Five members of the Emeritus College were elected to the Vancouver Senate as "Representatives of the Convocation".
Much of the work of Senate takes place in the 13 standing committees which have now been populated taking into account as much as possible senators’ preferences for assignments. Given the limited number of positions for emeriti on some committees and a desire to include senators with a range of backgrounds and also mix returning and new senators, not all preferences can be accommodated. Senators serve on from one to three committees. Convocation senators have now taken up their assigned responsibilities on eight of the committee as follows:
| Name | Committee Assignments |
| Francis R. Andrew | Library , Tributes and Library |
| Lawrence Burr | Awards (Chair) |
| John H. V. Gilbert | Nominating, Tributes (Chair) |
| Paul G. Harrison | Nominating, Student Appeals of Discipline |
| Richard Spencer | Academic Policy, Teaching and Learning |
N.B. Some committees have yet to elect their chairs and vice-chairs.
With nearly 90 members of Senate serving on one, two, or three of the 13 committees each with at least 10 and sometimes up to 30 members (including appropriate non-senators), you can imagine the challenge that the staff in the Senate Office has in trying to find suitable times for all members of any given committee to meet, given that they are all busy with their other duties (even the emeriti!).
Once the committee chairs are all elected, then membership in the Council of Senates will be determined. A future report will explore the role of the Council.
Members of the College may be interested in the academic issues that come before the various committees. See a full list of committees with their official Terms of Reference. Below is summary information for the committees on which emeriti serve this triennium.
| Committee | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Academic Policy | Advises Senate on policy matters that might be referred to another standing committee or, by default, studied by Academic Policy; e.g., policies focussed on student rights and responsibilities, academic program regulations, the academic year structure, academic freedom, proposals for new or reorganized academic units |
| Agenda | Maintains and revises the rules of Senate, advises on the orientation program for new and continuing senators, considers and takes action on matters referred by the Board of Governors, makes an annual call to the academy for suggestions of topics of broad academic interest that could develop into presentations to Senate, develops the agenda for Senate meetings |
| Awards | Advises Senate on regulations and policy for student awards, reviews and recommends to Senate new and modified awards |
| Library | Advises and assists the Librarian in developing a program of library services, including responding to changes in user needs, in institutional, technological, and commercial environments; in space, facilities, and personnel resources. Reports to Senate on matters of policy and practice |
| Nominating | Presents to Senate nominations for the members of all other Senate committees, of senate members of other bodies where Senate is represented, and the Vice-Chair of Senate. Manages the review of the terms of reference of Senate standing committees near the end of each triennium and manages wider reviews, including external reviews of Senate when appropriate. |
| Students Appeals on Academic Discipline | Hears and determines final appeals by students of discipline imposed by the President. |
| Teaching & Learning | Provides a forum for discussion of the teaching and learning environment including pedagogical practices, the wellbeing of all involved, and the assessment of teaching and learning. |
| Tributes | Recommends to Senate the candidates for honorary degrees and emeritus status, prepares memorial statements for deceased members who served on Senate, recommends on matters of regalia and academic dress and on rules for the conduct of convocation and congregation ceremonies. |
Once the Convocation senators get familiar with their committee work, there may be an opportunity for them to share their experiences and seek your opinions