USFA recently circulated a letter written by your Chair, Doug Chivers, to senior administration regarding problems junior faculty have establishing research programs. Doug is the Rawson Professor of Biology and, as a very successful scholar, is empathetic with these issues. The letter struck a positive chord with faculty. One commentator observed that establishing a research […]

The third integrated plan describes strategies that will be used to advance academic priorities over the next four years.  These strategies are supposed to guide our planning and programing and include fostering creativity and innovation, learner-centred programming, promoting diversity and experiential learning.  With the recent decision to cut the Kenderdine Campus, an experiential learning environment […]

Hello everyone. Our next member social, on November 13, is fast approaching. Plan to attend and join us from 4:00 to 6:00 in the Windows Room at the University Club. It’s a wonderful opportunity to clink a glass, bend an ear, share a story, and get to know colleagues from across campus. It’s also an […]

The title of this is e-Letter is a question that is being echoed from different parts of campus and is being focused on the new Health Sciences Building. As we meet with members as part of our bargaining preparations, we are hearing concerns about impacts on research and teaching programs in relation to relocating to […]

University Council is the body responsible for overseeing and directing academic affairs at the U of S. It meets monthly from September to June and its next meeting is this Thursday (October 18th) at 2:30 in Arts 241 – Neatby-Timlin Theatre. Thursday’s Council meeting package, at page 28, includes a report in response to a […]

We tend to complain – a lot – about increasing administrative overburden at the university. Dr Claire Polster has an interesting take on this – that this kind of complaining may actually entrench and enhance the harmful effects of these practices. It’s an intriguing thought that led the USFA Committee on University Administrative Practices and […]

Recent events in the College of Medicine prove that the principle of collegial governance is in good health at the University of Saskatchewan. At its September 20th meeting, University Council was required by an action of the General Academic Assembly (a voting body including all faculty members) to reconsider its May 17th motion to impose […]

The newly constituted USFA Committee on University Administrative Practice provides a forum for USFA members to monitor, discuss, and provide commentary on administrative practice at the University of Saskatchewan. By ‘administrative practice’ we mean those practices undertaken by senior administration, support staff, and faculty under the heading of ‘administrative duties’, all intended to manage and […]

At last week’s special meeting of the General Academic Assembly (GAA), the motion pursuant to Article 67(2)(a) of the University of Saskatchewan Act, to direct University Council to reconsider its May decision to create three new divisions in the College of Medicine was passed with a solid majority (200 in favour, 93 opposed). A strong […]