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Did You Know…

Faculty Council By-laws

Ratified by the Humanities Chairs on June 13, 2009

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Powers and Duties of the Faculty

1. The powers and duties of the Faculty of Humanities are established in part by the university Act, which currently describes the Faculty as having the power and duty:
   1. to make rules governing its proceedings, including the determining of the quorum necessary for the transaction of business;
   2. to provide for student representation in the meetings and proceedings of the faculty;
   3. subject to this Act and to the approval of the senate, to make rules for the governance, direction and management of the faculty and its affairs and business;
   4. subject to the approval of the senate, to determine the courses of instruction in the faculty;
   5. subject to an order of the president to the contrary, to prohibit lecturing and teaching in the faculty by persons other than appointed members of the teaching staff of the faculty and persons authorized by the faculty, and to prevent lecturing or teaching so prohibited;
   6. subject to the approval of the senate, to appoint for the examinations in each faculty examiners, who, subject to an appeal to the senate, must conduct examinations and determine the results;
   7. subject to an appeal to the senate, to deal with and to decide on all applications and memorials by students and others in connection with their respective faculties;
   8. generally, to deal with all matters assigned to it by the board or the senate; and
   9. to form committees, as it sees fit, for the conduct of its affairs and business, and to empower such committees, where advisable, to report directly to the appropriate committee(s) of senate.
2. A general rule made by the Faculty is not effective or enforceable until a copy has been sent to the senate and the senate has given its approval.

Faculty Membership

3. Membership of the Faculty of Humanities consists of:
   1. all those employed within the Faculty of Humanities as instructors, lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, professors, or in an equivalent position designated by the senate;
   2. the Associate Dean(s) of the Faculty;
   3. the Dean of the Faculty;
   4. the Registrar (non-voting);
   5. the President and Vice Chancellor of the university;
   6. one (1) member from (and appointed by) each Faculty.

4. The Faculty of Humanities endorses the principle of student participation in Faculty decision-making and will reflect this in the constitution of its standing committees.
5. The Dean is the Chair of the Faculty.
6. A Vice-Chair of the Faculty shall be elected by the Faculty from among those employed within the Faculty of Humanities as instructors, lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, professors, or in an equivalent position designated by the senate, for a three (3) year term. Vice-Chairs may serve a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms.

Conduct of Business

7. The Faculty shall have at least one (2) regular meetings per academic year.
8. In cases of urgency, extraordinary meetings of the Faculty may be called by the Chair or the Vice-Chair of the Faculty.
9. Notice of a meeting of the Faculty shall be sent to the members of the Faculty at least seven (7) days in advance of a meeting.
10. The normal process of business at meetings of the Faculty shall be set by the Chair.
11. The quorum for meetings of the Faculty shall be twenty-five (25) voting members.
12. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all Faculty meetings, subject to interpretation by the Chair. Such matters on which these bylaws lay down specific procedures shall be excepted from the foregoing.
13. The majority required to pass a resolution shall be more than 50% of votes, except in the case of adoption of or amendments to these bylaws, when the majority required shall be a minimum of 66% of votes.
14. Meetings of the Faculty shall normally be open to observers, unless otherwise stipulated by the Chair.
15. The Chair may recognize non-members on any matter of business.
16. The Faculty may decide at any time, by a minimum of 66% of votes, that a whole meeting or any part of a meeting be held in camera.
17. Minutes of open meetings of the Faculty shall be recorded and made available to the university.
18. All documents presented to the Faculty shall normally be available to the university, unless otherwise stipulated by the Chair.

Powers and Duties of the Faculty Council

19. The powers and duties of the Faculty Council are delegated by the Faculty of Humanities. Unless otherwise addressed in these bylaws, the Faculty Council shall have all the powers and duties ascribed to the Faculty by the university Act, and by Board of Governors and senate of the university.
20. Any recommendation to discontinued a program shall be sent, with a recommendation from the Faculty Council, to the Faculty, which will provide advice to the senate, the Board, or other bodies within the university as required.
21. Any proposed changes to these bylaws must be approved by the Faculty of Humanities by a minimum of 66% of votes.
22. Faculty Council may, by a minimum of 66% of votes, send any other matter to the Faculty for decision or advice.
23. Faculty Council may, by a minimum of 66% votes, recommend to the Chair of the Faculty that an extraordinary meeting be called to address a matter forwarded by the Faculty Council to the Faculty for decision or advice. Barring such a recommendation, the Chair of the Faculty will determine whether the matter warrants an extraordinary meeting, or whether it shall be added to the agenda of the next regular meeting of the Faculty.

