Task Force on Changing Structures:
Discussion Paper on Schools
Draft: April 10, 2006
Introduction
This Discussion Paper highlights the key features and dimensions of ‘schools’ at the University of
Saskatchewan. Intended to guide faculty individually, in groups, in departments, and in colleges,
this Discussion Paper responds to the need confirmed in the Integrated Plan and arising from
college plans that vehicles to support cross-college, interdisciplinary, and innovative
programming be created to enhance the existing array of educational programming available at
the University of Saskatchewan.
This Discussion Paper envisions schools as the single largest investment priority at the University
of Saskatchewan this decade. As such, schools will require dedicated resources as well as able
and visionary leadership to achieve the goals identified for them. This might result from the
movement of faculty into schools through a variety of ways including ‘secondments’, associate
memberships, or joint appointments, but, most certainly, it will require the assembly of resources,
existing and new, to make a national and international impact, to build momentum, and compel
progress.
Three examples of schools currently under development are appended to this Discussion Paper to
provide readers with an indication of the nature and scale of the undertaking that is being
contemplated as well as with the variety of methods and mechanisms to provide support. In each
case, new resources will be provided to support the initiative, but the size of the investment will
be directly related to the ability of each school to participate in cross-disciplinary and inter-unit
partnerships, to foster innovative academic initiatives, and to build for the University a strong
reputation in key strategic areas. In so doing, each school should be a vehicle for configuring and
supporting innovative interdisciplinary activity in a way which will have national and
international impact.
We begin this discussion with matters of definition. The idea is not to preclude other uses of the
term “school” or preclude the creation of other entities that would support collaborative or
interdisciplinary work. The purpose is to explore the idea of schools and the organizational
challenges they will pose. We acknowledge that the definition and application of schools that
follows obliges the University to define additional structures to support an array of existing and
proposed entities which are not yet captured in this Discussion Paper.
Definition
The University of Saskatchewan has employed the term “school” in the past to denote nascent
organizational entities that may eventually acquire college status. Some of the schools so
conceived have professional connections inasmuch as they or their programs are accredited.
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Most, like the School of Physical Therapy, have been located within colleges, although the
growing tendency to refer to Business or Commerce colleges as “schools” suggests that
professional programs can be housed outside of colleges as well as inside them.
It is not our intention, in advancing the concept of the “school” to deny the use of the term to
those professional programs that have traditionally employed them, or to insist that the term be
used solely to describe the units outlined below. We seek to distinguish, however,
interdisciplinary programming with a focus on contemporary academic and societal challenges,
from professional programming with a focus on specific careers and credentials. Most of this
document is devoted to the former, less familiar, concept but we begin by distinguishing between
the two and, where appropriate this document will draw attention to further distinctions.
For purposes of locating “schools” within the current array of organizational forms at the
University of Saskatchewan, we propose that the term “school” be used to denote at least two
different academic endeavors.
1. The Professional School. The Professional School is an academic unit focused on the
delivery of professional programs, typically programs that are accredited and that prepare
their students for particular professional designations. There is normally no departmental
structure as these schools are frequently small and housed within colleges. It is not
inconceivable, however, that schools of this kind might be established independent of
colleges. Naturally they would be required to conform to all of the usual policies of the
university and the procedures established by collective agreements.
2. The Interdisciplinary School. The Interdisciplinary School is an academic unit
comprised of faculty members drawn from a host of disciplinary subject areas and
committed to fostering research, teaching and outreach activities on an interdisciplinary
basis. These schools are typically established to achieve a critical mass of activity in an
emergent area of societal and intellectual challenge. They have sufficient independence to
create sustaining financial and academic partnerships.
The first of these types of schools is known to the University of Saskatchewan, although little use
has been made of this structure in the past. The experience of the current School of Physical
Therapy suggests that the “school” designation may be a useful way of underlining the curricular
distinctiveness and the accountability to professional licensing bodies associated with certain
programs. In terms of governance, the Director of a Professional School would usually report to
the Dean of a College, and the resources of the School would be considered in the context of
college planning parameters.
