at/by item subject lead pages · ccam 2016-17 meeting dates 4 apr/ 2 may/ 6 june ... discovery...

Agenda Tuesday 7 March / 2:45pm – 4:15pm / AH 206

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Approval of minutes: 14 February 2017 JSGS Written Response to External Reviewers Streamlining of Program Approvals Update to Academic Unit Reviews Academic Mission Vision Statement Credit Transfer Policy Update

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QUOTIDIANA

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Adjournment

CCAM 2016-17 meeting dates

4 Apr/ 2 May/ 6 June

Agendas close the preceding Wednesday at 4 pm.

Please send agenda items and supporting material to [email protected].

Council Committee on Academic Mission (CCAM)

mailto:[email protected]

Minutes Tuesday 14 February / 2:30 – 4:00pm / AH 527

MEMBERS A Herman (Chair), M Andrews, M El-Darieby, D Juschka, D Malloy, N Önder, S Wiskar (URSU student)

REGRETS C Hanson (sabbatical until 30 June 2017), N Ruddick (sabbatical until 30 April 2017) T Chase, G Huber and R Khanam (GSA student)

RESOURCE K Untereiner

1. Call to order and approval of agenda

M/S N Onder/ M Andrews that the 14 February agenda be approved.

CARRIED 2. Approval of the 10 January 2017 Minutes

M/S D Juschka/ N Onder that the 10 January minutes be approved.

CARRIED

3. Chairs’ Remarks • The Electronic motion to present the revised Academic Mission Statement to Council for approval

was Carried. This will go forward at the next Council meeting on 26 April. Academic Mission Vision Statement: "The Academic Mission of the University of Regina is to nurture a culture of deep understanding and discovery based activities through its creative, research, teaching, and other scholarly efforts, among students and faculty. Our resources and efforts as a university community are centered on our Academic Mission. Knowledge developed through research and creative expression should flow through our teaching into the local, national, and international community."

• Update on Academic Unit Reviews; CCAM’s written response to Philosophy and Classics has been

completed. Written response from JSGS to the external reviewers has been received. All self-studies for the 2016-17 AUR’s have been received and are now posted to the webpage. The Department of Music has advised they might require an extension for their AUR which is scheduled to take place in 2018-19, the Chair has asked the Department to seek the support of their Dean on this matter.

4. La Cite Motion, certificate in French and Francophone Intercultural Studies Dr E Aito joined CCAM to discuss the certificate in French and Francophone Intercultural Studies. After a comprehensive review most of the hurdles students would face have been eliminated. This certificate

Council Committee on Academic Mission

fills an academic need and allows students who have taken a French class to receive recognition. This certificate would be open to all other faculties to take and does not duplicate other courses already available. Academic resources are already in place and alll courses are currently being taught. This certificate has been in the works for many years and fills a high need of students and would help provide content to a further degree in French. The program will begin in the fall of 2018. M/S N Onder/ D Juschka that the certificate in French and Francophone Intercultural Studies be approved and recommended to the next stage of approvals. CARRIED

5. Physics Written Response to External Review The Physics written response was very detailed and the committee was very pleased with the high quality of external reviewers selected. The Department of Physics has already taken concrete steps towards the feedback the external reviewers have recommended. As G Huber is the chair of the Academic Unit Review Subcommittee and also in the department of Physics, this raises a conflict of interest when preparing the CCAM response back to the department. The other committee members agreed to take the lead on this reply back to the department.

6. Streamlining program approval processes at the U of R CCAM members discussed the possibility of having a generic set of questions developed when it comes to the approval of new programs. If this is the case, new programs could come from the department and then to CCUAS where these questions would be asked. If further clarification is required, the new program could then present at CCAM or CCB to provide clarification. This would streamline the program approval process by eliminating two of the approval steps. A new programs procedural template/flow chart will be prepared for the next CCAM meeting and shared with stakeholders for feedback.

7. Discussion on CCAM response to Transformational Change The VPR provided an update in regards to the ownership of Research Park. The business case for purchasing and managing the Research Park properties is still being investigated. Unlike the U of R, transformational change is not being discussed at other campuses around the province such as the U of S and SaskPolytech. The 12 month campus discussion has not been addressed further in meetings at Dean’s Council or Executive of Council. The VPR advised this is a topic worth follow-up from the members at Deans’ Council and agreed to bring it forward at the next Dean’s Council meeting. The Registrar has created a new credit transfer document and can be reviewed. This item will be brought forward to the next CCAM meeting on 7 March.

8. Adjournment M/ S Wiskar. The meeting adjourned at 3:49pm.

Response to External Reviewers’ Report

Prepared by: Kathleen McNutt, Executive Director and Jeremy Rayner, Director

August 5, 2016

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Acknowledgments

On behalf of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) we wish to thank the University of Regina (U of R) Provost and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) Provost, along with Institutional Planning and Assessment (U of S) and the Office of Resource Planning (U of R) for their support and guidance throughout the process. We are deeply appreciative of the thoughtful and valuable feedback provided by the external review team composed of Ms. Penny Ballantyne (Secretary to Cabinet, Government of the Northwest Territories), Prof. Leslie A. Pal (School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University), and Prof. Mark Rom (McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University). The advice and insight in the External Review Report will further enhance the long term success of the faculty, the students and the staff at JSGS. Finally, we are very grateful to the two internal reviewers, Bram Noble and Gina Grandy, who served as ambassadors for each campus visit.