Faculty Council Membership

24. Membership of the Humanities Faculty Council consists of:
    1. the Chairs of Creative Writing, English, Fine Arts, Modern Languages, Music, and Philosophy (ex officio, voting);
    2. one (1) faculty representative from each of Creative Writing, English, Fine Arts, Modern Languages, Music, and Philosophy (elected, voting);
    3. the Dean of the Faculty (ex officio, voting);
    4. the Faculty of Humanities Operations Manager (ex officio, voting);
    5. the Educational Advisor (ex officio, voting);
    6. one (1) representative appointed by the Faculty of Social Sciences and endorsed by the elected and ex officio members of the Faculty Council (appointed, voting);
    7. the Registrar or designate (ex officio, non-voting);
    8. the President or designate (ex officio, non-voting).

25. 1. Members of the Faculty Council, in their function as members of this body, do not act as delegates of the
       bodies or constituencies from which they were drawn; rather, as members, all must endeavour to serve the interest of the entire Faculty to the best of their ability.
    2. senate Bylaw No. 3, Conflict of Interest, applies.

26. Elections or recommendations for Faculty Council will normally occur in the Spring semester each year.
27. The term of each elected Councillor shall normally begin on September 1.
28. The term of each elected member of Faculty Council shall normally be three (3) years, and in no case may the term exceed three (3) years.
29. The term of a non-elected member of Faculty Council who does not serve in an ex officio capacity shall normally be one (1) year.
30. Any member may resign from the Faculty Council by giving the Chair notice in writing.
31. The seat of a member who leaves the constituency from which that member has been elected shall be declared vacant.
32. Any member who will be absent from a meeting will notify the Chair prior to the meeting.
33. The use of alternates for voting members is not permitted, but the Chair may recognize alternative methods of voting (e.g., by electronic mail), where appropriate.
34. The seat of any elected or appointed member who fails to attend three (3) meetings of Faculty Council between August 1 and July 31 may be declared vacant by the Chair.
35. In the event that a seat of a member becomes vacant, a replacement shall be elected or appointed according to the usual process. Members so elected or appointed shall serve the remaining term of office of the incumbent, at which point the normal election or appointment process will be followed.
36. Members of Faculty Council shall commit to serving on a minimum number of its committees, as set from time to time by Faculty Council. Members who do not serve on a minimum number of committees may have their seat on Faculty Council declared vacant by the Chair.

Chair and Vice Chair of Faculty Council

37. Voting members of the Faculty Council will elect one (1) Chair from within the Faculty Council's voting membership. The election will normally occur on or about September 1, and the normal term will be three (3)  years, or a shorter term corresponding to the Chair's Faculty Council term.
38. The Chair is a voting member of the Faculty Council. In the event of a tie, the Chair casts the deciding vote.
39. The Chair may be removed by a majority vote of councillors present and voting at any duly called meeting of the Faculty Council.
40. Voting members of the Faculty Council will elect one (1) Vice-Chair from within the Faculty Council's voting membership. The election will normally occur on or about September 1, and the normal term will be three (3)  years, or a shorter term corresponding to the Vice-Chair's Faculty Council term.
41. The Vice-Chair will fulfill the duties of the Chair in the Chair's vacancy or absence and will assist in the performance of the Chair's duties.
42. When necessary due to vacancy or absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, the Dean shall serve as Chair pro-tem.

Conduct of Faculty Council Business

43. The Faculty Council shall normally have at least six (6) regular meetings per academic year.
44. In cases of urgency, extraordinary meetings of the Faculty Council may be called by the Chair of the Faculty Council.
45. Notice of a meeting of the Faculty Council shall be sent to the members of the Faculty Council at least five (5) days in advance of a meeting.
46. The normal process of business at meetings of the Faculty Council shall be set by the Chair.
47. The quorum for meetings of the Faculty Council shall be 50% of voting members.
48. Robert's Rules of Order shall normally govern the conduct of all Faculty Council meetings. Such matters on which these bylaws lay down specific procedures shall be excepted from the foregoing.
49. The majority required to pass a resolution shall be more than 50% of votes, except where these bylaws specify otherwise.
50. Meetings of the Faculty Council shall normally be open to observers, unless otherwise stipulated by the Chair.
51. The Chair may recognize non-members on any matter of business.
52. The Faculty Council may decide at any time, by more than 50% of votes, that a whole meeting or any part of a meeting be held in camera.
53. Minutes of the Faculty Council shall be recorded and made available to the university.
54. Any business conducted at a meeting where there is no quorum present will be considered as unofficial and subject to ratification at the next meeting held where a quorum is present. Any communication coming out of a meeting where no quorum was present shall be prefaced with a clear indication the communication is subject to ratification.
55. From time to time the Faculty Council may invite guests to make presentations to Faculty Council meetings and to answer questions related to their presentations.

