City hall considering closer ties with U of S
Saskatoon city council will decide Monday whether it wants a more formal agreement on co-operation with the University of Saskatchewan.
A city report to be considered by city council’s governance and priorities committee on Monday recommends the city sign a memorandum of understanding with the university.
The report acknowledges the agreement would be mainly symbolic to start, with no policy or financial implications, although that could change through increased collaboration.
The idea for a formal agreement comes from U of S president Peter Stoicheff and university leadership, who are interesting in building on existing areas of co-operation, the report explains.
Stoicheff is expected to attend Monday’s meeting.
The report notes the U of S president and the university’s vice-president of resources and finance have met for years with Saskatoon’s mayor and the city manager to discuss issues of mutual concern.
The idea of a memo of understanding came from one of these meetings. Earlier this year, the university signed a memo of understanding with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
The document would set the parameters for a more formal relationship and establish a working group, which would enhance city hall-university collaboration. Four general areas are identified for formal co-operation: land development, infrastructure, strategic priorities and academic partnerships.
The report mentions the city’s pending bus rapid transit system as a possible area of collaboration. University students are among the largest groups of transit users.
Both the city and the university provide funding for the Meewasin Valley Authority, although the recent provincial budget removed the statutory requirement for MVA funding for the U of S.
The university also has a plan to release much of its land within city limits that has been traditionally used for agricultural research to be developed as infill.
The city is contributing $4 million toward the university’s new twin-pad rink facility to ensure greater community access to ice time.