The most recent U of G Senate meeting was held Nov. 25. Below are key highlights from the meeting. A full synopsis of the meeting is available on the University Secretariat’s website.
Teaching and Learning Plan Approved
Senate approved the University’s new teaching and learning plan, entitled, “Improve Life through Teaching and Learning: University of Guelph’s 5-year strategic plan.” The Office of the Associate Vice-President (Academic) led the development of the plan in cooperation with the Teaching Fellows Council. Six goals are outlined in the plan:
- Promote Access and Inclusion in our Teaching and Learning Practices
- Advance our Leadership in Teaching and Learning
- Prepare Students for Life beyond Graduation
- Use Spaces and Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Learning
- Foster Research and Scholarship on Teaching and Learning
- Foster Lifelong Learning – bridging the gap beyond graduation
The goals are designed to guide U of G’s response to key challenges in teaching and learning over the next five years, and reflect input received from the University community.
New Collaborative Specialization in One Health
The University will soon offer a new graduate collaborative specialization in One Health. The new specialization, led by the Department of Population Medicine in the Ontario Veterinary College, will help U of G harness its unique capacity to train the next generation of One Health leaders for work in government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia and health institutions and industries. As an approach, One Health involves working together across disciplines to combat complex challenges that arise at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health.
Schedule of Dates Policy
The new Policy on the Establishment of the Schedule of Dates, which comes into effect May 1, 2020, outlines principles for scheduling major milestones in each semester, including the start date, exam period and convocation date. At present, the Schedule of Dates is developed in keeping with principles approved by Senate at various points between 2001 and 2014. The new policy consolidates these principles and also provides that each semester will be 60 teaching days in length. Currently, the winter semester is either 59 or 60 teaching days in length depending on the year.
The next meeting of Senate will take place on Feb. 10, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. in OVC Lifetime Learning Centre Room 1714.