Faculty of Arts Council
The Faculty of Arts Council generally meets once per month during the Academic Year. Council provides a collegial setting for discussion of the governance, strategic direction and general management of the Faculty, and it exercises general oversight of the Academic work of the Faculty. All professors, associate professors, assistant professors and faculty lecturers appointed to the constituent departments, schools and institutes of the Faculty of Arts are encouraged to participate.
Terms of Reference
1. Enacting Provisions
1.1 As anticipated by the Statutes of McGill University (henceforth the Statutes), the Faculty of Arts shall have a Faculty Council.
1.2 A meeting of the Faculty Council shall be a meeting of the Faculty of Arts for purposes of section 7.6 of the Statutes.
2. Purpose
2.1 The Faculty Council provides a collegial setting for discussion of the governance, strategic direction and general management of the Faculty, pursuant to the Authorities and Powers laid out in Article 5 below.
2.2. The Faculty Council advises and makes recommendations to the Dean, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), Principal, and Senate, on matters within its mandate.
2.3 The Faculty Council facilitates communication and consultation within the Faculty of Arts, with its affiliated institutes and centres, and with the broader University community.
3. Composition
3.1 For the purposes of its meetings, the membership of the Faculty Council shall consist of:
a) Academic staff per Article 7.2 of the Statutes, comprising all professors, associate professors, assistant professors and faculty lecturers appointed to the constituent departments, schools and institutes of the Faculty of Arts;
b) Student eligibility for membership shall be the same as in Senate, as defined by Articles 6.1.1.1, 6.1.1.5 and 6.1.2.1 of the Statutes. Student representatives shall serve one full academic year, and shall be chosen as follows:
i. The Undergraduate Students registered in the Faculty of Arts will have a representation of 12 members on the Faculty Council, who must be registered for the degree of the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Arts and Science according. These Students will be chosen by a process determined by the Arts Undergraduate Society.
ii. The Graduate Students in the Faculty of Arts will have a representation of 6 members on the Faculty Council, who must all be registered in a graduate degree program in the Faculty of Arts. These Students will be appointed through the practices provided for in the Post-Graduate Students’ Society's Society Activities Manual, including ratification of the appointments by PGSS Council.Â
c) Ex officio members (per Articles 3.8, 4.1, 7.4 of the Statutes):
i. Principal;
ii. Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), Deputy Provost and Vice-Principals;
iii. Director or Dean of University Libraries.
d) Per Article 7.3 of the Statutes, the Faculty may extend participation and voting privileges to additional members. Membership is extended to all professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and faculty lecturers in academic units of other Faculties that offer degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Work or Bachelor of Theology who have elected to be members of the Faculty of Arts.
3.2 All members of Council are voting members with full rights of participation.
3.3 Members are not allowed to participate or vote by proxy. 4. Procedures
4. Procedures
4.1 The Dean or a Dean’s delegate shall serve as Chair and preside at all Faculty meetings. The Chair is counted as a voting member for the purposes of quorum.
4.2 As stipulated in the Statutes (7.6), the Faculty Council shall meet a minimum of four times per year. In practice, it normally meets once per month during the Fall and Winter Terms. Additional meetings may be scheduled at the Dean’s discretion. Meetings of Council may be held in-person or remotely at the Chair’s discretion. Circumstances permitting, at least two of these meetings are held in-person during the academic year.
4.3 There shall be quorum for a meeting of the Faculty Council if at least 50 voting members of the Faculty Council are present. If quorum is not achieved, the Council may continue for information purposes only; however, no substantive motion may be voted on.
4.4 Voting will be required for substantive decisions or for decisions that do not reach consensus. The Chair will not vote except to break a tie. Decisions will require simple majority of voting members present, except in the case of motions where Robert’s Rules of Order requires two-thirds majority.
4.5 An electronic vote outside of a meeting may be conducted occasionally to guarantee a quorum of voting members on a time-sensitive motion. Members will vote by submitting an electronic ballot made available by the Secretary for this purpose. Such ballot shall be distributed to all members and shall have a voting deadline no sooner than 24 hours after distribution. The decision will be taken by a simple majority of all members who have voted by the established deadline. Quorum is assumed for all such electronic votes.
