Senate

President Gilbert called the meeting to order.

Dr. Moira McPherson, one of the Senate representatives on the Board of Governors of Lakehead University, introduced Mrs. Jackie Dojack, Chair of the Board. Mrs. Dojack summarized for Senate the Board's composition, operations, and responsibilities. In particular she identified new, prominent members of the Board, emphasized the Board's objective of "friend-raising" as well as fund-raising among the government and wider communities, and described how, through such activities as orientation sessions and periodic self-assessment, the Board was seeking constantly to improve its overall performance.

1. Approval of Agenda

Moved (Q.L. Dang/S. Hamilton) that the agenda be approved with the following amendments:

(a) As item 3.a add "Procedure for Nominating Senators to the Board of Governors (Dr. M. Shaw);"

(b) In item 4 change "SUSC" after "History" and "Women's Studies" to "SGSC/FGSC;"

(c) In item 4, to "Faculty of Education" add "Undergraduate Studies;"

(d) To item 4 add "Faculty of Professional Schools: School of Kinesiology."

Carried.

2. Minutes of Senate Meeting #2006-1

Moved (R. Dilley/P. Hollings) that the minutes of Senate Meeting #2006-1, held on January 27, 2006, be approved. Carried.

3. Business Arising from the Minutes

There was no business arising from the Minutes of the previous meeting.

3.a Procedure for Nominating Senators to the Board of Governors

After some discussion it was agreed that the Secretary of Senate would present a formal motion at the next Senate meeting to streamline the current procedure for selecting Senate representatives on the Board of Governors, by asking all Senators who were full-time faculty members whether they would be interested in so serving and then presenting to Senate for a vote the names of those who had given a favourable response.

4. Proposed Calendar Changes for Referral

4.1 Moved (K. Fedderson/B. Dadgostar) that the proposals by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities for Calendar changes in History, Philosophy, Psychology, and Women's Studies be referred to Senate Committees. Carried. The proposals would all be referred to the Senate Budget Committee and, in addition, the proposals in History and Women's Studies would be referred to the Senate Graduate Studies Committee/Faculty of Graduate Studies Council and those in Philosophy and Psychology to the Senate Undergraduate Studies Committee.

4.2 Moved (J. O'Meara/P. Allingham) that the proposals by the Faculty of Education for Calendar changes in the Departments of Lifelong Learning and Undergraduate Studies be referred to Senate Committees. Carried. The proposals would be referred to the Senate Budget and Undergraduate Studies Committees.

4.3 Moved (R. Pulkki/M. Leitch) that the proposal by the Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment for a renewal of the Articulation Agreement Between Lakehead University and the College of the North Atlantic be referred to Senate Committees. Carried. The proposal would be referred to the Senate Budget and Undergraduate Studies Committees.

4.4 Moved (I. Newhouse/M. McPherson) that the proposals by the Faculty of Professional Schools for Calendar changes in the regulations and programs of the School of Kinesiology be referred to Senate Committees. Carried. The proposals would be referred to the Senate Budget and Undergraduate Studies Committees.

5. Reports of the Senate Standing Committees on Proposed Calendar Changes to Undergraduate Programs

Moved (M. Leitch/Q.L. Dang) that the recommendations in the reports of the Senate Budget and Undergraduate Studies Committees for Calendar changes concerning History, Music, Native Access, and Geography all be approved with the revisions specified in the reports. Carried.

In addition the Senate Undergraduate Studies Committee recommended approval, with specified revisions, of the proposals concerning Education 3013, the Community Based Native Teacher Education program, Psychology 4111, and new minor programs to be offered by the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism. The Senate Budget Committee deferred recommendation of the last until the University's academic planning process is complete.

6. Reports of the Senate Standing Committees on Proposed Calendar Changes to Graduate Programs

Moved (G. Boire/Q.L. Dang) that the recommendations in the reports of the Senate Budget and Graduate Studies (Faculty of Graduate Studies Council) Committees for Calendar changes, with specified revisions, relating to the PhD in Educational Studies be approved. Carried.

7. Report of the Senate Organization Committee

Moved (M. Shaw/B. Dadgostar) that the name of the Senate Part-Time Studies and Distance Education Committee be changed to Senate Continuing Education and Distributed Learning Committee, and that its terms of reference be revised as indicated in the Senate Organization Committee's report. Carried.

Moved (M. Shaw/M. McPherson) that the terms of reference of the Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning be changed as indicated in the Senate Organization Committee's report. Carried.

Moved (M. Shaw/I. Newhouse) that the terms of reference of the Senate Budget Committee be renumbered as indicated in the Senate Organization Committee's report.Carried.

President Gilbert noted that at a previous Senate meeting there had been an agreement to include motions in the Senate agenda.

8. Adjunct Professors

Moved (K. Fedderson/G. Hayman) that Senate ratify the appointments of Dr. Mary Donaghy, Dr. Steve Donaghy, Dr. Paul Johnson, and Dr. Scott Sellick as Adjunct Professors in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities effective immediately until June 30, 2009. Carried.

Moved (R. Pulkki/M.Leitch) that Senate ratify the appointments of Dr. Stephen J. Colombo and Dr. Guy Larocque as Adjunct Professors in the Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment effective immediately until June 30, 2009. Carried.

