SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
S.93-7
Memorandum
TO: ?
Senate
FROM: ?
Senate Committee on Agenda & Rules
DATE: ?
December 21, 1992
SUBJECT: ?
Attendance - Senate Committee Meetings
Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules gives rise to the
following motion:
Motion: ?
"that Senate approve the rules for attendance at meetings of
committees of Senate asset forth in S.93-7
.
0
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
I
S
MEMORANDUM
To:
?
SCAR
?
From: Ron Heath
Registrar & Secretary of Senate
Subject: Attendance - Senate Committee
?
Date: December 15, 1992
Meetings
Attached is a copy of the original Senate Paper (S.75-74) and a copy of the "For
Information" paper (S.89-32) that was circulated at Senate when this question last arose.
Both papers address more directly the question of 'visitor' attendance rather than the
attendance of Senators who are not members of the committee.
I would recommend to SCAR that the following procedures be adopted for attendance at
meetings of committees of Senate. The categories could apply to agenda items for any
committee and, as noted in the earlier papers, items can be moved from one category to
another through regular procedures.
1)
Open Session -
In addition to committee members, observers and other Senators
would be able to attend. Only committee members would be able to make
motions and have voting privileges.
2)
Closed Session -
In addition to committee members, other Senators would be able
to attend. Only committee members would be able to make motions and have
voting privileges.
3)
Restricted Closed -
Only members of the committee would be eligible to attend.
Those portions of meetings that are designated as 'Restricted Closed' would
address confidential, personal or highly sensitive issues.
Four particular committees come to mind that regularly would have Restricted
Sessions; there may be others, but as noted above, any Committee would have the
ability to move a particular item of business for consideration under another
category.
Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees - when it considers nominations for
honorary degrees.
Senate Appeals Board - when it considers appeals by students. Those individuals
directly involved in the case, as determined by the Committee, may be present to
give and hear evidence being given by the other parties but may not be present
during the deliberations of the Committee.
Senate Committee on Academic Discipline - when it considers appeals by
students. Those individuals directly involved in the case, as determined by the
Committee, may be present to give and hear evidence being given by the other
parties but may not be present during the deliberations of the Committee.
Senate Committee on University Budget - when it receives advance notice of
funding, and/or when financial exigencies are discussed.
I.
For Information
?
S.89-3210
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
To:
?
Senate Committee on Agenda ?
From: W. Ronald Heath
and Rules
?
Secretary of Senate
Subject: Attendance of Visitors at
?
Date:
?
October 12, 1989
Senate Committee Meetings
As the result of enquiries at recent Senate meetings, I was asked to seek a
proper and clear interpretation on whether visitors were allowed to attend
meetings of Senate Committees.
I
refer to Senate Paper S.
75-74
(attached) which was approved by Senate
on June 2,
1975.
The minutes of that meeting note that the motion was the
result of an "issue relating
to
the desirability of opening meetings of Senates
Committees on the basic principle that the business of an institution is
open to the community". In fact, what was approved was an
approximation of Senate rules, allowing for the business
of any Senate
Committee to be considered in "Open Session" or "Closed Session", with
observers admitted to Open Sessions only. The paper also allowed a
committee
to
make additional rules of operation on the condition that such
rules would not be inconsistent with these rules. The usual procedures to
allow the movement of an agenda item from one session
type to another
apply.
In practice, the business of some Committees has been considered
routinely under Closed Session. For example, the consideration of
nominations for Honorary Degrees by the Senate Committee on Honorary
Degrees, and the consideration of individual student appeals by the Senate
Appeals Board have
been conducted in Closed Session. On the other hand,
the Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees might well consider, in Open
Session, suggestions for changes to the nomination process, for example.
Consequently, no Senate Committee is declared Open or Closed
in itself, but
any agenda items may be considered under Open or Closed Sessions at the
discretion of that Senate Committee.