Response to External Reviewers’ Report

The JSGS External Reviewers’ Report received on June 23, 2016 provides 31 recommendations across five themes including mission and vision, organization and governance, academic and educational activities, research activities, and partnerships. As the report states: “the review is strongly positive. There are no major areas of critical failure or glaring risks. The School’s Strategic Plan 2016-20 is ambitious and can build on the solid foundations established in its first period of growth and development.” The report praises the School for a steady growth in students across all programs, for a rich array of program offering, for the JSGS CAPPA accreditation, for the activities in Executive Education, for our internship program and for our high level of research productivity. The reviewers highlight JSGS’s strong stakeholder relations suggesting that “both within and outside the university, we found that the School is universally respected and valued. Indeed, both universities consider it a standard of successful inter-institutional cooperation, unique to the province” (6). As such, the reviewers’ recommendations focus along the “frontier of the School’s aspirations where it is already good, but could be better. We largely accept the School’s Strategic Plan... and our recommendations are intended to sharpen, focus and improve its initiatives.” The JSGS External Reviewers’ Report does however outline a number of potential tensions that if not carefully considered and managed might impede our capacity to reach our goals and ambitions. As the review team describes it

The School is at an inflexion point in its history where it has to think carefully about balancing consolidation with development, stewardship with growth, and prudence with entrepreneurship, while maintaining excellence in its programs and research…. three sets of questions should guide the School’s strategic decisions in the next five years:

1. Just because something is framed as a “need” or as “strategic,” is it actually core or fundamental to the School’s strategy, and commensurate with its resources?

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2. For a given activity or program, is it at appropriate scale and configuration? If not, what is an appropriate target? If yes, how can it be incrementally improved?

3. Are there complementarities across strategic objectives, or ways of leveraging activities and programs so that they have broader collective benefit – for example, combining the local and the international?

While strongly believing that the School must continue to lead innovation in professional education and collaborative research, our response to the reviewers is guided and informed by these three critical questions.

Response to Reviewers’ Recommendations

MISSION AND VISION

1. Develop a joint degree structure for the School’s programs (though see recommendation #2 under Academic and Educational Activities).

Response: This is a very high priority for the School and we have just received permission for both universities to proceed with a proposal over the next year. In 2014, the motion carried by the joint council of JSGS stated, “Be it resolved that: Johnson Shoyama Graduate School request that the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan approve the recognition of a joint degree for the Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), and the Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy (PhD), including a joint parchment to recognize the identity of the programs, content and requirements." There will be an extensive effort required to achieve a joint degree and we predict it will be a yearlong process. Key activities will include the development of a strong rationale, extensive consultation with students, alumni, faculty and other stakeholder groups, the creation of a Notice of Intent for Council and Executive of Council, and support from both senates and boards.

2. Develop a single admissions process to the JSGS.

Response: We agree that this would be ideal for the School and we are committed to moving into discussion with the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGSR) and the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGSR). The practicalities of a single admissions process may be challenging but would streamline admissions, create a numerical balance of students across the two campuses, produce efficiencies in student recruitment and support the one school, two campus model. We view this as a medium-term goal as there is no immediate risk presented by the status quo and our relationships with FGSR and CGSR are very collaborative and collegial across both campuses. Work on achieving a single admissions process logically follows the achievement of the joint degree structure.

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3. Draft a focused plan to have research published in leading international journals.

Response: The three research clusters ((1) Innovation, Science and Technology Policy; (2) Social Policy and Inequality; and (3) Governance) will each be producing a strategic plan concerning activities, collaboration, publications and possible funding opportunities. Each group will be meeting in the fall of 2016 to begin plans for the next year. We would also like to note that we are very supportive of faculty doing impact research including publishing JSGS Policy Briefs, the JSGS University of Toronto book series, publishing in open source journals and using social media channels. While we recognize the importance of publishing in international journals we also place extensive value on research translation, applied policy advice, and community-based knowledge exchanges.

4. Develop a strong relationship with a sister school (possibly in Australia) around student exchanges and study abroad options.

Response: We have already started these discussions in connection with our strategic goal of raising our international profile and contributing to internationalization at both campuses. Preliminary feedback indicates that it will be difficult to establish student exchange and study abroad options in our professional programs (except in connection with the internship) because these programs (including our own) tend to have a highly prescriptive structure. We will focus on exchanges through our research degrees, with the added benefit of developing the relationship through collaborative research and scholarship involving faculty as well as students. We are moving towards agreements with universities in the United Kingdom and France in connection with the science and technology policy research cluster and will certainly consider Australian options. While this is a high priority area, the development of a relationship of this kind with a “sister school” will likely emerge over the life of the Strategic Plan rather than in the immediate future.

5. Re-focus or reframe some of the School’s research around the theme of “social license“.

Response: The Joint Faculty Council (JFC) engaged in extensive collegial discussions to identify our three strategic research clusters, and concluded that to change or add another dimension is not practical at this time. The faculty has worked hard to bring our research clusters alive and the three clusters are critical to the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan with resources being expended to support this direction. If the clusters decide to go in this direction, we think this best occurs as an organic process in which the issue itself emerges from the work of the clusters rather than being imposed upon it. We are however aware that there is a role for leadership and a great deal of interest in this particular subject. We will be responding to this by hosting a JSGS Deputy Minister Panel on social license in the fall and publishing several JSGS Policy Briefs in the area. We will ensure a discussion on this recommendation does occur in the fall JFC meeting and at the upcoming meeting of the governance research cluster in order to explore the possibilities of a “cross-cluster” initiative on this issue.

