Inside Senate: March 27, 2026
Senate approved six new faculty and five new student member representatives, for terms beginning July 1, 2026.
Faculty Member Representatives:
- Katie Lucas (Faculty of Science)
- Gabriel Wainer (Faculty of Engineering & Design)
- Janine Debanné (Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism)
- Janet Mantler (Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences)
- Pascal Gin (Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences)
- Paul Williams (Faculty of Arts & Social Science)
Student Member Representatives:
- Gabrielle Lachance (Science)
- Nathan Bruni (Engineering & Design)
- Brian Timmons (Public & Global Affairs)
- Joshua Chicoine (Public & Global Affairs)
- Madhav Nikhil Sewpal (Public & Global Affairs)
Artificial Intelligence Framework
Senate received and discussed Carleton’s new Artificial Intelligence Framework, a guiding document that outlines principles for ethical, transparent and responsible AI use across teaching, research and operations. The framework is not a policy but is intended to “support the Carleton community by providing general principles and guidance” on integrating AI in ways that uphold academic integrity, human accountability, accessibility, and Indigenous data sovereignty. It establishes a coordinated approach to AI adoption and creates an AI Advisory Group to support implementation and ongoing governance.
New Senate Question Period Guidelines
Senate adopted a set of Question Period Guidelines aimed at clarifying how questions for Senate Question Period are submitted, reviewed, and addressed. The guidelines will help to enhance an open and transparent process by making the workflow and decision-making steps more explicit.
Major Modifications
Senate approved a number of major modifications including the following:
- Changing the name of the minor in Integrated Science to minor in Interdisciplinary Science Application, to reflect a shift toward a broader, more flexible academic focus.
- Adding new Graduate Calendar language that permits programs to include a fast‑track option for exceptional first‑year Master’s students to transition into a PhD.
- Adding language to clarify continuous‑registration expectations for selected Master’s programs and regularly scheduled breaks for others.
- Clarifying expectations and requirements for the Integrated Thesis and renaming it as Manuscript‑based Thesis to better reflect its structure and purpose.
At the undergraduate level, removing specific year-status prerequisite requirements from the Engineering & Design undergraduate regulations. Progression is to be managed through individual course prerequisites or university year standing, bringing practice in line with other programs across campus.