Senate approves research unit

Concordia’s Senate recently approved the creation of a new multidisciplinary research unit to be known as the Concordia Institute for Water, Energy and Sustainable Systems (CIWESS).

The new unit will focus on research and training in the design of systems, solutions and technologies for water, energy, and resource conservation. It will rely on expertise and input from Concordia’s four Faculties, while benefiting from partnerships with different universities across Canada and around the world. The new unit has also secured research partnerships with several major energy corporations.

Some of the core funding for CIWESS will come from a Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The CREATE grant will provide $1.643 million in funding over six years, which will go to support the research bursaries of undergraduates, master's and PhD students, and post-doctoral fellows. More than 135 students are expected to receive funding through the CREATE grant.

The program director, Catherine Mulligan, associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, gave a brief presentation of CIWESS to Senate, before the motion approving its creation was unanimously passed.

Motion delays creation of new Senate standing committee
Senate approved a recommendation from the Academic Planning and Priorities Committee (APPC) delaying the creation of another standing committee to oversee the implementation of the Academic Plan and report on it to Senate.

Senate will revisit the issue of whether there is a need to have an Academic Plan Coordinating Committee in one year’s time. As it stands now, the APPC is in charge of reporting on the implementation of the Academic Plan to Senate.

Interim Provost Lisa Ostiguy presented the APPC’s report, which stated that the creation of the standing committee was inappropriate because its mandate would overlap with that of other standing committees, and that its reporting and advising structure was not in line with that of other committees within Senate.

Centraide Appeal
Concordia’s Centraide campaign is now well underway. Maria Peluso, president of the Concordia University Part-time Faculty Association, and Ostiguy encouraged members of Senate to support the cause.

Concordia’s Vice-President, Institutional Relations and Secretary-General, Bram Freedman is the chair of Concordia’s Centraide Committee. He told Senate that the campaign’s goal this year is to raise $200,000. So far, it has raised $119,000. Staff and faculty can donate to the campaign through payroll deductions.

Related links:
    •    Senate
    •    “Senate Approves bicameralism recommendations” — NOW, October 10, 2012