It's not quite a secret, but you could call it a secret sauce.
The close association between Dalhousie and the University of King's College, first established in 1923, provides students with a unique academic opportunity: the possibility of accessing programs and services in a small, liberal arts college-style environment and a large, research-intensive university at the same time.
For prospective students on the fence about what type of university experience they want, the Dal-King's connection can feel like a revelation. And now, a rapid taskforce assembled this fall is set to infuse even more magic into the relationship.
"We're looking for an injection of innovation and originality," says King's President Bill Lahey.
President Lahey and Dalhousie President Kim Brooks have asked members of the taskforce to identify opportunities for deeper collaboration and provide recommendations for the next phase of joint initiatives.
The taskforce made up of six members of the Dal and King's communities, with support from several units has been charged with generating big, bold ideas for the next chapter of the Dal-King's relationship.
"You might think in this moment that we would be daunted by imaginative projects. But that's not King's or Dalhousie. We see extraordinary things in our future," says President Brooks.
The taskforce's terms of reference centres around four objectives:
- Review the history and current state of the Dalhousie-King's relationship.
- Identify key areas of success and potential areas for growth.
- Explore new opportunities for collaboration, including in academic programs, research, student services and housing, inclusivity and diversity, technology and innovation, and community engagement.
- Develop recommendations for strengthening the partnership over the next decade and beyond.
"I'm hopeful that this process can generate ideas that will help us elevate awareness of what we have here, which is a unique version of a best of two worlds educational experience from a student point of view," says Lahey.
A ripe moment
A century after the Dal-King's association was established and in the face of a radically different higher-ed landscape, President Brooks and President Lahey felt it was time for a check-in.
"It seemed like a ripe moment to step back and say, Okay, what are all the wonderful aspects of the association and how could we make the association even better than it is?'" says President Lahey.
The two say they are not seeking a micro-history of the Dal-King's association and its evolution. Rather, they're looking for an efficient process and one that centres on initiatives that would be financially advantageous to both parties.
"I think deliberate speed is one of the advantages we want this process to have," says President Brooks.
A meeting of the minds
Few people have straddled the worlds of Dal and King's as extensively as Dr. Roberta Barker, chair of the rapid taskforce.
Dr. Barker is employed by King's but teaches primarily at Dal. She's served as chair of Faculties at both institutions and as associate dean academic in Dal's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She's also an alum of both universities.
"I've had that opportunity to see how teaching works and student experience unfolds at both institutions and something of the back and forth between the two," says Dr. Barker. "I hope to be able to bring from teaching, admin and student experience from both perspectives."
Dr. Roberta Barker
Dr. Barker is joined on the taskforce by Sarah Clift, Lindsay DuBois, Graham Gagnon, Simon Kow and Rick Ezekiel, with Dalhousie and King's staff from a host of areas serving as resources to the group.
A few meetings in, Dr. Barker says the possibilities are already starting to flow.
The power of the Dal-King's partnership
Students who take advantage of the Dal-King's association understand just how powerful it can be.
An aspiring scientist who's also interested in the humanities can find a perfect combination by starting out in the Foundation Year Program at King's before moving into more specialized science courses at Dal in later years.
Similarly, a student with a particular interest in law and philosophy can access close-knit courses at King's while also taking advantage of Dal's Law, Justice and Society program, an offering not available at many smaller institutions.
Students across a range of Faculties at Dal from FASS and Management to Computer Science and Engineering pursue a minor in the renowned King's journalism program.
These are just a few of the combinations that are possible.
"There's still so much room to explore how we can bring different disciplines together and how we can open pathways for students to really be able to build the program they are looking for that brings together all their interests," says Dr. Barker.
The taskforce is aiming to provide a report with recommendations in the first half of 2025.
