Academic Health Sciences Project

The Council of Health Science Deans will soon have a new chair. Starting July 1, Dean of the College of Medicine Dr. William Albritton will fill this role. Dr. Gerry Uswak, dean of the College of Dentistry will assume the role past-president and Dr. Lorna Butler, dean of the College of Nursing, will take on the position of vice-chair.

In January of this year, University Provost and VP Academics approved the White Paper on Health Sciences Governance submitted by the Health Science Deans Committee. The report outlines the new organizational model for Academic Health Sciences along with goals and objectives that the council members will oversee in the upcoming years. Of most importance is the formation of the Council of Health Science Deans (CHSD) replacing the Health Science Deans’ Committee. Membership includes the Provost and VP Academics and the six deans from the health sciences colleges.

The new governance model will support the priorities of the university’s second integrated plan by improving student experience, enhancing the profile in research, scholarly and artistic work, and openly working together across unit and institutional boundaries.

Over the next integrated planning cycle, the council will direct health sciences in:
• Interdisciplinary teaching and learning
• Interprofessional Health Research and Innovation
• Co-Managed Common Health Sciences Resources
In addition, the council will strive to be effective, efficient and inclusive and move forward the vision and mission of health sciences. They will set strategic direction and policy with respect to interprofessional curricula, research and service and achieve the priority outcomes of the Academic Health Sciences project. Health disciplines face different challenges and have different stakeholders, and as such not all areas will be appropriate for collaboration. There is a need to preserve the identity of the disciplines and links to the respective professional bodies and professionals. There are distinct accreditation requirements to ensure that each health science program is of the highest quality. Colleges will maintain administrative autonomy of curricula and academic matters, control a significant portion of resources to deliver individual programs, provide continuing education beyond the degree and determine graduate programming and research focus.

For a copy of the White Paper on Health Sciences Governance, please contact Annette Horvath, Communications Specialist for the Academic Health Sciences project.

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Building for the future

The Academic Health Sciences project is the largest capital building project in the history of the University of Saskatchewan. When complete, the facility will be a leading multidisciplinary, integrated facility, meeting the needs of all academic health sciences including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and nutrition, kinesiology, and veterinary medicine for teaching, administration and research. The University of Saskatchewan is unique in having the broadest array of health sciences programs in Canada. This provides a strong foundation for undergraduate and graduate programming. In addition, our faculty and students have access to the Canadian Light Source, Canada’s only synchrotron and VIDO (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization), a world leader in the research and development of vaccine and immunity-enhancing technologies for humans and animals.

The Academic Health Sciences Project is an important investment in health care services for the Province of Saskatchewan. It will allow the university to be a leader in advancing health locally, nationally and globally. The facility will house a diverse group of faculty, researchers and graduate students committed to life and health science discovery. The building’s design and function will provide an environment that will stimulate and enhance learning, research and working experiences. Student space will include large classrooms, small meeting rooms, social spaces and state-of-the-art technology. Open concept labs and shared space will allow for collaborative research that will lead to new understandings of human health. In addition, the E wing building will house an expanded Health Sciences Library and a Clinical Learning Resource Centre.

Design and function are important components of the buildings and many sustainable features will provide some savings in construction costs and future operating costs. A number of these components will include:
• water conserving plumbing fixtures
• the reverse osmosis water system currently used in the B wing will be expanded to D wing to provide purified water needed for specific lab experiments
• open labs in the D wing will minimize infrastructure and maximize flexibility
• millwork will be built with commonly used and locally available material
• fieldstone from the demolished Laundry Building and Medical Research Building will be reused
• air handling systems will be sized to reduce pressure drop and fan energy
• older refrigerators and freezers that contain CFC’s will be replaced with energy efficient appliances
• daylight and exterior views within office space and labs will be optimized
• installation of a highly reflective roof system will reduce the heat load on the building
• some building materials will contain recycled content and low-emitting volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
• the E wing will utilizing the existing pond by the Old Stone School House for storm water retention from its roof

As construction progresses on the D wing phase of the project, trades workers, equipment and noise levels will increase. Users of the Health Sciences Building will experience some disruption to their normal working environment; however their patience will be rewarded once the facility is complete. Construction of D wing is expected to be finished by late 2012, and E wing will go out for tender in late spring of 2009 with an anticipated start date in September 2009. Completion of this building is expected to be late 2013. Renovations to the existing health sciences A, B & C wings will be finished in 2015.

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