Senate holds first meeting of academic year
President’s Remarks
Concordia’s new president, Alan Shepard, opened the September 14 meeting of Senate with a few remarks detailing his first few weeks at Concordia, and his take on the role of Senate.
The president began by saying that during his first weeks in the job, he has made a point of getting out of his office and meeting members of the Concordia community.
“It’s been a great pleasure,” he said. “I just want to say how pleased I am to have been hired by Concordia, and how much I’m looking forward to working with all of you.”
Shepard then thanked the members of Senate for their service to the university, and underlined the important role that Senate plays in the bicameral governance model.
“I believe in a strong Senate; I think that it’s vital to the well-being of the university, and I said so to the hiring committee when I was a candidate for this job,” he told the members.
The new president went on to highlight some of the recent successes of Concordia students, and welcomed several members of the faculty and administration to new appointments. He finished his remarks on a more personal note. “My partner, my children and I are really pleased to be here,” he said. “We’re grateful to be a part of the community, and we thank you for the warm welcome we’ve had so far.”
Update on the Academic Plan
Interim Provost Lisa Ostiguy presented Senate with a brief update on the Academic Plan, outlining what has taken place to address Phase I priorities since the plan was approved in January.
To support research, the university has increased graduate student funding by $1 million for the 2012-13 school year, and last year the university’s libraries were allocated $500,000 in increased acquisitions funding.
Several Phase I priority actions are already underway to support student success. For one, funding for teaching assistants will see an increase of $280,657 for the 2012-13 school year.
A committee is currently drafting a policy document outlining how accessibility is defined at Concordia.
A committee chaired by Associate Professor Jason Camlot, chair of the Department of English, is looking at new measures to improve the writing and communication skills of students. In March they surveyed Faculties and departments to see what the issues are related to it, and how the university can best address them.
The university is also working on a new course-evaluation model, and how to address low response rate to course evaluations.
At the university’s administration level, Phase I priority actions include drafting an Open Administration Initiative, of which a draft is now being prepared, and establishing coordinated, equitable workload principles.
The Academic Plan is also receiving support in numerous other areas, including the ramping up of the GradProSkills training program, and increased support for major grant acquisitions.
For more information on the Academic Plan, visit the website linked to below.
New Code of Ethics for Senate
Senate passed a motion to approve a new Code of Ethics for Senate. The code was drafted to establish the rule of conduct for Senate members and the members of its committees.
An ad hoc committee was formed in December 2011 — in response to a recommendation of the 2011 External Governance Review Committee — to draft the Code of Ethics for Senate.
The five-page document outlines general duties and obligations for Senate members, guidelines for voting and respecting the confidentiality of closed sessions, and procedures and sanctions in the case of non-compliance with the code.
Senate also passed a motion outlining the composition of a Senate Ethics Committee, tasked with overseeing and enforcing the application of the code. The committee shall consist of the president, one senator who is a senior academic administrator, one student senator, and one faculty senator.
Recording and Broadcasting of Senate Meetings
Senate approved new Guidelines Pertaining to the Recording and Broadcasting of Senate Meetings. The draft policy, composed by an ad hoc committee, takes into consideration the preferences expressed by senators during a vote at the May 2012 meeting.
The university’s Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS) will now record open sessions of Senate. The recordings will be retained by the university, and accessible for onsite viewing at the Records Management and Archives Department (RMAD) offices. Private or unauthorized recording of Senate meetings is prohibited.
Narrowcasting of Senate meetings (transmission of the Senate proceedings to a designated overflow room) will take place if it is foreseen that the visitor’s gallery won’t accommodate everyone who wishes to attend a particular meeting. The approved minutes of a meeting of Senate are the only official record of its decisions.
The next meeting of Senate takes place October 5, 2012.
Related links:
• Senate
• Academic Plan