R-1
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4P
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10 -
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S.M. 2/6/5
Question was called on the motion to table, and a vote taken.
MOTION TO TABLE CARRIED
6. REPORTS OF FACULTIES
There were no reports from faculties.
7. OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
8. NOTICES OF MOTION
i)
Election for Search Committee for a Dean of the Faculty of Education
Moved by D. Birch, seconded by A. Kazepides,
"That Senate suspend its election rules to
permit the shortening of procedures for the
nomination and election of a Search Committee
for a Dean for the Faculty of Education to
one week for nominations and one week for
election."
D. Birch confirmed that the majority of the electorate were on
campus and the balance were reachable within the reduced time limit.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
MOTION CARRIED
ii)
Paper 5.75-74 - Rules of Senate Committees (D. R. Birch)
Moved' by D. Birch,' seconded by I. Mugridge,
"That Senate establish the rules, as set forth
in S.75-74, relating to the operation of
Senate Committees."
D. Birch stated that the motion was the result of a recent issue
relating to the desirability of opening meetings of Senate Committees
on the basic principle that the business of an institition is open to
the community. He felt an approximation of Senate rules would establish
the necessary regulations. E. McWhinney commented that within the general
principle the rule of reason would govern.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
MOTION CARRIED
9. INFORMATION
It was noted that the next meeting of Senate is scheduled for Monday,
July 7, 1975, at 7:30 p.m. The assembly recessed briefly'at 10:00 p.m.
prior' to moving into Closed Session.
? '.
II.
M.
Evans
Secretary
c
• SiMON
FIIASER UNIVERSITY
.
MEMORANDUM
SENATE
. ?
To
................................................................................................................................
.
From ..... ?
D.
...........
.........
R. BIRCH
?
.. ......................
..............................................
DEAN OF EDUCATION
NOTICE OF MOTION
Subiect
.......
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RULES OF
..
SENATE ?
....
?
Date...
APRIL 4, 1975
CO).21ITTEES
.
That Senate establish the following rules relating to the
operations
of Senate Committees. These do not preclude a committee
from making
additional rules of operaLion
not inconsistent with these rules.
RULES OF SENATE CO1ITTEES
1. Preamble
These rules are intended to be in accordance with the Universities
Act and the Rules of Senate, as amended from time to time. In the event
of any conflict the Universities Act and/or the Rules of Senate shall
prevail.
2. Officers
a)
Chairman: The Chairman of a Senate Committee is empowered and
expected to take the actions deemed necessary to ensure
orderly advancement of the legitimate business of the
Comm it tee.
b)
Secretary: ]n the absence of the regular Secretary or his
designate, the Chairman shall appoint a Secretary pro tern.
3. Open and Closed Sessions
i)
Meetings of Senate Committees may be divided into two sessions:
an Open Session to which observers may be admitted; a Closed
Session for the discussion of business deemed by the Committee
to be of a confidential nature and to which observers shall not
be admitted.
ii) The agenda for the Open and Closed Session can be placed into an
immediately following Closed Session, if at any time prior to or
during discussion of the item, by successful motion to have it so
placed, such requiring only a simple majority. This motion may
be spoken to only by the mover and by one other person who wishes
to speak against the motion. An identical procedure shall be
followed if it is wished that an item he moved from the Closed to
the following Open Session.
4. Observers
i)
Provision shall be made for a limited number of observers at Open
Sessions of Senate Committee meetings.
ii)
The Chairman of the Committee shall designate the number of seats
to be made available for observers. Observers shall not exceed
the number of seats provided for them.
iii)
Observers may be students, faculty or staff of Simon Fraser. Univer-
-2-
sity.
iv)
Observers shall conduct themselves in such a manner as not to
interfere with the business of the Committee.
v)
No observers shall be required to leave the Open meeting of the
Committee except on the ruling of the Chairman or on the vote of
the Committee by simple majority without prior notice of motion.
IF-
6.