4.6 Meetings of the Faculty will be open to observers. Non-voting individuals in attendance, however, may not participate unless granted speaking rights. Only voting members are allowed to attend and participate in closed (confidential) portions of meetings, as required and established in the meeting agenda or following a motion that is seconded and carried to move to a closed session. Visitors may be invited to closed portions of the meetings if such attendance is required for the transaction of Faculty business.
4.7 Meetings will be conducted according to the most recent version of Robert’s Rules of Order. For meetings held remotely, additional rules of conduct may be established by the Chair. To the degree that it is possible, in-person and remote meetings should be conducted in a similar manner.
4.8 A notice of meeting and call for agenda items normally will be circulated to the Faculty at least ten working days in advance of the meeting. An agenda outlining the order of business and any supporting documents normally will be circulated to the Faculty at least five working days in advance of the meeting. Shorter notice may be given where the Dean feels that exceptional circumstances require an urgent special meeting of the Faculty. A revised agenda may be circulated less than five days in advance of the meeting, at the Dean’s discretion, if urgent business arises.
4.9 Members may submit motions in writing to the Dean and the Secretary. Notice of motion must be given in writing at least ten working days in advance of the meeting at which it is to be considered. If adequate notice of motion has been given, the motion is to be on the agenda of the meeting. Notice of motion is not required for:
a) non-substantive or procedural motions with unanimous consent of the assembly. In practice, unanimous consent may be presumed if no objection is raised to a motion.
b) motions arising directly from official reports presented to the Faculty Council.
4.10 Meetings will include time for members to ask questions. Members must submit questions in writing to the Dean and the Secretary at least five working days prior to the meeting, except
a) when such questions arise directly from the reports or other business conducted at the meeting.
b) when the Chair solicits questions from members.
c) when a member who gives a report solicits questions from members pertaining to the report. Questions are normally to be solicited after a report is presented.
4.11 The order of business will typically include: 1) adoption of the agenda; 2) approval of the minutes; 3) business arising from the minutes; 4) questions submitted in advance; 5) reports from the Dean and Associate Deans; 6) reports of Committees; 7) reports from the student societies; 8) motions or notices of motions by members; and 9) other business. The typical order of business may be modified as circumstances warrant. 4
4.12 The Dean shall name a Secretary for the Faculty. The Secretary shall have fluency in Robert’s Rules of Order and will advise the Chair as needed on the Rules to help maintain an orderly and collegial meeting. The Secretary will ensure that the minutes are taken, and that a draft of the minutes will be circulated at least five working days in advance of the next meeting. Approved minutes will be made publicly available on the Faculty of Arts website or other suitable locations within two weeks of approval. 5. Authority and Powers
5. Authority and Powers
5.1 The Faculty Council shall be advisory to the Dean, and, subject to the established governance structure, authority and policy of McGill University, shall:
a) Consider all matters which, under the University Statutes, may be properly dealt with by the Faculty of Arts;
b) Establish, and from to time to time amend, the rules and regulations governing its own meetings and procedures for the transaction of business properly coming before it, including, but not limited to, the determination of quorum;
c) Deliberate, and where appropriate vote, on such matters related to the governance, strategic direction and management of the Faculty of Arts as may be referred to it by the Dean, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) or Principal, or be identified by the Faculty Council. These shall include, but not be limited to: strategic plans and priorities; goals and objectives; policies and procedures; and the establishment and discontinuance of departments, schools, centres and institutes;
d) Exercise appropriate oversight of the academic work of the Faculty in accordance with Senate and Academic Policy Committee (APC) authority and expectations, which may include:
i. Development and implementation of academic programs;
ii. Degree requirements;
iii. Curricula, courses and admission standards for recommendation to Senate and APC;
iv. Methods of instruction and assessment of students;
v. Academic standing and graduation of students in undergraduate programs of the Faculty of Arts;
vi. Accreditation of professional programs; and
vii. Consideration of other matters affecting the Faculty.