To better appreciate the implications of the second of these “schools” concepts and its
employment in the current organizational context, consider the principles implicit in the
preceding definition:
•
An interdisciplinary school is built around an area of societal or intellectual challenge to
which existing University of Saskatchewan faculty, in a variety of disciplines, can make
unique contributions.
Emergent areas of academic interest are typically organized around challenges, problems, or
broad opportunities. Often they are associated with particular disciplines, but areas such as
international relations, environmental studies, and communications, are not the exclusive
preserve of a single discipline. They do, however, invite collaboration and the creation of
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research activities that bridge traditional disciplinary concerns. As such, schools allow those
associated with them to contribute disciplinary perspectives and draw on the work of other
disciplines while creating interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects. They must build on
a natural advantage of the University of Saskatchewan to draw students and faculty to the
University and to assist the University to achieve its national and international goals.
•
An interdisciplinary school is a home to a range of academic activity, including research,
outreach, and innovative programming, primarily at the graduate level.
As distinct from centres, which are focused on research activity, or departments which have
disciplinary programs to mount, schools would encompass a wider range of academic work,
connecting research to teaching and outreach. Schools would be sites for visible participation
in public debate drawing on multidisciplinary research and teaching programs as a source of
intellectual inspiration. As such, schools would be the base for innovative programming,
especially, though not exclusively, at the graduate level. Where there is a good fit, a school
could also house research centres or institutes, or more informal groupings of researchers,
creating synergies, drawing on concentrations of research excellence, and at the same time
supporting and raising the profile for the centre or group. Importantly, schools would provide
a suitable base for cross-sectoral links with partners in government, the private sector, civil
society, and external research organizations. In this sense, schools would be boundary
spanning both within the University and with external partners.
•
An interdisciplinary school assembles, consolidates, and builds critical mass in an area
identified through the integrated planning process of the University of Saskatchewan as a
priority.
One of the major reasons for contemplating extended use of the school structure would be its
potential for fostering the creation of a critical mass of scholarly activity around themes
which are a priority for the University of Saskatchewan. Schools would be expected to
overcome most of the boundaries established by the demands of undergraduate programs, the
current appointment process, and the obligation to advance innovative programming within
the confines of college priorities. They would draw individuals together and allow their work
to advance in a synergistic manner with the goal of achieving prominence in areas of strategic
interest for the institution. Though no fixed or optimum size for a school can be suggested, a
school should be envisaged as incorporating a sufficient proportion of the time of sufficient
faculty and associated members to ensure its stability and significance. A school should also
be envisaged with the possibility of assembling and consolidating a number of academic
programs under one umbrella; i.e., a school might initially be created to support one specific
academic program initiative, but over time, other potential synergies might be developed to
create a substantial critical mass in the area of intellectual challenge.
•
An interdisciplinary school has multiple sources of support for its work.
Far more than traditional departments, schools would be expected to fund many of their
activities by competing for external research funding and teaching and research contracts. To
the extent that schools become homes for research centres the tradition of responsiveness to
the needs of clients will be relatively easy to establish. Though some schools may attain a
resource base that frees them from reliance on base budget support, University support will
be required to ensure the viability of others. Full time faculty appointments need not be the
only base on which Schools are constructed, but all schools should expect to be the primary
home for a number of faculty members.
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Flexibility and inclusiveness are central characteristics of an interdisciplinary school.
The administrative and academic structure of a school must be flexible enough to
accommodate different kinds of objectives, and different configurations for achieving those
objectives. In some of the initiatives proposed under the Integrated Plan the proponents
contemplate consolidating certain activities emanating from a number of specific departments
in different colleges; in others, the vision is of a school which would draw from the expertise
of individuals across the campus, and which would not be associated with any college.
Though a school should have the stability associated with clear objectives and adequate
resources, it must also be seen as a reflection of University priorities, and should be
structured so that it can respond as those priorities shift.
