The University of Saskatchewan was established by an “Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan” that was passed by the provincial legislature in 1907.[1] Known as the University Act, this provincial statute[2] created the university. Among its other provisions, the Act lays out the structure and mandate of the governing bodies of the university (the Board of Governors, the Senate, the Council and the General Academic Assembly), and describes the powers of the president.
The process to establish new laws or rewrite or amend existing statues is a rigorous process, requiring several readings and debate of the proposed amendments at separate legislative sessions.
The amending of public statutes is initiated by the provincial government with the sponsoring minister and ministerial staff. The process in full is described on the Legislative assembly website.
Though it is open to the university – or indeed any individual or organization – to suggest changes to the Act, the process of amendment is not undertaken lightly, and is only initiated when amendment is seen by the government as a priority.
The university continues to be governed by the University of Saskatchewan Act, which was significantly amended by the legislature in 1995.