SFU
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S.08-73
S
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UNIVERSITY SECRETARIAT
MEMO
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby BC VA iSó
Canada
I
TO ?
Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules
FROM ?
Peter Dickinson, Chair, Senate Nominating Committee
I
RE ?
Student Alternates
DATE
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23 April, 2008
Motion
That Senate approve
the addition of student alternates to the Research Ethics
•
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Board, the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, the Senate Policy
Committee on Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries, the two Awards Adjudication
Committees (SUAAC and
SOAAC),
the Senate Committee on International
Activities, and the International Student Exchange Committee, effective June
2008.
Background and Rationale:
Senator Harding raised the issue of alternates for student positions on Senate
Committees in September 2007. The Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules
referred this to the Senate Nominating Committee (SNC) and SNC, under the guidance
of Alison Watt, Secretary of SNC, has been working on this in the interim. I apologize
that this has taken Longer than anticipated to get sorted out.
Senator Harding's proposal was that Senate should approve the addition of at least
one undergraduate student (alternate), graduate student (alternate), or student
Senator (alternate), where applicable to the membership of Senate committees where
alternates for students do not currently exist.
Ms. Watt surveyed those Senate committees without alternates regarding this issue
and the following committees would indeed welcome the suggestion that alternates
be added to their membership:
Committee
Additions
Research Ethics Board
one student (alternate)
Senate Committee on Undergraduate
Studies
one undergraduate student (alternate)
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
THINKING OF THE WORLD
I,
Senate Policy Committee on
one undergraduate student (alternate)
Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries
and one graduate student (alternate)
Senate Undergraduate Awards
one undergraduate student (alternate)
Adjudication Committee
_____
Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication
one graduate student (alternate)
Committee
_____________________________________
Senate Committee on International
one student (alternate)
Activities
International Student Exchange
one student (alternate)
Committee
Other committees did not feel the need for an alternate at this time.
The discussions about these additions reinforced the understanding that committees
have various ways in which alternates are involved - depending largely on the modus
operandi of the committees. For example, if a committee reviews a specific case and
goes on to review that same case during the following meeting, an alternate probably
should not be used, because he/she cannot be fully informed of the discussions that
took place in the earlier committee meeting. It would be easier to mandate one
specific method of working with alternates - but as with many situations, a one-size-
fits- all approach will not work with the variety of committees we have. Therefore, I
suggest that each committee with alternates determine and clarify the role and
activity of alternates for that particular committee. This could include the option that
a student member of a committee who might be absent or unavailable for a semest
would be replaced by the alternate for that entire semester.
?
0
Peter Dickinson
.
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