The university has developed a proposal to establish a new college model intended to support interdisciplinary teaching and research at Queen’s. Recently considered at Senate, the proposed model is intended to address barriers that currently make it difficult to offer cross-faculty academic programming.  

“At present, interdisciplinary programming at Queen’s is limited and can only be offered by negotiating case-by-case exemptions of academic regulations. It is possible but cumbersome,” says Matthew Evans, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). “The intention is to create a college model with the ability to establish its own regulations that would be designed to better facilitate cross-faculty teaching.”

To support understanding of how the new college would be structured and operate, the university is holding a broader consultation process over the next several months. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni are invited to share feedback on the proposed model through an online form.

Additionally, the university will hold several in-person consultation sessions with senators, department heads, senior staff members, and students. The university will use feedback from these sessions and the online form to guide next steps for the college proposal.

“We look forward to hearing from the campus community about the proposed college model, and welcome feedback on the principles outlined to Senate regarding the model,” says Provost Evans.

Computer Science has been identified as the most appropriate pilot for this model, because of the rapid and widespread impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across disciplines and professions, and the growing need to prepare graduates from all faculties to operate effectively in an AI‑enabled environment.

To learn more, read the Notice of Motion to Senate which describes the principles guiding the college model, and provide feedback, visit the Provost’s website.