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To

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SENATE 

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From SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

Subject

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF SENATE 

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Date SEPTEMBER 19,1973 

NOTION: 

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"That Senate adopt the 'Rules of Procedure of 

Senate,' as set forth in Paper S.73-114, to 

supersede all previous Rules of Procedure of 

Senate effective inunediately." 

.

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

From

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND RULES 

Subject

_RULES 

OF PROCEDURE OF SENATE 

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Date

SEPTEMBER 19 1973 

At the May 7, 1973 meeting of Senate, the Senate Committee 

on Agenda and Rules were instructed to recommend to the October 1973 

meeting of Senate rules and procedures for the conduct of the business 

of Senate; in preparing their recommendation, the Committee were 

instructed to bear 

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in

mind Senate's current and precedent procedural 

experience. ? 

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In the attached statement of Rules of Procedure of Senate 

the Committee have incorporated with the basic Rules of Procedure of 

Senate, as defined on April 4 1966 by Senate, subsequent rules, 

practices and procedures adopted and accepted by Senate. The statement 

contains no .    

additions to, amendments of, or deletions from what are at 

this time the working rules of Senate. 

The Committee were of the opinion that, before Senate set out 

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fore them a single statement as to what are, in fact, the present 

operating rules. Substantial problems of clarification arose from the 

fact that some rules have fallen out of use and other rules and prac- 

tices have been added, possibly in some cases without the exact 

requirements for amendment having been met. 

Approval of the MOTION will amount simply to regularizing 

the now exising Rules of Procedure of Senate, de jure as well as de 

facto. 

The Committee on Agenda and Rules intend to continue to examine 

the Rules of Procedure and will be bringing, with all due urgency, a 

number of proposals for amendment and refinement for the consideration 

of Senate. Members of Senate are invited to send to the Secretary of 

Senate comments and proposals that might be helpful to the Committee in 

bringing forward proposals that meet the needs of Senate. 

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF SENATE, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY 

SStatus of Rules 

1.

Status of These Rules of Procedure 

These rules of procedure shall not be interpreted as superseding 

any reference to the Senate contained in the Universities Act (1963) or 

any amendment thereto. 

Alterations of these rules of procedure shall require written 

notice at a regular meeting of Senate prior to the meeting at which a vote 

on the proposed alteration is taken, which vote shall require an, affirma- 

tive vote by two-thirds of the voting members present to carry. 

Meetings (date, time, etc.) 

2.

Meetings of Senate 

a)

Regular Meetings: There shall be regular meetings of Senate 

normally on the first Monday of each month except where the first Monday 

is a holiday and then the meeting shall be held on the second Monday. At 

the commencement of each semester the meeting shall normally be held on the 

first Monday of University Classes. If the Chairman rules there is insuf- 

ficient business to justify a meeting he may instruct the Secretary to so 

inform the members and cancel the meeting. In exceptional cases the Chairman 

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' may instruct that the regular meeting be deferred for one week with announce- 

ment to be made in advance. Meetings normally shaLl be called to order at 

7:30 p.m. 

b)

Special Meetings: The Chairman may call a special meeting of 

Senate for the purpose of considering an urgent item of business, when he 

deems it necessary, or on the petition of five members of Senate. Only 

such urgent items of business as are contained in the notice may be discussed 

at a special meeting. 

c)'Categories of Business: Meetings of Senate shall be divided 

into two sessions, the first.being an open session to which qualified 

observers may be admitted in accordance with the rule stated below, and 

the second a closed session for the discussion of business deemed by Senate 

to be of a confidential kind, and at which no observers shall be present. 

d) Observers: Provision shall be made for a limited number of 

qualified observers 

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at the open session of Senate meetings in accordance 

with space available: 

i)

The Chairman of Senate shall designate the number of 

spaces available for observers; 

ii)

The Chairman of Senate, at his discretion or on the 

instructions of Senate, may restrict or eliminate spaces 

for observers if, in his opinion, this is required in 

the interests of Senate procedures; 

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iii) 

At the determination of the Chairman of Senate and to 

the degree he considers necessary, closed circuit audio 

coverage or/and closed circuit television coverage may 

be provided to other areas of the University; 

iv)

At the discretion of the Chairman of Senate or on the 

vote of the Senate on simple majority without prior 

notice of motion, observers may be required to leave 

the meeting and/or closed circuit servicing may be 

discontinued; 

v)

For the closed session of Senate there shall be no pro- 

vision for observers or for closed'circuit servicing. 

vi)

Qualified observers normally shall be limited to Simon 

Fraser University students, faculty and staff only; 

vii) 

Observers shall not exceed the number of places provided 

for them; 

viii) 

Observers shall at all times conduct themselves in such 

manner as not to interfere with the business of Senate. 

ix)

One student reporter for The Peak shall be named by the 

editor as the official Senate reporter; 

x)

Motions to conduct any Senate meeting or part of a 

meeting in camera shall be carried on a simple majority 

vote; 

xi)

The University community shall be made aware that Senate 

may revoke the privilege of attending Senate meetings as 

an observer to any or all individuals. 

