Communications and marketing professionals that currently report to a dean or executive director, will begin to report to University Communications, via the manager of embedded college and school communications, as of May 2025 (timeline to be confirmed).

The manager of embedded college and school communications will work in partnership with deans and executive directors to co-manage embedded communications and marketing professionals. Working collaboratively, they will jointly create work plans that are specific to the academic unit and that align with institutional priorities.

Communications and marketing professionals will continue to receive direction from their deans and executive directors, and will receive functional support from the manager of embedded college and school communications.

Refer to below FAQ for more information (i.e., What positions are being created to support the Marketing and Communications Hubs?).

The manager of embedded college and school communications will work in partnership with deans and executive directors to co-manage embedded communications and marketing professionals. Working collaboratively, they will jointly create work plans that are specific to the academic unit and that align with institutional priorities.

Communications and marketing professionals will continue to receive direction from their deans and executive directors, and will report to the manager of embedded college and school communications where they will receive functional support.

The focus of your work will remain on your academic unit.

The manager of embedded college and school communications will work in partnership with deans,  executive directors, and embedded communications and marketing professionals to jointly create work plans that are specific to the academic unit and that align with institutional priorities. These work plans will influence communications and marketing priorities and the types of activities focused on.

NOTE: A working group—comprised of communications and marketing professionals from across campus—has been formed to develop and refine a service catalogue for communications and marketing functions at USask. This work will help inform some of the outcomes of the Communications and Marketing Project.

Communications and marketing professionals that are embedded in academic units will physically stay in their unit and will continue to support the needs of the college or school. There are no plans to relocate embedded communicators to a central location.

Communications and Marketing Hubs serve as the connection for communications and marketing professionals from complementary colleges, schools, and units and are integral in supporting these embedded employees.

To help support this new vision for an expanded community of practice, University Communications will be recruiting and hiring new central positions—a manager of embedded college and school communications and team lead positions—to support embedded communications and marketing professionals. These positions will be posted this fall and in the new year, respectively.

Among their responsibilities, the manager of embedded college and school communications will work with deans, executive directors, and senior leaders within Strategic Communications to co-develop the framework, systems, and processes to support embedded employees. In partnerships with these leaders, they will also strengthen employee recruitment, development, retention, advancement, and engagement.

Recruitment for the manager position will commence in fall 2024, with the intention to have the position filled by January 2025. Recruitments for the team lead positions and the formations of hubs will begin in the new year with the new structure in place by May 2025.

Central support teams provide direction, expertise, and create content in the following areas:

• Internal communications
• External communications and media relations
• Alumni and development communications
• Social media
• Digital strategy
• Graphic design
• Media production
• Research profile and impact (embedded in the Office of the Vice-President Research)
• Student and recruitment communications (embedded in the Teaching, Learning, and Student Experience portfolio)

It may, depending on the outcome of the Job Architecture Project. This is a campus-wide project to create consistent job titles and profiles.

Click here for more information on the Job Architecture Project. 

This new shared services structure is to support communications and marketing professionals within college, schools, and units. In consultation with deans and executive directors, we are identifying professionals with dedicated communications and marketing duties that should be included.

For those employees that have some communications responsibilities as part of another role, the community of practice and shared tools will continue to exist.

If you have questions, please reach out to your people leader for more information.

The Communications and Marketing Project is not a workforce reduction initiative. Instead, the intent is to implement a new way for communications and marketing professionals to work together on campus so they are better connected and supported, while continuing to provide a continuum of high-quality communications and marketing services and support within their unit. It is anticipated that some positions will shift in terms of reporting, work activities may be reallocated based on function, and savings will be identified through process changes.