Course Overview

Please note that this course is only offered in English at this time.

This revised course provides a comprehensive overview of university culture and governance. The objective is to help administrators, new and established, to better understand the university context and work more effectively and efficiently within the unique university environment.

Among the longest standing institutions in the world, universities adhere to fundamental principles and values that have been championed by academics from the earliest of times. Those principles and values continue to shape the modern university and contribute to an environment that is substantially different from that encountered in private or public sector organizations. To be effective in a university, it is essential that administrators understand and respect these values and principles and adapt their practices accordingly.

The unique nature of universities and the academic culture impact how administrators work, interact with individuals, consult, bring forward ideas or plans for review or approval and implement new initiatives. They are experienced by all administrators whether in academic units, central services, student services or ancillary services.

This course is a blend of web-based materials and live learning sessions. Through presentations, readings, assignments, and group discussions, this course aims to provide administrators with the ability to take context and culture more instinctively into account in conducting their work. The course will provide participants with a general understanding of:

• the origin of universities and how this is reflected in the culture and traditions of today’s university
• the division of roles between the Senate, the Board, and the University President and how this might affect planning and decision-making in academic and non-academic units
• the unique judicial process that applies to universities and how that influences process development and application
• collegial governance and its meaning in practice
• principles and importance of equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigenization (EDII) and how these are integrated into all areas of the university system and culture
• the federal and provincial influences over universities from a constitutional perspective and funding context
• the general funding sources of universities for operations, research, and capital/infrastructure
• principles of academic freedom and their application
• the academic workload
• the meaning and implications of the peer review process and principles of natural justice in a university
• academic values and how they impact routine interactions of academics and administrators

Target Audience:

• All individuals recruited from outside of the university sector into mid to senior management positions
• Individuals aspiring to more senior managerial roles in a university
• Mid to senior level administrative staff from across the university

MODULE 1 – The University Context

MODULE 2 – Equity, Diversity, Inclusiveness, and Decolonization: A Required Competency for Effective University Leadership

MODULE 3 – Trends in University Finances and Funding Models

MODULE 4 – Fundamental Academic Principles and Values 

MODULE 5 – Academic Culture and Working Environment 

MODULE 6 – The Relevance of Culture and Governance for Administrators

UCG Course Schedule Overview

* All times are in Eastern Time (ET)

Time commitment

Participants are expected to commit approximately 45-50 hours to the completion of this course, which includes presentations, readings, course activities, group work and Live Learning Sessions.

Facilitated by:

Christina Sass-Kortsak

Christina Sass-Kortsak has over 35 years’ experience in human resource leadership.  She recently retired after seven years as assistant vice-president, Human Resources at Ryerson University. Prior to that she held similar Human Resources (HR) leadership roles at University of Toronto and within the health care sector. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queens University.

Since her retirement in 2020, Christina continues to do consulting work within the higher education human resources sector, as well as thoroughly enjoying retired life.

The list of accreditation programs and organizations that may provide continuing education credit for CAUBO professional development activities is below. This list may be incomplete, so if you know of others that should be added, please let us know by emailing kserjak@caubo.ca.

• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
• American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA)
• Association For Supply Chain Management
• Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP)
• Board of Certified Safety Professionals
• Canada’s Association of I.T. Professionals (CIPS)
• Canadian Institute of Traffic & Transportation (CITT)
• Canadian Payroll Association
• CFA Institute
• Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR)
• CIM Chartered Managers Canada
• CPA Canada
• The Institute of Internal Auditors Canada
• ISACA
• Institute for Supply Management in the US
• LEED Green Associate/LEED AP
• National Institute of Government Procurement (NIGP)
• Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA)
• Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)
• Supply Chain Canada