On Wednesday, September 4, the Senate Governance Committee passed two important motions relating to the President’s Special Task Force and Program Review. These motions were based primarily on the principle, legislated in the Brock Act, that it is Senate and not the Presidency that has the responsibility for academic review. The first motion asks President Lightstone to stop his Special Task Force review; this motion passed with a very large majority of Governance Committee members (CARRIED 10-1-3). The second motion requests that the President refer any matters concerning an academic program review to the Senate for its consideration, decision, and conduct. This motion also received very strong support from Governance Committee members (CARRIED 11-0-4). These motions will next go to the full Senate for its consideration. We do not yet know whether this will occur at Senate’s September 11 or September 18 meeting but will send you that information shortly. It will be very important for you to let Senators know your opinion on the Program review before these votes are taken.
The wording of the two motions and the underlying rationale, as contained in the three “whereas” clauses, are set out below:
(1) Whereas under the Brock University Act, the matters specifically assigned to the Senate include responsibility for and the control, regulation, and determination of, the educational policy of the University, and Senate is given powers that include the power to establish, subject to the concurrence of the Board, any faculty, school, institute, department, chair or course, and to determine the courses of study; and
(2) Whereas under the Brock University Act, the President’s responsibilities include the supervision and direction of the implementation of the educational policy, and general administration of the University; and
(3) Whereas the President has exceeded his jurisdiction under the Brock University Act and has taken on duties that are expressly assigned to the Senate by appointing the President’s Special Task Force with a mandate that includes the review and prioritization of academic programs,
Now therefore it is moved (Savage/Whitehead):
(1) that Senate respectfully request that the President direct the members of the President’s Special Task Force to stop their review and prioritization of academic programs; and
Now therefore it is moved (Savage/Whitehead):
(2) that Senate respectfully request that the President refer any matters concerning the review and/or prioritization of academic programs to Senate for its consideration, decision, and conduct.
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments ([email protected]).
Regards,
Linda Rose-Krasnor, BUFA President
