Senate receives updates on budget and voluntary departure program
At the October 31 meeting of Senate, Concordia’s president Alan Shepard welcomed new senators Jessica Lelièvre, representing undergraduate students, and Marilou André, Korosh Koochekian and Keroles Riad who are representing graduate students.
He spoke about the Maclean’s University Rankings that had been published October 30 noting that the university went up from 13th to 11th place in the comprehensive category.
Shepard also updated Senate on the budget situation saying discussions were being held in private with government officials in an effort to offset any further cuts. One of the university’s actions to address the budget compression, the introduction of a Voluntary Departure Program (VDP), has been extended by one week because some employees requested more time to decide whether this was a viable option for them.
He congratulated Adrian Tsang who has been awarded $6 million under the Genome Canada’s Genomic Applications Partnership Program, which partners academic researchers with industry to propel innovation.
The president announced that the search committee for the Dean of Fine Arts has held its first meeting.
He also informed Senate that the Board of Governors has approved the next stage of the Webster Library Transformation Project. This includes the awarding of the construction, professional and supply contracts following the tender process.
Strategic directions
The president also provided an update on the strategic directions process, saying it would be launched early next year. The purpose of this initiative is to engage the Concordia community in a dialogue about the future of the university. The president believes that January would be the best time to begin the process once the university has dealt with the challenges brought about by budget compressions and the adjustments needed after the VDP.
Academic Plan update
Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon announced that the recently renamed Centre for Teaching and Learning has now moved into its new space on the 6th floor of the Faubourg Tower. The space has a modern look and is specifically designed for pedagogical innovation. The Provost thanked 3M Teaching Award winner Philippe Caignon for taking on the academic leadership of the Centre.
He reported that the first Undergraduate Research Day was held on October 24. Over fifty undergraduate students displayed their research projects in the atrium of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV). Last year the Academic Plan supported 75 awards to support undergraduate research, and this event featured many of the outstanding research projects that this program supported. A second, expanded edition of the event is already in the works for next year.
Policy on the ethical use of animals
On the recommendation of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) following its last site visit to Concordia, Graham Carr, VP of Research and Graduate Studies, proposed a stand-alone policy on the ethical use of animals in research and teaching. He noted that the CCAC commended the university’s facilities and practices but indicated that a dedicated policy was required. The motion was approved by Senate.
Approval process for graduation lists
Senate was asked to consider delegating the final approval of graduation lists to the University Registrar. After extensive discussion, the motion was withdrawn.