Governance & Policies Committee

Delegated Authority from the Senate 

The Committee has delegated authority from the Senate for:

• Approving membership of the Standing Committees of the Senate;
• Approving the repeals of policies that fall under the remit of the Senate; and
• Reporting all its decisions to the Senate.

Responsibilities

The Governance and Policies Committee is responsible for:

• Advising the Senate on:
  • matters of academic policy;
  • revising Senate policies and procedures; and
  • matters related to the Senate Bylaws, including with respect to the membership, procedures, structure, and terms of reference of the Senate committees;
• Approving Senate appointments to the Senate standing committees and other University advisory committees or groups requiring representation from the Senate;
• Monitoring all Senate policies to ensure that they are reviewed within the frequency required in University Policy No. 1505, “Policy Development and Administration”;
• Ensuring that:
  • proposed Senate policies and procedures (and amendments thereto) are consistent with the mission, vision, and goals of the University;
  • the development, drafting, and amendment of Senate policies are undertaken by the University department(s) that is most knowledgeable about the issues addressed in the policy;
  • an appropriate level of consultation with relevant stakeholders has taken place prior to the development, drafting, and amendment of Senate policies; and
  • proposed Senate policies and procedures (and amendments thereto) submitted to the Committee for review are supported by documentation and have a sound basis (e.g., fulfilling legal or regulatory requirements, identifying, and managing risks, enhancing operational efficiency, etc.);
• Establishing such subcommittees as needed to fulfill their responsibilities and reporting mechanisms for these subcommittees; and
• Other duties, as assigned by the Senate.

Committee Membership

The Committee meets on an as-needed basis, with a minimum of two meetings per year; meetings are usually closed. For any questions, please contact the Senate Secretariat at senate@ucanwest.ca.