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Organization and Governance

1. Establish an advisory council, as envisaged in the original MOU for the JSGS.

Response: This has been done and the first advisory council meeting will occur in fall 2016.

2. Prioritize the objectives identified in the most recent Strategic Plan 2016-2020, assign leads and set milestones. Undertake regular reviews of progress.

Response: This is a high priority and work on this has already begun. The External Review Report has been extremely helpful in identifying priorities. Milestones will require metrics (see next recommendation), which will be available by the end of the year. The first annual report toward progress will be presented to the JFC in April 2017.

3. Establish metrics to measure performance of at least the most important strategic plan objectives (priorities), where possible and appropriate.

Response: Work on this had begun and metrics should be finalized by December 2016.

4. Review current organizational structure and administrative budgets to ensure staff and resources are aligned with strategic priorities.

Response: This is a medium term goal with work currently underway at both campuses. While some staff restructuring has occurred we continue to work towards aligning administrative budgets with the JSGS 2016-2020 strategic plan. In addition, work on the Executive Education organizational structure will be on-going for the next several years as we are set targets and measure performance. Work on aligning the staff roles at the centres with the School is ongoing at the U of S campus with support from the U of S “people planning” initiative.

5. Establish and communicate a Student/Alumni Engagement Strategy to ensure effective, two-way communication and feedback.

Response: The Student Experience Officer, Communications and Marketing Specialist, and the Community Engagement Coordinator will be tasked with this at the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year.

6. Establish formal mentorship opportunities between junior and senior faculty (this complements recommendation #2 below under Research).

Response: While informal mentoring at the School is an established practice, this recommendation has a great deal of value and we will consider designing and implementing a mentorship program over the short term and in consultation with the faculty.

Academic and Educational Activities

1. Identify the academic and educational activities that are essential to the School’s continued success; and those that might be trimmed or eliminated.

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Response: On the academic side, over the last several years the School has been symmetrically evaluating all of its academic programs with the MPA/MPP/PhD reviews completed and the MIT/MHA scheduled for this coming academic year. The completed reviews have resulted in significant curriculum changes that further enhanced the high quality of these programs. Once the MHA and MIT reviews are done we will be able to better evaluate the appropriate actions, which will be a longer term process.

The two most significant priorities over the next year involve offering the JSGS suite of Master Certificates (MCerts) at both campuses and putting core MPA courses online. MCerts have proven to be an important mid-career entry option and attract public servants to the MPA program. The courses that comprise the MCerts are all core to the MPA program, thus students are able to ladder from the Certificates right into the MPA. In tandem with introducing MCert programs at the U of S campus, offering the MPA (and thereby all of the MCerts) online will open up our markets both nationally and internationally. With trends in online education showing significant growth combined with our existing experiences in offering the MHA program online, expanding the MPA delivery method will provide existing new opportunities for growing our student numbers, increasing tuition revenue and further building our reputational capital.

On educational activities, the Student Experience Officer will be developing a schedule of more focused events that complement the core attributes and competencies for JSGS students. We are also sponsoring thesis-based students to attend national conferences, expand volunteer opportunities, and create an international student society to provide peer-to-peer mentoring.

2. In the absence of pursuing a joint degree (see #1 above in Mission and Vision) consolidate programming by campus in either the U of R or the U of S. Or, in line with observed programmatic preferences, ensure that each program has a suitable balance across degrees.

Response: As noted above we intend to pursue the joint degree option as a high priority so this recommendation is moot. However, we note that program consolidation along the lines suggested would violate the first principle of the JSGS Principles document on Program Consistency and Integrity, which states: “The School’s two campuses will offer the same core programs with the same content and requirements. Initially, these core programs are as follows: Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Other programs, that may be specific to one or the other campus, will be agreed to by the entire School.” The JFC has voiced support for balance across the MPA, MPP and PhD programs and works is occurring through the Grad Chairs and the Joint Admissions and Scholarships Committee (JASC) on achieving this medium-term goal.

3. Expand enrollment in the MPA, MPP, Ph.D., MHA, and MIT programs only to the extent that there is a comparable expansion in faculty resources.

Response: We agree. The 2015-2020 Strategic Enrolment Plan provides some guidance on our enrolment numbers and potential areas for recruitment; however, more effective indicators and

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reporting are required for effective enrolment management. This year the Grad Chairs and the JASC will develop a plan to create benchmarks for the enrolment plan and targets for the JSGS Strategic Plan. These benchmarks and targets will be aligned with university enrolment plans and will provide the basis for staffing rationales.

4. Explore accreditation by NASPAA at the earliest feasible opportunity.

Response: This is certainly a medium-term priority for the School closely linked to our goal of increasing our international profile and faculty members have been involved in these discussions over the past several years. In 2017-18, in consultation with the JFC, we will create a working group to begin exploring the NASPAA accreditation.

5. Expand the internship program to the extent that is consistent with maintaining high quality placements and applicants.

Response: The School is continually focused on balancing the growth of the internship program with the quality of placements. Last year was the largest placement of interns in the program’s history but despite this some students were not placed. However, our partners’ expectation of the quality of the interns is critical to the program’s success and needs to be carefully balanced against the goal of program expansion. While incremental growth may occur over time, the focus on simple growth in numbers is not a priority. Our focus will be on expanding the range and diversity of opportunities, especially for international internships.

6. Match advertised degree completion times to actual completion times.

Response: Agreed. We recognize that transparency about reasonable completion time is an important component of the integrity of our programs. We also accept that the expectation for completion times in our research degrees has been over-optimistic and we will adjust them at once. However, we note that advertised completion times for the MPA remain valid and that we will continue to strive to move students through to graduation as quickly as is feasible given the structure and educational objectives of their program.

