Memorandum of Understanding on Campus Saskatchewan

June 2002

1. PREAMBLE

Saskatchewan’s post-secondary institutions, the provincial government, and other agencies have identified common interests in expanding the use of technology enhanced learning. The partners have agreed that a collaborative approach to pursue shared goals and priorities will result in significant benefits for students, communities, workplaces, and the institutions. Campus Saskatchewan is being created to further a partnership model by promoting and supporting inter-institutional efforts where appropriate. These collaborative efforts will complement the individual institutions’ priorities and activities related to technology enhanced learning.

Technology enhanced learning means using a variety of information and communications technologies to provide flexible, high quality learning opportunities for both on and off-campus students. Technologies include, for example, the Internet and Web-based applications, video and audio conferencing, CD-ROMs, videotapes and interactive television. The use of technologies supports distributed learning where faculty and students can be located at different places and can interact at different times, enabling people to participate in education and training “anytime, anywhere”. Technology enhanced learning can be used to offer wholly “virtual” online opportunities, can be multi-mode, employing a combination of technologies, or can be integrated with traditional classroom instruction or independent study courses.

Goals

Four goals for working together to use technology in education have been identified by the post-secondary partners. Technology enhanced learning will assist the institutions in:

  • Developing and retaining students, graduates and faculty for a knowledge-based society;
  • Advancing education and training for people in rural and northern communities;
  • Enhancing First Nations and Métis education and training; and
  • Developing Saskatchewan’s intellectual capital.

Principles

The partners are guided by the following principles in working together to advance technology enhanced learning:

  • Co-operation in planning and setting priorities to ensure complementary programming, while respecting each partner’s separate mandate, roles and responsibilities;
  • Openness, transparency, equity, and accountability to identify and resolve issues;
  • Optimal sharing of knowledge, expertise and resources for the benefit of the whole province; and
  • Regular measuring and reporting of results by each institution and at the sector level, to build on the benefits and findings.

2. PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF CAMPUS SASKATCHEWAN

Purpose of Campus Saskatchewan:

The purpose of Campus Saskatchewan is to enhance collaboration among the province’s postsecondary institutions in the use of information and communication technologies to increase accessibility for students and to enhance the quality of programs and services.

Nature of the Partnership:

Campus Saskatchewan is a partnership, directed and managed by its members, to support the partners in developing and advancing inter-institutional initiatives to achieve shared goals and priorities for the use of technology enhanced learning. Institutions will maintain their mandates, responsibilities and authorities, while participating in any collaborative efforts through Campus Saskatchewan. Campus Saskatchewan is not a legal entity.

Priorities For Collaboration:

The members of Campus Saskatchewan agree to coordinate their efforts and collaborate to achieve the following:

  • Increase the availability of courses and programs using technology enhanced learning that respond to student demands and provincial economic and social needs;
  • Remove barriers to enable students to complete programs by taking courses, using technology enhanced learning and other alternative means, from more than one member institution within Campus Saskatchewan;
  • Enhance on-line and other technology enhanced learning services for students, including access to technology and technical services, advising and counseling, study supports, and library services;
  • Develop and maintain a shared Web site that provides information about members’ courses available in alternative formats and links to the members’ sites and services;
  • Develop and undertake inter-institutional initiatives to enhance faculty development and support in technology enhanced learning; and
  • Pursue cooperative arrangements with consortia or institutions in other jurisdictions that enhance or support the technology enhanced learning programs and services offered by the member institutions.

As Campus Saskatchewan evolves, and various initiatives are completed, the members may identify and implement new priorities.

3. MEMBERSHIP

The members of Campus Saskatchewan are:

  • University of Saskatchewan
  • University of Regina
  • Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST)
  • Regional Colleges (Carleton Trail, Cumberland, Cypress Hills, Northlands, Parkland,
  • Prairie West, North West, Southeast)
  • Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT)
  • Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC)
  • Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI) and Dumont Technical Institute (DTI)
  • Saskatchewan Learning (ex officio)

The existing members may invite new members to join Campus Saskatchewan and may establish different categories of membership (e.g. associated or affiliated members). The addition of new members and the establishment of different categories of membership require agreement among the existing members.

4. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Campus Saskatchewan will be governed and directed by a Management Board. The Management Board will be comprised of senior representatives from the University of Saskatchewan (two members), the University of Regina (two members), SIAST (two members), the Regional Colleges (two members), Saskatchewan Learning (one member), and one member from each of SIFC, SIIT and GDI/DTI. Members will be responsible for identifying their representative(s).

The responsibilities of the Management Board will include:

  • Lead development and implementation of inter-institutional policies, plans and initiatives that enable and support the partners in carrying out the functions of Campus Saskatchewan.
  • Oversee the operations of Campus Saskatchewan, including:
    • appoint sub-committees, working groups and advisory committees as required;
    • designate a host institution or agency to house Campus Saskatchewan;
    • recruit and appoint an executive director, who reports to the Board, to manage the operations of Campus Saskatchewan; and
    • establish and administer any other services required by Campus Saskatchewan.
  • Recommend to the department the allocation of technology enhanced learning funding to support Campus Saskatchewan operations, inter-institutional initiatives, and institutional priorities.

The Management Board will make decisions by consensus among the members. The Board will develop policies regarding decision making and the definition of consensus.

The Management Board will develop a policy for selection of the Chair and terms of office. The responsibilities of the Chair will include:

  • Ensure that meetings of the Management Board are convened as required;
  • Preside over Management Board meetings, ensuring agreed upon processes for decisionmaking are followed;
  • Represent Campus Saskatchewan in communications as necessary; and
  • Provide direction on behalf of the Management Board to the executive director of Campus Saskatchewan.

The Management Board will meet at times agreed to by the members, at least two times per year.

5. RESOURCES

The provincial government supports the operation of Campus Saskatchewan and interinstitutional efforts by providing annual financial support, subject to appropriation by the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. It is acknowledged that member institutions also may contribute resources to inter-institutional initiatives undertaken through Campus Saskatchewan.

6. TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reflects the current agreement of all the parties. The MOU may be amended only in a written document with each partner signifying agreement.

This Memorandum of Understanding takes effect upon signature of all parties as follows:

Dr. Michael Atkinson

  • Vice-President, Academic
  • University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Katherine Heinrich

  • Vice-President, Academic
  • University of Regina

Claude Naud

  • Vice-President, Programs
  • Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology

Robert Barber, CEO

  • Carlton Trail Regional College

Bryan Nylander, CEO

  • North West Regional College

Valerie Mushinski, CEO

  • Cumberland Regional College

Fay Meyers, CEO

  • Parkland Regional College

Neil Clarke, CEO

  • Cypress Hills Regional College

Bruce Probert, CEO

  • Prairie West Regional College

Bill McLaughlin, CEO

  • Northlands College

Art Whetsone, CEO

  • Southeast Regional College

Dr. Eber Hampton

  • President
  • Saskatchewan Indian Federated College

Calvin Racette

  • Executive Director
  • Dumont Technical Institute
  • Gabriel Dumont Institute

Joan Greyeyes

  • President
  • Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies

Craig Dotson, Deputy Minister

  • Saskatchewan Learning