The Emeritus College and the UBC Senate
Five members of the Emeritus College now serve on the Vancouver Senate as "Representatives of the Convocation". Convocation includes, among others, all alumni and emeriti. Senators serve for three years whereupon elections occur; current senators may seek re-election. The academic year 2025-2026 will be the last of the current triennium. A call for nominations will be distributed sometime late in 2025 or early in 2026.
The Senate is the academic governance body of UBC. It operates in parallel with the Board of Governors which makes decisions on management, administration and control of the property, revenue, business and affairs of the University. The Senate deals with academic matters such as student admission and degree policies, curriculum, efforts to improve learning and teaching effectiveness, and student appeals of the President’s decisions on discipline. It also has an advisory role for the Librarian, on matters affecting research and scholarly pursuits, and on the university budget as well as academic building needs. Finally, Senate approves the lists of faculty who are put forth for emeritus status upon retirement and oversees the process of identifying candidates for honorary degrees.
Senate relies on the time and thought that is given by the volunteers who offer to serve as senators. There is a small secretariat that supports the work of Senate.
Much of the work of Senate takes place in the 13 standing committees which are populated taking into account as much as possible senators’ experiences and preferences. Given the limited number of positions for senators on some committees and a desire both to include senators with a range of backgrounds and also to mix returning and new senators, not all preferences can be accommodated. Senators usually serve on one or two committees. In the current triennium, emeriti who are senators have now taken up their assigned responsibilities 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 |
Many senators who chair a standing committee also serve on the Agenda Committee.
If you have questions about the work of Senate, please contact one of the current senators.
In recognition of the two-campus structure of UBC and the fact that each campus has its own Senate, a body called the Council of Senates exists with limited functions. The Council does administer the policy for elections of senators and any appeals. It does have a Budget Committee but it works through separate subcommittees on each campus. And it does have final approval of any affiliation agreements with other educational institutions that are proposed by either campus’ Senate.
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. |