Founded in 2007 by the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan, the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) is well known and respected for its innovative degree and micro-credential programs offered to both graduate students and current policy practitioners. Through its thought-provoking research, JSGS provides a Saskatchewan perspective on local, provincial, national, and global policy issues spanning areas of innovation, science, technology, health, society and inequality, and governance.

JSGS Strategic Priorities

Priority 1: Innovation

Embody an evidence-based whole-career professional training model.

Priority 2: Impact

Expand and deepen our impact within Saskatchewan and Canada while maintaining our strong international research profile.

Priority 3: Integration

Achieve a sustainable and entrepreneurial professional one school approach.

We are committed to innovative and flexible professional training for Canada’s and the world’s current and future public sector leaders and policy researchers. Working across both of our campuses and Executive Education, we strive to create a signature JSGS pedagogy that supports public sector leaders and policy researchers to develop the competencies and skills they need for success, whether they are beginning their career, are seeking to advance their career, or are looking for a full career change.

At JSGS, we continually refine our degree and non-degree programs based on evidence from higher education pedagogical research; government, community, student, and alumni feedback; and our own wisdom of practice.

We will:

• Consult with students, public sector and non-governmental employers, Indigenous knowledge holders, and alumni, as well as peer-reviewed scholarship on teaching and learning to inform our programs and student support services.
• Enrich our experiential professional and research skills training.
• Expand micro-credential certificate and Executive Education training.
• Adopt innovative cohort models to build community while offering accessible, flexible programs.
• Embed Indigenous perspectives consistently throughout all our programs. 
• Incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) frameworks and include diverse voices in our curriculum and research. 
• Advance foundational knowledge and innovative research in Canadian, Indigenous, and comparative policy and governance.
• Foster lifelong JSGS career networks through alumni-student connections and active alumni associations.

Our work matters. Our innovative research, training, and outreach are relevant to federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments; Indigenous organizations; and the not-for-profit, cooperative, health, and private sectors.

At JSGS, we provide a much-needed Saskatchewan perspective on current and emerging national and international governance and policy issues, connect our research and training with key policy and workforce needs, and align our work to partner with Indigenous organizations and governments and northern communities in their efforts to build their future. Expanding and deepening our connections will increase our ability to serve our communities, Saskatchewan, and Canada.

We will:

• Grow our relationships and connect our research with governments; the not-for-profit, co-operative, and private sectors; and international organizations.
• Expand our experiential learning opportunities across multiple sectors and governments. 
• Encourage curiosity-driven research collaborations that connect with realworld problems.
• Strengthen our engagements with Indigenous organizations and governments, northern  communities, and with First Nations University of Canada.
• Embed equity, diversity, and inclusion in our events, curriculum, research, publications, and  programming.
• Engage a broad community in our programs, publications, and events.

Our team—including our faculty, staff, executives-in-residence, and researchers —is central to our success. The One School approach means that our full team—located across two campuses, within Executive Education, and within our centres and research labs—works together to fulfill our mission. Our two-campus model provides opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, and researchers to work collaboratively.

As JSGS, we will advance entrepreneurship and sustainability through increased integration of JSGS academic programs, research, outreach, and operations. We foster a workplace culture that prioritizes worklife balance, teamwork, and mutual trust and respect. We model professionalism and embrace innovation, flexibility, and creativity in all that we do.

We will:

• Reinforce our commitment to work-life balance, professionalism, inclusion, and teamwork.
• Adopt cross-campus operations, teaching, and graduate supervision strategies to harmonize  academic programs, research, outreach, and operations.
• Pursue team-based, collaborative research opportunities.
• Use strategic enrolment growth to advance our mission.
• Develop new revenue streams to ensure our financial sustainability.
• Strengthen the connection of JSGS-based centres to our core academic, research, and outreach activities.

We will measure our success in five ways:

01 WHOLE-CAREER PROGRAMMING
Do our programs meet the needs of career starters, advancers, and changers? Are alumni engaged in and connected to our programs? Do our programs and events foster lifelong JSGS career networks?

02 SIGNATURE PEDAGOGY
Do our programs provide students with experiential professional and research skills training? Are our programs evidence-based?

Do our programs and curricula incorporate Indigenous perspectives; equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) frameworks; and diverse voices?

03 RELEVANCE
Do our programs meet the needs of the current and future policy workforce? Do our research and outreach speak to pressing governance and policy issues?

Do our activities and research address issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization?

04 CONNECTION
Do we have strong connections with governments; the not-for-profit, co-operative, health, and private sectors; and Indigenous and northern communities and organizations?

Do our experiential learning activities include multiple sectors and governments? Do our programs, publications and events engage a broad and diverse community?

05 ONE SCHOOL
Do the core classes in our MPA, MPP, and PhD programs use cross-campus teaching approaches? Do we have integrated Student Success, Advancement, and Operational teams?

Do we have collaborative research projects that engage teams of JSGS faculty and researchers? Are our centres and research labs integrated into our core activities?

Is the school financially sustainable? Does our team feel valued, respected, and motivated to achieve our vision?