S-02-48 FACULTY OF SCIENCE Meeting of Faculty Tuesday, May 20, 2003 Leacock Council Room - L232 ATTENDANCE: As recorded in the Faculty Appendix Book. DOCUMENTS: S-02-37 to S-02-47 Dean Shaver called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. (1) ADOPTION OF AGENDA Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Harpp, that the Agenda be adopted. The motion carried. (2) Reports of Committees a) Faculty of Science Excellence Award 702.1 Prof. T. Moore, Chair of the 2003 Faculty of Science Excellence Award Committee, said that for the current year the Committee had received the record number of six nominees. All were excellent candidates, and all had made significant contributions to the Faculty of Science and to the University, as well as to their respective units. The Committee had had great difficulty in recommending a single person. The other members of the Committee were: M. Gauthier (C), Department of Psychology K. Peterson (M), Department of Biology R. Rossi (T), Department of Chemistry The 2003 nominees were: Mr. S. Biunno, Department of Physics Ms. R. Bruno, Department of Mathematics & Statistics Ms. A. Comeau, Department of Biology Ms. L. Minogue, School of Computer Science Ms. J. Smart, Department of Psychology Mr. N. Trempe, Department of Chemistry 702.2 Prof. Moore said that the winner of the 2003 Faculty of Science Excellence Award was Normand Trempe. 702.3 The following is Prof. Moore's citation for Normand Trempe: Mr. Trempe has served as the Administrative Officer in the Department since the 1970s. In this role he has played a critical function in coordinating and organizing the support staff in the Department. His knowledge of the technical and financial aspects of chemistry, laboratories and equipment and their safe operation and buildings have led him to be a valued member of many committees in Chemistry. He has also shown the inter-personal skills to listen, assess, consult and act in a most efficient manner. He has been particularly helpful in getting new professors started at McGill. Mr. Trempe has also made these skills available to the broader McGill community, through participation in projects in the Pulp and Paper, the Rutherford Physics and the Stewart Buildings. He has become a beacon of effective management in changing times at McGill and has been able to apply his skills to a wide range of opportunities. 702.4 Mr. Trempe thanked Prof. Moore and the Committee. He expressed his appreciation to his Department and to all the people he had worked with over the years. Mr. Trempe emphasized that it was very important to work cooperatively. 702.5 On behalf of the Faculty of Science, Dean Shaver congratulated Mr. Trempe, and all the nominees for the Excellence Award. He said the Faculty was extremely proud of its administrative and support staff. 702.6 Dean Shaver thanked Prof. Moore and the other members for their work on the Committee. b) Leo Yaffe Award Committee 702.7 Prof. L. Hermo, Chair of the Leo Yaffe Award Committee, said that the current year was the first year that the Committee had vetted nominees for the Principal's Prize for Excellence in Teaching. He thanked members of the Committee for their diligent work. The other Committee members were: Prof. R. Amsel, Department of Psychology Prof. O. Coomes, Department of Geography Prof. F. Fabry, Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic sciences, & McGill School of Environment Prof. V. Kaspi, Department of Physics Prof. N. Nigam, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Prof. P. Panangaden, School of Computer Science Prof. A. Wechsler, Department of Physiology Prof. E. Zorychta, Department of Pathology Stephanie Archer, Student in Anatomy & Cell Biology Alexandra Malone, Student in Chemistry - Prof. Nigam withdrew due to possible conflicts of interest. - Prof. Panangaden withdrew because his wife was being nominated for the award. - Stephanie Archer withdrew because she had taken a course given by one of the nominees. The 2003 nominees were: Prof. D. Briedis, Department of Microbiology & Immunology Prof. M. Damha, Department of Chemistry Prof. L. Hendren, School of Computer Science Prof. N. Kamran, Department of Mathematics & Statistics Prof. R. Koestner, Department of Psychology Prof. C.R. Morales, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology Prof. L. Nilsson, Department of Biology Prof. W. Pollard, Department of Geography Prof. K. Ragan, Department of Physics Prof. J. Silvius, Department of Biochemistry Prof. J. Stix, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences Prof. P.M.K. Yau, Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences 702.8 Prof. Hermo said that the winner of the Leo Yaffe Award was Prof. R. Koestner. The following is Prof. Hermo's citation: The Leo Yaffe committee is delighted to be able to nominate Prof. Richard Koestner of the Department of Psychology for the 2002-2003 Leo Yaffe Award. As in previous years, the committee was faced with the situation of having to choose a winner from many excellent nominees. Prof. Koestner did his Ph.D. at the University of Rochester and