U of S working towards cultural inclusion on campus

The president of the University of Saskatchewan has outlined plans to encourage cultural inclusion for indigenous people on campus as part of the university's main initiatives of reconciliation and sustainability.

U of S president Peter Stoicheff  made the announcement during the annual General Academic Assembly Friday afternoon.

We'll know it's a better place when indigenous students and their communities tell us that it is.- Peter Stoicheff, U of S president

It was his first address to the assembly since his appointment as president last July.

According to Stoicheff, his plans to encourage cultural inclusion means eventually bringing on an Indigenous engagement vice-provost and an elders advisory council. 

"We'll know it's a better place when indigenous students and their communities tell us that it is and I think it will take a long time for us to get there," Stoicheff said while speaking with reporters.

"It's not my intention that we become the best place in the country for Aboriginal students and their communities because it's not a contest. We just need to be as good as we can possibly be."

Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus

Another initiative deals with the possibility of re-opening the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus.

• Emma Lake arts campus closed, future under review, U of S says
• Saskatoon artists occupy Kenderdine campus

"We need to figure out what a vision for that campus is and then we need to develop a site plan with architects and planners and that will be expensive, so that will be what the money is for," explained Stoicheff.

"It's not an announcement saying that campus will open in a year, it is an announcement saying you happen to have a president who feels very strongly about that campus."

He said the dollar figure for these new plans is yet to be determined.

"I just want to say that I want to fund that generously to enable these things to happen," said Stoicheff.