Senate met on April 26. Here are the highlights:

Senate Meeting Schedule Now Available

The Senate meeting schedules for the 19/20 and 20/21 academic years were shared and are now available on the Senate website.

Chair’s Remarks

President Bacon began the meeting by acknowledging the end of the winter semester and thanking student Senators whose terms are coming to a close. President Bacon spoke to the recent provincial budget, and to the next iteration of Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMA). He shared that enrolment numbers were on target for the next fall. In closing, he highlighted Convocation week and encouraged Senators to take part in one of the nine ceremonies taking place June 10-14.

Senate Committee Review Update

Under the direction of the Clerk of Senate, the Senate Office began a review of Senate committees and composed a Task Force to take on this work. The Task Force met four times to discuss current committee structural issues and brought forward the following five recommendations which were approved by Senate:

  1. Senate committee oversight be transferred to the Senate Academic Governance Committee.
  2. Clerk of Senate and Office of the University Secretariat be responsible for coordinating the work of Senate committees.
  3. Senate Academic Governance Committee assume responsibility for overseeing committee elections and membership.
  4. That at least 50 per cent of representation on the Academic Governance Committee be current or past sitting Senators.
  5. Consolidating the four Senate appeals committees into one Senate Appeals Board.

Degree Level Expectation on Experiential Learning Approved

The Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic) presented on experiential learning initiatives and the proposed Carleton degree level expectation (DLE) on Experiential Learning. The DLE aims to enhance experiential learning across campus and better position the university in meeting provincial requirements. Senate approved the proposed DLE, effective Fall 2019.

New Chemistry Concentration in Chemical Toxicology

Senate approved the introduction of a new concentration in Chemical Toxicology in the Bachelor of Science Honours in Chemistry program effective Fall 2020. The new concentration will target students interested in understanding the adverse human, animal and environmental health effects caused by both natural and manufactured chemicals.

Operating Budget Presentation

Senate received a presentation from the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and the Vice-President (Finance and Administration) on the 2019-20 Operating Budget which was approved by the Board of Governors on April 25, 2019. The presentation outlined the budget process, budget priorities and strategic investments for the year. Notwithstanding revenue loss, due to the government mandated 10 per cent rollback on domestic tuition, it is a balanced budget.

Senator Spotlight: Andrea Chandler

Senate is composed of 86 members representing the Carleton community, like Andrea Chandler. Andrea is a Professor of Political Science who specializes in the politics of Russia, within the context of comparative and European politics. Learn more about Andrea.

Next Meeting: May 31, 2019

The next Senate meeting is May 31, 2019. Click here to view the full schedule and meeting materials.  Meeting minutes are posted once they become available.