•
An interdisciplinary school gives visibility to interdisciplinary activities and programs.
Though there are examples of interdisciplinary research and instructional programs at the
University of Saskatchewan, the impact of these activities has been diffuse and they have
struggled to achieve a distinctive profile. One of the goals of a school would be to increase
the visibility and reputation of interdisciplinary undertakings in priority areas, in order to
attract high quality faculty and students, increase research and other funding, and enhance the
impact that our scholarship has at the regional, national, and international level.
Governance
If the creation of interdisciplinary schools were to become simply an occasion to add to the
administrative complexity of the University, this would clearly cast doubt on the value of
establishing such new structures. But schools can help to consolidate and even simplify
governance arrangements. They can add to our capacity to connect to the community and they
can provide enhanced flexibility for our faculty, permitting them to participate in several units of
the University as their interests direct.
Several key governance arrangements will be required:
•
Schools should be constructed as umbrella entities under which existing cognate programs,
centres, and institutes are assembled. Such a reconfiguration may in some instances help to
reduce the present administrative overhead assigned to a host of specific entities and
endeavours, but, more importantly, the grouping of these enterprises for administrative
purposes should create synergies and provide Centres, Institutes and others, an opportunity to
better meet their objectives. (Not all Centres and Institutes need to be organized this way, of
course.)
•
Most interdisciplinary schools will be located within colleges, at least initially. The purpose is
to take full advantage of cognate departments, to avoid duplication of unique college
resources, and to ensure that the requirements of the collective agreements are systematically
discharged. Of particular importance in this regard is the understanding that collegial process
be managed within colleges and all matters related to career development be the ultimate
responsibility of a Dean. Should schools emerge with significant administrative resources, or
mature to the point that they have the capacity to manage their own collegial affairs, it is
conceivable that they may be established as independent entities.
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•
As long as interdisciplinary schools are housed within colleges, leadership should be
provided by a dedicated administrative official – an Executive Director. This person, an outof-scope appointment, would oversee the operation of a school including its financial affairs
and its human resource requirements.
•
The Executive Director will report to the Dean of the College for purposes of managing
collegial processes. However appointments are handled within schools (see below)
recommendations will proceed to the CRC in the normal course.
•
The proponents of interdisciplinary schools have asked for the right to manage their own
curriculum with as little encumbrance as possible from college structures. Certainly the
opportunity to take curriculum changes directly to Council and its committees would
facilitate change and this authority should be provided to interdisciplinary schools. However,
Council will, and should, insist that the Deans of affected colleges be consulted on all
curriculum matters and on many occasions it will be expeditious for Executive Directors to
employ college committees for this purpose.
•
The Executive Director will report to the Provost for all other purposes, including the
representation of the school in the University and the wider community, and the
establishment of research and teaching goals. The Provost will be responsible for
performance management of Executive Directors with significant input from the Dean of the
college in which the school is housed.
•
Three types of appointments would be employed:
o
o
o
Faculty appointed directly to the school, with duties assigned exclusively within the
School
Faculty jointly appointed to the school with at least half time engagement in it, such
faculty to retain a departmental or college appointment
Faculty appointed to the school on an associate basis, with expectations tailored to
individual situations.
Resources
In order to establish the interdisciplinary school as a stable structure which can be the basis for
strong programs and vibrant research activity, an interdisciplinary school must have sufficient
resources to support its work. This would include faculty time, administrative and clerical
support, space and non-salary operating funds. Schools must also be able to call upon the
existing resources of the University to attract students to programs, for internal and external
communications, and for attracting additional resources to sustain their growth and development.
The needs of new interdisciplinary schools must be systematically addressed in University
financial planning and advancement activity, but it would also be the expectation that an
interdisciplinary school would act as a magnet to research funding, and would develop strategies
for raising other funds to support its development as well. Schools would be supported in these
activities through the offices of the Vice-Presidents Research and Advancement.
