U of A for Tomorrow Updates: September 17, 2020
17 September 2020
The two branches of University of Alberta for Tomorrow—Academic Restructuring and the administrative restructuring component, Service Excellence Transformation—have continued to progress quickly as the Fall 2020 semester has gotten underway. Over the next handful of weeks, you can expect to see:
- Scenarios for faculty restructuring put forward for consultation
- More detail about a new administrative operating model
- Ongoing community consultations, including the next town hall on September 30
Here’s an overview of the updates you need to know about for the week of September 17, 2020:
Staff Advisory Team Announced
Created in response to important feedback that staff must have a strong voice throughout this transformation, the new Staff Advisory Team will provide critical insight as the U of A moves through academic and administrative restructuring. The team includes staff representatives from all faculties and major academic support units, as well as broad representation across job levels, employee categories, and equity-seeking groups.
SET Organizational Framework
The Service Excellence Steering Committee (SESC) and the SET Program Office have been exploring frameworks for a new administrative operating model, ranging from centralizing all administrative services at one end of the spectrum to full decentralization on the other end. The SESC has endorsed a blended, hybrid framework as best fitting the university’s needs.
Information on Consultations
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external community members are encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback, and suggest ideas and alternatives throughout the development and implementation of academic and administrative restructuring plans.
The next town hall will be held on:
1 pm - 2 pm.
U of A for Tomorrow Goals
With fundamental systemic reform, we can set a bold new direction for the university of tomorrow. We can strengthen our core teaching, research, and community engagement mission and enrich student experience, while addressing the current funding crisis. Together, we can renew and grow U of A’s global leadership in higher education and research and drive even greater social and economic growth, innovation, and creativity for the public good of the province and beyond.
Transformation: Why Now?
We are at a critical turning point. We face an anticipated 33% cut ($216M) to the U of A’s Government of Alberta grant over 3 years. The scale and speed at which we must respond is unlike that faced by any other institution. If we do not act now, the U of A will be a diminished university with a significantly reduced ability to contribute to economic growth and to the advancement of the public good in Alberta and beyond.
We will continue to share regular updates throughout the fall and winter as U of A for Tomorrow progresses.