Governance

Congratulations to Jessica McEwan who was elected as the librarian representative to Senate.

Update regarding academic librarian inclusion on the University of Ottawa Senate:

The January Senate meeting should be the last hurdle for the approval of an academic librarian position to the Senate. Elections for this position shall be held shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your support of this initiative!

Senate

The Senate sets the University’s educational policies and is responsible for the sound management of academic issues on campus. For instance, subject to the approval of related expenses by the Board of Governors, the Senate has the power to create and abolish faculties, departments, schools and institutes.

In addition, the Senate creates or abolishes academic regulations and programs of studies sets admission, degree and diploma requirements, confers certificates, degrees at all levels and, with the approval of the Board of Governors, honorary doctorates.

Finally, the Senate can strike committees to help it exercise its powers.

Senate By-Laws and Regulations

Policies and Procedures

Members

Members Listing (PDF)

Shortcuts

Organizational Chart

View the organizational chart of uOttawa and related Web sites.

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Library Council

As a librarian employed at the University of Ottawa, you are automatically a member of Library Council, even if you are part time or replacement. Library Council is the main venue for shared governance available to librarians at the University of Ottawa.

Shared governance is the set of practices under which faculty and librarians participate in significant decisions concerning the operation of their institutions. Universities are very special types of institutions with a unique mission—the creation and dissemination of ideas. For that reason, they have created particular arrangements to serve that mission best. For example, academic tenure protects the status, academic freedom and independent voice of scholars and teachers. Shared governance, in turn, arose out of a recognition that:

■ academic decision-making should be largely independent of short-term managerial and political considerations;

■ faculty and professional staff are in the best position to shape and implement curriculum and research policy, to select academic colleagues and judge their work; and

■ the perspective of all front-line personnel is invaluable in making sound decisions about allocating resources, setting goals, choosing top officers and guiding student life. (1)

Our collective agreement has the following article regarding Library Council:

*31.1.3.1 Library Council Library Council shall be the official means of consultation between the University Librarian and the librarians. The Council is chaired by theUniversity Librarian. All librarian members shall be full members, as well as the two associate librarians, the director of Morisset, and the chief administrative officer.

The role of the Library Council is to discuss issues in a collegial setting and make recommendations to the University Librarian concerning the policies, operations, and development of the Library Network.

It is understood that:

(a) quorum shall consist of no fewer than half of the regular librarian members holding a major administrative position;

(b) all services are to be maintained during meetings of Library Council;

(c) librarians holding a major administrative position shall attend meetings of Library Council unless there are valid reasons for being absent.

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(1). AFT Higher Education. “Shared Governance in Colleges and Universities.”

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