Council Matters
OCTOBER, 2014
The20thyearofourrepresentativeCouncilisatimeforreflectionontheroleofCouncilwithin
ouruniversity’stri‐cameralgovernancestructure.Itismyfirmbeliefthatacademicgovernance
attheUniversityofSaskatchewanhasmaturedoverthepast19yearsasourinstitutionhas
becomemorecomplex;however,Councilhasalwaysworked,andcontinuestoworkunderthree
majorprinciples:
 First,Councilhasalwaysenjoyedacademicfreedominthepast,andwecontinueto
valueit;
 Second,Councilisacollegialself‐governingbodyandwehaveresponsibilitiesto
governourselvesaccordingly;
 Third,Councilistheuniversity’sacademicgovernancebodywhereacademicmatters
areconsideredanddecisionsaremade.
IampleasedtoreportonbehalfofCouncilonthosedecisionsanditems,whichengagedCouncil
inSeptember,andthosewhichwillbepresentedattheupcomingCouncilmeetingonOctober
23rd.
THE VISION 2025 DOCUMENT
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FollowingtheappointmentofInterimPresidentGordonBarnhart,Councilconsidereda
motionatitsJunemeetingtorescindapprovaloftheinstitutionalvisiondocument
titledVision2025:FromSpirittoAction,inordertopermitfurtherdiscussionofthe
missionanddirectionfortheUniversityofSaskatchewanundertheleadershipofanew
president.Debateconcludedwiththeapprovalofamotiontodeferconsiderationofthe
motiontotheSeptembermeetingofCouncil.AttheSeptemberCouncilmeeting,the
motionwassubmittedagaintoCouncil.Asamotiontorescindisnotamendable
Councilwasrestrictedtoeitherapprovingornotapprovingthemotion.
Councilvotedinfavourofrescindingthevisiondocument.AsapprovaloftheVision
2025documentwastobesoughtfromCouncil,SenateandtheBoardofGovernors,the
rescissionofapprovalbyanyoneofthesegoverningbodieshaltstheapprovalprocess.
ACADE MIC POLICY CHANGES
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ArevisedAcademicCoursesPolicywaspresentedtoCouncillastJuneandmemberswere
urgedtoconsiderthepolicyandprovidecommentsduetothepolicy’ssignificancetothe
teachingofallfacultymembers.ToensurethatCouncilfullyhadtheopportunityto
considertheproposedchanges,therevisedpolicywaspresentedtoCouncilagainin
Septemberwiththerequestforinputandfeedback.Therevisedpolicyremainsopento
feedback.
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Theacademicprogramscommittee(APC)alsopresentedtoCouncilinJuneandagainin
Septemberarevisedprogramevaluationtemplate.Revisionstotheprogramevaluation
templatewereundertakenbothtoassistproponentsinthedevelopmentofnewprograms
andtoassistAPCinitsdeliberations.Therevisedtemplateusestheexistingcriteriaforthe
approvalofnewprograms,butincludesfinancialmodelingusingtheuniversity’s
TransparentActivity‐BasedBudgetSystem(TABBS).Feedbackandcommentsonthe
revisedtemplatecontinuetobesought.
NOMINATIONS – SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESIDENT,
University Review Committee, SCHOLARSHIP and AWARDS
COMMITTEE
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InSeptember,thenominationscommitteesubmittedacalltoCouncilfornominations
ofthefourmembersoftheGeneralAcademicAssembly(GAA)toserveontheSearch
CommitteeforthePresident.Thenominationscommitteealsosubmittedacallfor
expressionsofinteresttoallmembersoftheGAA.AttheOctoberCouncilmeeting,
Councilwillconsiderthenominees.
ThenominationscommitteealsoconsideredvacanciesontheScholarshipsandAwards
CommitteeofCouncilandtheUniversityReviewCommittee,approvingtwonew
membersandanewchairfortheScholarshipsandAwardsCommitteeinSeptember.A
motiontoapproveanewmembertoURCwillbesubmittedtoCouncilinOctober.
TEMPLATES TO DISESTABLISH AND MERGE DEPARTMENTS
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Theplanningandprioritiescommitteeisresponsibletosubmitstructuralchangesofacademic
entitiestoCouncilforconsiderationofapproval.Atemplateexiststofacilitatethecreationof
newdepartments;however,noformalguidelinesformerlyexistedtodisestablishormerge
departments.Althoughthecreationanddisestablishmentofdepartmentshappensveryrarely,
themergerofdepartmentshappensmorefrequently.InJune,theplanningandpriorities
committeeconsideredandcreatedtemplatestoassistproponentsinenactingthesechanges,
andwillpresentthesetoCouncilforinformationinOctober.
Councilisthegoverningbodyresponsibleforallthingsacademic,anditreliesonthecollegialmodelof
academicself‐governancetodoitsbusiness.Thatmeansthatyou,asamemberoftheGeneral
AcademicAssembly,haveanopportunitytoinfluencetheacademicdirectionoftheinstitution,bothby
electingmembersofyourcollegetoCouncil,andbyconsideringlettingyournamestandforelectionto
Counciloroneofitscommittees.Moreinformationcanbefoundonourwebsiteat
www.usask.ca/secretariat/governing-bodies/council/index.php. Questionscanbedirectedto
university.secretary@usask.ca.
CouncilmeetsonceamonthfromSeptembertoJune.Meetingsareopentoall,andwehopeyouwill
feelwelcometojoinusandtowatchyourCouncilinaction.
RemainingmeetingsofUniversityCouncilinthefallterm
October 23, 2014
November 20, 2014
December 18, 2014
AllmeetingsareonThursdaysinNeatby‐TimlinTheatre,Arts241,at2:30p.m.
OnbehalfofCouncilanditscommitteesandoftheCouncilsecretariat,Iwishallofyouarewarding
firsttermandlookforwardtoseeingyouatCouncil.
JayKalra,Chair,UniversityCouncil