Sandy Woolfrey-Fahey

Today Dr. David Wardlaw, Provost and Vice President (Academic) is releasing a report summarizing an report conducted by Jane Helleur & Associates Inc. 

In February 2013, an external review of the portfolio of the Deputy Provost (Students) indicated the complexity surrounding administrative structures for co-operative education programs at Memorial warranted further examination. The findings of the review team were widely distributed in June 2013 to the Memorial community and can be found at here. 

At the request of the Provost, in October 2013, Jane Helleur & Associates Inc. was contracted to undertake an administrative review of the Division of Co-operative Education. The goals for that review are outlined in the report. The initial phase of the review consisted of extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders and all personnel within the Division of Co-operative Education and a scan of administrative structures at several other Canadian universities. The report concludes with recommendations for an administrative structure designed to achieve higher levels of efficiency, effectiveness and accountability than the current structure allows.

Based on the overarching need to successfully support students in co-operative education, a new form of decentralized organizational structure is recommended. A decentralized structure will align co-operative education programs more closely with individual faculties and schools and place the associated accountabilities and responsibilities for program delivery in the home academic unit.The rationale, as indicated in the report, specifies: a) higher levels of direction from and accountability for co-operative education within the faculties; b) the establishment of a joint steering committee as a mechanism to ensure strategic planning and oversight for all co-operative education programs; and c) recognition of the direction and support required if growth in co-operative education programs is deemed desirable within specific faculties, such as Arts and/or Science.

The revised administrative structure recommended in the report has been approved in principle by Vice Presidents Council (VPC) and endorsed by the deans of faculties and schools currently having co-op programming. In the coming weeks, the report will be presented to various university bodies for review and comments.  Ultimately, it is anticipated that a devolved administrative structure, either that proposed in the report or one closely aligned with it, will be presented to the Board of Regents for formal approval. 

Following Board approval of a revised administrative structure, the office of the deputy provost will work with the personnel in the Division of Co-operative Education, the current interim director, and deans’ offices to implement changes and assist with the transition to a revised administrative structure.

Please direct any questions or clarifications on the report or next steps to the office of the Deputy Provost (Students) and Associate Vice-President (Academic) Undergraduate Studies.