Senate is the academic governing body of UFV, with the university president and vice chancellor Joanne MacLean as the chair. They are responsible for making decisions on everything academic: approving new courses and programs, approving changes to programs, setting entrance requirements, and setting 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 usually held once a month at either the Abbotsford or the CEP campus, but are currently hosted online via Bluejeans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate makes decisions that impact the daily lives of both students and faculty.
COVID-19 update from the provost
James Mandigo, provost and vice-president academic, delivered an update on UFV’s continued efforts to address COVID-19.
Mandigo explained that there are multiple committees overseeing the university’s response to the pandemic. The Academic Continuity Committee was formed to address “anything that relates to academic matters,” and the Operations Continuity Committee meets on issues “related to the operations of the university.” He said recommendations made by these groups are then brought before an Emergency Operations Committee, where final decisions are made.
Since last month’s Senate meeting, several programs have now returned to face-to-face instruction, including the dental assistant, welding, joinery, culinary, electrical, carpentry, automotive, and assessment services programs. He added that UFV’s Trades and Technology Centre, which has a capacity for approximately 650 people, is currently set up to allow for 100 people to safely attend.
According to Mandigo, only some programs have been approved for limited face-to-face learning in the fall semester. Those programs include biology, chemistry, physics, agriculture, visual arts, kinesiology, and nursing. He said that teacher education may also be included on this list, pending a decision from the provincial body that oversees it.
Mandigo said that any program not mentioned on this list will be exclusively offered online in the fall. He also said that all exams, regardless of program, will be delivered online for the fall semester.
Name changes approved for CIS and library departments
Senate also voted to approve changes to the titles of multiple departments. The department of computer information systems (CIS) will now be called the school of computing, and the department of library and information technology will be called the department of information studies.
Tracy Ryder Glass, dean of professional studies, explained the rationale for both changes during deliberations. Speaking to senators about the change, she argued that the establishment of a school of computing at UFV is related to the program’s exponential growth in terms of both enrollment and scope.
Later, citing a memo from Christina Neigel, department head of library and information technology, Glass said the change to information studies is “consistent with programming across the province,” and helps to keep the name of the department distinct from the name of the program itself.
