Message to the University Senate
February 2013
Happy New Year to all members of the University of Saskatchewan Senate! We would like to update you on news that may be of interest to Senate members since the October 2012 meeting. Minutes from that meeting are now posted on the Senate site at http://www.usask.ca/university_secretary/senate/Senate_minutes.php. Call for Nominations to Senate On June 30, 2013, Senate will have vacancies in nine Senate districts and four member‐at‐large positions. Elected Senators serve three‐year terms beginning July 1 and are eligible for re‐election to a second consecutive term. Nominations for Senate are due on March 1 and must be signed by at least three (3) qualified voters and endorsed by the nominee. Nomination forms and further information are available from the University Secretary’s Office website, http://www.usask.ca/university_secretary/senate/senate_elections.php or call (306) 966‐4632. Selection of our next Chancellor Those of you who attended the Senate meeting in the fall will recall that the Senate nominees to the joint board/senate nomination committee for chancellor are Lee‐Ann Ebel, Ed Bourassa, and Ilene Busch‐Vishniac. As required by the University of Saskatchewan Act, 1995, the board of governors has been asked to appoint two members to this committee: their nominees are Susan Milburn and Linda Ferguson. Nominations are now closed and in accordance with the Act and Senate’s bylaws, the committee will begin reviewing the submissions the first week of February, in preparation for presentation of one candidate to Senate at the spring meeting. Senate members should recall that with the changes to the Act this is a confidential process; except for the nominee presented to Senate in April, the names of individuals who have allowed their name to stand for chancellor will not be released. Ad hoc Committee to Review Senate Bylaws You’ll recall that following acceptance of the bylaw changes last spring on the recommendation of an ad hoc committee to review Senate’s meeting procedures (Bev Dubois, Bob Cram, Armand Lavoie, Vera Pezer, and Donna Taylor), Senate requested that another ad hoc committee be struck to do a more broad‐based review of the bylaws. Committee chair Donna Taylor reported last fall on the work of this new committee (in addition to Donna, it comprises Lori Isinger, Jim Pulfer, Lorne Calvert and Fay Puckett). The committee hopes to deliver its recommendations for bylaw revisions to the April meeting of Senate. Members of Senate are reminded that at the last meeting, the committee invited any Senate member who has suggestions for revisions to the bylaws to get in touch with the committee through the University Secretary. Message to the University Senate
February 2013
Senate Nominations Committee The Nominations Committee will be meeting in March to fill committee vacancies for next term. Would you please complete the attached form if you are interested in serving on any of these committees and return to my office by March 1. We would also very much appreciate receiving updated biographical statements from all Senate members, to assist the Nominations Committee in its work. New faces on the Senate We’re pleased to welcome the following new members who have been appointed to the Senate since last fall: Adam Baxter‐Jones (Acting Dean, College of Graduate Studies & Research) Bob Regnier (Acting Dean, College of Education) Patti McDougall, Vice‐Provost Teaching and Learning Stacy Harpell, SK Assoc. of Speech‐Language Pathologists & Audiologists New faces in the secretariat With Norma McBain’s retirement earlier this month, we welcome Jennifer Mainland to the position of Executive Assistant to the University Secretary. And with Lea Pennock’s retirement imminent, we will be welcoming our new University Secretary, Elizabeth Williamson, effective in early April. Phone and mailing information remains the same; email can be addressed to jennifer.mainland@usask.ca or university_secretary@usask.ca. Upcoming meeting and agendas One last item: we plan to put the Senate agenda on our web site. If you would NOT like to receive a paper copy of the agenda, please let us know by emailing jennifer.mainland@usask.ca. Don’t forget to bring your U of S name tag to the meeting (or contact us if you don’t have one!) We look forward to seeing all of you at the next meeting: Meetings of University Senate: mark your calendars!  April 20, 2013  October 19, 2013  April 26, 2014 ___________________ Vera Pezer, Ph.D. Chancellor _____________ Lea Pennock, Ph.D. University Secretary