Designated as a provincial heritage property in 1982 and as a National Historic Site in 2001, the University of Saskatchewan's first building has long served as the architectural, intellectual and emotional cornerstone of the campus. Designed by Brown and Vallance, the College Building was originally intended ultimately to house the College of Agriculture; but from the start, served numerous purposes. As early as April 1910, the floor plan included space for milk testing, butter making, cheese making, grain work; a gymnasium; several classrooms; offices for the Registrar, Dean of Agriculture, Director of Extension, and President; the original "faculty club"; laboratories; the library; and quarters for the janitor. After a sod-turning ceremony on 4 May 1910, the cornerstone was laid by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier on 29 July 1910. It was constructed between 1910-1912 by Smith Bros. and Wilson general contractors. Completed in 1912, the building was officially opened by Walter Scott, Premier of Saskatchewan, on 1 May 1913. The College Building serves as a memorial to much of the University's history: numerous plaques to individuals and organizations can be found in its interior, including memorial ribbons honouring members of the university community who served in the First World War. In 1997, the University created "Nobel Plaza" in front of the College Building, honouring two Nobel Laureates associated with the University: Gerhard Herzberg and Henry Taube. As the University grew, the College Building gradually became the administrative centre for the University. By the 1950s, most of the original teaching facilities were taken over by new or expanded offices including those of the registrar, controller, alumni and news services, and presidential staff. The building became known as the Administration Building at this point, and later the "old Administration Building" to distinguish it from the new wing. This expansion continued through the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with the appointment of a university secretary and vice-presidents. While Convocation Hall became too small for regular Convocation ceremonies by 1930, it maintained its original, broader function as a venue for concerts, meetings, lectures, and other events. Parts of the building were declared to be unsafe in 1979, which led to the construction of the new wing of the Administration Building, opened in 1987. Most of the original building was closed, but Convocation Hall remained in use until 1997. The building was reopened and officially rededicated as the College Building in September 2005 after a major rehabilitation project. The rehabilitation was reported to be "one of the largest heritage conservation projects in Canada - second only to the work being done on Parliament Hill." In addition to senior administrative offices and Convocation Hall, it became home to the Museum of Antiquities and new gallery space for the University Art Collection. Upon completion in 2012 the University Board of Governors renamed the Administration Building the Peter MacKinnon Building, in honour of Peter MacKinnon, retiring University President and a driving force behind the project.

Ernest Francis Laughton Whitmore was born in 1904 in Winchester, England. He immigrated to the Saskatoon area with his parents in 1911. He graduated from Nutana Collegiate in Saskatoon and then attended the University of Saskatchewan, earning an LL.B. with Great Distinction in 1925 and the Wetmore Scholarship in Law. Whitmore was called to the Bar in 1928. He married Mary Anne MacLean of Saskatoon. After graduating, Whitmore practiced law in Saskatoon with the firm of Sibbald, Caswell and Whitmore. Whitmore was also solicitor for Saskatoon City Hospital from 1935 to 1936 and a legal adviser to the United Farmers of Canada, Saskatchewan section. Whitmore began teaching classes as a lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan in 1929. He was appointed an Assistant Professor in the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan in 1939 and was granted a full professorship in 1943. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 1951. He taught at the University of Saskatchewan until 1956, when he left to join Regina law firm MacPherson, Leslie and Tyerman as an Associate Counsel. Whitmore was regarded as a well-known legal expert in Saskatchewan. His obituary in the Saskatchewan Bar Review notes “ ‘Ernie’ Whitmore will be remembered by scores of his students for the meticulous way in which he organized his material, his encyclopaedic knowledge of the case law and for his willingness to spend hours of his time discussing legal problems with his students.” (Volume 29, Issue 3, September 1964, p. 142) Whitmore died on August 16, 1964 at the age of 60.

Donald Keith McNamee was born in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, in 1938. He earned a BA from the University of Saskatchewan, and both an MA and MFA from the University of Ohio. He returned to the University of Saskatchewan, where he taught Art and Art History for twenty years. In 1985 he left the University to establish his own business, doing independent architectural design. In addition to his career as an artist, McNamee was a fixture in Saskatoon's gay and lesbian community. Meetings at his house were used to help start the first gay organization in Saskatoon, the Zodiac Friendship Society (later, the Gay/Lesbian Community Centre of Saskatoon). In the early 1980s McNamee was one of the founding members of the Coalition for Human Equality (CHE), formed to respond to perceptions of homophobia in the provincial Conservative government of the time. McNamee was instrumental in the Coalition, and was particularly effective in the 1992 campaign to urge the NDP government to amend the human rights legislation to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. He died of cancer in Saskatoon on 2 July 1994.

