Senate is the academic governing body of UFV, with the university president and vice-chancellor Dr. Joanne MacLean as chair. They are responsible for making decisions on everything academic, including: approving new courses and programs, approving changes to programs, and setting entrance requirements and the academic calendar. The Board of Governors, which looks at the business side of the university, is advised by Senate on matters of mutual interest.
All at the university are welcome to attend Senate’s public meetings, which are held once a month. Senate makes decisions that impact the daily lives of both students and faculty. This article will recap the main agenda items of the hybrid Senate meeting which occurred on Friday, June 7, 2024.
A proposed master plan for the Chilliwack campus was presented by Betty Poettcker, acting AVP, campus planning & facilities management, to the Senate. She explained that the “master plan is a really high-level road map for the Chilliwack campus.” It takes into consideration important infrastructure, including “planning for roads, bike paths, and parking.” It provides design guidelines and the placement of new buildings within the campus. However, the plan will not determine which programs are located where, or when the construction will begin.
UFV has been working with the company Diamond Schmitt on the master plan for the Chilliwack campus for the last eight months. The project lead, Elena Chernyshov, said during the presentation that they conducted both quantitative and qualitative research of the campus and recognized needs made by students and staff to accommodate the growth of UFV Chilliwack. Proposed additions include increased food services, a recreation and athletics centre, a trades and technology building, and four buildings for potential on-campus student housing.
Additionally, the annual Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan was presented by Dr. James Mandigo, provost and vice president academic, to the Senate board. The 2023-24 academic year reported an increase in student enrollment of 11.4 per cent. For the upcoming 2024-25 school year, there is an estimated overall increase in enrollment by three per cent.
Some of the SEM’s goals include Indigenization and EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), expanding the number of programs international students can apply for, “establishing a framework in place to support a student-centered timetable,” and the “establishment of a summer program for international students from partner institutions,” as per the report to the Senate. Mandigo announced that the university is, or is close to, reaching many of their goals.
Mandigo, in his Provost Report, acknowledged the view that academic processing is “too slow at Canadian Universities,” thanking Senate boards for their hard work in academic programming. “I would argue that the care in which the Senate and its members take to ensure high-quality academic programming is at the highest level possible,” wrote Mandigo. He added that it “has made Canadian universities the envy of many countries around the world.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
