Senate grants university-recognition status to the Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology
President’s remarks
In his remarks to Senate at the February 12 meeting, Concordia’s president Alan Shepard announced the addition of a new academic offering to the university’s impressive aerospace portfolio: a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Aerospace Engineering. The program, recently approved by the Government of Quebec, is the first of its kind at an English institution, and second for any institution in the province.
He also addressed the departure of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), noting the university and Sonia Trudel parted company by mutual agreement. Due to privacy issues, he could not disclose any more details but he reassured Senators that the decision was made in the best interests for the long-term well-being of Concordia. He also emphasized that the university takes extraordinary care in the hiring of senior executives and that several lessons have been learned from this recent experience.
Senators received an update on the Student Information System (SIS) from Bradley Tucker, associate vice-president of Registrarial Services. He said the system has undergone changes based on user feedback, and will be ready in time for the next registration cycle in March. Consultations have taken place with students to obtain feedback on how to improve the interface. Future changes will take into consideration how the system will function on mobile devices.
Provost’s academic update
Benoit-Antoine Bacon, provost and vice-president of Academic Affairs, announced that Phase 2 of the Webster Transformation Project will begin in early March. The fifth floor of the library will include three large silent reading rooms, two collaborative spaces, five group study or consultation rooms and office spaces. There will also be special services designated specifically for graduate students: four silent dissertation writer rooms, large reading rooms, a lounge, a kitchenette, lockers and shelves, and a photocopier/scanner/printer room.
Bacon also mentioned that the call for proposals for the Curriculum Innovation Fund is now open. The deadline to apply is March 11. The program’s funding is intended to facilitate truly innovative teaching practices and fundamental revisions or new development to programs.
Nominations are also open for the following awards: President’s Excellence in Teaching; Academic Leadership Awards and the Provost’s Circle of Distinction. The application deadline for all three awards is March 18, 2016. Recipients will be celebrated at an event in May.
Strategic directions update
Phase 2 of the Strategic Planning Initiative is on track, said Shepard. Over the course of last fall, Faculties and units developed draft plans, and senior leaders and their ad hoc committee members developed five cross-institutional strategies (for double our research, teach for tomorrow, grow smartly and embrace the city, and embrace the world).
University-level goals, objectives and priority actions will be developed in the next two months, drawing on these plans and strategies, said Shepard. A preliminary version of a strategic directions action plan was created for a Board retreat in late January. Senators will have an opportunity to review and provide direct feedback on this draft action plan at its March meeting.
Update on the 2015-16 budget and proposed budget model
Following an update on the 2015-16 budget, interim CFO Patrick Kelley led Senators through a presentation of a new budget model that will be gradually implemented across the university.
In the past, budget allocations were directly tied to revenue generation. While this served the university in fostering growth, there were issues in terms of quality. The model was then changed to focus on historical allocations and needs. However, incentives for growth or efficiency improvements were removed.
The new model attempts to strike the right balance: rewarding growth and efficiencies while recognizing that sectors are not fully independent but part of a federation.
Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology recognized
Senate approved a Research Committee recommendation to grant university-recognized status to the Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology (CASB). Graham Carr, vice-president of Research and Graduate Studies, said CASB is the first research centre in Canada to focus on the rapidly evolving field of synthetic biology. It brings together biologists, engineers, computer and social scientists to foster the interdisciplinary research that defines synthetic biology.
Carr said the centre is “putting Concordia on the map” as a leader in the field, pointing to a joint research collaborative project with the University of California, Berkeley, that was among the top 10 major scientific breakthroughs of 2015. The Concordia-Berkeley team successfully proved that yeast can be engineered to convert sugar into alkaloids — allowing for the synthetic production of drugs including opiates, antibiotics and anti-cancer therapeutics.
‘Distinguished University Research Professor’ title approved
Concordia full professors who have demonstrated outstanding and sustained distinction in research, and who have received national and international recognition, will be eligible for a new and prestigious title, which was approved by Senate.
The Distinguished University Research Professor title will be available to a select few following a nominations process. Recipients will retain the title until retirement; there is no additional compensation or course release.