and college standards for clinical appointments
Continuous contributions through Article 11 assignment of duties
FCFD steering committee reactivated and begin reviewing plans for drafting document.
September 2008 –
March 2009
Steering Committee meets regularly
Discussion draft shared with department heads, deans and Planning and Priorities Committee,
Human Resources, U of S Faculty Association (USFA)
2008–09
Begin bargaining with USFA for a one-year agreement
2009
2009–10
2010
Sign one-year extension with USFA for agreement 2009–10
Competitive salaries
More merit funds available
Begin faculty bargaining for a three-year agreement
MOA on scope signed to bring all full-time faculty into USFA, irrespective if funding source
Work on FCFD suspended until bargaining concluded
Sign new collective agreement 2010–13
Academic programing appointment
MOA #14 now integrated into CBA
More merit funds added to CBA
MOA on spousal hires
MOA on teaching by non-members
September 2010 –
April 2011
Steering Committee meets regularly
Focus groups to inform the document
June 2011
Draft is shared with community
Discussion Guide