University Council is being asked to approve in principle the undertaking of a process for program prioritization at its January 24th meeting, but what exactly is Council being asked to approve?
We know that the prioritization process will be an exercise about choosing what programs and services get funded based on “contributions to our overall success.” We don’t know the priorities nor do we have a definition of “success.” On top of that, the process includes these important parameters being decided upon by steering committees whose membership will be decided upon by the President.
Consultation, transparency and accountability lie at the core of any good process. Yet, it already feels as if Senior Administration would have us believe that academic programming decisions should be made by them and then communicated to faculty for implementation. TransformUS, the planning process du jour, will most certainly create confusion and cynicism on campus in all sectors, but its success will ultimately be defined by its process.
Council has the statutory authority for academic programs and will be asked to approve recommendations affecting academic programs that come out of the yet to be articulated prioritization process, so Council must be central in leading a process that will presumably change the landscape of post-secondary education at the U of S and across Saskatchewan?
TransformUS cannot be a top-down plan.
Get involved. Get to Council on Thursday to hear the discussion, ask questions and state your position.