With growing concerns that universities are prioritizing efficiency over education, Queen’s is no exception.
The University informed staff in 2024 that it had hired an Australian-based management consulting firm, Nous Group, to assist with campus-wide restructuring under the Queen’s Renew Program. The firm was hired to identify problem areas in spending, conduct a benchmarking survey and advise on solutions and savings. Despite the goal of increasing efficiency, a faculty member is raising concerns about its role and potential impact on academic decision-making.
READ MORE: Queen’s hires Nous Group to assist with budget cuts
Dan Cohen, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, told The Journal he’s troubled by the University’s growing reliance on external management consultants. He emphasized that his concerns aren’t about any single firm, but about the broader trend of consultants taking on a greater role in university governance, which he believes should remain grounded in collegial decision-making.
In a statement to The Journal, the University described Nous’s work as focused on operational efficiency and fulfilling government reporting requirements.
“Nous is a consulting firm providing financial modelling and analysis for universities, including Queen’s. For example, Nous supports the work of the Queen’s Renew Program, focused on ensuring the university’s professional services (such as HR, Finance, and Facilities) are operating effectively and efficiently.”
While the University emphasized the advisory nature of Nous’s work, Cohen raised red flags about the wide scope and structure of Nous’s consulting model following their acquisition of Cubane Consulting, a firm specializing in service effectiveness through surveys. This has now resulted in Nous not only advising on issues but also being tasked with identifying them.
“They did this kind of benchmarking survey, […] and lots of people had to fill out surveys about how they felt about different services at Queen’s […] in the moment that people are also being laid off.” Cohen said. “They’re doing both ends of the scale. They’ll tell you what your problem is and then have the solution ready to sell for you.”
While efficiency has been central to the administration and Nous, Cohen says the push for operational efficiency involved trade-offs. He notes that the benchmarking process relies on standardized, quantifiable metrics, which may not fully capture the quality or effectiveness of the work being measured.
Cohen expressed concern that the combination could reshape Queen’s in ways that deprioritize its academic strengths.
“The original draft of the Bicentennial vision and the 300-seat transfers that happened out of the Bachelor of Arts program last year signal pretty strongly that, in general, the social sciences and humanities are being de-emphasized at Queen’s,” he said.
Faculty, he said, are responding by using available governance mechanisms such as Senate. But Cohen also emphasized the power of students to influence the University’s direction.
“Students make up a strong number [17] of senators in the Senate, and they all have votes equal to the administration and faculty,” Cohen said. “Students should know that they’ve quite a bit of power, and they should be in touch with their senators.”
Tags
Nous, Nous Group, Renew Project
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