The Senate met in person on June 6, 2025. Here are the highlights:
Class of 2025 Spring Graduate Approved
The Senate approved the spring graduation of 3,352 undergraduate and 778 graduate students, for a total of 4,130 students.
In addition, the Senate approved the awarding of 199 academic medals, recognizing 183 undergraduate and 16 graduate students for their exceptional achievements.
Spring Convocation ceremonies will take place over 15 sessions, scheduled from June 16 to 20, 2025.
Operating Budget Report
Provost Rankin presented an overview of Carleton’s financial outlook and strategic planning to the Senate, highlighting key elements of the 2025-26 budget. The Operating Fund, which supports core academic and administrative functions, continues to face pressure due to a significant decline in international student enrolment—projected to drop 86% from its 2018 peak. Rising staffing costs, driven by collective agreement commitments, further contribute to the projected deficit.
To address these challenges, the university is leveraging increased government grants, launching new academic programs, and implementing a $24 million budget reduction campaign. Investments include funding for new degrees in Nursing, Engineering (Mechatronics), Data Science, and Cybersecurity, alongside operational enhancements.
The Mission Sustainability Framework is guiding efforts to improve service efficiency, review staffing, and regain international enrolment. Additionally, a government-mandated Efficiency and Accountability Fund Review, conducted in partnership with Deloitte, is underway, with a final report due in December.
The Carleton community can expect regular updates, including an interim report to Senate in October.
Undergraduate and Graduate Major Modifications
The Senate approved five major modifications to undergraduate programs, effective Fall 2026. This includes:
- The introduction of the concentrations in Government and Professional Communication; Media and Entertainment Industries; and Public Engagement and Civic Culture to the B. CoMS.
- Name change to the undergraduate Economics concentration in Development and Environment.
- Deletion of the Earth Sciences concentrations in Finance: Resource Valuation; Geophysics; Resource Economics; and Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoecology.
- Major modification to the undergraduate Earth sciences programs in Vertebrate paleontology and Paleoecology.
- Major modifications to the BSc program and concentrations in Linguistics.
Suspended program admissions
The Senate received for information a list of 16 programs with suspended admissions effective Fall 2025.
Each request for suspension of admissions was submitted by the units, then approved by the Deans and the Vice-Provost (Academic).
Unless otherwise indicated, admissions to the programs will be suspended for two admission cycles. The Office of Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives will be responsible for following up with the units to ensure appropriate action (i.e. program reinstatement or closure) is taken.
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Revised Faculty Board Constitutions
Following a Senate motion on June 2, 2023, and subsequent restructuring of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (FGPA), all disciplinary Faculties were instructed to revise their Faculty Board Constitutions.
Using a standardized template to ensure consistency, the Constitutions of the Science Faculty Board and the Computer Science Faculty Board were revised, reviewed by the Senate Academic Governance Committee (SAGC), and approved by their respective Faculty Boards, before being approved at Senate.
Senator Spotlight: Christopher Smelser
Christopher W. Smelser received his B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Toronto in 1998, followed by an M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Waterloo in 2001, where he conducted research under the supervision of Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Ottawa in 2007.
From 2001 to 2012, Dr. Smelser was a Research Scientist at the Communications Research Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In 2012, he joined the Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University and is currently an associate professor in the Department of Electronics.
Dr. Smelser’s research focuses on laser-assisted fabrication of photonic components, hybrid optical devices, nonlinear optics, and optical sensors, with an emphasis on their practical applications.