The Queen’s Senate — one of the University’s three governing bodies — will hold its first meeting of the year on Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. in Robert Sutherland Hall, Room 202.

The agenda contains several committee reports and 12 motions put forward by the various committees to be voted on by the Senate. (See agenda here)

Combined Bachelor and Masters degree in neuroscience

The Senate Committee on Academic Development (SCAD) has proposed a motion for a combined BScH/MSc (Neuroscience) or BAH/MSc degree plan. The motion was compiled at an SCAD meeting on Sept. 9.

The program would allow qualified fourth-year undergraduate students to take up to two graduate-level courses in the field of neuroscience. This would reduce the time required to complete the graduate program by two full terms, as the students would enter the graduate program with advanced standing.

If the Senate approves the proposal, the program will  be put into effect immediately.

Academic integrity report

The Senate Committee on Academic Procedures (SCAP) submitted an informational report to Senate summarizing four years of data regarding to student academic integrity cases. According to the report, the review will determine a standard among all academic units and ensure that all students involved in academic integrity cases receive equitable treatment.

Commerce representative term length

In March, Kyle Beaudry, the former president of the Commerce Society, requested that the Senate Governance and Nominating Committee (SGNC) consider an adjustment to one of its student senator’s term lengths.

Commerce currently elects two student senators for a one-year term. Beaudry requested a change to one of those terms to allow one student senator to fill a Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 term and another to fill a Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 term.

The proposal’s rationale was largely based on the fact that over 90 per cent of third-year Commerce students participate in an international exchange program.

SGNC will recommend to Senate that the Commerce Society be permitted to proceed with this arrangement for the 2015/16 school year. After that, information regarding Senate term lengths would be provided to all student societies — ideally, by the end of the 2015 fall term and prior to the Senate’s next set of elections.

Senate composition

In response to changing enrolment, a motion has been put forth by SGNC to change the composition of the Senate.

 The proposal includes:

• The current School of Graduate Studies faculty seat becoming a faculty-at-large seat
• Two of the current Faculty of Arts and Science faculty seats becoming two faculty-at-large seats
• The ex-officio (non-voting) position of the President of the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) counting as a faculty seat
• The ex-officio positions of the AMS President and Society of Graduate and Professional Students President (SGPS) counting as student seats

Policy on Senate question period

This motion would have the Senates Rules of Procedure amended with regards to its Question Period. The period would be no longer than 20 minutes and follow each regular Senate meeting.

The motion to be discussed would amend the Rules of Procedure, which would specify that all questions must be submitted no less than two weeks prior to a meeting.

If passed, the Senate Agenda and Summer Advisory Committee would decide whether a question is included, or directed to a unit other than the Senate on campus.

The chair of the committee would then submit a report that lists all questions submitted, which ones were included and why and where any remaining questions were directed for answers.

Update on suspensions

The Faculty of Education intends to inform the Senate of a reduction in its student intake after the lengthening of the Provincial Bachelor of Education program from two to four semesters.

The number of student spaces were also reduced by 50 per cent as part of the changes to the program.

Stephen Elliott, former dean of the Faculty of Education, reccomended that new admissions for the Concurrent Education program be reduced in 2014 and temporarily suspended in 2015 for two years from all “external pathways” to the Queen’s program. 

Question on lack of equity

Senator Lynne Hanson raised questions regarding a lack of gender equity and diversity among the representatives on the Search Committee for a new Provost, asking the Principal for two additional members in order to ensure equal representation.

Principal Woolf has confirmed that this will be done, and that he will update the Advisory Committee membership list on his website.