There is still much work to be done towards a proposed merger between Dalhousie and Nova Scotia Agricultural College. But Dal鈥檚 lead on the project says that the process is moving along according to schedule.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a huge amount of collaboration thus far, and the individuals who have been contributing to this process have really been doing so above and beyond their day-to-day roles,鈥� explains Susan Spence Wach, associate vice-president, academic programs, who is representing Dalhousie in the discussions.
鈥淚 think that speaks to the importance this has for people, that they see the great things this will create when it鈥檚 all said and done. So I鈥檓 really pleased that we鈥檙e where we thought we would be at this point.鈥�
It鈥檚 an intense timeline: the parties involved鈥擠al, NSAC and the Government of Nova Scotia鈥攁re hoping to have next fall鈥檚 cohort begin their studies as Dalhousie students. Meeting this target requires provincial legislation to be passed in the spring, meaning a working agreement for a merger needs to be reached by the end of this year.
Working through the due diligence
Since the merger talks were announced in May, members of have been diving deep into the opportunities and concerns that a merger would present, issuing reports that will inform the negotiations.
鈥淭his discovery phase has really been helping us move into formal due diligence,鈥� says Ms. Spence Wach. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about ensuring that from the perspective of all three partners that we fully understand the key elements of a merger scenario.鈥� She adds that because there is already a strong academic relationship between the two schools, it will be administrative issues鈥攆inance, human resources, information technology, and property and assets鈥攖hat are likely to be the major topics in negotiations with the Government of Nova Scotia.
The reason that the negotiations are between Dal and the government鈥攔epresented by Peter Underwood, deputy minister of special projects鈥攊s that NSAC is a division of the Department of Agriculture. In fact, many of NSAC鈥檚 administrative functions such as human resources and facilities management are presently supported or performed by government. One way of looking at this merger, says Ms. Spence Wach, is as a process to 鈥渄isentangle鈥� NSAC from the government system and to integrate its programs and services with Dalhousie.
NSAC has been well represented in the process, though 鈥� and that's important, since the goal of the merger is to support and enhance NSAC鈥檚 expertise in agricultural research and education.
鈥淭here are staff and faculty from NSAC throughout our working groups, and their leadership and expertise have been crucial 鈥撀爊ot just for background during the discovery and negotiation phases, but going forward into transition mode should we continue with the merger,鈥� says Ms. Spence Wach. 鈥淚n particular, they鈥檝e been critical in helping draft our merger principles and objectives, which outline the vision of what we鈥檙e trying to achieve in a merger and the ideas that will guide our process.鈥�
Considering future possibilities
Notably, the state that a merger would seek to maintain not only NSAC鈥檚 agricultural mandate, but also its small-campus culture. While many of the details are still being worked out, the proposed governance structure would have NSAC become a campus of Dalhousie (with a name still to be determined), home to a new Dalhousie faculty. It would be led by a campus principal/dean, a dual role that would oversee both the academic and operational elements of the new campus. The campus would also have an advisory body with representation from government and industry, ensuring that it fulfills its community-focused agricultural mandate.
Ms. Spence Wach says that she expects some intense weeks of work ahead, as Dal and the government begin their negotiations in earnest. But she鈥檚 optimistic that the opportunities presented by a merger will, ultimately, help guide the merger process to fruition.
鈥淭he more discussions I have with individuals, the more they talk about the possibilities for the future 鈥撀爄ncreased collaboration between faculty and researchers, more chances for international development work, more program options for students. The breadth of what NSAC delivers in the agricultural spectrum continues to inspire me, and I think that the opportunity for Dalhousie to help increase the reach of those academic and research programs is a very exciting one 鈥� not only for the university but for government, industry and the region at large.鈥�
For more on the merger鈥攊ncluding Q&As and regular updates鈥攙isit its website,