Committees of Faculty Council

56. Faculty Council shall establish such committees, consisting of members and/or non-members, as the Faculty Council from time to time may think fit and may specify the duties to be performed by such committees.
57. The Dean (or designated Associate Dean) and the Chair of Faculty Council are recognized as voting members of all committees.
58. Committees of the Faculty Council are restricted to making recommendations to the Faculty Council, and may not assume any of the powers of the Council unless they are expressly delegated within these bylaws. Only Standing Committees will be delegated Faculty Council authority.
59. When recommending the establishment or elimination of a Standing Committee, or altering its membership or mandate, Faculty Council will seek the advice of the Standing Committee on Nominations and Governance, and make a recommendation to the Faculty for endorsement.
60. Terms of office for Standing Committee members shall normally be three (3) years for Faculty Councillors who do not sit on the Standing Committee ex officio.
61. Terms of office for student representatives on Standing Committees, and for Standing Committee members who are not Faculty Councillors, shall normally be one (1) year.
62. Members are eligible for re-election or reappointment.
63. Terms of office may be adjusted by the Standing Committee on Nominations and Governance to ensure continuity of membership, and to correspond to terms on Faculty Council.
64. Quorum for each Committee shall be 50% of the total number of voting members.
65. Any committee member may resign from a committee by giving the Chair notice in writing.
66. The committee seat of a member who leaves the constituency from which that member has been appointed shall be declared vacant.
67. The use of alternates for voting committee members is not permitted, but the Chair may recognize alternative methods of voting (e.g., by electronic means), where appropriate.
68. The seat of any committee member who fails to attend three  (3) committee meetings between August 1 and July 31 may be declared vacant by the Chair.
69. Each committee is chaired by a member of Faculty Council elected by the Committee for a term specified by the Committee. Until such time as a Chair is elected, the Dean or designated Associate Dean shall chair the Committee.
70. The Chair of each Committee shall be responsible for establishing the agenda, and for distributing it to the rest of the Committee at least five (5) days prior to any meeting.

1. Standing Committee on Nominations and Governance

71. The voting members of the Standing Committee on Nominations and Governance consist of:
    1. the Dean or designated Associate Dean;
    2. the Chair of Faculty Council;
    3. three (3) faculty Councillors, appointed by Faculty Council.

72. The Registrar (or designate), and the Chair of the senate Standing Committee on Governance (or designate) sit as non-voting members of the Committee.
73. Administrative support for the Standing Committee on Nominations and Governance shall be assigned by the Operations Manager, Humanities.
74. The Standing Committee on Nominations and Governance shall:
    1. advise Faculty Council on matters related to elections, including timelines for nominations, procedures, and appointments as required to meet the needs of the Faculty, Faculty Council and Standing Committees;
    2. ensure that nominations are made for all elections for the Faculty and for Faculty Council;
    3. where requested by Faculty Council, conduct and oversee elections for designated positions on Faculty, Faculty Council and Faculty Council Committees;
    4. appoint or recommend members to serve on Faculty Council and Committees as outlined in these bylaws;
    5. advise Faculty Council on procedures for the recommendation and selection of Faculty representatives for university committees, and oversee these processes as requested by the Faculty Council;
    6. advise the Faculty Council on all matters related to the conduct of its business, its meetings and its proceedings;
    7. advise Faculty Council on matters related to duties of members and conflict of interest;
    8. coordinate the work of Faculty Council Committees, especially where consultation between Committees is required;
    9. review regularly the bylaws of the Faculty and provide advice to Faculty Council, which will make any recommendations to the Faculty for approval;
    10. review at least once every three (3) years the configuration of standing committees, their membership, terms of reference, and their consultation and reporting relationships, and propose to Faculty Council any recommendations for change;
    11. establish subcommittees as required to fulfill the Committee's responsibilities;
    12. perform other duties as assigned by Faculty Council.

