REPORT OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE TO COUNCIL
September 17, 1998
The Planning Committee met twice in June, once in July and once in August to conduct
Council business, and has now resumed its weekly meeting schedule. Regular support for the Committee is now provided by Eileen Harvey, Room E245 Administration Building, phone 5036, e-mail eileen.harvey@usask.ca. Barrie Dubray and Pauline Melis continue to provide analytic support.
Items for Information:
1 .
Input to the 1999-2000 Operations Forecast
In June, the Planning Committee was asked by the President to make a submission which would assist the University in preparing its 1999-2000 Operations Forecast, and to assess the submissions of the Academic Programs, Audio Visual, Capital
Planning, Information Technology, Instructional Development and Research
Committees with respect to Council's planning objectives. The Planning Committee responded to these requests in a letter to the President dated July 9, 1998 (Appendix
I). The Planning Committee views the Operations Forecast as short to medium term operational planning document which should reflect the academic priorities of the
University, and therefore framed its response in terms of the "Framework for
Planning" approved by Council in March, 1998. The Committee would welcome
Council's comments on this submission.
2 .
Priority Determination, Round 1
Council approved the establishment of a two year "Priority Determination Process" and a set of procedures to be adopted in identifying academic priority areas at its
January and March meetings. Two information/discussion sessions for proponents of prospective proposals were held in late February, and a total of 34 proposals were subsequently received. Abstracts of these proposals were posted on the web. A
Selection Committee, consisting of the Planning Committee, augmented by a number of individuals to help round out disciplinary expertise was established, with membership listed below. This Committee met in early June to discuss procedures and then on June 22 and 26 to review the submissions and to select those for further consideration. Conflict of interest guidelines approved by Council were followed.
Selection Committee members were generally very impressed with the number, high quality and scope of the submissions. Comments on each individual proposal were prepared from discussions of the Committee, and were sent to the proponents in July.
The Committee judged that two proposals, "Academic Priorities in Biotechnology" and "Electronic Commerce in a Networked World" were of sufficient scope and quality, and were sufficiently well advanced to warrant being invited to submit expanded proposals in the Fall. The Selection Committee will meet in October to determine if both, one or none of these proposals will be accepted as a University
Priority Area in round one.

A small number of other proposals were judged to be of sufficient merit to warrant encouragement in making a revised submission in the Spring of 1999. Specific comments on possible ways of strengthening these proposals were provided to the proponents.
A second round of submissions will be received in the Spring of 1999, with final announcements expected in the Fall. The Committee anticipates a total of five or six proposals will have been accepted as academic priority areas when the two year process is complete.
Members of the Selection Committee:
R. (Ron) Steer, Co-Chair Chemistry
M. (Michael) Atkinson, Co-Chair
M. (Michael) Corcoran
Vice-President (Academic)
Vice-President (Research)
P.M. (Paul) Bidwell
B. (Beth) Bilson
B.L. (Bryan) Harvey
G. (Gary) Kachanoski
English
Law
Coordinator of Agricultural Research
Graduate Studies and Research
G. (Gwenna) Moss
J. (Jene) Porter
L. (Louis) Qualtiere
A. (Ali) Rajput
E.G. (Ernie) Walker
S. (Susan) Whiting
G. (Gary) Wobeser
H. (Hugh) Wood
Extension Division
Political Studies
Microbiology
Neurology
Anthropology & Archaeology
Pharmacy & Nutrition
Veterinary Pathology
Electrical Engineering
Advisors (without vote)
J.W.G. (George) Ivany
A.J. (Tony) Whitworth
J. (Jason) Aebig
S. (Shajan) Mannala
P.M. (Pauline) Melis
(Administrative Support)
President
Vice-President (Finance & Administration)
President U.S.S.U
President G.S.A.
Office of the Vice-President (Academic)
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