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Updated as of August 2024
For committee meeting materials, please contact Karen Jack, Associate University Secretary, Senate.
The Senate Academic Planning Committee (SAPC) makes recommendations to Senate on all matters related to the overall direction of academic programs at Laurier.
This includes:
- Adapting and modifying the overall university plan as required;
- Responding to specific requests (from the Board of Governors or from the Ministry) to articulate a Laurier niche or position relative to a current situation or need;
- Responding to requests from Faculties and units to initiate new programs, modify current programs, or cancel them;
- Considering the financial implications of maintaining all academic programs; and
- Dealing with questions of policy that govern scholarships, bursaries and awards.
As part of this broad mandate, SAPC oversees the program review and approval process run by the University under the Ontario Universities’ Council on Quality Assurance, managed by the Ontario Council of Academic Vice‑Presidents.
In general, its role is to offer to Senate a considered conceptualization of where the University is, in what direction it should be heading, and what needs to be undertaken to accomplish this.
- Chair: Provost and Vice-President: Academic
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Academic dean or university librarian (chosen by the deans/librarians):
- Robert Basso
- Bruce McKay
- Brent Wolfe
- Graduate student (chosen by the Graduate Students' Association): Hashem Faal Moghanloo
- Undergraduate student (chosen by undergraduate students): Lulia Habtemichael
- Martin Luther University College faculty senator (elected by the Martin Luther University College [Waterloo Lutheran Seminary]): Daniel Maoz
- Eight faculty members (elected by UFC; two must be senators; one from each of the faculties):
- Anna Ferenc (Music)
- Steve Sider (Education)
- Bruce Gillespie (Liberal Arts)
- Azim Essaji (Lazaridis School/Senator)
- Xu (Sunny) Wang (Science)
- David Smith (Arts/Senator)
- Kari Brozowski (Human and Social Sciences)
- William O'Leary (Social Work)
It shall be the duty of the Executive and Finance Committee to care for any matters committed to it by the Senate, to function in place of the the Senate between meetings of the Senate, to consider matters pertinent to Senate, including policies and protocol relating to university convocations and functions, and to report to the Senate.
The Executive and Finance Committee also considers the financial position of the University. It makes recommendations to Senate on the budget planning as well as on the details of the annual University operating budget as prepared for presentation to Senate and the Board. The recommendations of the Senate on that budget are forwarded to the Board of Governors, the body with ultimate fiduciary responsibility for the University.
- Chair: President, Chair of Senate
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- President: Deb MacLatchy
- Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Vice-President: Finance and Administration: Lloyd Noronha
- Vice-President: Research: Jonathan Newman
- Principal-Dean, Martin Luther University College: Kristine Lund
- Academic deans or university librarian:
- Anthony Clarke
- Scott Gillies
- Kyle Murray
- Undergraduate student Senator: Nicole Lehecka
- Graduate student Senator: Adeniran Akkani
- Alumni Senator: Anita Hansra
- Academic Librarian Senator: Mona Elayyan
- Faculty Senator (Arts): Hillary Pimlott
- Faculty Senator (Education): Jennifer Straub
- Faculty Senator (Human and Social Sciences): James Popham
- Faculty Senator (Liberal Arts): James Cairns
- Faculty Senator (Music): Gerard Yun
- Faculty Senator (Lazaridis School): Darren Henderson
- Faculty Senator (Science): Louise Dawe
- Faculty Senator (Social Work): Michelle Skop
- Faculty Senators (one shall be the Vice-Chair of the Senate):
- Mary-Louise Byrne
- Roman Makarov
- Vacant
- Vacant (Vice-Chair of the Senate)
- Administrative Staff Senator: Maureen Coulter
The Governance Committee shall consider and make recommendations to the Senate for the proper functioning of the Senate, including but not limited to, revisions and updates to the Senate By-Laws and regulations as noted in sections 1.4-1.6 of the Senate By-Laws. The committee also has overall responsibility for recommending to Senate improvements to governance structures and practices of the Senate, committee memberships, evaluation of Senate performance, and senators’ education.
- Chair: Scott Ramsay
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Secretary of the Senate: Scott Ramsay
- Academic dean or university librarian:
- Sofie Lachapelle
- Faculty Senators:
- Gary Foster
- Mary Kelly
- Paul Mallet
- Kenneth Werbin
- Penelope Ironston
- Undergraduate Student Senator: Nicole Lehecka
- Alumni Senator: Chris McAdam
- Administrative Staff Senator: Maureen Coulter
The Senate Honorary Degree Committee shall make policies regarding Honorary Degrees that will be subject to the approval of Senate. It shall also be responsible for inviting, receiving and in general overseeing the nomination of candidates for Honorary Degrees and Order of Wilfrid Laurier and for advising Senate Executive and Finance Committee on the awarding and revocation of Honorary Degrees.
- Chair: President, Chair of Senate
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- President: Deb MacLatchy
- Chancellor: Nadir Patel
- Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Martin Luther University College (Waterloo Lutheran Seminary) Senator: Ara Parker
- Alumni senator: Caitlin Smith
- Faculty members (at least two senators; at least one faculty member from each of the Brantford and Waterloo campuses; no more than one member from each faculty):
- Kathleen Clarke (Education)
- Tarah Brookfield (Faculty of Liberal Arts/Brantford)
- Jerzy Kaplanek (Music)
- Maryam Khan (Social Work/Senator)
- Rosemary McGowan (Human and Social Sciences)
- Vacant (Science)
- Ali Zaidi (Arts)
- Jessie Zhan (LSBE)
- Student senator: Wajiha Arshad
- Administrative staff: Sally Heath
The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall, in accordance with the policies and procedures governing its operations, make recommendations to the President on specific applications for promotion and tenure.