7. Review the MIT program in terms of the School’s mission, vision, goals and resources.

Response: A full MIT program review is being conducted in the winter 2017 semester and will provide a report and recommendations to JFC in April 2017.

8. Ensure that O&T programs fulfill their joint goals of educating/training, while also producing revenue for broader JSGS purposes.

Response: Executive Education is currently being restructured with an investment in new policy workshops for Indigenous community members, board governance training, and new Executive Leadership content.

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RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

1. Assess and monitor imbalances in research activities between the two institutions, and to the extent possible, take measures to ensure greater equity.

Response: Equity across the whole School is a fundamental principle of JSGS and, we believe, a critical component of the success of the School recognized by the reviewers. The challenge in this instance, as noted in the Report [20], stems from the current imbalance between the proportions of senior and junior faculty at the U of R and the U of S. Senior faculty are more likely to be principal investigators on research grants, more likely to be asked to collaborate on major research initiatives, and more likely to have teaching loads that accommodate more intensive research and scholarly activity. In the short term, a greater emphasis on mentoring, on providing appropriate teaching loads for junior faculty who demonstrate a commitment to research excellence, and the use of the research clusters to encourage research collaboration between faculty members across the School are vehicles to improve equity. In the longer term, however, the basic structural imbalance of age and seniority needs to be addressed. If it is not, the inequity will simply flip over in about a decade or so, with faculty at the U of S being overwhelmingly junior and those at the U of R more senior. In this respect, the very welcome decision at the U of R to award the School a Tier1 CRC in energy policy and the new hirings at the U of S, created by the research affiliations with the Fedoruk Centre and Global Institute on Food Security, are both helpful. In light of our strategic priority of pursuing research collaborations with other research centres and in connection with major national research initiatives, we recognize the need to develop a School faculty renewal plan in consultation with the faculty and HR at both campuses. The plan will include criteria for allocating new hirings in an equitable way. While it is a high priority, given the current success at attracting new funding for positions, this is a medium to long term initiative.

2. Develop a more formal research mentoring program between senior and junior faculty.

Response: See Governance and Organization recommendation #6.

3. Establish “mini-strategic plans” for each of the research clusters to publish research results in at least three of the top ten journals.

Response: See response to Mission and Vision recommendation #3.

4. Cultivate the international dimension of what might appear as “local” policy issues, such as indigenous policy and some science-based areas.

Response: Given our focus on developing and supporting the research clusters, this suggestion will go forward to the clusters leads for consideration.

5. Consider a “horizontal” policy focus that might cut across the three research clusters: social license

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Response: See Mission and Vision recommendation #5.

PARTNERSHIPS

1. Prioritize the recruitment and placement of indigenous students in internships.

Response: There are two parts to this recommendation and we will deal with each in turn. The first is prioritizing the recruitment and placement of Indigenous student internships – generally. The other is prioritizing the recruitment and placement of Indigenous student internships in the Government of Saskatchewan. Both are critical. Indigenous students in the School tend to have three main aspirations: academic, federal government and most significantly working in their communities. Currently the challenge is that we lack internship placements in Indigenous communities, so this is a placement issue, as opposed to a recruitment issue. To address this, the School, along with interested communities, will be putting together donor packages to seek external funding over the next year. On the flip side, the recruitment of Indigenous JSGS students interested in provincial government placements has been low, particularly among First Nations students. To address this lack of interest the School, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Public Service Commission, will be piloting an Indigenous Internship program this year. The program will be resourced from JSGS Executive Education revenues, with the Government of Saskatchewan willing to invest in 15 internship placements ($375,000) across ministries. The program will be open to all Indigenous Master students from across the colleges and faculties of both Universities.

2. Increase the number of high quality internship placements for its students.

Response: See Academic and Educational Activities Recommendation #5.

3. Continue to enhance relations with the Government of Saskatchewan through faculty-practitioner exchanges.

Response: Our relationship with the Government of Saskatchewan is one of our most important partnerships and we will continue the long standing faculty-practitioner model adopted in executive and governance training

4. Continue indigenization efforts, especially at the University of Saskatchewan [campus].

Response: Indigenization is a major priority of both the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan and is an overarching goal in the JSGS Strategic Plan 2016-2020. Indigenization will be a long term goal and will require considerable time spent building relationships and learning. Beyond the institutional necessities including the recruitment of indigenous faculty and staff, attracting high quality indigenous students, the indigenization of curriculum, the training of existing faculty, and the indigenization of space, one of the most significant aspects of the process will be the community-based co-design of further program offerings. The School is currently engaged in this partnership development through our governance program offerings

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and a new executive education series. In addition, renewing our relationship with the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development and the new affiliation with the Indigenous Peoples Health Research Centre (IPHRC) will provide greater mentoring and supervisory capacity, along with new community-based research opportunities. This new affiliation will also provide the School with a great opportunity to build relationships with indigenous faculty members from across both campuses and the First Nations University of Canada.

We will be making a concerted effort to increase the number of community engagement activities at the JSGS U of S campus including a Living Heritage Event focused on reconciliation through storytelling, an indigenous science panel, and targeted indigenous faculty recruitment. In addition, the new IPHRC capacity at the U of S campus will also help to build greater campus collaboration with U of S colleagues. Still, these are only actions toward the larger goals described above.

