In compliance with Ontario’s Essential Services Order, Senate met remotely on February 26, 2021. Here are the highlights:
Class of 2021 – Winter Grads
Senate approved the graduation of 1,064 undergraduate and 413 graduate students. Congratulations to the first 1,477 students of Carleton’s Class of 2021, which is expected to be over 6000 strong! Due to the ongoing pandemic, the June Convocation Ceremonies have to be postponed. Carleton will offer virtual graduation celebrations for the Class of 2021 – more information to come – and Convocation will be rescheduled when it is safe to do so.
Advisory Committee on the President and Vice-Chancellor
On Feb. 17, 2021, Senate conducted an e-vote to elect three librarian/faculty members, one undergraduate and one graduate student to the President and Vice-Chancellor’s Reappointment Advisory Committee. The election results were presented to Senate for information.
Chair’s Remarks
The global pandemic is approaching its one-year mark. At the Jan. meeting, Senate approved a mostly online Summer term, but no final decisions have been made for the Fall 2021 semester. Like other Canadian Universities, Carleton is making preparations towards a safe and gradual return to campus. In planning for Sept., the university is closely monitoring daily COVID-19 numbers, emerging variants and the rate of vaccine rollout. In all decisions, Carleton will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of the community, and follow public health recommendations and government regulations.
President Bacon also mentioned recent events, including: the Service Excellence Awards and the second annual Kinàmàgawin Symposium. He emphasized the celebrations of Black History Month throughout February, noting that that they will continue in March with the School of Social Work hosting their annual Black History is Every Month celebration on Mar. 6, and Carleton officially launching the new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan on Mar. 23.
Cyclical Reviews
Senate approved the Final Assessment Reports and Executive Summaries arising from the Cyclical Reviews of the Undergraduate Program in Network Technology and the Graduate Programs in International Affairs.
Terms of Reference
In response to a Senate Standing Committee review, the Senate Academic Governance Committee has been updating the Terms of References for all Standing Committees. Senate was presented with the updated Terms of References for both the Senate Executive Committee and the Senate Academic Governance Committee. The modifications reflect the Terms of Reference review, as well as best practices. Senate approved the changes.
Major Modifications
Senate approved 17 major modifications, including a series of new certificates, minors and specializations to be offered at Carleton for the Fall 2021 semester.
Seeking Faculty and Student Senators
Senate is seeking nominations for faculty and undergraduate student senators. Their term of service would begin on July 1, 2021. Interested applicants should submit their statement of candidacy on the Senate website before 4:30pm on Mar. 5, 2021.
Call for Nominations: Senate Standing Committees
Senate has released a Call for Nominations for faculty, undergraduate and graduate students to serve on a number of Senate Standing Committees. The term of office begins on July 1, 2021. The deadline for both faculty and students to apply is Mar. 31, 2021.
Senator Spotlight: Samuel Ajila
Senate is composed of over 80 members representing the Carleton community like Samuel Ajila, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Design. Learn more about Samuel.
Next Meeting: March 26, 2021
The next Senate meeting is March 26, 2021 at 2:00pm. Click here to view the full schedule and meeting materials. Meeting minutes are posted once they are approved at the subsequent meeting.