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Updated as of March 15, 2023
For committee meeting dates and materials, please contact Shannon Kelly, Associate University Secretary, Senate.
The Senate Academic Planning Committee (SAPC) makes recommendations to Senate on all matters related to the overall direction of academic programs at Laurier.
This includes:
- Adapting and modifying the overall university plan as required;
- Responding to specific requests (from the Board of Governors or from the Ministry) to articulate a Laurier niche or position relative to a current situation or need;
- Responding to requests from Faculties and units to initiate new programs, modify current programs, or cancel them;
- Considering the financial implications of maintaining all academic programs; and
- Dealing with questions of policy that govern scholarships, bursaries and awards.
As part of this broad mandate, SAPC oversees the program review and approval process run by the University under the Ontario Universities’ Council on Quality Assurance, managed by the Ontario Council of Academic Vice‑Presidents.
In general, its role is to offer to Senate a considered conceptualization of where the University is, in what direction it should be heading, and what needs to be undertaken to accomplish this.
- Chair: Provost and Vice-President: Academic
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Academic dean or university librarian (chosen by the deans/librarians):
- Anthony Clarke
- Brent Wolfe
- Janny Leung
- Graduate student (chosen by the Graduate Students' Association): Lesley Lukacs
- Undergraduate student (chosen by undergraduate students): Vacant
- Martin Luther University College faculty senator (elected by the Martin Luther University College [Waterloo Lutheran Seminary]): Allen Jorgenson
- Eight faculty members (elected by UFC; two must be senators; one from each of the faculties):
- Anna Ferenc (Music)
- Steve Sider (Education)
- Bruce Gillespie (Liberal Arts)
- Azim Essaji (Lazaridis School/Senator)
- Pam Bryden (Science/Senator)
- David Smith (Arts/Senator)
- Kari Brozowski (Human and Social Sciences)
- Nancy Freymond (Social Work)
The broad mandate of the Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning is to support and advance teaching and learning at the University. The committee shall send recommendations to Senate regarding university policies associated with teaching and learning, including institution-wide classroom and virtual teaching spaces, learning technologies, student accessibility, and student retention/success initiatives. The committee shall also adjudicate selected instructional development grant programs, referee the teaching and instructional assistant awards of excellence, and liaise with other university committees related to teaching and the student experience.
- Chair: Vice-Provost: Teaching and Learning
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Vice-Provost: Teaching and Learning: TBC
- Academic Dean or University Librarian: Gohar Ashoughian
- Dean of Students: Adam Lawrence
- Six faculty members (two must be Senators; no more than one from each Faculty):
- Erich Fox Tree (Arts/Senator)
- Jennifer Holm (Education)
- Tracy Snoddon (Lazaridis School/Senator)
- Dan Antonowicz (Human and Social Sciences/Senator)
- Jill Tracey (Science)
- Gus Hill (Social Work)
- Academic librarian: Meredith Fischer
- Undergraduate students:
- Nasik Amanullah
- Vacant
- Graduate student: Michelle Jutzi
It shall be the duty of the Executive and Finance Committee to care for any matters committed to it by Senate, to function in place of the Senate between meetings of the Senate, to consider matters pertinent to Senate, including policies and protocol relating to university Convocations and functions, and to report to Senate.
The Executive and Finance Committee also considers the financial position of the University. It makes recommendations to Senate on budget planning as well as on the details of the annual University operating budget as prepared for presentation to Senate and the Board. The recommendations of Senate on that budget are forwarded to the Board of Governors, the body with ultimate fiduciary responsibility for the University.
- Chair: President, Chair of Senate
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- President: Deb MacLatchy
- Interim Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Vice-President: Finance and Administration: Lloyd Noronha
- Vice-President: Research: Jonathan Newman
- Principal-Dean, Martin Luther University College: Kristine Lund
- Academic deans or university librarian:
- Janny Leung
- Maria Cantalini-Williams
- Kalyani Menon
- Undergraduate student Senator: Vacant
- Graduate student Senator: Ali Diebold
- Alumni Senator: Vacant
- Academic Librarian Senator: Mona Elayyan
- Faculty Senator (Arts): Loren King
- Faculty Senator (Education): Julie Mueller
- Faculty Senator (Human and Social Sciences): James Popham
- Faculty Senator (Liberal Arts): TBC
- Faculty Senator (Music): Gerard Yun
- Faculty Senator (Lazaridis School): Esther Maier
- Faculty Senator (Science): Vladimir Kitaev
- Faculty Senator (Social Work): Anh Ngo
- Faculty Senators (one shall be the secretary of senate):
- Mary-Louise Byrne
- Anne Domurath
- Roman Makarov
- John Schwieter (Secretary of Senate)
- Administrative Staff Senator: Maureen Coulter
The Governance Committee shall have the responsibility of preparing a list of nominees to Senate committees for the annual meeting or as required. The Governance Committee may select nominees from outside the Senate except where otherwise stipulated. The establishment of a list of nominees does not preclude nomination from the floor.
The Governance Committee shall consider and make recommendations to Senate for the proper functioning of the Senate. (See Terms of Reference 1.4).
- Chair: Scott Ramsay
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Academic dean or university librarian:
- Sofie Lachapelle
- Faculty Senators:
- Roger Buehler
- Ling Chu
- Penelope Ironstone
- Scott Ramsay
- Kenneth Werbin
- Undergraduate Student Senator: John Reid
- Alumni Senator: Vacant
- Administrative Staff Senator: Maureen Coulter
Subject to the approval of Senate, the Honorary Degree Committee shall make policies regarding honorary degrees, shall invite nominations for honorary degrees, shall receive nominations respecting honorary degrees and make recommendation thereon to the Executive Committee of Senate.
