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• FOR INFORMATION

MEMORANDUM

Registrar and Secretary of the Senate

To:

Senate

From:

Senate Committee on

Agenda and Rules

Subject:

Student Representation

Date:

June 26, 1991

on Senate Committees

Attached is a report pertaining to student representation on Senate Committees submitted

to the Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules by the Registrar and Secretary of Senate.

The report is now presented to Senate for information.

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MEMORANDUM

Registrar and Secretary of the Senate

To: SCAR

From: Ron Heath

Re: Student Representation

Date:

May 15, 1991

on Senate Committees

At the last meeting of SCAR, I was asked to report on the question of student

membership on Senate Committees. There are 20 committees of Senate (including

sub-committees of Senate Committees), with a total of 54 student representatives. In

some cases, membership on one Committee carries with it membership on another.

This total includes those identified as Alternate members. There are 14 elected

students on Senate.

In general, students members are determined in four ways:

1)

nominated by the Senate Nominating Committee, with elections occunng at

Senate;

SCAP

3 Student Senators

SCUB

3 Student Senators (Student Senators from SCAP)

SCAR

1 Student Senator

SCCS

1

Student Senator and 1 Student Senator Alternate

S

SCHD

1 Student Senator

SLC

1

Student Senator and 1 Student Senator Alternate

SNC

1

Student Senator and 1 Student Senator Alternate

ESC

1

Student Senator

2)

named by

SCAD

SPCSAB

SUAAC

SGAAC

SAB

the Student Society;

3 students and 1 student alternate

1 undergraduate student and 1 graduate student

1 undergraduate student (same as on SPCSAB)

1 graduate student

1 graduate student (same as on SPCSAB)

1 undergraduate student

2 students and 2 student alternates

3)

elected by constituents;

SGSC

5 graduate students (one from each Faculty) and 5 graduate student

alternates (elected by graduate students in the Faculty)

ACNGP

1 graduate student (elected by and from the graduate students on the

SGSC)

4)

elected by members of another Senate Committee;

SCEMP 1 Student Senator elected by members of SCAP

SDCPC 2 Student Senators elected by and from SCAP

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In addition, the student members of some Committees are determined by a combination

of the above procedures.

LPAC

2 Student Senators (the regular and alternate Student Senator

members from SLC) plus

1 undergraduate and 1 graduate student selected by the Student

Society

SUAB

2 Student Senators and 1 Student Senator alternate plus

1 student member and 1 student member alternate named by the

Student Society

SCUS

1 Student Senator plus

1 undergraduate student named by the Student Society.

Currently there are 24 designated regular and alternate positions for Student Senators

on committees of Senate and there are 19 regular and alernate positions for

appointment by the Student Society. The remaining 11 positions are elected by

students. There is nothing in the Rules of Senate that would prevent a Student Senator

from seeking the appointment from the Student Society to one of those positions.

If the 54 Senate Committee memberships were to be restricted to Student Senators,

each Student Senator would have to average approximately four regular and alternate

committee memberships. My experience suggests that several positions would end up

being vacant, thereby reducing the overall opportunity for student input and access to

Senate Committees. Even with the current designated 24 Student Senator regular and

alternate positions, each Student Senator would have an average of close to two

Committee appointments.

What we have is a situation that has evolved over time, and I'm not convinced we have

any compelling evidence to suggest that there should be a dramatic overhaul to this

structure. In addition, the current membership designations allow for efficient and

orderly replacement in the event of resignations and other vacancies.

If a change is considered advisable, there should be sufficient flexibility to allow for

appointment to vacant positions in order to maintain student representation on

committees. One suggestion would be to give Student Senators right of first access to

any student position(s) on Senate Committees (with elections by Senate or Senate

Committee if necessary) with remaining positions to be filled through request to the

Student Society. I have several concerns about the adoption of this process. For

instance, we would have to do a complete re-assessment of the terms of office for

student positions. For example, the Student Senator position on the SCHD is for an

unspecified term of office meaning that the Student Senator remains a member of the

Committee so long as he/she is a member of Senate. If we go this alternate route and

the position were to be filled by someone other than a Student Senator, the student

named by the Student Society would hold the position so long as he/she remained a

student, even if in the following year a Student Senator indicated an interest in the

position.

In short, while probably not perfect, the current format is working reasonably well.

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