A special working committee has been established for the 2016-2017 academic year to develop a JSGS Indigenization Plan. The committee will be chaired by the Executive Director with representation from the faculty, students and staff.

5. Make targeted efforts to develop additional ties with international institutions, particularly in central research areas.

Response: This is a high priority of the School and overarching goals of our Strategic Plan 2016-2020. Work with international partners is in the early stages of development and we have a long way to go. The internationalization of JSGS, which is a major cross-cutting strategic direction, is a long-term goal that will develop incrementally through the JSGS faculty’s collaborative research relationships, students’ preference and ambitions, and through the creation of school to school partnerships. Preliminary work is occurring with the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, China and the United States (see also response to Mission and Vision recommendation # 4).

6. Establish an alumni board.

Response: An alumni association has been established and the group will be working on terms of reference, a number of alumni events, and a scholarship fund. The inaugural president of the JSGS Alumni Association will be Laura WiIlcocks (JSGS Alumni 2013). Over the next year, the association will be working with the Student Experience Officer to reach out to the various informal alumni chapters in Calgary, Ottawa, Victoria, Edmonton and Vancouver.

7. Establish an advisory council.

Response: See response to Organization and Governance recommendation #1

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Implementation Plan 2016-2020

Recommendation Complexity Timelines

Low Medium High Short-term

Mid Term

Long Term

Mission and Vision 1. Develop a joint degree structure for the School’s programs (see recommendation #2 under Academic and Educational Activities).

2. Develop a single admissions process to the JSGS.

3. Draft a focused plan to have research published in leading international journals.

4. Develop a strong relationship with a sister school (possibly in Australia) around student exchanges and study abroad options, buttressed with a joint interest across the two institutions in indigenous issues.

5. Re-focus or reframe some of the School’s research around the theme of “social license“. The public understanding of science, and the challenges of public engagement around science-based policies, might be a key niche for JSGS that would serve both the province and the nation, but also be relevant to an international audience of researchers and practitioners wrestling with the same generic challenges, whatever the location or the specific technology in question.

Organization and Governance 1. Establish an advisory council, as envisaged in the original MOU for JSGS, to provide external perspectives to help support achievement of strategic priorities (this complements recommendation #7 below under Partnerships).

2. Prioritize the objectives identified in the most recent Strategic Plan 2016-2020, assign leads and set milestones. Undertake regular reviews of progress.

3. Establish metrics to measure performance of at least the most important strategic plan objectives (priorities), where possible and appropriate.

4. Review current organizational structure and administrative budgets to ensure staff

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and resources are aligned with strategic priorities. 5. Establish and communicate a Student/Alumni engagement strategy to ensure effective, two-way communication and feedback.

6. Establish formal mentorship opportunities between junior and senior faculty (this complements recommendation #2 below under Research Activities).

Academic and Educational Activities 1. Identify the academic and educational activities that are essential to the School’s continued success, and those that might be trimmed or eliminated (or, alternatively, how new human and financial resources might be identified to maintain and enhance them).

2. In the absence of pursuing a joint degree (see #1 above in Mission and Vision), then if JSGS is interested in maximizing the quality of its degree programs, it might consider consolidating each program in either the U of R or the U of S. Or, in line with observed programmatic preferences, ensure that each program has a suitable balance across degrees.

3. Expand enrollment in the MPA, MPP, Ph.D., MHA, and MIT (but see #7 immediately below) programs only to the extent that there is a comparable expansion in faculty resources.

4. Explore accreditation by NASPAA at the earliest feasible opportunity. 5. Expand the internship program to the extent this is consistent with maintaining high quality placements and applicants.

6. Match advertised degree completion times to actual completion times.

7. Review the MIT program in terms of the School’s mission, vision, goals and resources.

8. Ensure that Outreach and Training programs fulfill their joint goals of educating/training public and private individuals and institutions, while also producing revenue for broader JSGS purposes.

Research Activities 1. Asses and monitor imbalances in research activities between the two institutions, and to the extent possible, take measures to

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ensure greater equity. 2. Develop a more formal research mentoring program between senior and junior faculty (this complements recommendation #6 above under Organization and Governance).

3. Establish “mini-strategic plans” for each of the research clusters to publish research results in at least three of the top ten journals.

4. Cultivate the international dimension of what might appear as “local” policy issues, such as indigenous policy and some science-based areas.

5. Consider a “horizontal” policy focus that might cut across the three research clusters: social license and the challenges of public engagement in “wicked” problems. Given the state of the world, this is definitely a growth industry.

Partnerships 1. Prioritize the recruitment and placement of indigenous students in internships.

2. Increase the number of high quality internship placements for its students. 3. Continue to enhance relations with the Government of Saskatchewan through faculty-practitioner exchanges.

4. Continue indigenization efforts, especially at the University of Saskatchewan. 5. Make targeted efforts to develop additional ties with international institutions, particularly in central research areas.

6. Establish an alumni board. 7. Establish an advisory council (this complements recommendation #1 under Organization and Governance).

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Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy – DRAFT V5 Page 1 of 11

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Student Affairs

Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy

Number: TBD

Audience: Faculty, Staff, Students, and external Post-secondary Institutions

Issued: TBD – on passing of motion at Senate

Last revised: N/A

Owner: Registrar

Approved by: Senate

Contact: Registrar – [email protected]

Introduction

Transfer credit refers to the recognition of the successful completion of post-secondary

credits taken at other recognized post-secondary institutions. Transfer credit may be

awarded on the basis of the evaluation of a course (course by course), a series of courses

(two or more courses equivalent to one course), or a block of courses (a group of courses

equivalent to a specified number of credit hours).