- Chair: President, Chair of Senate
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- President: Deb MacLatchy
- Chancellor: Eileen Mercier
- Interim Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Martin Luther University College (Waterloo Lutheran Seminary) Senator: Ara Parker
- Alumni senator: Caitlin Smith
- Faculty members (at least two senators; at least one faculty member from each of the Brantford and Waterloo campuses; no more than one member from each faculty):
- Avis Beek (Education)
- Christina Han (Faculty of Liberal Arts/Brantford)
- Jerzy Kaplanek (Music)
- Maryam Khan (Social Work)
- Rosemary McGowan (Human and Social Sciences)
- Margaret Walton-Roberts (Science)
- Fang Wang (Lazaridis)
- Ali Zaidi (Arts)
- Student senator: Karl Zhu
- Administrative staff: Sally Heath
The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall, in accordance with the policies and procedures governing its operations, make recommendations to the President on specific applications for promotion and tenure.
- Chair: Provost and Vice-President: Academic
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Interim Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Vice-President: Research (alternate: Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies): Jonathan Newman (Alternate: Brent Wolfe)
- Vice-Provost: Teaching and Learning: TBC
- Dean of the member's faculty:
- Maria Cantalini-Williams (Education)
- Anthony Clarke (Science)
- Cynthia Johnson Turner (Music)
- Kalyani Menon (Lazaridis School)
- Sofie Lachapelle (Arts)
- Bruce McKay (Human and Social Sciences)
- Janny Leung (Liberal Arts)
- Maria Cantalini-Williams (Acting Dean, Social Work)
- Designates (five tenured faculty; no more than one from any faculty; elected by UFC for two-year terms):
- Bree Akkeson (Social Work)
- Kimberly Barber (Music)
- Lan Guo (Lazaridis School)
- Stacey Hannem (Human and Social Sciences)
- Sean Doherty (Science)
- Alternates (five tenured faculty; no more than one from any faculty; elected by UFC for two-year terms):
- Christine Neill (Lazaridis School)
- Tony Christensen (Human and Social Sciences)
- Kathie Cameron (Science)
- Kirsten Yri (Music)
- Abby Goodrum (Liberal Arts)
- Employment equity representative (one-year term):
- Susan Neylan
- Marcia Oliver
- Christine Neill
The Research and Publications Committee shall review and examine policies on research as they affect the academic life of the University, and, where appropriate, make recommendations to Senate. Its mandate shall include receiving annual reports from the Animal Care Committee and the Research Ethics Board, and annually approving the distribution of funds within the University's internal research grants program. It shall also advise the Vice-President: Research on matters that pertain to research and its effective promotion and dissemination, and shall consult with the Director of the WLU Press on issues concerning scholarly publications.
- Chair: Jonathan Newman
- Administrative Support: Office of Research Services
Membership
- Vice-President: Research: Jonathan Newman
- Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: Brent Wolfe
- University Librarian: Gohar Ashoughian
- Graduate students:
- LeChelle Saunders
- Sarah Southey
- Eight faculty members (two must be senators; no more than one from each Faculty):
- Abhijith Archarya (Lazaridis School/Senator)
- Barbara Assiginaak (Music)
- Cameron McKenzie (Social Work)
- Michael Cinelli (Science)
- TBC
- Steve Sider (Education)
- David Smith (Arts/Senator)
- Stacey Wilson-Forsberg (Liberal Arts/Brantford)
The Student Appeals Committee shall hear and determine appeals from the decisions of the divisional faculty councils on applications and examinations by students and appeals relating to scholarships, bursaries and awards, and subject to the approval of Senate, shall establish rules and procedures for the hearing and determination of such appeals. The Associate Vice‑President: Academic shall be chair of the committee.
- Chair: Trish McLaren
- Administrative Support: Office of the Provost and Vice-President: Academic
Membership
- Associate Vice-President: Academic: Trish McLaren
- Dean of Students: Adam Lawrence
- Four students (two undergraduate student senators; two graduate students):
- Mitchell Higgins (Graduate)
- Jessica Linton (Graduate)
- Evan Cameron (Undergraduate)
- Vacant (Undergraduate)
- Mohammad Abu-Rshaid (Undergraduate)
- Faculty (Arts, designate): Eva Plach
- Faculty (Arts, alternate): Glenda Wall
- Faculty (Liberal Arts, designate): Danielle Law
- Faculty: (Liberal Arts, alternate): Umair Rehman
- Faculty (Human and Social Sciences, designate): Chris Alksnis
- Faculty (Human and Social Sciences, alternate): James Popham
- Faculty (Education, designate): Jennifer Holm
- Faculty (Education, alternate): Carolyn Fitzgerald
- Faculty (Music, designate): Gerard Yun
- Faculty (Music, alternate): Kathie Schlaikjer
- Faculty (Lazaridis School, designate): Michael Brolley
- Faculty (Lazaridis School, alternate): Azim Essaji
- Faculty (Science, designate): Scott Ramsay
- Faculty (Science, alternate): Paul Mallet
- Faculty (Social Work, designate): Magnus Mfoafo M'Carthy
- Faculty (Social Work, alternate): Jessica Hutchison
Vice-Chair of Senate
-
Elected Senator: John Schwieter
Secretary of Senate
- Faculty or academic librarian senator: John Schwieter
Members on the Board of Governors
- Andrew Herman
- M. Fabricio Perez
- Karin Schnarr
Secondary School Representative Appointed by Senate
Representatives of the Ontario Secondary School System:
- Tyrone Dowling
- Claudine VanEvery-Albert
Council of Ontario Universities Academic Colleague
Faculty senator or incumbent:
- Kalyani Menon (designate)
- Loren King (alternate)
Contact
Shannon Kelly