Faculty Council Meeting - March 7, 2025

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL
MINUTES
 Friday, February 7, 2025
 A meeting of the Faculty Council was held on Friday, February 7, 2025, at 10:00 am via Zoom.  

Guest Speaker
Mr. Dylan Mahzur, Director, Human Rights and Equity, gave an overview of the Ontario Legislation on disability taking effect in 2025.  His presentation focused on what is and what will be happening with the AODA standards.  In advance of this Faculty Council meeting, links were shared outlining some background information on the proposed recommendations for post-secondary standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”).  Listed below is a summary of the information that was shared.  
 
In 2005, the Government of Ontario put into law the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”), whose stated goal is for the creation of an accessible Ontario by 2025.
 
As we near that deadline, the provincial government is scheduled to enact post-secondary education standards as part of the AODA, which will legally require all publicly-funded colleges and universities in Ontario to develop and deliver a comprehensive set of standards to accommodate students with disabilities.
 
While these proposed standards are aimed at all aspects of the University, I wanted to highlight two areas that are most relevant to faculty members: assessment, curriculum, and instruction as well as digital learning and technology.
 
We certainly recognize that faculty members have very full plates already and that these proposed standards may appear overwhelming at first glance. However, faculty members will not be alone in the implementation of these standards. Rather, the implementation of these standards is a university-wide initiative that will require the support of all administrative and academic units.

A discussion followed which raised such points as:  Lack of resources; no commitment from government regarding funding; need time to convert/process documents; and the need new and/or updated policy in place.
1.
Approval of Agenda
 It was moved by S. Jacoba and seconded by A. Carastathis that the agenda be approved.
        Carried.
2.
Approval of Minutes
Approval of the minutes from January 10, 2025.  (S. Jobbitt; E. Chugunov)
The minutes were accepted as presented.
        
3.
Business Arising from the Minutes
None.
4.
Calendar Change Requests
i)  BA General Program
It was moved by A. Carastathis and seconded by C. Sanders that the following calendar change request for the BA General Program be approved.
2024-SOC-8750:  Academic regulations for the BA General Program.
        Carried.

ii)  History
It was moved by K. Burnett and seconded by E. Chugunov that the following calendar change request for History be approved.
        Carried.

iii)  Interdisciplinary Studies
It was moved by R. McVeigh and seconded by J. Jarman that the following calendar change request for Interdisciplinary Studies be approved.
2024-SOC-8771:  Courses-Modifications-UG-Media, Film, and Communication-Creative Music and Sound Arts
        Carried.

iv)  Languages
It was moved by S. Jacoba and seconded by J. Chisholm that the following calendar change request for Languages be approved.
2025-SOC-8788:  Languages – UG
        Carried.

v)  Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism
The following two calendar change requests for Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism were tabled for our next Faculty Council meeting on March 7, 2025, as there was no one to speak to it.
2025-SOC-8789:  OUTD course modification - UG
2025-SOC-8786:  Program Changes - changes to course requirements - UG

    5.1
Department/School Requests.
None.

5.2
Department/School Reports.
i). English
A. Guttman announced an upcoming event that English has organized to mark both R & I and Freedom to
Read Week. The event is open to all members of the university community as well as members of the
public, and is being held in partnership with the Thunder Bay Public Library.  The event is in-person
only and takes place on February 26, 2025, at 6:30 pm. Mary J.L. Black library.
A. Guttman mentioned that the Annual Student Conference will take place on Monday, April 7, 2025, this year.  It will be held in the teleconference rooms of both campuses.  More information will follow.
A. Guttman asked everyone to come out and support the local theatre and especially those faculty
involved in the productions.  

ii)  History
S. Jobbitt mentioned that on February 27, 2025, there will be a screening of a film entitled, The
View from Up Here.  This event takes place from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm in the PACI Auditorium.  The event
is free and everyone is welcome.

iii)  Gender and Women’s Studies
L. Chambers stated that the Gender and Women’s Studies Department will be holding their annual event,
Feminisms at the Lakehead, will take place on April 9, 2025.  More information will follow soon.

iv)  Interdisciplinary Studies
J. Jarman stated that the annual Media Showcase event will take place on March 6, 2025.  The show is
entitled, Lights, Camera, Activism.  More information to follow.

v)  Indigenous Learning
K. Burnett mentioned that J. Sánchez Martínez will be giving a talk entitled, an Indigenous Message on
Water 2.0 and the 2025 Northwest Climate Gathering Artists, on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, during
Research and Innovation Week.  It will be held from 4:00 to 5:30 pm in the Bora Laskin Education
Building, 2nd Floor, ALIR Gallery and Room 2001.

