In compliance with Ontario’s Essential Services Order, Senate met remotely on March 26, 2021. In the wake of the Atlanta shooting that took the lives of eight people, six being Asian American women, President Bacon opened the meeting by speaking to the importance of recognizing and standing against anti-Asian racism, and all forms of racism.
Fall 2021 Planning Update
The Carleton University Scenario Planning (CUSP) Working Group provided Senate with an update on the upcoming fall 2021 term. As per CUSP’s mandate, the working group is considering all factors for a successful September term while continuing to prioritize the health and safety of the campus community. Most likely, the fall 2021 semester will follow a mixed model of program delivery; a combination of on-campus activity and online learning. A flexible fall term will serve the entire Carleton community, including students (both international and domestic) who may be unable to travel to campus. All decisions will be subject to government regulations and public health guidelines. CUSP will be consulting stakeholder groups throughout the next few weeks and will return to Senate with a full report and detailed recommendations in April.
New Clerk of Senate Appointed
Prof. Elinor Sloan, from the Department of Political Science, was appointed as the new Clerk of Senate for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2021. Prof. Sloan will succeed Prof. Betina Appel Kuzmarov, from the Department of Law and Legal Studies, who has served in this role since 2018 and is completing her three-year term.
Chair’s Remarks
President Bacon recognized the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, 2021, Carleton participated in the National Day of Observance honouring COVID-19 victims worldwide and nationally. COVID-19 has taken on unmeasurable toll on our daily lives, and even though we continue to feel its impact, we are starting to see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Canada’s vaccine rollout is beginning to accelerate, and like other Canadian Universities, Carleton is preparing for a safe and gradual return to campus for fall 2021. President Bacon also mentioned a series of events and successes that have taken place at Carleton over the last month, including the launch of Carleton’s bold new EDI Action Plan, International Women’s Day, significant new Canada Foundation for Innovation research funding and the Department of Neuroscience’s 10-year anniversary.
Carnegie Classification of Community Engagement
Dr. Karen Schwartz, Associate Vice-President (Research and International) and Dr. Lorraine Dyke, Deputy Provost (Academic Operations and Planning), provided Senators with an update on the Carnegie Classification process. Carnegie is the leading framework in the United States for institutional assessment of Community Engagement, but the program is not yet offered in Canada. Along with 15 other post-secondary institutions, Carleton is part of Canada’s Carnegie Pilot cohort. On Dec. 15, 2020, Carleton submitted a “dry-run” Carnegie application, and later participated in a site visit on March 15, 2021. The on-campus visit was a chance for Carleton to engage with Carnegie, and gain expert insights from the organization. Carleton’s involvement with the Carnegie Classification would deepen the university’s roots in community engagement and help operationalize the ‘Serve Ottawa, Serve the World’ direction of the Strategic Integrated Plan (SIP).
Research Update
Dr. Rafik Goubran, Vice-President (Research and International), provided Senate with an update on Carleton’s research activities and recent successes. Research is a key pillar of Carleton’s success and plays a vital role in the university’s reputation and ranking. In recent years, Carleton has seen significant growth within its research portfolio, increasing both its annual research funding and impact. Dr. Goubran outlined a series of research goals for the future, which included strengthening and implementing the new Strategic Integrated Plan and International Plan, promoting and celebrating research accomplishments and expanding industry partnerships.
Senate Member Ratifications
Senate ratified the following Senate appointments for terms beginning July 1, 2021:
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Call for Nominations: Senate Standing Committees
Senate has released a Call for Nominations for faculty, undergraduate and graduate students to serve on a number of Senate Standing Committees. The term of office begins on July 1, 2021. The deadline for both faculty and students to apply is Mar. 31, 2021.
Senator Spotlight: Justin Paulson
Senate is composed of over 80 members representing the Carleton community like Justin Paulson, Director, Institute of Political Economy and Associate Professor of Sociology. Learn more about Justin.
Next Meeting: April 30, 2021
The next Senate meeting is April 30, 2021 at 2:00pm. Click here to view the full schedule and meeting materials. Meeting minutes are posted once they are approved at the subsequent meeting.