The University of Regina will guarantee the award of transfer credit at the undergraduate

level for courses that are deemed to be at the university level from all eligible institutions.

Transfer credit awards will only be applied to a student’s chosen program if they meet the

minimum transfer grade point average (GPA) and grade requirements of the Faculty or

Academic Unit and only to the maximum credit hours allowable under the published

regulations for admission and/or degree completion. Students must complete the residency

requirements of their chosen program.

Definitions

Articulation Agreement – A signed agreement between the U of R and another

institution(s) that specifies the amount of credits granted for prior studies at the

partner institution(s) and the number of credit hours required to complete a U of R

credential. These Agreements can also be between professional organizations and the U of R. Articulation Agreements can be one-way or reciprocal.

Block Transfer - Refers to a form of transfer credit. Credit is awarded by the U of R

on the basis of total hours or credits completed, rather than for individual courses.

Students are then admitted to a specific point of a U of R program. A block transfer

arrangement is normally formalized through an Articulation Agreement.

Course Outline – A document that normally includes information about the content

of a course, the learning objectives, learning outcomes, assessment methods, textbooks and other learning materials, and instructor credentials.


Credit Hours – The unit used for measuring educational credit, usually based on the

number of classroom hours per week throughout a term. Students are awarded

credit for classes on the basis of the Carnegie unit. This defines a semester unit of

credit as equal to a minimum of three hours of work per week for a term.

GPA – A grade point average (GPA) is an average of numeric grades, adjusted

for variations in the credit hours that are assigned to the courses in which

the average is based. GPAs are calculated at the U of R for each term (Term

GPA – TGPA), , for a student’s program (Program GPA – PGPA), and for a student’s

whole academic record (Undergraduate GPA – UGPA, and Cumulative GPA – CGPA).

Program – A prescribed set of courses and other completion requirements that lead

to the award of a credential. Programs normally take the form of a certificate, a diploma, or a degree.

Residency – The required number of credit hours a student must successfully complete at the University of Regina to be awarded their chosen credential.

Transfer Credit – The recognition of the successful completion of post-secondary

credits taken at other recognized post-secondary institutions or approved organizations.

Transfer Credit Map - A document which lists the courses students completed, and

how each transfers from other institutions. It can be created for student use or for developing articulation agreements and transfer pathways.

Transfer Credit Statement – A document issued by the U of R to a student which

lists the total transfer credit awarded or denied as well as the total transfer credit

that has been applied to the student’s chosen program. The transfer credit statement is normally issued with an offer of admission.

Triangulation – The formal recognition of either an institution or a course based on

the decision to recognize such by another recognized institution who is a member of

Colleges and Institutes Canada, Universities Canada, a recognized international

credential assessment service, or a provincial council/committee that oversees transfer credit (i.e.; Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer).

Policy

Transfer Credit Eligibility

To be eligible for transfer credit consideration, coursework must be taken at a post-

secondary institution where one or more of the following conditions are satisfied.

A Canadian institution that is a member of Colleges and Institutes Canada or

Universities Canada.

An institution from the USA that is a member of a regional accreditation body as

recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).


An institution outside of Canada or the USA that has been approved by its home

country's Ministry of Education as determined by the Enrolment Services Admissions

Unit or; the UR International's Admissions Unit or; by the Registrar or; by a qualified

international qualifications assessment service.

Courses taken at a Quebec CGEP beyond the minimum 12 courses (excluding

Physical Education) required for admission.

A Bible College, Theological College, or Seminary that is a member of Universities

Canada, affiliated with a Universities Canada member institution, or accredited by

the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) or the Association of Theological

Schools (ATS). Note: This category of institution is eligible for undergraduate general

studies courses only. Credit will not be awarded for courses in theology or ministerial

preparation.

Other recognized coursework includes:

some courses through the College Board's Advanced Placement examinations;

some courses through the International Baccalaureate program; and

some courses through the Cambridge International A Level program.

Recognition of Credit Hours

The recognition of credit hours for a U of R course should be the same as the credit hours

presented. In some cases, the recognition of credit hours may be less than what is

presented. For example, it may be determined that the combination of two 3 credit hour

courses are equivalent to one 3 credit hour course at the U of R.

The Application of Transfer Credit to a Student Record

Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements of the program to which they

are applying. Awarded transfer credit will only be applied to a student’s program if:

the transfer course meets the minimum grade requirement of the Faculty or

Academic Unit and;

the transfer course fits the published regulations of the student’s chosen program.

Specified and Unspecified Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is awarded as closely as possible to specific U of R courses. When an exact

or close U of R equivalent does not exist, unspecified transfer credit is awarded as closely as

possible to the subject and level of the course (1XX, 2XX, etc.). Unspecified credit can also

be elective credit (ELEC).


Program Transfers and the Application of Transfer Credit

The transfer from one program to another will result in a reassessment of the application of

awarded transfer credits. The total transfer credit applied may stay the same, increase, or

decrease depending on the applicability of awarded transfer credit to the regulations of the

chosen program of transfer.

Minimum GPA and Grade for the Award of Transfer Credit

Unless otherwise specified in the faculty/academic unit regulations, or in the program

regulations of the student’s chosen program, the minimum GPA requirement for transfer

credit consideration for courses completed at eligible institutions is 60%. This aligns with

the University of Regina’s requirement for academic progression.