e) Establish standing and ad hoc committees as it deems necessary to act on any matter within the mandate of the Faculty Council, with membership and terms of reference as the Faculty Council shall determine and confirm membership on committees that derive from University Regulations and Statutes.
i. Standing committees shall report, in writing and verbally, to Faculty Council at least once each year. Amendments to the terms of reference of a standing committee must be approved by two-thirds vote of Faculty Council. A standing committee may be abolished by two-thirds vote of Faculty Council.
ii. The standing committees in the Faculty of Arts are:
1) Curriculum Committee
2) Committee on Student Affairs
3) Nominating Committee
4) Faculty of Arts Review Committee (formerly, Faculty of Arts Review Board).
iii. Ad hoc committees will report as defined by their terms of reference. Amendments to the terms of reference of an ad hoc committee must be approved by majority vote of Faculty Council. An ad hoc committee may be abolished by majority vote of Faculty Council.
iv. Program advisory committees constituted by the Nominating Committee shall be considered ad hoc committees.
v. Council shall receive and vote to approve (or not) reports of standing and ad hoc committees.
vi. The terms of reference of all standing and ad hoc committees shall be published on the Faculty of Arts website or other suitable locations.
vii. The Secretary shall ensure that a list of all committees of the Faculty Council is maintained, including standing and ad hoc committees and committees that derive from University Regulations and Statutes, with up-to-date memberships. The list shall be published on the Faculty of Arts website or other suitable locations.
5.2 The Dean shall normally accept any decision or recommendation of the Faculty Council on academic matters pertinent to the Faculty. In exceptional circumstances in which the Dean refuses the Council’s decision or recommendation, the Dean must justify such in a statement to Council. A motion to accept or reject the Dean’s justification shall be ruled in order but is not binding on the Dean.
5.3 Any decision or recommendation of the Faculty Council shall have force only upon approval in accordance with the established governance structure, authority and policy of McGill University, with the understanding that for academic matters, this usually will mean approval by the Academic Policy Committee and Senate.Â
6. Meetings of Chairs and Directors
6.1 As stipulated in the Statutes (8.1.7), the Dean shall consult with the Chairs and Directors of academic units in the Faculty of Arts in preparing the Faculty’s budget. Additionally, the Dean, Associate Deans, and Chairs and Directors of academic units will typically meet monthly to discuss various items of Faculty business, though the Dean may call more frequent meetings if there is urgent business. Such a meeting of Chairs and Directors shall not be considered a meeting of Faculty Council, nor of a standing or ad hoc committee of the Faculty Council.Â
7. Governance Review and Amendment Process
7.1 From time to time it may be appropriate to revise one or more articles of these Terms of Reference, or to review Faculty of Arts governance more generally. In such circumstances a formal motion to strike an ad hoc Governance Review Committee may be brought to and approved by majority vote of the Faculty Council.
7.2 The Governance Review Committee will consist of at least five academic members of the Faculty Council, named by the Nominating Committee and confirmed by the Faculty Council. The members of the committee must be chosen from different departments. The Dean and Associate Deans may not serve on the committee. If specific articles affecting students’ rights of representation are under deliberation, two student members must be invited to join the committee: one undergraduate student selected by the AUS, and one graduate Student selected by the PGSS.
7.3 The Governance Review Committee is advisory to Faculty Council. Its decision regarding any deliberation shall be reported to Faculty Council as a recommendation, and must be approved by majority vote of the Council. A recommendation to revise these Terms of Reference requires approval by two-thirds majority vote of the members of Faculty Council in attendance at a duly constituted meeting, following notice of such motion in advance of the meeting, and is subject to final approval by the Senate.
Meetings 2024 - 2025Â
| Time | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 3 - 5 PM | September 17, 2024 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | October 22, 2024 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | November 19, 2024 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | January 21, 2025 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | February 18, 2025 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | March 18, 2025 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | April 15, 2025 | Leacock 232 (Robert Vogel Council Room) |
| 3 - 5 PM | May 20, 2025 | via Zoom |