Faculty Council Meeting: September 18, 2026 (CONFIRMED)

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL

MINUTES

 Friday, May 1, 2026
 A meeting of the Faculty Council was held on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 10:00 am via Zoom.  

GUEST

Dr. S. Jacoba
Instructors at LU have been eager for a tool they can use in their classrooms, while they await guidance from administration on AI use at our institution. It is in that context that Kelly Brennan of the Teaching Commons will be presenting a pilot project to STLC. If endorsed by STLC, the pilot project would involve instructor use of the AI Assessment Scale (AIAS), which the Teaching Commons adapted from Leon Furze’s model in collaboration with Joel Symonds of Student Conduct (the AIAS was presented at Teaching and Learning Week 2025). A Google Form soliciting volunteers would be sent out. Please consider volunteering so that members of our faculty can have our voices heard about the impact of AI on learning in our various SSH disciplines.

REPORT
Election of Chair and Vice-Chair of Faculty Council.
D. Ivison reported that A. den Otter had been nominated for the position of Chair.  She accepted and will serve as Chair of Faculty Council for an additional year.  

As there were no nominations submitted for the position of Vice-Chair, D. Ivison asked if anyone at our Council meeting would be willing to serve.  I. Lemée volunteered to be the next Vice-Chair.

Both nominations were approved unanimously.
D. Ivison thanked A. Carastathis and S. Pound for their involvement on the Nominations Committee.

AGENDA

1.
Approval of Agenda
 It was moved by R. McVeigh and seconded by M. Stevenson that the agenda be approved.
            Carried.
2.
Approval of Minutes
It was moved by D. Akca and seconded by J. Jarman that the minutes from April 10, 2026 be approved as amended.
        Carried.
        
3.
Business Arising from the Minutes
None.

4.
Calendar Change Requests
    i) Additional Dean
    It was moved by C. Sanders and seconded by I. Lemée that the following calendar change request be approved.
    2025-SOC-9160:  Major Modifications to BENG Mechatronics Program (TBay and Barrie)
                Carried.

    5.1
Department/School Requests.
i)  K. Holmes suggested that we invite D. Baxter, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Initiatives, and T. Moses Niijii Indigenous Outreach & Recruitment Coordinator, to one of our Faculty Council meetings in the fall.  She stated that she would like more information with regard to recruitment events and other activities both on and off campus.

5.2
Department/School Reports and Announcements.
i) It was moved by C. Sanders and K. Burnett that Dr. Laura Bisaillon be appointed as External Adjunct
Professor for the Department of Sociology for a four-year term.
        Carried.
6.
Dean’s Report.
Friday, May 1, 2026

Congratulations!  Dr. Kevin Brooks now has a permanent appointment in the Social Justice Studies
program.

Canada Impact+ Research Award Nominees (Intake 2)

FOCUS 2: SSH in LU’s 60 years

Recommendation Committee [3]:  Assistant Dean, Thunder Bay

ConEDU Calendar Clearing/Reform: Suspension of program offerings

Strategic Working Group Consultation
Thunder Bay:      Tuesday, May 26 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am in the Ingenuity Theatre [CASES]
Orillia:        Tuesday, June 2, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm in OA 3041

Convocation Dates:
SS&H Convocation:    
Thunder Bay Campus:  Thursday, May 28, 2026 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm:  Thunder Bay Auditorium
Orillia Campus:        Wednesday, June 3 from 9:00 am to 12 noon:  Casino Rama Resort

Last Faculty Council:  What a ride! Enjoy Summer!

7.
Assistant Deans’ Report
i)  Dr. Jennifer Jarman:  Orillia Campus – Friday, May 1, 2026
General Arts and Science Liberal Students and College Foundations Program Advisory Committee.  At the last meeting, it was announced that the Georgian College’s Liberal Arts program is suspending its intake next year for low enrolment.  This program regularly supplies 5-6 transfer students to Lakehead interested in disciplines such as Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.  This is not a permanent suspension, but rather a suspension to allow the program to be revamped.

IQAP compliance with respect to online modes of delivery. Following the Dean’s concern presented last month that many of the Faculty’s programs may not be in compliance with respect to IQAP delivery, I have had a detailed email correspondence with the Deputy Provost and Vice Provost (Teaching and Learning) concerning the issues.

Community outreach.  A small budget has been confirmed with the Lakehead Principal’s office for a follow-up SSHRC application for a Connections grant for the disaster planning workshop.

ii)  Dr. Doug Ivison (Acting Assistant Dean) – Thunder Bay Campus – May 1, 2026
As I wasn’t able to report at last Faculty Council, I’d like to begin by noting that it was a pleasure to represent the Dean at the Lakehead Leaders Student Awards and the Visual Arts Juried Exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, both in late March.

Three SSH faculty members, including me, attended the Thunder Bay Applicants’ Reception on April 23. We were kept busy answering questions from students about SSH programs and courses.
I met with the Deputy Provost earlier this week to discuss IQAP submissions for programs exceeding the 20% threshold for online and hybrid courses. We discussed the need for the Deputy Provost’s office to provide clear guidance for what exactly we need to submit to ensure our programs our in compliance. In addition to the IQAP compliance issue, the Deputy Provost would like the Calendar to more clearly reflect program mode of delivery.

8.
Other Business.
i)  Faculty Consultation Session:  Lakehead University’s 2027-2032 Academic and Research Plan
It was decided that we will schedule the consultation on a Friday morning in May or June.  Arrangements will be made to find out when G. Balfour and L. Roy will be available. Once the day/time has been confirmed, a calendar invitation will be sent out.

ii)  iQAP Requirements
A. den Otter stated that we now have two dates in May to meet with R. Koster with regard to the iCAP requirements.  The dates are:  Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, and Thursday, May 21, 2026 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.  It was agreed that the meeting should be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2026.

iii)  SS&H Minutes on our Website
A. den Otter raised the question with regard to having the minutes from our Faculty Council meetings posted on our website.  This requirement is stated in our Constitution.  No one objected so we will continue to follow what we do now.    

9.
Next Faculty Council Meeting:  
    The next Faculty Council meeting with be held in September, 2026, (TBA) via Zoom.  Deadline for submissions for the agenda:  TBA.

10.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 11:37 am.

ATTENDANCE
 Thunder Bay Campus
K. Brooks
K. Burnett
A. Carastathis
L. Chambers
J. Chisholm
L. Forbes
R. Kimani-Dupuis
K. Holmes
D. Ivison
I. Lemée
L. Lochhead
B. Maiangwa
B. Parker
E. Piersig
S. Pound
C. Sanders
B. Vernier
R. Warburton
S. Viitala - recording

Orillia Campus
D. Akca
G. Bonifacio
P. Das
A. den Otter
J. Jarman
R. McVeigh
S. Olutola
M. Stevenson
K. Walton

Regrets
S. Jobbitt
D. Jobin-Bevans
S. Webb Campbell