The transfer GPA of a student will be calculated in consideration of all previous post-

secondary courses that have been completed and/or attempted. Students must also meet

the minimum grade requirement of their faculty/academic unit in each transfer course for

transfer credit consideration. Failing grades will be used in the calculation of the transfer

GPA but will not be considered for the award of transfer credit.

Student's

Faculty/Academic Unit

Minimum

grade

considered for

transfer credit

U.S. post-

secondary

equivalent grade

Arts 50% C- (1.7 GPA)

Business Administration 60% C (2.0 GPA)

Centre for Continuing

Education 50% C- (1.7 GPA)

Education 60% C (2.0 GPA)

Engineering & Applied

Science 60% C (2.0 GPA)

Kinesiology & Health

Studies 60% C (2.0 GPA)

La Cité universitaire

francophone 50 % C- (1.7 GPA)

Media, Art, & Performance 60% C (2.0 GPA)

Nursing 60% C (2.0 GPA)

Science 60% C (2.0 GPA)

Social Work 50% C- (1.7 GPA)

Grade Conversions

The University of Regina reserves the right to convert incoming grades that are not in a

percentage to a percentage for the purposes of determining the eligibility, award, and

applicability of transfer credit. Where grade ranges are used by the sending institution in


the award of a grade (i.e.; A+ = 94% to 100%), a mid range of the scale will be used (i.e.;

97% for this example).

Percentage grades may also be converted when it is determined that the scales from the

sending institution are dramatically different than what is used at the U of R (i.e.; grades

from other countries).

Failure to Declare Attendance at another Post-secondary Institution

Transfer credit will not be awarded if a student fails to declare their attendance at another

institution on their application to the U of R. Such failure to declare may result in the

cancellation of the student’s application, withdrawal of an offer of admission, or an academic

or non-academic misconduct penalty. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that any

individual or agency applying on their behalf declares all previous post-secondary

educational institutions attended.

Fraudulent Transcripts

The U of R reserves the right to confirm that any transcript submitted is authentic and/or

has been sent from the sending institution.

Transfer credit will not be awarded and/or revoked if it is determined the student has

presented a transcript or document that misrepresents or has altered their academic

history. The presentation of fraudulent documents and transcripts may result in the

cancellation of the student’s application, withdrawal of an offer of admission, or an academic

or non-academic misconduct penalty. The University reserves the right to report the

submission of fraudulent documents and transcripts to the appropriate law enforcement

agency.

Any applicant who presents a fraudulent document in support of an application for

admission will be identified to other Canadian universities and colleges.

Official Transcripts and Transfer Credit

Students must arrange for the submission of an official transcript from their attended

institution(s). A transcript is considered official when it has been sent directly to the U of R

Admission’s Office or Registrar’s Office from an institution in a sealed envelope. Some

forms of electronic submission made directly from the sending institution may be accepted

on the approval of the Registrar.

Exception:

It may be difficult to obtain multiple copies of transcripts from some institutions

outside of Canada (transcripts from schools in Ukraine, for example). In these

cases, the University will accept a photo copy of the transcript from the student

provided that it is presented to a University Official along with the original and that


the photocopy is notarized by a Notary Public as a true and accurate copy of the

original.

Translation to English

Transcripts in a language other than English or French, must be translated to English by a

certified translator at the student’s expense.

Course Outlines and Transfer Credit

Course outlines are required for courses that have not been previously evaluated by the U

of R, for courses that have undergone substantial changes since last being evaluated, or for

courses that have been evaluated more than 10 years previous. Students will be notified of

what course outlines are required. It is the student’s responsibility to have the appropriate

course outlines sent to the U of R. A course(s) will not be evaluated until receipt of the

course outline.

Course outlines in a language other than English or French, must be translated by a certified

translator at the student’s expense.

Course outlines must include:

Course title

Course number

Course description

Information about how a student is evaluated

Information about the textbook and other materials used for the course

The U of R may also request that the student submit information about the instructor’s

credentials if needed.

Stale Dating

The practice of stale dating ensures current knowledge and applicability of course work.

The U of R will not recognize course work that is determined to be out of date.

Faculties/Academic Units reserve the right to determine their own stale dating practice.

Triangulation

Whenever possible, triangulation will be used to determine an institution’s eligibility for

transfer credit consideration. Triangulation may also be used to determine the award of

specified or unspecified transfer credit.

A decision to recognize an institution through triangulation does not guarantee the

recognition of courses and credit hours from that institution.


Formal Agreements

Formal transfer credit agreements, also known as an articulation agreement, is normally

based on the recognition of block transfer but may also be made on the recognition of a

course or a series of courses.

A Faculty or Academic Unit that is entering into a formalized agreement with a partner

institution must use the U of R approved templates.

Transfer Credit Appeals

Appeals on the awarding of transfer credit, the denial of transfer credit, and/or the

applicability of transfer credit to a student’s chosen program can be made to the Registrar.

The student must submit a rationale as to why the transfer credit should be considered for

review (see Process for more detail). Courses that have not been successfully completed,

do not meet the minimum grade requirement of the academic area, or have been completed

at an institution deemed not be eligible will not be considered for appeal.

The Registrar will coordinate a review of the transfer credit appeal with the following

individuals:

The Dean of the Faculty or the Director of the Academic Unit and;

The Department Head or Program Chair or Associate Dean (Academic), as relevant;

and

One faculty member from the subject area of appeal.

The Registrar will Chair the review. Decisions of the review committee are final.

Roles and Responsibilities

Registrar’s Office/Admissions/UR International

Determines institution eligibility.

Coordinates the student application process including the collection of student

transcript information.

