Senate Agenda - EXHIBIT III - January 18, 2002
FOR APPROVAL
Recommended: That the name of the Faculty of Engineering Science be changed to the Faculty of Engineering, effective January 1, 2002, as recommended by the Council of the Faculty of Engineering Science.
Rationale:
Throughout North America Western's is now one of the only, if not the only, Faculty of Engineering Science. While the title may be unique, this is also a concern for Western's Engineering students. It has placed them, and continues to place them, at a disadvantage with many employers who envision Engineering Science as being a sub-discipline of Engineering or of Science. (At the University of Toronto, for example, Engineering Science is an Engineering sub-discipline, and there is a Department of Engineering Science offering an accredited program in Engineering Science.) Therefore, a number of potential employers may feel that our students hold some sort of specialized, applied Science degree, rather than a true Engineering degree, granted by an accredited Faculty of Engineering. Recently an alumnus was denied the P.E. status in Texas, as Western's program does not show among the accredited programs awarded by Faculties of Engineering.
At this time the Faculty is not seeking to change the titles of its degrees. The degree title (Engineering Science) appears to be consistent with that offered through other educational institutions in North America. Nor is the Faculty proposing to change names of courses at this time. The appropriateness of maintaining the current nomenclature for degrees and courses will be reviewed by the Faculty, however.
The timing of the name change coincides well with a revamping of the Faculty's Communications Strategy, a priority for the coming year(s). Informal surveys of students and alumni show support for this proposed name change. In summary, the Faculty feels the proposed name change is essential for its students and for the future of the Faculty itself, so that it may be recognized as the modern research-intensive organization it has become.
Related changes to the Constitution of the Faculty are included in the Report of the Senate Operations/Agenda Committee at this meeting of Senate. See Exhibit I.
Recommended: That Senate provide advice to the Board of Governors, through the Vice-Chancellor, recommending the approval of the revised Employment Equity Policy (Appendix 1).
Background:
On March 17, 1988, The University of Western Ontario became a signatory to the Federal Contractors Program ("FCP"). As an organization with more than 100 employees which has contracts with the Federal Government of $200,000 or more, Western is subject to the FCP. The FCP is intended to ensure that organizations doing business with the Federal Government strive to achieve a representative workforce and a commitment to employment equity. The program identifies Aboriginal peoples, members of visible minority groups, persons with disabilities and women as groups historically disadvantaged in employment in Canada. These are the "designated groups" referred to in the FCP.
The FCP sets out eleven criteria for compliance. These include, but are not limited to, the collection and maintenance of information on the employment status of designated group employees, analysis of designated group representation within the organization, establishment of goals for hiring, training and promotion, establishment of a work plan for reaching these goals, and authorization for representatives of the FCP to conduct compliance reviews. Failure to comply with the eleven criteria will result in a loss of opportunity to do business with the Federal Government, and ineligibility to receive Federal contracts of any value.
Western adopted "The Employment Equity Program" (the "Policy") in November, 1988. The Policy required Western to develop a formal employment equity plan. This work plan was approved by the Board of Governors in October 1993. Neither the Policy nor the work plan have been revised since their adoption.
The Policy sets out a statement of principle on employment equity and outlines how this will be reflected in what Western does. For example, the Policy provides that Western will promote the full participation of designated group members in its workforce and will introduce special measures where appropriate. The Policy also created the President's Standing Committee for Employment Equity (the "Committee") to assist Western in determining and achieving its employment equity goals. The membership of this Committee was set out in the policy and included representatives from the various employee groups on campus.
In the spring of this year, the Committee reviewed the existing policy and determined that several changes were warranted. The first of these changes was simply to better articulate the principles of employment equity. This resulted primarily in language changes in the opening principles. The Committee also restated the actions under the sub-heading "Policy" as "Objectives" and added some further actions in keeping with the criteria of the FCP. Finally, the Committee restructured its own membership to be consistent with the changes in employee groups and unionization that has taken place on campus since 1988.
It is hoped that updating the current policy will also be seen by the community as a renewal of Western's commitment to the principles of employment equity. The attached revised policy will be presented to the Board of Governors for approval on January 24, 2002.
FOR INFORMATION
The Academic Development Fund New Research and Scholarly Initiative Award - Small Grants Competition is funded jointly from the Academic Development Fund and the Research Promotion Fund, each source contributing $80,000 annually. The maximum value for individual grants is $7,500.
In the Spring 2001 competition, 62 applications were received from all constituencies on campus for consideration for funding. Approximately $80,000 (plus a one-time disbursement from ADF Major Grants Competition) was available for allocation. The requests for funding amounted to $408,067; whereas a total of $135,398 was awarded among the 22 applications approved for funding.
In the Fall 2001 competition, 45 applications were received for consideration for funding. Approximately $80,000 was available for allocation; whereas the requests amounted to $288,978. Of the 45 applications, 16 were approved for funding.
Funding recommendations for the Spring 2001 and Fall 2001 ADF New Research and Scholarly Initiative Award Small Grants competitions are shown on Appendix 2 (Spring) and Appendix 3 (Fall).
SCUP discussed traffic and safety issues related to construction of the North Campus Building, to follow up on concerns expressed at the December 7, 2001, meeting of Senate.
The following three options will be considered to resolve potential problems for students crossing Perth Drive to access the new classroom building.
The behavior of pedestrians and vehicles will be monitored once construction is completed.
Mr. D. Riddell, Associate Vice-President (Physical Plant and Capital Planning Services) will be present at the meeting to elaborate on the proposed solutions.