was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. He joined McGill as an assistant Professor in 1988 and is presently an associate professor. Prof. Koestner has taught a normal load of 2 courses per semester since 1991, but in three different years has taught an extra section or course because of departmental needs. In 1991 he designed a new course in Human Motivation, which he has now taught for over 10 years and in 1998 introduced a new course entitled Community Psychology; both courses have become very popular amongst psychology students. Prof. Koestner has also taught courses entitled Experimental Problems for several years, as well as Introduction to Psychology and Personality and Social Psychology. In addition, he has been involved in integrating approximately 50 undergraduate honour students into his research program. Prof. Koestner is dedicated to undergraduate teaching as evidenced by recommendations from his students and consistent high teaching evaluations. His undergraduate mean course ratings for the different questions concerning his human motivation course are consistently high ranging from 4.16-4.73, as they are for all his other taught courses. As example: stimulated interest: 4.73; helpful: 4.25; fair evaluation: 4.16; good teacher: 4.73. Prof. Koestner has made significant contributions to teaching at the undergraduate level, in classes ranging from the small to the large as well as in individual supervision at the undergraduate level. He includes undergraduates in all aspects of his research, actively including them in his research meetings with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He is extremely generous with his time with any student who solicits his advice. One of the courses Prof. Koestner teaches on a regular basis is a 400-level course on Human Motivation that attracts some 300 students. What distinguishes this course from the usual large class experience is his generous office hours, accessibility and the fact that he gets to know his students. Prof. Koestner is also one of the department's most popular undergraduate course advisors and students readily approach him for advice and support about his course and their future careers. Prof. Koestner constantly improves the classroom experience and has made numerous important innovations to his teaching practice. He was a departmental pioneer in the use of WEB-CT. In response to student's desire to learn more about the application of psychological research to real world problems, Prof. Koestner designed a new course on Community Psychology. This course highlights psychologists' roles as consultants, program designers and public policy planners. This course includes both graduate and undergraduate students and both lecture and small-group discussion formats. Statements made by the students in their assessment of Prof. Koestner: Prof. Koestner is real, genuine, encouraging and very supportive. Excellent. It's nice to have a professor who actually cares about teaching and applying his knowledge. What a fabulous teacher. He is so genuine, dynamic, fun, interesting, and open to discussion. I was never bored even at 8:30 in the morning. One of the best courses I have taken at McGill. Prof. Koestner stimulated interest whereby you wanted to learn more about the subject. Prof. Koestner was enthusiastic, extremely approachable, and respectful to our opinions and us. Dynamic and a pleasure to listen to (very natural and at ease), has a real interest in human motivation, organized and clear. First teacher that assigned a book that we had to read that had far reaching impact even after the semester ended. Even my friends borrowed the book because of its interest. He is a sincere and true person. You can see in him more than a teacher.you can feel him as a friend. He is not afraid of accepting his errors and mistakes. He is the most amazing!!!!professor I've ever had! He makes class and learning so enjoyable. Sense of humour greatly appreciated. Through his use of personal examples and film clips, it is rare to find yourself bored in the 1 1/2 hour class. This course changed my life, made my life more enjoyable. One student had the following concern: once Prof. Koestner forgot if he was 35 or 43 years old and this student found this rather alarming. However, as those of us who are in our 40's and even older know, we like to think that we will always be 35. One day, this student will learn! In summary, the Committee noted that Prof. Koestner has made a significant contribution to the development and maintenance of excellence in teaching, on the students that he has encountered over the past 12 years at McGill. He is a most worthy nominee for the 2002-2003 Leo Yaffe Award. 702.9 Prof. Koestner said he was very honoured, and he thanked the Leo Yaffe Award Committee, and the Department of Psychology for submitting his nomination. 702.10 On behalf of the Faculty of Science, Dean Shaver congratulated Prof. Koestner. He said that Prof. Koestner was also an excellent researcher. Dean Shaver said that the list of nominees demonstrated the level of excellence to be found in the Faculty of Science. 