Summary of previous working groups:

Group 1

• In 2011, Arts and Science adopted an Aboriginal learning goal
• It was found to receive the least attention of any learning goal
• In 2014, 79% of faculty supported an Aboriginal learning requirement
• They decided on a course-list approach, with courses from the entire college
• Criteria for the courses was established; they focused on meaningful engagement and understanding, not just content

Group 2

• Met in 2016 and had reservations about the course:
  • An outdated, awareness-based pedagogy; the effect of time and changing faculty on the goals of the course; the competitiveness of creating courses
• A suite of 4 new courses was proposed, aimed at building a paradigm shift, not focused on content but on tools to engage with the historical roots of today’s realities
• They determined the course should be taken in 1st year as a foundational piece.

Institutional context:

University commitments

• On Jan 21, the University Council passed the following motion: “University Council emphatically endorses the inclusion of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) knowledges and experiences for the purpose of achieving meaningful and relevant learning outcomes, in all degree programs at the University of Saskatchewan.”
• The University of Saskatchewan is revising its Teaching and Learning Charter to include Indigenous education goals for all degree programs.
• The U of S has been a leader in responding to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Capacity:

Considering College Capacity
How many students do we need to have meet the Indigenous Requirement?

Arts and Science currently has about 8200 undergraduate students (based on October census date, actual number is higher). In order to ensure that all students have an opportunity to achieve the Indigenous Learning Goal by graduation, about 2300 students would need to reach the goal each year.

Faculty capacity
How many of our faculty can teach or are interested in teaching Indigenous content?

We have 290 faculty members (probationary and tenured), 29 faculty members do research related to Indigenous people, and 17 faculty members that self-identify as Indigenous.

There are also sessionals who teach Indigenous-focussed courses. Over 7 in 10 faculty are either interested in including or already include Indigenous learning outcomes in their own courses (survey results).

Course Capacity
What is our current capacity to teach students about Indigenous content?

Based on department’s reports of how many courses they offer with over 75% Indigenous content, 10 departments offer such classes. They also reported the number of seats available in these courses each year: Department Capacity (# of seats available in 75% Indigenous courses each year)