Consultant Yves Pelletier found during his research earlier this year that University College of the North (UCN) had become “an internal-facing organization, developing programs and hoping that learners and employers come,” reported Dan Smith, vice-president of academic and research at UCN in a 17-page Academic and Research Division (ARD) Organizational Transition Plan, released Oct. 1, and billed as a “high level transition framework for reorganizing and revitalizing” the division. “This passive model,” Smith said, “was resulting in fewer and fewer students in regional centres, and fewer industry and community partnerships.”
Last March 19, Higher Education Strategy Associates of Toronto said in its Government of Manitoba: Manitoba College Review System-Wide Report that UCN was projecting a $1.8 million deficit in 2018-2019. The provincial government asked for the review, co-authored by Pelletier, and Alex Usher in 2016 and it was undertaken between November 2016 and November 2017. At the end of last May, Pelletier, at the invitation of UCN, returned to lead an initiative to ensure the alignment of administrative structures in order for the senior executive to be able to achieve their goals and objectives.
Pelletier also benchmarked UCN’s allocation of human resources by functional areas with those at two or three similar institutions offering a broad suite of post-secondary programs and serving vast geographical areas through networks of campuses and regional delivery sites.
Pelletier, a Sudbury native, recently returned to his hometown to work after the board of governors of Laurentian University on Aug. 1 unanimously approved his appointment as associate vice-president, academic and Francophone affairs, for a renewable five-year term.
Pelletier, who has also worked as a senior consultant with London, Ont.-based Academica Group, was formerly an assistant deputy minister for post-secondary education between October 2010 and November 2013 in New Brunswick.
He founded Education Connections in Fredericton the following month in December 2013.
Pelletier was also the manager of external relations between 2000 and 2004 at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and training in the humanities and social sciences, as well as previously working as manager of pilot projects with the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, now called Employment and Social Development Canada.
UCN will reorganize its senior administration by reducing the current four vice-presidents who report to president Doug Lauvstad to one vice-president of academic and research and a chief administrative officer. Dan Smith remains as vice-president of academic and research, while Chris Reddy, formerly vice-president strategic services and development, has been named acting chief administrative officer.
Sandra Muilenburg’s position as vice-president finance and resources is eliminated, as is that of Donna Carriere’s as vice-president, community based services. Three other senior administrative positions were eliminated in July.
As part of the reorganization, UCN has launched research into the creation of a Centre for Indigenous Community Development as a unit dedicated to further growth and prosperity in the north. The initiative will be led by Sheila North Wilson, past Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) grand chief, and a former CTV Winnipeg journalist.
Stan Gardner, formerly the dean of library services, is now known as the university college librarian, and a year from now the library will become part of the re-named Research and Academic Excellence (RAE) department, which is currently known as Research and Innovation. The university college librarian will then report to the dean of research and academic excellence. The university college librarian and The Pas campus librarian positions will be merged into a single position. Resulting resources are to be redeployed to support direct service provision within the library (e.g. circulation desk staff, etc.).
UCN said it does not intend to publicly release Pelletier’s report.
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