702.11 Dean Shaver thanked Prof. Hermo and the other members of the Leo Yaffe Award Committee for the work and time they had put in. 702.12 In reply to a member, Dean Shaver said that the Faculty's nominees for the Principal's Prize for Excellence in Teaching would be announced via e-mail. c) Science Scholarship Committee S-02-42 702.13 Prof. H. Leighton, Chair of the Science Scholarship Committee, thanked Josie D'Amico and other administrative and support staff for their hard work in ensuring that the awards would appear in the Convocation booklet, despite the strike by T.A.'s. 702.14 Prof. Leighton said that two Governor-General's Silver Medals are awarded across the whole University, and that the Science nominee would be receiving one of these at Convocation. Prof. Leighton moved, seconded by Prof. GowriSankaran, that the Scholarship Report be approved. The motion carried. 702.15 On behalf of the Faculty of Science, Dean Shaver thanked Prof. Leighton and the Scholarship Committee for their hard work and diligence. (3) Candidates for Degrees a) Bachelor of Science S-02-39 Associate Dean Mendelson moved, seconded by Prof. GowriSankaran, that the above candidates be recommended to the Senate Steering Committee for the Bachelor of Science degree. The motion carried. b) Diploma in Environment S-02-40 Associate Dean Mendelson moved, seconded by Prof. GowriSankaran, that the above candidates be recommended to the Senate Steering Committee for the Diploma in Environment. The motion carried. c) Diploma in Meteorology S-02-41 Associate Dean Mendelson moved, seconded by Prof. Leighton, that the above candidates be recommended to the Senate Steering Committee for the Diploma in Meteorology. The motion carried. Prof. GowriSankaran further moved, seconded by Associate Dean Mendelson, that the Dean be given discretionary power to make such changes in the degree list as would be necessary to prevent injustice. The motion carried. 703.1 Associate Dean Mendelson thanked professors, the advisors, the Student Affairs Office, and everyone else involved in ensuring that the degree list was prepared in time. He said that the circumstances had been made very difficult by the T.A. strike, and that he appreciated very much the hard work put in by all involved. (4) MINUTES OF MARCH 4, 2002 S-02-37 Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Harpp, that the minutes be approved. The motion carried. (5) BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES There was no business arising from the minutes. (6) REPORTS OF COMMITTEES (Continued) d) Committee on Student Standing S-02-38, S-02-47 706.1 Associate Dean Mendelson pointed out the above two reports from the Committee on Student Standing. e) Academic Committee S-02-43 SECTION A: NEW PROGRAMS 1. Ad Hoc Joint Honours Program in Physics and Neuroscience AC-02-125 Associate Dean Mendelson moved, seconded by Prof. Grant, that the above ad hoc program be approved. The motion carried. 2. Ad Hoc B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Double Major in Psychology and in Environment AC-02-126 703.2 Dean Shaver said the above ad hoc program had been withdrawn. 3. Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacology - Graduate Multi- Disciplinary Program Option in Chemical Biology Proposal for an Option in Chemical Biology (Overview) AC-02-134 Prof. Silvius moved, seconded by Prof. Lennox, that the above proposal be adopted in principle. The motion carried. Proposal for New `Seminars in Chemical Biology' Courses (Overview) AC-02-135 Prof. Silvius moved, seconded by Prof. Lennox, that the above proposal be adopted in principle. The motion carried. - M.Sc. in Chemistry(Chemical Biology Option) AC-02-142 - Ph.D. in Chemistry(Chemical Biology Option) AC-02-143 Prof. Lennox moved, seconded by Prof. Silvius, that the above M.Sc. and Ph.D. program proposals be adopted. The motion carried. SECTION B: MAJOR PROGRAM CHANGES None SECTION C: NEW COURSES 1. CHEMISTRY CHEM 582 Supramolecular Chemistry AC-02-131 3 credits Prof. Harpp moved, seconded by Prof. Lennox, that the course be adopted. The motion carried. CHEM 689 Seminars in Chemical Biology 2 AC-02-138 1 credit CHEM 690 Seminars in Chemical Biology 4 AC-02-139 1 credit Prof. Lennox moved, seconded by Prof. Galley, that the above courses be adopted. The motion carried. 2. Mathematics & Statistics MATH 490 Mathematics of Finance AC-02-146 3 credits Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the course be adopted. The motion carried. 3. BIOLOGY BIOL 594 Advanced Evolutionary Ecology AC-02-157 3 credits Prof. Bell moved, seconded by Prof. Rasmussen, that the course be adopted. The motion carried. SECTION D: MAJOR COURSE CHANGES Mathematics & Statistics MATH 340 Discrete Structures 2 AC-02-147 3 credits Changes in title, prerequisite, restriction, description Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the changes be approved. The motion carried. MATH 343 Discrete Math & Appl. Algebra AC-02-148 3 credits Change in restriction Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the change be approved. The motion carried. MATH 430 Mathematical Finance AC-02-149 3 credits Change in number [from MATH 330] Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the change be approved. The motion carried. SECTION E: MINOR PROGRAM CHANGES 1. Minor in Cognitive Science (Program changes) AC-02-127 Associate Dean Mendelson moved, seconded by Prof. Bell, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. 