Senate Highlights ‑ January 8, 2018

Following each meeting of the Dalhousie University Senate, Dal News highlights some of the presentations and decisions made.

Senate is the university’s senior academic governing body, with membership consisting of elected representatives from Dal’s Faculties and the University Libraries, elected student representatives, a representative from the University of King’s College and Dal’s senior academic administrators. Senate is responsible for approving new programs; granting degrees/diplomas; managing the reviews of Faculties, centres and institutes; and setting academic regulations and the academic calendar.

Senate meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, from September through June. Learn more about Senate and its business at the Senate website.

Senate Review of the College of Continuing Education: Final Report, Response and Action Plan

Peggy Cunningham, chair of the Senate Review Committee for the College of Continuing Education (CCE), presented highlights from the committee’s report and action plan. The review, conducted last year, found “much to celebrate” about CCE, particularly its success in emerging out of a difficult period as a financially viable unit that offers several tangible contributions to Dal’s strategic priorities. Dr. Cunningham said CCE’s experience offered lessons for other faculties looking to improve their success in attracting and retaining students, and that it is helping the university meet some unique challenges, such as the move to online learning and serving working adult students.

The committee also found room for improvement on a number of fronts. Dr. Cunningham highlighted a number of the report’s recommendations, including the creation of a strong human resources plan, promoting better links between CCE researchers and other researchers at the university, and working with the university to help alleviate challenges around booking classroom space.

Andy Cochrane, dean of the College of Continuing Education, also spoke to Senate about the review, saying the committee helped identify CCE’s value in line with Dal’s current strategic priorities and provided recommendations that will help bring CCE in from the margins to connect it to those larger strategic goals. “I’m pleased to say the College has made progress on many of these recommendations already and will continue to pursue the vision as articulated by this process,” he said.

Admissions Modification – Master of Science in Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health

Senate adopted a motion allowing the School of Physiotherapy to integrate CASPer, a computer-based online assessment tool, into the interview selection screening process for admissions into the Master of Science (Physiotherapy) program. The revamped process will go into effect in the 2019 admissions cycle in a phased-in approach, with the hope that CASPer can eventually replace the in-person interviews (which can be costly for some applicants who live at a distance). It is hoped it can also, administratively, help increase cultural and geographic diversity within the physiotherapy applicant pool and make the admissions process more “fair and equitable” for all.

Draft Senate Leadership Award Terms of Reference

Senate adopted a motion presented from the Senate Planning and Governance Committee supporting terms of reference for a new award. The Lloyd Fraser Award for Outstanding Leadership, named after the long-time former Senate chair, will recognize members of Senate or its standing committees whose leadership has resulted in substantial benefit to the Senate and the university more broadly. Senate officers are not eligible for the award. Kevin Hewitt, chair of Senate, put  forward the motion from the Senate Planning and Governance Committee. Under the terms of reference, recipients would be recognized with a plaque at a Senate meeting and have their name displayed somewhere publicly on the Dal campus.. An effort is underway to try to find funding to be able to attach a monetary value to the award, said Dr. Hewitt.

Steps to Making Diversity and Inclusion a Reality

Fourth-year Biology student Nadia Perry, who has physical accessibility challenges, was invited to Senate as part of its ongoing series on diversity and inclusion. She shared some of the challenges she has had navigating parts of Dal's campuses in her wheelchair and offered suggestions for how the university can improve accessibility going forward. “Just asking and listening to students is probably a good start,” she said.

Consent agenda

Senate approved other matters as part of its Consent Agenda, including the termination of the Dalhousie University Institute of Society and Culture (FASS), as recommended by the Senate Planning and Governance Committee and the Senate Academic Programs and Research Committee. Further information on these is available from the University Secretariat.

Learn more about the Dalhousie Senate at its website. Minutes for past Senate meetings are available on DalSpace. Minutes for these meetings will be posted once approved by Senate.