“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, 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, 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 on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023.”
Dr. James Mandigo, office of the provost and vice president academic, acted as chair for the senate on behalf of Dr. Joanne MacLean. Acting provost, Dr. Tracy Ryder Glass, brought forth motions to vote on Dean’s reviews for several programs.
Ryder Glass made the first call to motion to approve the Dean’s review of the aviation program that was submitted by Dr. Christophe Schinckus, dean of the faculty of professional studies. According to the review, “the director and the school is currently working on a proposal to increase the credit recognition for Transport Canada licenses.” Recommendations also include implementing “a non-pilot pathway” also known as “Aviation Aerospace.” The review mentioned that “at the international level, an ‘Aviation-Aerospace’ pathway will also allow the program to welcome students involved in diplomas and degrees in civil aviation management or airport management.” The motion was carried by the senate.
Ryder Glass also made a motion to approve the Dean’s review of the anthropology program, which was favorably voted on. According to the summary report by Dr. Sylvie Murray, dean of arts, several recommendations were listed to improve the program with the goal of creating a new major in the field. The department intends to plan “a capstone course where students draw on their anthropological training to investigate and suggest possible solutions to social justice issues.” Another recommendation is to get rid of prerequisites to select 200 and 300-level courses, as they can block students from taking the classes. This will be later looked at once the 400-level capstone course has been created.
The Dean’s review for the communication program was voted favorably by the senate. The review stated that the faculty is working on creating a “student advising strategy” and are considering different strategies to support students. Another recommendation is for the “department to develop an Indigenous Communication course and hire a tenure-track Indigenous scholar specialist in Indigenous communication.” Different programs are also being created by faculty, including a journalism minor.
Ryder Glass successfully motioned to approve the Dean’s review for the visual arts program. The review by Murray mentioned that the extended minor in visual arts in both the BA and the BFA program is important, and will not be discontinued. The review also emphasized the focus is to “ensure courses are relevant to contemporary art activity and discourse, resonate with student interests, and reflect [the] area’s commitment to Indigenization and community.”
Ryder Glass motioned for the approval of the Dean’s review for the theatre program, which was carried. UFV will continue to retain lower level courses such as THEA 111 and 210 in the curriculum for students to take as electives, especially if they are international or not majoring in theatre. The review specified that the department “will develop a plan for offering spine and elective courses to maximize enrolment potential as new curriculum is launched.”
David Johnston, office of the registrar, presented the tentative sessional dates for the school years of 2023-2024 until 2027-2028. This included the implementation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and a fall reading break into the sessional dates as well.
The first fall reading break is scheduled for the upcoming year for fall 2023 and will run from Saturday, Nov. 11 to Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Moving forward, all fall reading breaks starting from 2024-2028 will be scheduled during Remembrance Day, which will change depending on where it falls in the year.
Business major and current president of Enactus UFV, Trisha Kumar, gave a testimonial about her experiences as a business student and leading Enactus UFV. It is run by students and partners with the school of business at UFV. During her presentation, Kumar explained how being part of Enactus UFV can help with resumé building and gives an edge for students because of the experience and opportunities they have through this organization. Kumar highlighted a few of those opportunities, such as the Fraser Valley AgroConnect Project, which focuses on helping farmers with “resource and information business management, and business recruitment.”
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.