9. President's Report

The President reported that he had had a positive meeting with Minister Bentley and that the latter was now much more appreciative of Lakehead's position on graduate funding.

The University had finally received funding from the government for 2005-2006 that matched the budget.

The government had set up advisory committees with representation from Lakehead to review separate funding for distinct student communities, e.g. aboriginals, francophones, et al.

The COU had been discussing a critical issue for the Ontario universities that had arisen from recent legislation: pension solvency and liability. Lakehead would be taking a $600,000 hit on its budget over the next 5 years; other universities, e.g. Guelph, were facing a much higher charge. Lakehead supported a proposal to make the universities exempt from the legislation - as was the case in Alberta - or at least liable to pay such charges over a period of 15 years instead of 5.

Lakehead was in the process of setting its budget for 2006-2007 but was still waiting to hear from the government, which would not be presenting its budget until March 23^rd, on what fee increases would be allowed. It was expected that the government would set out rules for partially deregulated tuition fees.

Dr. Sally-Ann Burnett had been hired as Director of Operations at the Orillia campus.

In relation to the recent decision by the City to reject land rezoning proposals, Lakehead's primary interest had been to accommodate the school board's plans to build a new high school, although it would also be in the University's interests to acquire access to necessary facilities - such as those of the Port Arthur Collegiate Institute. He thought that the school board might appeal the Council's adverse decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, which might overturn the decision. If such happened, Lakehead might consider offering a smaller piece of property to the school board.

L. Di Matteo asked if the University would have trouble balancing its budget in the next year. The President replied that the budget would be balanced, but key factors affecting the achievement of that balance would be enrolments and the degree of flexibility that the government would permit for fee increases. Balancing the budget was and would remain a challenge, but the University did have measures in place to ensure that no draconian steps would have to be taken.

L. Di Matteo also asked if any measures were being initiated to counter the bad press that Lakehead University and Thunder Bay had been receiving in consequence of the policy of refusing to adopt wireless internet connectivity. The President replied that there were substantial comments coming forward from both academics and environmentalists in support of his position and that, in view of the excellent internet access already available on the Lakehead campus there was no need to make it a wireless site. He thought it good that debate had been engendered on the issue, and that, in view of the uncertain science on the subject, it was better to err on the side of caution.

T. King asked what issues had been targeted by the President in his discussions with the Minister. He replied that he had focussed on the Orillia campus and graduate student funding.

10. Report of the Vice-President (Academic) & Provost

The Vice-President reported that the Academic Planning subcommittee had been meeting and would have a preliminary draft of its report ready for the Senate Academic Committee at its meeting on March 24^th.

The OCGS had completed a review of Physics programs at the graduate level, and a review of Lakehead's undergraduate programs in Political Science was also finished. The University was waiting for the results.

She had attended a meeting of Ontario Vice-Presidents (Academic) at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. Agenda items had included undergraduate and graduate program reviews and Mathematics in the high schools.

A search was being conducted for a new Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. March 15^th had been set as the deadline for applications.

She thanked members of Senate who had attended the Grade XI Day events in the Agora. This exercise provided good promotion of Lakehead University.

She referred to the likelihood of a strike by College instructors starting in the next week. Lakehead Nursing students enrolled in the collaborative program with Confederation College would be affected. Plans to accommodate these students were in place.

R. Dilley said he hoped that, in the event of a strike at Confederation College, Lakehead University instructors would not be asked to fill in. The Vice-President said that would not happen.

L. Di Matteo asked if there would likely be picket lines on campus in the event of a strike at the College. The Vice-President replied that it was a possibility.

R. Berg and J. Farrell raised objections to the policy requiring departmental schedulers to avoid slotting their sections into 3-hour blocks during the day and into meeting times of one hour twice a week in their proposals for the 2006-2007 course timetable. The Vice-President replied, with support from the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, that she was responding to concerns raised in Deans' Council that the increased demand for classroom space necessitated by the double cohort combined with irregular timetable slots would put excessive pressure on the availability of classrooms. Accordingly she was trying to ensure a more efficient use of classroom space by requiring the departments, as much as possible, to schedule their courses in regular timetable slots.

11. Report of NOSM

D. Hunt reported that the Medical School had, as last year, received over 2000 applications and that, of these, some 400 individuals had been invited to interviews, 200 in Thunder Bay and 200 in Sudbury.

Due to the hard work of Bonnie Moore and others in both the Laurentian and Lakehead communities, the target of $10,000,000 in the NOSM's bursary fund had been exceeded.

Good relationships had been established with hospitals across the North to ensure that medical students would have the essential hospital space and time that they would need for their training.

12. Renewal of Appointments of Adjunct Professors

The President presented to Senate for information the names of the professors whose adjunct appointments in the Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment had been renewed for a term lasting from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006.

13. Report of the Senate Representatives on the Board of Governors

M. McPherson reported that the Board of Governors had met on March 2nd, 2006 and that the Board Secretary, P. Merriman, had posted the meeting's Minutes this morning (March 3^rd). The Development Office had established a "Faculty Fund."

T. King asked if the Board had revised the University's policy on naming property. M. McPherson replied that this item had been tabled and would be discussed at the next meeting.

Moved (L. Di Matteo/P. Hollings) that the Meeting be adjourned. Carried. The Meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m.