Inspiring Meaningful Change for a University’s Communities

The University of Saskatchewan (UofS) engaged Shift Health to develop a strategic plan that would tell an authentic story, inspire diverse communities and provide an accessible and engaging means to understanding the institution.

Shift Health led a collaborative process with leaders at UofS to develop a strategic plan that leveraged the university’s strengths, unique communities, and resources to position UofS in a bold new direction. Through iterative cycles of design thinking (i.e. designing, testing and refining hypotheses), an expansive stakeholder engagement toolkit and continuous alignment with diverse communities we developed a university plan that was forward-thinking and grounded in the realities of UofS’ position in the Canadian landscape. Designed to be inclusive, dynamic and multifaceted, the university plan set priorities, goals and performance measures for the next seven years to 2025.

The strategic plan was endorsed by UofS leadership and the Indigenous community, which gifted a name to the plan: nīkānītān manācihitowinihk in Cree and ni manachīhitoonaan in Michif, which translates as “Let us lead with respect.”