2. CHEMISTRY - Major in Chemistry AC-02-132 - Honours in Chemistry AC-02-133 Prof. Lennox moved, seconded by Prof. Galley, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. 3. MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS - Major in Mathematics AC-02-150 - Honours in Applied Mathematics AC-02-151 - Honours in Probability and Statistics AC-02-152 Prof. GowriSankaran moved, seconded by Prof. Drury, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. - Faculty Program in Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science AC-02-153 - Faculty Program in Mathematics & Computer Science AC-02-154 - Joint Major in Mathematics & Computer Science AC-02-155 Prof. Th‚rien moved, seconded by Prof. GowriSankaran, that the program changes be approved. The motion carried. SECTION F: Minor Course Changes & Other (For Information Only) 1. Minor Course Changes AC-02-124 2. Minor Course Changes AC-02-158 3. B.A. Program Changes: - B.A. Major Concentration in Geography - B.A. Major Concentration in Geography (Urban Systems) - B.A. Minor Concentration in Geography (Urban Systems) 4. MSc Option in Chemical Biology (Departments of Biochemistry & Pharmacology) The Following New Programs Have Been Approved by the Faculty of Medicine's Curriculum Committee: - M.Sc. in Biochemistry(Chemical Biology Option) AC-02-140 - Ph.D. in Biochemistry(Chemical Biology Option) AC-02-141 - M.Sc. in Pharmacology(Chemical Biology Option) AC-02-144 - Ph.D. in Pharmacology(Chemical Biology Option) AC-02-145 The Following New Courses Have Been Approved by the Faculty of Medicine's Curriculum Committee: BIOC 610 Seminars in Chemical Biology 1 AC-02-136 1 credit BIOC 611 Seminars in Chemical Biology 3 AC-02-137 1credit f) Nominating Committee Report S-02-44 706.3 Associate Dean Mendelson introduced the above Report. He said that the process for electing representatives to the Council of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, had proven to be cumbersome, so the Nominating Committee was suggesting that representatives be recommended by the Nominating Committee and approved by Faculty. Associate Dean Mendelson moved, seconded by Prof. GowriSankaran: Be it resolved that Faculty of Science representatives to the Council of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies shall be recommended by the Nominating Committee and approved by Faculty. The motion carried. g) Other Reports or Academic Business There were no other reports or academic business. (7) MEMBERS' QUESTION PERIOD There were no questions from members. (8) REPORT ON ACTIONS OF SENATE - Prof. M. Baines - Senate Meeting of March 12, 2003 Extracted from the Minutes of a meeting of Senate held on Wednesday, March 12, 2003. 3. CHAIR'S REMARKS The Chair commented on the installation ceremony and the related events that had taken place on Monday, March 10, 2003. The Chair advised Senate of a number of recent activities related to government relations. She referred, in particular, to a recent press conference with provincial government representatives where it was announced that the Gault Estate would become a provincially recognized nature reserve. [This agreement has now been signed.] The Chair also noted that activities related to identifying University priorities were ongoing. She advised Senate that a mini-retreat of vice-principals and deans would take place shortly, and that she would report back to Senate on this process. 4. QUESTION RE: SILENT HOUR POLICY Professor Saroyan asked the following question: Would the administration agree to waive expenses related to use of University buildings for academic purposes during so-called Silent Hours, particularly if the event for which the space is used is not revenue generating? Vice-Principal Yalovsky replied indicating that the service fee charged to units for building use during the "silent hours" period had been in effect for over 25 years. He noted that the fee had been imposed during a period when the University was experiencing severe financial restraints. He noted that, regrettably, the University's financial position had still not improved sufficiently to allow for this service fee to be waived. Subsequent to Senate meeting, Prof. Saroyan discovered that small meetings could be held in the Alliance building at 688 Sherbrooke on weekends at no charge, as this building is open at those times. The largest room can hold a group with a maximum size of about 45 persons. 