Senate Meeting Synopsis | April 9, 2018

The fourth Senate meeting of the 2017-18 session was held on April 9, 2018, and was chaired by Provost and VP (Academic), Charlotte Yates.

Chair of the Senate Research Board, Marc Coppolino, commenced the meeting with a territorial land acknowledgment.

The Provost offered oral remarks on behalf of the President, including recognition and offering of condolences to the families affected by the recent tragedy in Humboldt, Saskatchewan; recent accomplishments of women leaders at the University of Guelph; changes in leadership in the Biodiversity Institute, Development and the CSA; successes in SSHRC Insight Grant applications; update on the OMAFRA agreement; update on the Aboriginal Initiatives strategy; announcement of the Guelph Institute for Development Studies; update on the 2018 federal and provincial budgets; and, update on the recent IQAP audit.   

The Provost provided a presentation and update on the university budget plan for 2018-19.  The Provost’s full presentation can be found online, at the end of the Senate meeting package.

Vice-President (Research) Malcolm Campbell provided an update on the recently approved OMAFRA agreement.  The Vice-President (Research)’s full presentation can be found online, at the end of the Senate meeting package. 

Other items of business at the meeting included:

• A report from Student Senate Caucus co-chair Lindsey Fletcher.
• A notice of election for the Senate-elected faculty member to the Board of Governors. 
• Approval of the new Master of Arts and PhD in Critical Studies in Improvisation.
• Approval of program changes to the Leadership and Organizational Management major.
• Approval of a new minor in Human Resources. 
• Approval of the Family and Community Social Services College Transfer Pathway.
• Approval of the University of Guelph-Humber Fall Reading Break (applicable only to the University of Guelph-Humber campus). 
• Presentation of cyclical review one-year follow up reports for: Department of Psychology, Department of Animal Biosciences, and Department of Plant Agriculture.
• Additional items presented for information included: update on the Board Governance Review, update from the COU Academic Colleague, update on Senate elections and membership for 2018-19, update on the Senate evaluation survey, graduate curriculum changes, graduate faculty appointments, revised schedule of dates for 2018-19 for the University of Guelph, revised schedule of dates for 2017-18 for the University of Guelph-Humber, undergraduate curriculum changes, program subcommittee membership for 2017-18, Petitions Committee annual report for 2016-17, remaining research-related committee annual reports for 2016-17, non-degree program changes and the 2018 call for nominations for  student awards. 

The complete meeting agenda package is available on the University Secretariat website and includes detailed information on the items listed above.

The next Senate meeting will be held on May 28, 2018, in the OVC Lifetime Learning Centre Room 1714.  Meetings are open to the public and visitors who wish to attend should contact the University Secretariat at univsec@uoguelph.ca