A capital plan

September 4, 2009

By Colleen MacPherson

With its Board of Governors approval in June, the multi-year capital plan has completed the picture for the University of Saskatchewan’s second planning cycle.

The document provides a comprehensive listing of current and anticipated capital investments, tying buildings, land, infrastructure, information and communications technology (ICT), and equipment to the institution’s strategic directions and the priorities of the second integrated plan as well as the multi-year budget framework. According to one of its authors, the plan offers guidance and direction on capital development and expenditures over the next four years.

Bryan Bilokreli, director of infrastructure facilities planning in Institutional Planning and Assessment (IPA), said the plan is significant because “most other plans deal primarily with building projects. We’re looking at building buildings, but also at infrastructure, ICT, equipment and our land bases,” and how investments in these areas support institutional imperatives.

The plan brings together not only projects already approved, which total about $600 million worth, but also projects in development and those described as emerging. The approved category includes an aboriginal student centre, student housing, a dairy research facility, Academic Health Sciences, a dental clinic computer system, Marquis Hall renewal, telephone upgrades, and a high-performance computing storage facility.

Bilokreli said projects categorized as in development are, “in my estimation, going to happen. It’s just a matter of timeframe. There has been some work done on the scope of these projects and the cost but they are still at the conceptual stage.” Among them is Centennial Plaza, expansion of the Engineering Building, water treatment replacement, steam distribution upgrades, the Clarion Project and a twin-pad ice arena.

In the final category, emerging projects “have had very little work done on them, if any,” he said. “We will be looking at these over the course of the planning cycles.” They include Alumni Hall, capital equipment renewal, a mineral technology research centre, a school of rehabilitation sciences and expanded student services.

Bilokreli hopes the capital plan will raise awareness of how the university evaluates capital investments relative to its priorities and those of colleges and units. It is, he said, “a reflection of the strategic initiatives of the university.”

The multi-year plan will be redone with each subsequent planning cycle but there will also be annual capital plans prepared, “a refreshed identification of all capital needs, funding, priorities and projects.” 

The complete Multi-Year Capital Plan for the Second Planning Cycle (2008/09-2011/12) can be viewed on the IPA website.