Senate Orientation
October 18, 2014
www.usask.ca
In This Presentation • Governance
Our governance structure
• Your role as a Senate Member
• Past and present Our history
Where we are today
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Our Governance Structure
Board of Governors
• Financial matters
Council
• Academic matters
Senate
• Connection to our community
Board of Governors’ Responsibilities
“…all matters respecting the management, administration and control of the university’s property, revenues and financial affairs”
Council’s Responsibilities
“…responsible for overseeing and directing the university’s academic affairs”
Senate
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Gives our graduates and representatives of our professions an advisory voice in university affairs
Allows for dialogue with the community and our stakeholders throughout the province
Advisors to the university so that the university continues to remain relevant to the province
Powers of Senate under the Act
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Appoint the Chancellor
Elect two members of the Board of Governors (11 member board)
Grant honorary degrees
Make regulations for the discipline of students for non‐academic matters
Powers of Senate (cont’d)
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Receive proposals about establishing any college, school, department or institute and recommend to the board and council whether it should be established
Receive proposals respecting the affiliation or federation of any educational institution with the university and recommend to the board and council whether it should be made
Powers of Senate (cont’d)
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Consider and recommend to the board and council if any college, school, department or institute should be disestablished, or any affiliation or federation dissolved because of lack of relevance to the province
Authorize the establishment of an advisory council for any college, school, department; prescribe its composition, duties and powers; and also discontinue it
Recommend to the board or council any matters or things that the senate considers necessary to promote the interests of the university Powers of Senate cont’d
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Confirming the following Council decisions, or require Council to wait more than 12 months to implement:
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to change academic and other qualifications required for admission as a student;
to change the number of students who may be admitted to a college or a program of study;
to authorize the disestablishment of any college, school, department, chair, institute or endowed chair;
to authorize the dissolution of any affiliation or federation
Who is the GAA?
The University of Saskatchewan Act 1995 establishes the General Academic Assembly as the body to whom Council is responsible:
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includes all full‐time faculty members and some students
meets once a year to hear the report of the President (who chairs GAA)
has the power to require Council to reconsider certain decisions and ultimately the power to dissolve Council
a kind of ‘safety valve’
How our Governance fits together
Administration
Governing Bodies
President
Board of
Governors
University
Council
Senate
Provost and
Vice Presidents
Board
Committees
Council
Committees
Senate
Committees
Deans and
Associate
Vice Presidents
College
Faculty
Councils
Department
Heads and
Directors
Department
Faculty
Committees
The Chancellor
• April 2013 Blaine Favel was appointed Chancellor effective
July 1, 2013
• Chair of the University Senate
• Appointed by the Senate
• Presides over Convocation and confers degrees
• Member of the Board of Governors
A Typical Senate Meeting •
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Report from the president
Reports from the students
Senate business
• elections (committee members, Board members)
• committee reports
• decisions to amend Senate bylaws or non‐academic misconduct regulations • decisions on honorary degrees
Education or exploration of an issue relating to the university
Reports from the university administration (i.e. enrolment statistics)
Opportunity for input to important university planning documents
Your Role as a Senate Member: Who is on Senate?
 Elected members (28)
 Appointed members (49)
 Student members (7)
 ex officio members (35)
Your Role as a Senate Member:
What does Senate do?
 Meetings – administration reports to Senate and Senate provides advice and recommendations
 Committees
 Convocation
U of S Today
U of S Today
 7,150 staff and faculty in five bargaining units
 14 Colleges (including six animal and human health colleges and the College of Graduate Studies and Research) and three Schools
 73 degrees, diplomas and certificates in over 100 disciplines
 Over 143,000 alumni since 1909
 Currently about 21,000 students
U of S Today
UofS revenue (in millions) 2013-14
Grants and contractsGovernment of Canada
$24.7
$83.3
Grants and contracts:
Government of
Saskatchewan
Other government and other
grants
$69.3
$98.5
Student Fees
$29.3
Gifts and bequests
$127.4
$500.9
$85.2
Sales of services, products
and other
Investment income
Other income
U of S Today
Third integrated plan (2012‐2016) : areas of focus
Questions?