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 see 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, Nov. 22, 2024.
David Johnston, university registrar, gave an in-depth presentation on UFV’s current student enrolment and where they are in their Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) plan goals for 2023-2030. Johnston stated in his PowerPoint presentation that UFV is doing well in terms of enrolment figures. According to the seven year enrolment plan, the goal is to have 17,600 students enrolled by 2030-31, with 22 per cent of that figure allotted for international students. Currently, there are 8,756 domestic students and 2,539 international students, with a total head count of 11,297 students enrolled in the Fall 2024 semester.
A motion was made by Dr. James Mandigo, provost and vice president academic, to discontinue the Master of Arts Criminal Justice program at UFV. The main reason for this decision was based on the limited number of students who were taking the program from 2017-2024. A memo from Chris Campbell, associate director of Program Development and Quality Assurance, to Dr. Mandigo, indicated that since 2017, there have been low enrolment numbers in the masters program. As of 2024, there are no students pursuing the program. The senate board voted on the motion; it was voted on favourably and carried.
Dr. Mandigo made a motion to implement the Journalism extended minor that was voted on favourably by the Senate board and the program will begin in the Fall 2025 semester. Some of the courses offered will include CMNS 175: Writing for the Internet, CMNS 311: Investigative Reporting, and CMNS 320: Editing Principles and Applications.
Further, Mandigo made motions for the implementation of three new programs at UFV: the cyber security post-baccalaureate diploma; the artificial intelligence and machine learning post-baccalaureate diploma; and the software engineering post-baccalaureate diploma. All were voted on favourably and carried.
According to the program proposal, these new academic diplomas aim to empower students with the skill sets to do well in their field.
“Through these programs, students will have the opportunity to gain skills that are relevant to information systems industries.”
The programs are also designed to satisfy the need for more IT experts to work on a local, regional, and national level. These programs are expected to be implemented in Sept. 2025.
Dr. Mandigo wrote in his Provost Report about how imperative it is to incorporate interdisciplinary practices in student education to help prepare them for industry expectations.
“The importance of taking interdisciplinary approaches is one that is often highlighted as being critical to help prepare our students to tackle the challenging issues society is facing in an ever-changing complex 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.