A.R. Greig was one of the first professors appointed at the University of Saskatchewan and also served as the Superintendent of Buildings. Born December 18, 1872, raised and educated in Montreal, Greig graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in 1895. After graduation, he became successively the Chief Draughtsman of the Mechanical Departments of the Canada Atlantic Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway. In 1906, Greig entered upon his career as an academic with his appointment as Professor of Agricultural Engineering at the Manitoba Agricultural College in Winnipeg. In 1909, he accepted two appointments at the University of Saskatchewan: Professor of Mechanical Engineering, held until 1937, and Superintendent of Buildings, held until 1939. From 1939-1943, he was Acting Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta. Greig died on July 21, 1947.

The University Summer School emerged in 1914; for the first three years (1914-1917), the Department of Education assumed responsibility for the direction and support of the school. Only school teachers took the courses; these were designed to improve instruction in agriculture, household science, nature study, art, and elementary science. In 1917, at the request of the Department, the University took over management of the School, and classes were offered leading to a degree. Classes were given in English, Latin, Chemistry, Physics, and Field Husbandry (Morton, p.110). From 1919 to 1937, G.H. Ling was Director; during his tenure it grew into one of the largest and best known university summer schools in Canada (Morton, p.71).

The Department of History was one of the original four departments of the University. E.H. Oliver gave the first lecture on the first day of classes, set the first examination, and did the first research--collecting and editing documents concerning the history of Western Canada. The first MA awarded by the University was in History (1912). The History Department also played an important role in the founding of the Departments of Economics. Political Science, and Anthropology and Archaeology. Classes were original offered in Ancient, Medieval, Modern European and British History. As time progressed classes were added in Canadian, American, Slavic, and World History. The following have served as head of the department: E.H. Oliver (1909-1914); F.H. Underhill (1914-1915); A.S. Morton (1915-1940); G. Simspson (1940-1958); H. Neatby (1958-1969); I.N. Lambi (1969-1974); P.G. Bietenholz (1974-1978); T.D. Regher (1978-1982); H.C. Johnson (1982-1984); J.M. Hayden (1984-1988); C.A. Kent (1988-1990); D. Miquelon (1990-1995); W.A. (Bill) Waiser (1995-1998); Larry Stewart (1998-2003); Dave DeBrou (2003-March 2004); Martha Smith-Norris (Acting head) April-June 2004; Brett Fairbairn (2004-2006); Chris Kent (2006-2007); Brett Fairbairn (2007-2008); Valerie Korinek (2008- ).

The Department of Women's and Gender Studies was established in 1992. It uses an interdisciplinary approach to such topics as the relationship between biology and gender construction, patterns of language use, identity formation, socialization, gender in literature, art and religion, and women's changing economic and political roles. The department's first head is D. Relke (1993- ).

A proposal for the formation of a School of Theology was introduced and approved in principle in 1969. The proposed School would have offered a second, or post-BA, Bachelor's Degree in Theology, contributing to the requirements for ordination in some Christian denominations. This program would have involved the study of theology--specifically, Christian theology--rather than religious studies or world religions. By 1971, however, the proposal had failed to materialize. In December 1972 approval was granted to establish a School with close cooperation among the theological colleges already affiliated or federated with the University of Saskatchewan. The professoriate, which commenced its duties in September 1973, was drawn from the theological colleges and from various faculties from the College of Arts and Science. The School, using Arts and Science procedures, received approval from the College of Education to present a 5-class major and 4- and 3-class minors in Religious Studies in its Secondary Program and an area of concentration in Religious Studies in the College's Elementary Program. By September 1983, a proposal was under consideration to reorganize the School of Religious Studies into a department in the College of Arts and Science. This reorganization was approved and implemented by the 1984 winter session. R.W. Nostbakken served as Director of the School from 1973-1983. The following individuals have served as Head of the Department of Religious Studies: R.W. Nostbakken (1983-1985) [Acting]; Braj M. Sinha (1985- ).