The number of Graduate students in the Faculty of Engineering has increased by 90 from 164 to 254. With this growth comes a need for more and better equipped space. It is proposed to accommodate Engineering graduate students in a 3500 sq. ft. addition to the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel as shown on Appendix 4.
The siting is arranged to make the best use of the available land, while keeping other areas available for potential future extensions of the existing Engineering Building.
The addition will be one storey and will have an exterior finish of pre-finished metal cladding curtain wall and glass, which is consistent with the latest addition to the building and is selected to be both economical and complementary to the existing Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel.
The project cost is estimated at $600,000. Funds will be provided from the approved allocation of $27,900,000 for the Advanced Technology Centre SuperBuild project.
The project is scheduled for completion for Fall 2002.
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The UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO POLICIES and PROCEDURES | ||
| 3.2 EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY | ||
| Classification: Personnel - All | Effective Date: 24JAN02 | Supersedes: 28SEP00 |
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(Subject to approval by the Board of Governors) | ||
PRINCIPLES
1.00 The University of Western Ontario recognises that Employment Equity is a value at the core of the University's mandate as a community leader and an institution of higher learning. Employment Equity recognises the value and dignity of each individual and ensures that each individual will have genuine, open and unhindered access to employment opportunities, free from artificial barriers, whether systemic or otherwise. Employment Equity involves hiring the most suitably qualified candidate for any open position while ensuring that the hiring process and the qualifications required for each position are fair and equitable for all persons.
Accordingly, The University of Western Ontario seeks to integrate fully the principles of Employment Equity with its other human-resource policies and procedures in order to ensure that all present and potential employees receive equitable treatment in all matters related to employment. The University of Western Ontario will take appropriate steps to ensure that, throughout the entire organization, representation rates of historically disadvantaged groups reflect their availability within the labour force of the external community.
All members of the community play a role in the success of Employment Equity. Final responsibility and accountability for the University's Employment Equity Policy, however, rest with the President.
OBJECTIVES
2.00 Under Employment Equity, The University of Western Ontario has the following objectives:
(a) to promote the full participation and advancement of members of the designated groups under the Federal Contractors Program (women, native persons, members of visible minority groups and persons with disabilities) in the University workforce;
(b) to implement such special measures as are required to attract, retain and promote members of the designated groups and to ensure that individuals in positions to make or influence decisions regarding the status or working conditions of current and prospective employees are aware of such special measures and have received training in their application;
(c) to identify those areas of the University workforce wherein members of the designated groups are under-represented and to focus special measures to redress such under-representation and to ensure that individuals in positions to make or influence decisions regarding the status or working conditions of current and prospective employees are aware of such special measures and have received training in their application;
(d) to ensure that individuals in positions to make or influence decisions regarding the status or working conditions of current and prospective employees are aware of this policy and have received training in its meaning and application, that they implement its core values in all decisions and that they communicate and apply them to all members of staff and faculty;
(e) to collect and analyse workforce data, develop a formal employment equity plan and prepare an annual report which will contain specific recommendations for action to be undertaken by the senior officers of this institution and which will detail the progress of those recommendations.
THE EMPLOYMENT EQUITY COMMITTEE
3.00 Recognizing that the success of employment equity relies in large part on the input provided by its employees, the University will establish an Employment Equity Committee. As a standing committee reporting to the President, it will be the responsibility of the Committee to:
(a) consider, upon the completion of a statistical review and analysis by the Equity Services Office and the Committee, where and to what extent designated groups are under-represented within the University's workforce;
(b) examine all of the University's employment policies and practices and all negotiated agreements with employee groups and recommend to the parties changes to those that do not conform with equal employment opportunities in hiring, promotion, remuneration, training, working conditions and terminations. While the Committee will be asked to determine the fairness of employment agreements, policies and practices, particular attention is to be given to examining those procedures that work to the disadvantage of members of the designated groups;
(c) prepare and submit an Annual Report to the President, which shall include specific recommendations based on the analysis and examinations detailed above with timeframes where appropriate. The President will release the Report to the University community;
(d) assist the University and the Equity Services Office in the endorsement and fostering of behaviour that advances the basic tenets of employment equity.
4.00 The Committee's membership shall be as follows:
One representative appointed by each of the following:
University of Western Ontario Faculty Association
University of Western Ontario Staff Association
Professional and Managerial Association
University of Western Ontario Graduate Teaching Assistants - PSAC Local 610
Physical Plant - CUPE Local 2361
Food Services - CUPE Local 2692
Select Administrative Group Employees
The Associate Vice-President (Human Resources)
The Vice-Provost
The Vice-President (Administration)
The Director, Equity Services
Seven persons appointed by the President: four who will act as representatives of the designated groups covered under the Federal Contractors Program, one who will be a senior academic or administrative leader and two who deal with matters related to part-time employment at the University.
5.00 Membership terms of the twenty appointed members are two years but, upon initiation of this policy, half of the members shall be appointed for a one-year term in order to provide for staggered terms. The tenure of all members shall run from June 1 of the year of appointment. No appointed member of the Committee may serve for more than four years consecutively.
6.00 The Chair shall be elected annually by the Committee.
THE EQUITY SERVICES OFFICE
7.00 The Equity Services Office is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the employment equity policy. Any individuals or groups with questions or concerns regarding the application of this policy should direct them to the Equity Services Office. All inquiries are to be held in the strictest confidence unless permission is given in writing for the release of such information.