- Chair: Provost and Vice-President: Academic
- Administrative support: University Secretariat
Membership
- Provost and Vice-President: Academic: Heidi Northwood
- Vice-President: Research (alternate: Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies): Jonathan Newman (Alternate: Brent Wolfe)
- Academic Director, Teaching Excellence and Innovation: Debora VanNijnatten
- Dean of the member's faculty:
- Maria Cantalini-Williams (Education)
- Anthony Clarke (Science)
- Cynthia Johnston Turner (Music)
- Kyle Murray (Lazaridis School)
- Sofie Lachapelle (Arts)
- Bruce McKay (Human and Social Sciences)
- Bruce McKay (Interim Dean, Liberal Arts)
- Robert Basso (Interim Dean, Social Work)
- Designates (five tenured faculty; no more than one from any faculty; elected by UFC for two-year terms):
- Bree Akkeson (Social Work)
- Michael Brolley (Lazaridis School)
- Kim Roberts (Science)
- Andrew Robinson (Liberal Arts)
- Kate Rossiter (Human and Social Sciences)
- Alternates (five tenured faculty; no more than one from any faculty; elected by UFC for two-year terms):
- Pam Bryden (Science)
- Bruce Gillespie (Liberal Arts)
- Hae Joo Kim (Lazaridis School)
- Milo Sweedler (Arts)
- Lee Willingham (Music)
- Employment equity representative (one-year term):
- Vacant
- Vacant
- Vacant
The Research and Publications Committee shall review and examine policies on research as they affect the academic life of the University, and, where appropriate, make recommendations to Senate. Its mandate shall include receiving annual reports from the Animal Care Committee and the Research Ethics Board, and annually approving the distribution of funds within the University's internal research grants program. It shall also advise the Vice-President: Research on matters that pertain to research and its effective promotion and dissemination, and shall consult with the Director of the WLU Press on issues concerning scholarly publications.
- Chair: Jonathan Newman
- Administrative Support: Office of Research Services
Membership
- Vice-President: Research: Jonathan Newman
- Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies: Brent Wolfe
- University Librarian: Scott Gillies
- Graduate students:
- Taylor Coleman
- Madeleine Patenall
- Eight faculty members (two must be senators; no more than one from each Faculty):
- Abhijith Archarya (Lazaridis School)
- Barbara Assiginaak (Music)
- Stephen Perry (Science)
- Peter Urquhart (Arts)
- Mary Wilson (Education)
- James LeClair (Human and Social Sciences)
- Dalon Taylor (Social Work)
- Vacant (Liberal Arts)
The mandate of the Student Appeals Committee derives from one of the powers of Senate, as per the WLU Act: to “hear and determine appeals from the decisions of the faculty councils on applications and examinations by students.” Students may appeal decisions of the faculty petitions committee (as outlined in the Graduate Student Appeals and Faculty Petitions Procedures in the graduate and undergraduate academic calendars, respectively) which impact their academic standing. Such decisions include, but are not limited to: grades, assessments, and applications for consideration under a university policy or process. The Student Appeals Committee operates under delegated authority from Senate in the hearing and determination of such appeals. The Committee is further responsible for final appeals as per Policy 12.2 Student Code of Conduct: Academic Misconduct. The Committee is responsible for establishing rules and procedures for the hearing and determination of appeals; the establishment or revision of such procedures is subject to the approval of Senate. The Associate Vice‑President: Academic shall be chair of the committee.
- Chair: Trish McLaren
- Administrative Support: Office of the Provost and Vice-President: Academic
Membership
- Associate Vice-President: Academic: Trish McLaren
- Dean of Students: Adam Lawrence
- Five students (two undergraduate student senators; two graduate students):
- Janny Boomhouwer (Graduate)
- Angela Gallo (Graduate)
- Leia Felice (Undergraduate)
- Christopher Matheson (Undergraduate)
- Aftab Tariq (Undergraduate)
- Faculty (Arts, designate): Linda Quirke
- Faculty (Arts, alternate): Dana Weiner
- Faculty (Liberal Arts, designate): Tarah Brookfield
- Faculty: (Liberal Arts, alternate): Vacant
- Faculty (Human and Social Sciences, designate): Stacey Hannem
- Faculty (Human and Social Sciences, alternate): Lisa Kuron
- Faculty (Education, designate): Jennifer Straub
- Faculty (Education, alternate): Kathleen Clarke
- Faculty (Music, designate): Gerard Yun
- Faculty (Music, alternate): Vacant
- Faculty (Lazaridis School, designate): David Wheatley
- Faculty (Lazaridis School, alternate): Michael Brolley
- Faculty (Science, designate): Vacant
- Faculty (Science, alternate): Sean Doherty
- Faculty (Social Work, designate): Jessica Hutchison
- Faculty (Social Work, alternate): Magnus Mfoafo-M'Carthy
Vice-Chair of Senate
-
Elected Senator: James Popham
Secretary of Senate
- Faculty or academic librarian senator: Scott Ramsay
Members on the Board of Governors
- Ling Chu
- Peter Urquhart
- Jin Wang
Representatives of the Ontario Secondary School System:
- Vida Collis
- Vacant
Council of Ontario Universities Academic Colleague (Faculty senator or incumbent):
- Anne Domurath (designate)
- Mary Kelly (alternate)
Contact
Karen Jack
E: kjack@wlu.ca