Since the firing of President Busch-Vishniac, the Board of Governors has given Council time to reconsider its decision to approve the Vision2025 document. This document was initiated by the ex-president and, even though not yet policy, it was used by the task forces and the administration as guiding principles and criteria for the top-down TransformUS prioritization process. It was presented to Council in April, where, after some debate and reluctance to accept calls for a rescheduled discussion and vote or substantial amendments, it was passed.
This document threatens to replace the U of S Mission Statement.
A motion to rescind Vision2025 will be voted upon at the September 18, 2014 Council meeting. Should it pass, this motion will keep the current U of S Mission Statement in place until a new President and the U of S community determine otherwise.
Compare the beginnings of the two documents at issue:
Our Mission (from the University of Saskatchewan Mission Statement, 1993, which retains the founding promise to the people of Saskatchewan made by its first President, Walter Murray):
The University of Saskatchewan belongs to the people of Saskatchewan. As an academic community, our mission is to achieve excellence in the scholarly activities of teaching, discovering, preserving and applying knowledge.
Read the whole Mission Statement:
http://policies.usask.ca/policies/general/the-university-of-saskatchewan-mission-statement.php
Our Mission (from Vision2025, which, for the first time in a century completely omits the key first statement):
To excel in learning and discovery, and the integration, application and preservation of knowledge in order to shape the province of Saskatchewan, promote social, policy and cultural innovation and enable students and graduates to become active and responsible global citizens.
Read the entire Vision2025 statement:
http://www.usask.ca/president/documents/pdf/2014/Vision2025.pdf
Petition:
We, the undersigned, support the founding and historic promise that the University of Saskatchewan belongs to the people and therefore respectfully request that the University Council rescind Vision2025.
(please state your affiliation and/or title, e.g. student, prof, taxpayer, alumni, etc. in the box provided, along with any comments. Your email and postal address will be kept private)
We, the undersigned, support the founding and historic promise that the University of Saskatchewan belongs to the people and therefore respectfully request that the University Council rescind Vision2025.
(please state your affiliation and/or title, e.g. student, prof, taxpayer, alumni, etc. in the box provided, along with any comments. Your email and postal address will be kept private)