It is intended that any interdisciplinary school established at the University of Saskatchewan
would have the potential to become a widely recognized enterprise with a reputation for quality
programming. In this context, it is important that a school should have a distinctive physical
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presence. A defined space for a school is not only a way of creating a clear profile, but of
providing an environment in which interdisciplinary connections can be made and nurtured.
Though the space allotted to a school could be within a building where departments or other
academic units are also housed, it will be necessary to ensure that the space is adequate,
appropriate, and identifiable.
An important requisite for the success of interdisciplinary schools will be the dedication of
sufficient faculty time. Clear criteria for establishing equitable workloads and for assessing and
rewarding all aspects of faculty activity would have to be articulated to ensure that faculty
involved in interdisciplinary work are not disadvantaged. The potential of temporary or softfunded, visiting or adjunct faculty to enhance and support the work of interdisciplinary schools
should be imaginatively considered.
It is not the intention that new interdisciplinary Schools should weaken existing departments or
colleges, but strengthen them by offering access to new kinds of collaboration and opportunities
for greater synergy. Colleges and departments shaped in accordance with academic disciplines
will continue to play a vital role in providing faculty and students with strong disciplinary roots,
and with a conceptual platform on which interdisciplinary initiatives can be built. While it is
expected that some faculty members will opt to have their duties redefined in whole or in part to
become associated with an interdisciplinary School, the new resources that will be attracted by
these schools will provide new opportunities for programs and collaborative research activity that
will strengthen and stimulate departments.
The traditional discipline-based units will also be strengthened by links with other parts of the
academy, and by the infusion of resources that may be attracted by the establishment of
successful schools. Though these units may prefer to continue to concentrate on offering highquality programming in the core disciplines, the existence of schools will create new
opportunities for students in those disciplines to be introduced to interdisciplinary work, to
participate in interdisciplinary research or outreach opportunities, and to prepare for
interdisciplinary graduate programs.
Evaluation
It is essential that the work of interdisciplinary schools be monitored and evaluated to ensure that
such entities continue to serve as vehicles for innovative activity in priority areas. They would, of
course, be subject to the normal program or unit review processes which are part of the
University system of evaluation and quality control. In the case of schools, there should also be
mechanisms in place for addressing the broader question of whether a particular school continues
to be an effective means of fostering and promoting programs or whether it should be eliminated
or reconfigured.
Conclusion
This Discussion Paper has presented a particular kind of entity – the interdisciplinary school – as
a means of fulfilling particular kinds of objectives connected to innovative interdisciplinary
programming and realizing some of the objectives of the Integrated Plan (2003-2007). It must be
understood that schools are not the only way in which innovative or collaborative activity can
take place, and that not all interdisciplinary partnerships have to be funneled through a school.
Moreover, there may eventually be schools other than the two types identified here. This
discussion of the school concept is intended to stimulate consideration of its merits and the
changes that will be required to implement it. These changes, as this discussion implies, are
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significant. In other words, it will be difficult to create and sustain interdisciplinary schools and
the University should not contemplate many of them, at least not in the early stages.
To provide an even greater sense of concreteness around interdisciplinary schools as they will
develop at the University of Saskatchewan, this Discussion Paper contains an appendix outlining
how three schools, currently under discussion in light of the Integrated Plan, would be
configured. Like this document, these three interdisciplinary schools are outlined for purposes of
illustration. No firm and final commitments have been made by either the proponents or the
University. They are offered as a means of better assessing the possibilities that the concept of
interdisciplinary School presents. Realizing the goals implicit in these schools will take time,
certainly it will take longer than the first planning cycle. Before embarking on these schools, or
any others, it is useful to spend some time discussing their shape in concrete terms and assessing
the impact they are bound to have on existing departments and colleges.
The receipt of this Discussion Paper by University Council does not imply approval of the
individual schools mentioned above (and appended to this Discussion Paper). Each proposed
school will be presented to Council (and its committees) for approval after proceeding through
the normal consultation process.
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