The Faculty Council enacts policies for the management of Faculty affairs, it being understood that such policies are subject to Senate approval in academic matters and approval by designated University authorities in other matters (see University of Ottawa Act, Section 18(2)).
1.1 Mandate of the Faculty Council
1.1.1 To make recommendations to and to obtain approval from the Senate concerning:
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The development of or modifications to the undergraduate programs, certificates and diplomas offered by the Faculty, to the interdisciplinary programs overseen by the Faculty and to the interfaculty programs;
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The policy and conditions for admission to the Faculty;
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The presentation of candidates for degrees; and,
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Other policy issues deemed relevant to the development of the Faculty.
1.1.2 To review and comment on the following:
The development of or changes to both the graduate and interdisciplinary programs in which the Faculty participates before they are formally submitted to the Office of the Vice-Provost of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies;
1.1.3 To establish the standing committees in the Faculty of Science listed in By-law 2. To create other standing or ad hoc committees as required, and to define their powers, functions and membership.
1.1.4 To establish the regulations of the Faculty subject to the approval of the Senate for academic matters and the approval of the Board of Governors or the authority designated by the University for any other matter.
1.1.5 To establish and approve policies, rules and procedures to ensure the sound management of the Faculty.
1.2 Members of Faculty Council
The members of the Faculty Council are:
1.2.1 Ex-officio members with voting rights:
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The Dean, who serves as Council Chair;
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The Vice-Deans of the Faculty;
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The Director of each of the Faculty’s academic units;
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The academic staff members from the Faculty that have been elected to the Senate, if they are not already members of the Council in another capacity; and
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The President of the Science Students Association.
Note: Two of the Vice-Deans are considered the Faculty officers with administrative exclusion: in the absence of the Dean, one of them assumes the Dean's role, including chairing meetings (see 3.6).
1.2.2 Ex-officio members without voting rights:
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The Administrator of Undergraduate Programs;
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The Administrator of Graduate Programs; and
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The director of each graduate or undergraduate program of the faculty.
1.2.3 Two elected members from the regular academic staff in each department.
1.2.4 Two elected members from the part-time professors teaching in the Faculty.
1.2.5 Elected student members:
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Ten undergraduate students representing the Faculty’s various undergraduate programs, elected by their peers in compliance with article 1.3.3 below, and
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Two graduate students, elected by their peers in compliance with article 1.3.4 below.
Remark: All elected members have voting rights.
1.3 Procedures for Electing Council Members
1.3.1 Procedures for electing regular academic staff members:
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All regular professors of Faculty academic units are eligible;
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At least one of the members elected from each department shall be a tenured professor;
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Except where otherwise stated, regular two-year terms are renewable;
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Terms shall begin on the first day of July and terminate on the thirtieth day of June;
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The election of departmental members shall take place within the department according to a procedure established there;
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When a seat becomes vacant, a replacement member shall be elected in the same manner as the former member in order to complete the original mandate; and,
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Results are conveyed to the Vice-Dean responsible for Governance by the directors concerned.
1.3.2 Procedures for electing part-time professors teaching in the Faculty:
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The Vice-Dean responsible for Governance initiates the procedure in the beginning of the fall term;
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Any part-time professor who has taught at least three courses in the Faculty in the preceding three academic years and has or had a teaching contract in the Faculty in the current calendar year is eligible;
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Any part-time professor who has or had a teaching contract in the Faculty in the current calendar year is eligible to vote;
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Elections are held each year before October 15;
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The representatives are elected for a renewable one-year term from October 15th to October 14th of the following year; and
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Seats allocated to part-time professors which either are not filled or become vacant, remain vacant for the remainder of the mandate.
1.3.3 Procedures for electing undergraduate student members:
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The Vice-Dean responsible for Governance initiates the procedure in the beginning of the fall term by asking the Science Students Association to organize these elections;
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Any full-time student in an undergraduate program offered by the Faculty is eligible;
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Students are elected by their peers;
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Elections are held each year before October 15th;
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Student members are elected for a renewable term of one year from October 15th to October 14th of the following year;
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The Science Students Association conveys the election results to the Vice-Dean responsible for Governance; and,
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Seats allocated to undergraduate students which either are not filled or become vacant, remain vacant for the remainder of the mandate.
1.3.4 Procedures for electing graduate student members:
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The Vice-Dean responsible for Governance initiates the procedure in the beginning of the fall term;
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Any full-time student in a graduate program offered by the Faculty is eligible;
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Students are elected by their peers;
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Elections are held each year before October 15th;
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Student members are elected for a renewable term of one year from October 15th to October 14th of the following year; and,
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Seats allocated to graduate students which either are not filled or become vacant, remain vacant for the remainder of the mandate.
1.4 Plurality of Mandates
No one shall sit on the Faculty Council in a dual capacity.
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Any Chair of a department who holds another office which would make him an ex-officio member of Council shall sit in his capacity of departmental chair, the other ex-officio seat remaining vacant.When a Chair, who also is Vice-Dean, is chairing a meeting in the absence of the Dean, he then sits in his capacity of Vice-Dean only.
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If an elected member of Council is appointed to an office which makes him an ex-officio voting member of Council, he shall resign his seat, which will be filled by a new election, according to 1.3.1.
1.5 Quorum at Council Meetings
Quorum is 50% plus one of the total number of voting members (elected and ex-officio or designated), excluding vacancies.
1.6 Meeting Schedule
1.6.1 At least two Council meetings shall be held within an academic year.
1.6.2 At least three weeks before a Faculty Council meeting, a notice of a Faculty Council meeting shall be sent (by email) to all members of the Faculty Council by the Vice-Dean responsible for Governance.
For a motion to be considered in the agenda, written notice should be supplied to the Dean two weeks before the meeting.
One week before a meeting, a second notice of a Faculty council meeting and its agenda shall be sent (by email) to all members of the Faculty Council and teaching staff by the Vice-Dean responsible for Governance.
1.7 Rules of Order of the Deliberations of the Faculty Council.
1.7.1 The deliberations of the council of the Faculty of Science are governed by the clauses of Victor Morin’s code entitled «Procédure des assemblées délibérantes» except for the following:
1.7.2 The Dean of the Faculty shall chair the Council. In his absence, a Faculty officer with administrative exclusion or the Dean’s delegate shall chair the meeting.
1.7.3 The Chair of the Council shall only cast a vote to break a tie.
1.7.4 The Vice-Dean responsible for Governance shall be secretary of the Council. In his absence, Council shall elect a temporary secretary from among the members present.
1.7.5 The use of a recording device during a meeting of the Faculty Council is prohibited. The term ”recording device” includes any equipment that can be used to record either through photography, videotaping or audio recording, an image, a sound or a conversation and includes cellular phones and cameras.
1.7.6 Any rule of order to the By-laws, but this one, may be suspended temporarily with a two thirds majority vote, but no amendment to this By-law shall be put to a vote unless written notice shall have been given (by email) to all members of the Faculty Council and all members of the academic staff at least thirty days prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be voted on, and the proposed amendment stated in said notice.