The Chairman of Senate is empowered and expected to take any action he deems 

necessary to ensure normal advancement of the ordinary legitimate business 

of the Senate. 

e) Operation and Agenda of Senate Meetings: 

i)

There shall be two agendas for Senate meetings, one for 

the open session, which shall be publicly displayed and 

that for the closed session, which shall be circulated 

to members of Senate. 

ii)

Supporting documents for items in open or closed session 

shall continue to be circulated to members of Senate and 

its officers; open session material shall be filed in 

the library at the time of distribution of papers to 

Senators. 

iii) The placing of agenda items in the closed session shall 

be left to the discretion of the Secretary of Senate 

but a Senator can request that any item placed upon the 

agenda by himself be put into either the open or the 

closed session. 

vi) At any time prior to or during discussion of an item in 

the agenda of the open session, it can be placed into 

the immediately following closed session by successful 

motion to have it so placed, such motion 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. A similar procedure shall be followed 

if it is wished that an item be moved from th closed to 

the following open session; 

v) That the part played by any individual other than the 

mover and seconder in closed session remain always 

private to Senate. Minutes of the closed session shall 

be read at the beginning of the fol 1 lowing closed session. 

Notice of Meeting 

3. Notice of Meetings 

a)

Regular Meetings: The Secretary of Senate shall mail the notice 

of meeting, the agenda, and all supporting papers possible, to the members of 

Senate at least ten days before the meeting. 

b)

Special Meetings: Notice of special meetings shall be mailed or 

telegraphed or telephoned to members of Senate at least seventy-two hours 

before the meeting; such notices to indicate the urgent items for which the 

meeting is called. 

Quorum 

4. Quorum 

Eleven members, at least six of whom shall be members of faculty, 

shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at any regular 

or special meeting of Senate. 

Chairmanship 

5. Chairman 

In case the President is unable to chair a meeting of Senate, the 

Academic Vice-President shall take the chair. If both the President and 

the Academic Vice-President are unable to chair, the most senior Dean of a 

Faculty shall be Chairman where seniority shall be determined in terms of 

the date of appointment as Dean. 

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Secretary 

6. Secretary 

In the absence of the Registrar, the Chairman may appoint a 

Secretary 

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tern from amongst the members present. 

Minutes 

7. Minutes 

a) Approved minutes of Senate shall be sent to the Secretary 

of the Academic Board. 

b)

Minutes of meetings shall be a brief summary of, points and 

a record of decisions taken. 

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c) The library reference copy of the minutes shall be annotated 

to refer the reader to any corrections in subsequent minutes. 

d) Shorthand transcripts of minutes shall be kept; the transcript 

shall be available to members of Senate. 

e) Copies of Minutes of open sessions of Senate shall be made 

available in faculty department offices. 

f)

Agendas, supporting papers and minutes of Senate shall be 

kept in the University library and made available upon request to any 

member of the University community; the papers for this copy to be subject 

to the discretion of the Secretary of Senate. 

g)

The audio tapes of the proceedings of Senate shall be copied 

and made available in the library. 

Order of Business 

8. Order of Business 

a) Regular Meetings 

i) Open Sessions 

Approval of Agenda 

Approval of Minutes of Previous Open Meeting(s) 

Business Arising from the Minutes 

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Report of Chairman 

Reports of Committees 

Reports of Faculties 

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Other Business 

- Notices of Motion 

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- Date of Next Meeting 

- Other items 

- Confidential matters 

Closed Sessions 

Approval of Agenda 

Approval of Minutes of Previous Closed Session(s) 

Business Arising from the Minutes 

Report of Chairman 

Reports of Committees 

Reports of Faculties 

Other Business 

The order of business may be altered at the commencement of the 

meeting by an approved motion to that effect, or by the ruling of the 

Chairman. 

b) Special Meetings: The order of business of special meetings 

shall be that transmitted in the Notice of Meeting. 

Motions 

9. Motions 

Motions for inclusion in the agenda of Senate shall be submitted 

to the Secretary of Senate in accordance with the time schedule laid down 

for the submission of agenda items. 

Motions from the floor may be made orally; at the request of the 

Secretary or of a member of Senate, the mover may be required to put the 

motion in writing. 

Voting 

10.

Voting. 

A motion is carried by a simple majority of those present and 

voting - except in the case of alterations to the Rules of Procedure and 

for those motions requiring greater than a majority vote as defined under 

Robert's Rules of Order. Unless a ballot is called for by an approved 

motion, voting shall be by a show of hands. A motion to hold a ballot vote 

is not itself subject to a ballot. 

Procedures not-covered by these Rules 

11.

Disputes 

With respect to any point of procedure not covered by the 

Universities Act, or these Rules of Procedure, reference shall be made to 

the latest available edition of Robert's Rules of Order. 

Senate Committees 

12.

Committees 

a) The Senate shall appoint such standing and ad hoc committees 

as it, from time to time, shall determine necessary and Senate shall 

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determine the membership and the method of appointment or electing members 

to said committees, subject to Rule 13. 

b)

Any member who plans to be away for one semester should so 

inform his Faculty and the Secretary of Senate in order that a substitute 

may be elected to replace him on Senate and committees of Senate. 

c)

Items 8, 9, 10 and 11 of these Rules of Procedure shall apply 

to all committees of Senate. 

Terms of Office 

13. Terms of Office 

a)

The terms of office of Senators shall be as outlined in the 

Act. 

b)

The terms of office of members of Senate Committees shall be 

as outlined in the paper establishing the Committee. 

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