5. QUESTION RE: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (SPECIAL CATEGORY) Professor Robaire asked the following question: On page B7 of the CAUT Bulletin (January 2003, 50:3), an ad appeared entitled "McGill University- Assistant Professor (Special Category), Music Technology, Faculty of Music. The ad begins with the following statement: " The Department of Music Theory, Faculty of Music, McGill University is opening a 3-year position in Music Technology at the rank of Assistant Professor (Special Category), which may be extended to a tenure-track position." Hiring individuals at this rank has had the effect, in many cases, of de facto prolonging time to tenure from six to nine years. Would the Vice- Principal (Academic) indicate when it became policy at the University to recruit at the rank of Assistant Professor (Special Category)? Why has the number of Professors (Special Category) increased from 20 in 1998 to 34 in 2002? In the future, will the Vice-Principal (Academic) guarantee that this position be used exclusively for truly special circumstance and not for recruiting purposes? Vice-Principal Vinet indicated that the position of Assistant Professor (Special Category) is often used when recruiting staff that have not yet received their doctorates. In these cases, the staff member is transferred to a regular tenure-track position, as Assistant Professor, as soon as the doctoral degree is received. However, the Handbook of Regulations and Policies for Academic and Librarian Staff does not preclude using this type of appointment for limited- term positions, so long as the appointment does not exceed three years. Although this is not a practice that the Vice-Principal personally favours, he noted that he has, on occasion, acceded to a dean's request to the use of Special Category appointments for limited- term appointments. He indicated that this had been the case for the position in Music Technology, Faculty of Music, that had prompted Professor Robaire's question. Dr. Vinet noted, in concluding, that he welcomed this question as an opportunity to review again with the deans and interested colleagues the use of the Special Category designation at McGill. 6. QUESTION RE: REVIEW OF SALARY POLICY ADJUSTMENTS Professor Noumoff asked the following question: Will the Administration provide assurances that it will review the current policy of both salary and pension adjustment with a view to properly adjusting salary and offering pension compensation for colleagues who have been the victim of historic anomaly, and report the results of this review by the end of this academic year? Vice-Principal Vinet stated that the gender anomaly program was put into place two years ago on the basis of a substantial indicator that flagged a possible gender imbalance in compensation. The maximum shortfall suggested by a statistical analysis carried out at the time was in order of $1 million, that is approximately 1% of our "masse salariale". He continued by saying that the program that was put in place in light of this information involving the examination of the salary of every single female academic in the faculties where the statistical effect had been observed. Adjustments, when deemed appropriate, had been over the last two years with envelopes of $350,000 and $200,000 respectively, identified for that purpose. He noted that the University was now preparing for the third and final year of the program. This will be part of this year's salary policy and in the future we will be monitoring whether these salaries remain at equilibrium. As with any equity plan, salary reviews are carried out in a forward-looking fashion. With respect to pensions, the contributions are correlated, in accordance with the plan, to the evolution of salary. Professor Noumoff asked a supplemental question as to why the Planning Office had changed the rules in the middle of the process. Dr. Vinet replied that the Planning Office has used the program as approved by Senate and maintained that these programs are forward- looking only. 7. QUESTION RE: OMBUDSPERSON Mr. Sagel asked the following question: Does the University intend to expand the position of Ombudsperson for Students from half- to full-time? Vice-Principal Vinet noted that the term of the current Ombudsperson would come to an end this summer. Consequently, the most pressing issue would be to identify the best-qualified person for the position. Once the person has been chosen, he would work with that individual to examine how the functions of the ombudsperson can best be performed and the needs of the University addressed. He added that this process would involve issues raised by Mr. Sagel's question, as well as a clear delineation of the ombudsperson's responsibilities. Vice-Principal Vinet assured Mr. Sagel that this will be done in a consultative fashion and that conclusions will be reached by the end of the summer months and presented in the Ombudsperson's annual report. 