Higher Education Policy in Saskatchewan and the Legacy of Myth

Abstract

The rationalization and coordination of the university sector has been a major public policy concern for the Government of Saskatchewan. Following two major inquiries in the 1990s, policy-making in this area has been placed within a logical, coherent framework. This essay steps back from the particulars of specific models and planning processes to consider broader conceptual issues. Public policy is shaped by the historical context in which it has arisen, including well-established "myths" that are never subjected to critical scrutiny. For this very reason, such "myths" function as extremely effective instruments of public policy. Using the Roland Barthes definition of myth, the essay argues that the University of Saskatchewan, for most of its history, has been in the grip of a powerful myth that has helped shape its identity and govern its decision-making. According to the myth, there is only one university in Saskatchewan, and it operates without interference from the Provincial Government. The myth was most prevalent from 1907, when the University Act was passed, to 1974, when the University of Regina came into existence, but its effects have not been altogether extinguished. It exerted great influence over the history of higher education in Saskatchewan, but, as with all with myths, as soon as it is identified and dissected, it dissolves, enabling policy-makers to understand issues and problems in a new light.