Investigates the submission of fraudulent documents or transcripts and initiates the

formal academic or non-academic misconduct procedures.

Maintains formal agreement templates.

Approves the submission of an electronic transcript as official, or not.

Registrar’s Office

Maintains transfer credit policies, procedures, and processes.

Interprets transfer credit policy.

Coordinates the transfer credit appeal process.


Faculties/Academic Units

Make transfer credit decisions.

Notify students on transfer credit award and the applicability of transfer credit to the

student’s chosen program.

Coordinates the review of transfer credit including the collection of course outlines.

Participate in the review of appeals.

Consequences for Noncompliance

A student’s failure to declare prior post-secondary education experiences or the submission

of fraudulent documents or transcripts, may result in the cancellation of the student’s

application, withdrawal of an offer of admission, or an academic or non-academic

misconduct penalty.

Faculty members, Department Heads, Program Chairs, and Associate Deans are required to

fairly and equitably apply this policy to all student requests for transfer credit assessment

and consideration. Failure to do so could result in increased cost of tuition for students and

increased costs to the University in the review of appeals of transfer credit.

Faculties and Academic Units who do not use the approved templates when entering into

formalized agreement with a partner institution increase risk and potential legal liability to

the U of R.

Processes

How to Apply for Transfer Credit and the Transfer Credit Process

New Students

1. Fill out the Application for Admission Form and pay the application fee.

2. Request one official transcript from each post-secondary institution you have

attended be sent to the University of Regina.

3. The appropriate Admissions Office or the Registrar’s Office determines eligibility of

the institution the transcript is from and forwards all eligible transcripts to the faculty

or academic unit for review.

4. The faculty or academic unit reviews the transcripts sent from the Admissions Office

and decides what, if any, classes can be awarded transfer credit and applied to a

student’s program. Students may be required to supply course outlines if asked to do

so by the faculty, department, or college. University calendars and other

documentation may also be requested.

5. Once the faculty, department, or college has determined the credit to be awarded

and applied to a student’s program, an advisor fills out a transfer credit evaluation

form and forwards it the Registrar's Office for processing.

6. The Registrar's Office checks all information to make sure it is correct and then adds

the information to each student's record.

https://urconnected.uregina.ca/apply/readmittransfer.ezc


7. The Faculty or College sends a copy of the transfer credit evaluation to the student.

Admitted Students – Letter of Permission

Current University of Regina students may be eligible to take courses from another post-

secondary institution with permission from their faculty or college. Please check with your

faculty or college for the specific process to follow.

1. Obtain permission from your faculty or college and submit the Letter of Permission

they issue to you to the institution where you will be taking the course(s).

2. The faculty or college will register the student in a Letter of Permission course on the

student system.

3. When the course has been completed, send one official transcript directly to the

University of Regina.

4. The Registrar’s Office will review the transcript and the Letter of Permission to

ensure the approved course(s) were completed and determine whether the minimum

grade required was achieved. Eligible transfer credit information will be added to the student’s record and the Letter of Permission course will be given a grade of MC.

Process for Appeal of Transfer Credit

A student may appeal the award or the application of transfer credit to their chosen

program. Appeals on the recognition of an institution or on the denial of transfer credit on

courses with failing grades or for courses that do not meet the minimum grade standard of

the faculty, academic unit, or the student’s chosen program will not be considered.

The student must submit their appeal in writing (by letter or by email) and include the

following information:

1. Name, student id number, and U of R email address.

2. Faculty or academic unit and program of study.

3. The reason why the transfer credit award or application of the transfer credit should

be reconsidered.

4. Any other pertinent information that the student believes the Transfer Credit Appeals

Committee should consider.

Students may send their appeal by email to [email protected], hand deliver their appeal

to the Registrar’s Office in the Administrative and Humanities Building room AH 210, or

send their appeal by mail to:

Registrar

AH210

3737 Wascana Pkwy

Regina, SK S4S 0A2

mailto:[email protected]


Upon receipt of the appeal, the Registrar will review. On completion of the review the

Registrar may:

1. request more information from the student; or

2. decline to proceed; or

3. proceed.

Students will be notified of the Registrar’s decision via their U of R email account.

If the Registrar has decided to proceed with the appeal, a meeting will be coordinated within

30 days of receipt of the appeal with the following individuals from the subject area of the

appeal:

The Dean of the Faculty or the Director of the Academic Unit and;

The Department Head or Program Chair or Associate Dean (Academic), as relevant;

and

One faculty member from the subject area of appeal.

All decisions of the transfer credit review committee shall be final. Students will be notified

via their U of R email account of the committee’s decision.

Formal Agreement Process

Faculties/Academic Units submit a proposed agreement to the Registrar on the approved

templates for initial review.

The Registrar reviews the template and advises of any changes that may be required.

The agreement is signed by:

The University of Regina Dean of the Faculty or Director of the Academic Unit

and;

The University of Regina Provost and;

The Dean or Director of partner institution and;

The Provost or most senior academic officer of partner institution.

The Registrar’s Office receives a copy of the signed agreement. The information within the

agreement is entered into the appropriate data base as required.

The Registrar’s Office initiates a formal communication with the faculty or academic unit

about 12 months prior to the expiration of an agreement so that the agreement can

undergo a review and renewal if necessary.


Related Information

A list of documents that contain pertinent, related information (acts, regulations, other

policies, strategies, procedures, forms, etc.)

Transfer Credit Agreement Template (Finalize and Insert link)

Undergraduate Calendar (Insert Link)

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