8. QUESTION RE: PRINCIPAL'S NEW CONSULTATION PLAN WITH VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE UNIVERSITY Would the Principal kindly outline to Senate (a) what her goals are for the plan, (b) what the process will entail, (c) the nature of the timeline and (d) what steps will be taken to ensure that there is proper consultation with Senate and its constituencies prior to the initiation of any new policies. The Chair thanked Professor Noumoff for his question and noted that she had addressed some of these issues in her opening remarks. However, she would be happy to elaborate further. The goal, the Chair noted, is to build on academic planning to date and to ensure that the budget processes, physical planning processes, and capital campaign priorities serve, and are consistent with, over-arching academic priorities around which a consensus has emerged. The Chair noted that discussions with Deans related to identifying academic priorities would begin in April. Thereafter, she expected that deans would consult deeply within their faculties and departments, to engage the university community in the identification of collective priorities. She encouraged all members of the McGill community to participate actively in that process. The Chair indicated that it would be unlikely that the priorities identified through the planning process would require any changes to university policies. If it did, such changes would be brought to Senate for approval. The Chair also reiterated her commitment to keep Senate informed of the status of the planning process. The budgeting process will be multi-year and oriented towards prioritized goals. The process will be established through wide consultation and approval at all levels including Senate. A financially autonomous approach is desired that is less dependent on government priorities. Professor Noumoff reminded the Chair to look at previous policies of this nature approved by Senate, for example, cyclical reviews. 9. 349th REPORT OF THE ACADEMIC POLICY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE Vice-Principal Vinet presented the 349th Report of the Academic Policy and Planning Committee (D02-60). "Be it resolved that Senate recommend to the Board of Governors that the Policy on the Ethical Conduct of Research involving Human Subjects be approved." The policy was voted upon and carried. 11. REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE. Approved. 12. CALENDAR OF DATES 2004-2005. Approved. 13. REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF COUNTS Vice-Principal Yalovsky presented the Report of the Administrative and Support Staff Counts (D02-63). The meeting ended at 4:05 p.m. 708.1 In response to a member, Prof. Baines said that the agreement with the provincial government regarding the Gault Estate had now been signed. 708.2 Dean Shaver said that an attempt is being made to integrate academic planning with University services, and he gave some description of the state of the process. - Prof. G. Schmidt - Senate Meeting of April 2, 2003 This was a relatively short meeting. It began with resolutions on the deaths of Professors Robert Malmo, Leonhard Wolfe and Theodore Rasmussen. In response to a question from Professor Harris, Vice- Principal Yalovsky promised that the problems with the sound system in Leacock 132 would be rectified by the first Senate meeting in September. A subcommittee of the Committee on Student Affairs is to look at the format of the academic year to respond to recent difficulties with exam schedules. There was some discussion and then tabling of a motion on plagiarism under the section on PhD comprehensive examinations of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Regulations, with plagiarism to result in automatic failure with no possibility of repeat. An amendment to the University Regulations Concerning Examinations was presented, discussed, amended and approved. The main change is that in courses up to the 500 level which are evaluated by final examinations the following should apply: All term work shall be assigned early enough in the term that it is possible for students to complete the assignment(s) one week in advance of the first day of exams. Three motions to amend the Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities, essentially editorial in nature, were adopted. Dr. Martha Crago reported to Senate on the dissemination of course evaluations. This relates to web dissemination of evaluations to the McGill Community with the agreement of instructors. The system did not function as intended... dissemination of the Fall evaluations was open to all and included some instructors who had not given permission. The site was then taken off the web so that Fall evaluations are now not available on the web or Minerva. The problems will be addressed for the Winter evaluations and in the Fall there will be a report to APPC. The rest of the business was routine. - Prof. J. Rasmussen - Senate Meeting of April 16, 2003 Prof. Rasmussen gave a verbal report. - Prof. M. Mendelson - Senate Meeting of April 30, 2003 1. Principal's Remarks After preliminary formalities, the Principal informed Senate about the strike by the union representing teaching assistants and indicated that a task force, chaired by Dr. Luc Vinet, had been struck to direct the university's response to the strike. The Principal also stated that a task force was being set up to monitor the SARS situation and that a SARS page has been added to the McGill website to provide regular updates to the community. The Principal advised Senate that a number of the MNAs elected in the most recent