Vancouver Senators met for the final time of the 2024/25 Academic Year to confer degrees, approve a variety of motions and continue debate on a proposed academic freedom policy.
Opening minutes
Senate greeted new student senators following last week's re-election, with Drédyn Fontana joining the spring election winners. The recount was prompted by the inclusion of “Removed from Office” next to Fontana's name on the original ballot.
Following this, Senator Paul Harrison was elected as Vice-Chair of Senate.
President Benoit-Antoine Bacon then gave thankful remarks to a year in a review, saying that he believes the school “is doing better than most financially” during a time of “broader uncertainty domestically and geopolitically.”
“Across the country — that includes UBC … there's financial pressures [and] there's shifting policies, especially around international students,” said Bacon, making note of reduced student visas decreasing international enrolment and how it influenced the 2025/26 budget.
Bacon then called for a vote to confer degrees ahead of spring convocation.
“We've just granted 10,628 degrees to our great students and I think that deserves a hand,” said Bacon.
Motions carried
Many motions were passed by senate, with a broad array of proposals from various committees reflecting the culmination of the term.
Among these were approved various changes to degree regulations and curriculum proposals, including a new honours designation for the Bachelor of Business in Real Estate and new courses in the faculties of Applied Science, Land and Food Systems, Medicine and Science.
“The volume of work that is done behind the scenes for this committee is mind blowing,” said Catherine D. Rawn, using her remarks to “underscore a plea” for increased senate staff support for the "curriculum matters."
"These 1354 proposals approved under delegated authority are in addition to the 150 or so proposals that you have seen from our committee this year," said Rawn.
Senate also voted to recommend the Board of Governors approve a new certificate in Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the undergraduate level and to establish a new Category 1 Research Centre at UBC.
“The [Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health] leadership team … reviewed the proposal and added commitments to indigenous cultural safety, the UBC indigenous strategic plan, and truth and reconciliation
In its last tabled motion, senate endorsed “in principle” the refresh of UBC’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 proposal before a final version is presented for approval.
“I do hope that any consultation that continues this summer will result in very, very few changes. We believe this is pretty close to wrapped up,” said Provost Gage Averill.
Academic freedom debate continues
Debate continued around the proposed Joint policy J-500 concerning the universities stance on academic freedom.
After announcing that consultation of the draft would be open until June 13, Senator Kin Lo responded to questions.
“I don't think that we actually should have a procedure for implementing and adjudicating the speech regarding academic freedom at all,” said Senator Kevin Doering, citing aWalrus article where a senator Brenna Bhandar suggested that comments made by Allard Law's dean violated her academic freedom.
“A policy without a sort of enforcement mechanism is appears to be a toothless policy,” replied Lo, arguing that the policy must delimit adjudication power for success.
The proposal has faced public criticism, with an open letter in opposition to the policy signed by over 200 professors within and out side of Canada received by senate last month.
Senator Ben Britton also voiced concerns that a lack of joint Board and Senate policy might “potentially erode our rights” as the present framework may be difficult interpret outside an "academic view."
Lo said that “it was never in scope to consider” a joint board- and that it is unnecessary along side the other consultation.
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