A School of Accounting was established in 1915 as part of the College of Arts and Science, with G.H. Ling, Professor of Mathematics and Dean of Arts and Science, as Head. Initially, only night classes were offered; in 1920, a complete 4-year course became available. The School was closely associated with the Institute of Chartered Accountants; a University Board of Examiners, chaired by Dean Ling, supervised the preparation and marking of examinations for the Institute. In 1936, the School was granted College status and formally separated from the College of Arts and Science. The College was renamed the College of Commerce in 1943 to reflect the expanded curriculum being offered to its students. The following individuals have served as Dean: G.H. Ling [School of Accounting] (1917-1936); J.A. Neilson [College of Accounting] (1936-1940); J.H. Thompson [College of Accounting] (1941-1943); J.H. Thompson (1943-1952); T.H. McLeod (1952-1961); Georgina Goodspeed [Acting] (1961-1962); T.H. McLeod (1962-1964); Georgina Goodspeed [Acting] (1964-1965); Lloyd Barber (1965-1969); Samuel Laimon (1969-1976); P.M. Maher (1976-1982); W.J. Brennan (1982-).

Courses in Jurisprudence and Constitutional Government were offered at the University of Saskatchewan as early as 1910-11 as part of the Political Science programme. The following term witnessed an expansion in both the type and number of subjects presented for Honours students. The College, established in 1912, enrolled its first students in 1913-14 for classes offered downtown after working hours (to accommodate articling students) by members of the local legal fraternity. In 1922 responsibility for training and examining law students was transferred from Wetmore Hall in Regina to the College of Law in Saskatoon. The following individuals have served as Dean: A. Moxon (1920-1929); F.C. Cronkite (1929-1961); O.E. Lang (1961-1968); R.C. Carter (1968-1974); D.A. Schmeiser (1974-1975); R.C. Cuming (1975-1976); D.H. Clark (1976-1983); D. Ish (1983-1988); R.P. MacKinnon (1988-1998); K. Roach (1998- ).

The Department of Psychiatry was created in 1952 as the School of Medical Sciences became the College of Medicine. Originally staffed by a single lecturer, the Department has grown into a teaching and research unit of considerable scope. In addition to teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Department operates a number of clinical and research programs including: Adult Psychiatry; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; the McKerracher Centre; the Neuropsychiatric Research Unit; the Applied Research Program; Psychiatric Home Care; and the Youth Services Program. The following have served as head of the Department: D.G. McKerracher (1954-1970); F.E. Coburn (acting 1970); I.M. McDonald (1970-1983); D.L. Keegan (1983- ).

Initially two directors conducted an athletic and physical education program for female and male students and staff. Classes were designed to prepare some students as physical education instructors for elementary and secondary schools. As early as 1940 all freshmen students were required to enroll in a one-year physical activities class. In 1950 a Department of Physical Education was established to carry on a service program for all students and to provide for physical education classes as electives in the Colleges of Arts and Science and Education. The Department became a School within Arts and Science in 1958, offering a 4-year course leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education. The graduate program and scientific research expanded in the 1960s and in 1972 the School achieved College status. In 1998 the College was renamed the College of Kinesiology. The following individuals have served as Dean or Director: Directors--E.W. "Joe" Griffith (1919-1952); Ethel Mary Cartwright (1931-1947); K. Gowie (1958-1959); W.A.R. Orban (1959-1966); H. Nixon (1966-1972). Deans--H. Nixon [Acting] (1972-1974); H. Nixon (1974-1977); J.D. Dewar (1977-1986); R.L. Mirwald (1986-1996); R.A. Faulkner (1996- ).

Promoted by the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses' Association, a School was established within the School of Medical Science in 1938. Initially the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was a 5-year program consisting of 2.5 years at the University followed by 2.5 years training in one of four affiliated hospitals located in Regina and Saskatoon. In 1950 the program was altered to 2 years at the University, 2 years at a hospital. and a final year back at the University. Three years later a 1-year program for Registered Nursed leading to a Diploma either in Public Health or in Teaching and Supervision was established. With the opening of [Royal] University Hospital in 1954, the hospital experience component at affiliated hospitals was discontinued. That year a basis 3-year diploma program was established. In 1967 nursing teachers became members of the University faculty and students were admitted to a new 4-year curriculum. The 3-year diploma program was phased out in 1969 and the 5-year in 1971. The School became a College in 1974. The following individuals have served as Directors or Deans: [Directors:] K.W. Ellis (1938-1950); H.B. Keeler (1950-1969); L.D. Willis (1969-1974); [Deans:] H.J. Kernen (1974-1980); U. Ridley (1981-1990); Y. Brown (1990- ).