The President of the University of Saskatchewan has received 2 letters highlighting disappointment in the decision to close the Community Relations and Engagement Office at Station 20 West and lay off the staff. One is signed by a number of faculty and the second by current and former students.

Associate Professor with the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer, says the office at Station 20 West is the only unit within the university which has the specific mandate to support partnerships between communities in Saskatoon’s inner city with the rest of the university. She calls the office the bridge that connects faculty and students with partner organizations, and she says it is relationship-building. Without this work, Engler-Stringer feels the university will continue to be inaccessible, unaccountable and oppressive to marginalized communities.

Engler-Stringer was one of the recipients of an email last week saying the office was being closed as part of the university’s efforts to ensure all operations are sustainable. The email also said the intent is to restructure its community-engaged research model to enhance the impact of its programs.