Report of the Operations/Agenda Committee

Senate Agenda- EXHIBIT I - February 20, 1998

FOR APPROVAL

1. The Senate Manual

Recommended:

That publication of the Senate Manual in its current form be discontinued

and

a) That the following comprise a Senate Handbook to be issued to new Senators each November, at which time continuing Senators will receive revised pages:

and

b) That the following documents be maintained on the Governance and Institutional Information Website http://www.uwo.ca/univsec as general university documents:

and

c) That the following be maintained on the Senate Website http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/senate

Background:

The current Senate Manual contains the following sections:

  1. UNIVERSITY ACT and the UNIVERSITY MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS [15 pages]
  2. RULES OF SENATE (including By-laws, Rules of Order, and Adopted Policies and Procedures)[10 pages]
  3. SENATE MEMBERSHIP [3 pages]
  4. SENATE MEETING DATES [1 page]
  5. SENATE COMMITTEES, SUBCOMMITTEES, COUNCILS AND BOARDS (Terms of Reference and Composition) [30 pages]
  6. MEMBERSHIP OF SENATE COMMITTEES, SUBCOMMITTEES, BOARDS AND COUNCILS [12 pages]
  7. FACULTY COUNCIL CONSTITUTIONS [17 pages]
  8. APPOINTMENTS PROCEDURES [13 pages]
  9. CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT [41 pages] (including Appointments Procedures: Members of Academic Staff with Limited Duties and the ACORD Document: Alternative Career Opportunities, Retention & Development of Faculty
  10. ELECTION PROCEDURES [7 pages] [149 pages total, excluding title page for each section]

Rationale:

All of the information now contained in the hard-copy Senate Manual is now available on the Internet. Paper copies of each of the documents, with the exception of committee membership (currently Sec. 6) will continue to be available from the University Secretariat as required and on request. Committee membership is so volatile that it is difficult to keep hard copies current, whereas the Website can be maintained quickly and without cost.

The index proposed for the new Senate Handbook will include Websites for documents contained in the Handbook and, as well, all relevant documents (e.g., those contained in the current Senate Manual which will be omitted from the proposed Senate Handbook).

2. Honorary Degrees Committee Composition

Recommended: That the composition of the Senate Honorary Degrees Committee be amended as follows:

Nine members elected by the Senate.

ADD: One Principal (or designate) of an Affiliated College, on a one-year rotational basis among Huron College, Brescia College, and King's College

Ex officio:

Background:

This Spring, for the first time, the three Affiliated Colleges' graduating students will receive their degrees on the same day (June 11). This grouping is likely to continue in future Spring Convocations, but cannot be assured.

The College Principals asked whether they might participate in the selection of honorary graduates for the day(s) when the Colleges' students graduate. The Committee is of the view that while it would be inappropriate for any unit to have a determinative role in selecting honorary graduands, it would be desirable to have a representative of the Colleges participate, as a member of the Honorary Degrees Committee, in the selection of honorary graduands for all Convocation ceremonies. The Honorary Degrees Committee therefore has recommended the addition of representation from the Affiliated Colleges, on a rotational basis.

The Principals have agreed among themselves that the order of rotation should be: Huron College (starting February 1998), Brescia College, and King's College.

Senators are reminded that nominations of candidates for honorary degrees may be submitted, in confidence, by anyone within and beyond the University community. Nomination forms may be obtained from the University Secretariat (661-2055) or by using the format on the University Secretariat Website: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/senate/hondeg.html

FOR INFORMATION

1. Special in camera Budget Meeting

The special in camera information meeting of Senate has been scheduled of Monday, April 13, 1998, 9:30 a.m. (to 11:30 a.m. approximately), in Room 1059 of the Engineering Science Building. At this meeting the budget will be explained and Senators will have the opportunity to ask questions of detail about the budget; no motions may be introduced or entertained. In order to ensure a frank and open discussion, all comments made at the meeting will be "off the record". Please note, however, that questions asked at the closed meeting on April 13 may again be asked at the Senate meeting.