vi) Music
E. Chugunov stated that there will be a concert entitled, New Directions in Music Performance,
Composition and Education, which will be held during Research and Innovation Week on Tuesday,
February 25, 2025 from 3:00 to 3:45 pm.  It will take place in the Jean McNulty Recital Hall.

vii)  Visual Arts
S. Shasahabi stated the annual Student Juried Art Exhibition will once again be held at the Thunder Bay
Art Gallery.  Our Opening Reception and Awards Night which will be held on Friday 28 March 2025 at
7:30 pm (doors open at 7:00pm).   Everyone is welcome!

6.
Dean’s Report.
Friday, February 10, 2025
The Dean shared her presentation to the Budget Review Committee in the following areas: faculty status, budget overview, program plans, and position requests. In addition to previously approved faculty hiring requests submitted to the Provost, 4 additional FTEs were requested to sustain core programming and growth at the Orillia campus, 1 FTE in Social Justice Studies, and 1 FTE curator in Visual Arts. The Dean recommends conducting a faculty strategic planning session in April to integrate the Curriculum Sustainability Framework and the Program Quality Review.
A discussion followed.

C. Sanders replaced D. Hayes as he had to leave early.

7.
Assistant Deans’ Report
i)  Dr. Jennifer Jarman – Orillia Campus
    February 7, 2025
Awards:  Dean Bonifacio has confirmed that she will offer a .5 FCE release for academic year 2025/26 or 2026/27 for worth $ 8,112.00 + benefits (increases as of Sept 1, 2025) to match the $20,000 ($10,000 per year) for 2025-27 committed by the Research Dean.  VP Research Andy Dean is offering the money for one award for two years, rather than the two smaller awards discussed previously.   

Motion:  I move that we establish a Faculty-based Research Award.  

It was moved by J. Jarman and seconded by K. Burnett that the motion to establish a Faculty-based Research Award be approved.
    Carried.

Motion:  I move that we establish an Awards committee that will determine the criteria for the award and run a competition as soon as possible.  Committee composition will be as follows:
•    5 members, including the Dean (non-voting) and Assistant Dean (chair), with 2 members from Humanities disciplines and 2 members from Social Sciences disciplines.  No more than one member from the same discipline to be included.  There shall also be at least one representative per campus.  

It was moved by J. Jarman and A. Guttman that the motion to establish an Awards committee that will determine the criteria for the award and run a competition as soon as possible be approved.
    Carried.

Other news:  (1) Progress on Orillia building fund.  On January 23, Lakehead Orillia hosted dignitaries as they officially received a $1.5 million cheque as part of the $15 million committed by the County of Simcoe has committed for a new building on the Orillia campus.  This new building will include teaching spaces, an Indigenous learning and gathering centre, student programming space, and a new centralized student services hub.  Until the new building is in use, we continue with the current practices of early scheduling for teaching and administrative needs, intensification of use of existing space through re-appropriation of common areas for dedicated purposes, use of temporary modular furniture, and use of rented facilities for overflows.

ii). Dr. Tony Puddephatt – Thunder Bay Campus – February 7, /2025
     No report was available.
8.
Other Business.
i)  Formation of Nominations Committee to Consider Nominations for Chair and Vice-Chair of Faculty
Council for 2025/2026.
D. Hayes called for volunteers to sit on the Nomination Committee for Chair and Vice-Chair of our Faculty
Council for the coming academic year.  The following put their names forward:  
Pallavi Das, Aris Carastathis, Daniel Hannah and Chris Sanders.  They will meet soon to elect a Chair
and develop a timeline for the process.  

9.
Next Faculty Council Meeting:  
The next Faculty Council meeting with be held in Friday, March 7, 2025 at 10:00 am via Zoom.
10.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 11:44 am. (C. Sanders)

ATTENDANCE
 
Thunder Bay Campus
G. Bonifacio
K. Brooks
K. Burnett
A. Carastathis
L. Chambers
J. Chisholm
E. Chugunov
E. Piersig
A. Guttman
D. Hannah
D. Hayes
S. Jacoba
S. Jobbitt
S. Sashahabi
C. Sanders
R. Warburton
S. Viitala - recording

Orillia Campus
D. Akca
P. Das
J. Jarman
D. Mackinnon
R. McVeigh
M. Stevenson

Regrets
D. Krupp
L. Potvin
T. Puddephatt
C. Southcott