2. Standing Committee on Curriculum

75. The voting members of the Standing Committee on Curriculum consist of:
    1. the Dean or designated Associate Dean;
    2. the Chair of Faculty Council;
    3. one (1) Councillor (or designate) from each department in the Faculty;
    4. the Educational Advisor;
    5. one (1) student representative from a department within the Humanities. The student representative must be approved by Faculty Council.
76. The Registrar (or designate) and the Humanities Operations Manager may sit as non-voting members of the Committee.
77. Administrative support for the Committee shall be assigned by the Operations Manager, Humanities.
78. The Standing Committee on Curriculum shall:
    1. exercise the delegated authority of the Humanities Faculty Council to receive, review and approve all curriculum offered for credit by the departments, and to recommend curriculum to senate and its appropriate Standing Committees for approval;
    2. review periodically curricular and program components (including, but not limited to, prerequisite structures, class format, credit assignment, learning outcomes, learning activities, assessment models, and prior learning assessment processes) and make such recommendations to Faculty Council as may be appropriate;
    3. ensure that all curriculum developed within the department conforms to university policies and procedures;
    4. ensure appropriate consultation for courses seeking articulation;
    5. receive and review Program Concepts and Full Program Proposals (or such equivalent submissions as come to stand in their place) for degree and non-degree programs (such as post-baccalaureate credentials, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates, and citations), consult with the Standing Committee on Academic Planning and Priorities, and report with recommendations to Faculty Council;
    6. review the implementation of new degree and non-degree programs as required by senate or its appropriate Standing Committee(s), and report with recommendations to Faculty Council;
    7. receive and review program revisions for degree and non-degree programs, and report with recommendations to Faculty Council;
    8. ensure that all external requirements for licensing, certification and accreditation arising from degree and non-degree programs within the Faculty are met;
    9. ensure that all curriculum materials are properly documented for approval and for use by other university Departments (Registrar's Office, Admissions, Counselling, etc.);
    10. provide detailed minutes including a list of curriculum approved at each meeting of the Curriculum Committee, for information, to the next scheduled meeting of the Faculty Council;
    11. attend/ensure attendance by each department at provincial articulation meetings and bring reports back to Faculty Council;
    12. review periodically the Committee's mandate, composition, processes, and approval criteria and make such recommendations to the Nominations and Governance Committee as may be appropriate;
    13. establish subcommittees as required to fulfill the Committee's responsibilities;
    14. perform other duties as assigned by Faculty Council.

3. Standing Committee on Academic Planning and Priorities

79. The voting members of the Standing Committee on Academic Planning and Priorities consist of:
    1. the Dean or designated Associate Dean;
    2. the Chair of Faculty Council;
    3. three (3) elected members of Faculty Council;
    4. a maximum of two (2) additional members of the Faculty, recommended by the Nominating Committee, and approved by Faculty Council, selected to ensure that the composition of the Committee reflects the diversity of programs within the Faculty;
    5. the Humanities Operations Manager;
    6. one (1) student representative drawn from the student body, and approved by Faculty Council.
80. The elected Senators from the Faculty of Humanities and the Educational Advisor sit as non-voting members of the Committee.
81. Administrative support for the Committee shall be assigned by the Operations Manager, Humanities.
82. The Standing Committee on Academic Planning and Priorities shall:
1. advise Faculty Council on the mission, educational goals, objectives, strategies and priorities of the Faculty;
2. advise Faculty Council on whether the establishment, revision, or discontinuance of educational programs and other curricular changes support the mission and mandate, educational goals, objectives, strategies and priorities of the Faculty;
3. advise Faculty Council on the priorities for implementation of new programs leading to certificates, diplomas and degrees;
4. advise Faculty Council on the establishment or discontinuance of Departments of the Faculty;
5. advise Faculty Council on whether the terms of affiliation, articulation and other contractual agreements with other post-secondary institutions support the mission, educational goals, objectives, strategies and priorities of the Faculty;
6. advise Faculty Council on processes for the development, review, implementation and communication of educational plans that support the priorities of the Faculty;
7. advise the Faculty Council on whether the Faculty budget proposal supports the academic priorities of the Faculty;
8. review Program Reviews and action plans;
9. make recommendations to Faculty Council on how research and scholarship within the Faculty may be facilitated in support of the Faculty's mission, educational goals, objectives, strategies and priorities;
10. advise Faculty Council on the establishment, revision or discontinuance of research centres, institutes, and research chairs and professorships, and other research-related matters requiring Faculty Council approval;
11. establish subcommittees as needed to fulfill the Committee's responsibilities;
12. other duties as assigned by Faculty Council.