provincial election are McGill graduates, two of whom had been named to Cabinet. Monique J‚r“me-Forget, with whom the Principal has already met, has been named President of the Treasury Board. Thomas Mulcair, also a McGill graduate, was named Minister of Environment. The new Minister of Education was Pierre Reid, former Rector of the University of Sherbrooke. She indicated that McGill has been active in its communication with the government since the election. The Principal informed Senate of the creation of the new position of Deputy Provost and Chief Information Officer, which will be filled by Dr. Anthony Masi. Dr. Masi will retain his current responsibilities while taking on new functions to enhance the effectiveness of university planning. The position of Vice-Principal (Information Systems and Technology) will be eliminated. The Deputy Provost will report to the Principal and to the Provost and will also provide support to the Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance). The Principal announced the new appointment of Professor John Hall as Dean of the Faculty of Arts. The Principal noted that the terms of the Chancellor and the Provost were coming to an end and indicated that notices will be sent to the McGill community soliciting input with regard to their possible reappointments for a second term. 2. Question re: McGill's Appointment Forms In response to a question regarding the recommendations of the Appointment Form Working Group, which was established in 1999, Vice-Principal Yalovsky said that a great deal of progress has been made and continues to be made in the area of appointment form processing. He pointed out that the input received from the Appointment Form Work Group, facilitated by McGill 2000+, had been used in the design of the most recent appointment form. The most recent initiatives include the March 2003 release of POPS 6.0 for Academic Student and Course Lecturer appointments and a web-based appointment application which will begin to be rolled- out on August 1, 2003. Dr. Yalovsky also indicated that there will be an opportunity for further input and refinement following the release of the new form. He also indicated that the new system would provide for early notification of the end of existing appointment as these come due. 3. Motion of Thanks Principal Munroe-Blum expressed her appreciation for Professor Derek Drummond's many contributions to the University over the course of his term as Vice- Principal (Development and Alumni Relations). Ms. Honora Shaugnessy and Mr. Ian McLachlin also expressed their sincere gratitude to Professor Drummond on behalf of the department and the Alumni Association. 4. Routine Reports There were routine reports of the Honorary Degrees and Convocations Committee, of APPC, and of the Nominating Committee. 5. Reports of the Committee on Student Discipline (2000-01 and 2001-02) Dean Shore presented the Annual Reports of the Committee on Student Discipline. He noted that the decrease in cases going forward to the Committee on Student Discipline was attributable in part to the changes to the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures that were approved by Senate in 2002, which provided more freedom to Disciplinary Officers to resolve matters more quickly. There was a question about the use of plagiarism- detection software. Although Dean Shore indicated reasons why the use of such software might be problematic, Senator Mendelson pointed out that a trial project had been undertaken and would continue next semester. 6. Review of Disciplinary Regulations It was resolved that the period mentioned in Article 12.11 of the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Academic Staff and in Article 12.11 of the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Librarian Staff regarding the revision of the Disciplinary regulations be extended until the spring of 2006. 708.3 Associate Dean Mendelson added that anyone interested in using the plagiarism-detection software, should contact him. 708.4 In response to a member, Associate Dean Mendelson said that the conditions of the trial of the plagiarism- detection software, were that students had to be informed of its use before the end of the Drop/Add period. - Prof. E. Meighen - Senate Meeting of May 14, 2003 (9) RESULTS OF SCIENCE ELECTION FOR SENATE S-02-45 709.1 Dean Shaver congratulated the newly elected senators, and thanked the continuing senators: Newly Elected Senators: Prof. M. Baines (Department of Microbiology & Immunology) Prof. S. Whitesides (School of Computer Science) Continuing Senators: Prof. J. Derome (Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences) Prof. N. de Takacsy (Physics) Prof. K. GowriSankaran (Mathematics & Statistics) Prof. D. Harpp (Chemistry) Prof. E. Meighen (Biochemistry) Prof. M. Mendelson (Psychology) Prof. J. Rasmussen (Biology) (10) SCHEDULE OF MEETING DATES S-02-46 710.1 Dean Shaver pointed out the schedule of meeting dates for the 2003-2004 academic year. (11) OTHER BUSINESS There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:02 p.m. Dean Shaver wished members a great summer.