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Terms of Reference
(At its meeting in February of 2016 Senate approved that the Agenda and Summer Advisory Committee be retitled the Agenda and Summer Action Committee)
Revised, March 2022
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To approve the agenda for each meeting of the Senate
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To determine the items for the Open and Closed Agendas of Senate.
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To consider and take action on behalf of the Senate by referring to the appropriate Senate Committee or Senate all matters that may be directed to Senate.
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To provide advice on matters of an academic character to the Chair of Senate during the Summer term when Senate is not in session.
Agenda Consideration Guidelines
The objective of the Agenda and Summer Action Committee is to ensure that items falling under the business of Senate, as determined by the Rules of Procedure of Senate, reach the agenda in a timely and appropriate manner. The following guidelines will be followed in its consideration of potential agenda items.
1. The Agenda Committee shall draw up the Agenda for the Senate meetings from items submitted to the Secretary and shall arrange that all business that goes forward to the Senate is in properly prepared form.
If it is the decision of the Agenda and Summer Action Committee that an item falls under the jurisdiction of Senate and the item is in the proper form for transmission to Senate, the Committee may require that additional documentation be provided as a condition of the item going forward on a Senate agenda.
Items addressed to Senate and received by the Secretariat that are clearly not appropriate for the Senate agenda should be redirected in the first instance by the Secretariat. Items that require further consideration should be provided to SASAC, which should make a final decision regarding their inclusion on the Senate agenda by considering the following:
a. The item’s relevance to Senate and relationship to matters under Senate’s jurisdiction, with consideration given to Senate’s purpose and functions;
b. Whether the sender has the expectation and understanding that their item will be placed on the Senate agenda, which is public; and
c. Whether the inclusion of the item may cause undue harm to any members of the Queen’s community.
Summer Action Guidelines
To act on behalf of, and with the full authority of, the Senate in dealing with time-sensitive Senate agenda items between the last Senate meeting of one academic year and the first Senate meeting of the subsequent academic year. All actions taken, items agreed upon, or advice given during these periods will be reported to Senate at its next meeting in Senate’s regular agenda and with explanation of the rationale used to determine the need for each item to have been dealt with in the summer term.
When considering whether an item will be dealt with by the Committee in the summer term, or held for Senate until its first meeting of the following academic year, Committee members shall consider whether action is necessary to address a time sensitive matter. Such matters may include, but are not limited to, achieving a targeted intake for an academic program, advertising to facilitate a hire on a timeline that supports the development of a program, department, faculty or school or similar time-sensitive initiatives. Where an approval may wait until the next regular meeting of the Senate without impact to the academic development of the university or the welfare of its staff, faculty or students, the matter should be held until that next meeting. In cases where a matter is determined to be sufficiently urgent that it requires action, where the matter transcends an individual program, department, faculty or school or impacts the welfare of staff, faculty or students broadly, the Committee will consider the feasibility of calling for a special meeting of the Senate to consider the matter before acting on behalf of the Senate.
Actions taken may include items such as academic program approvals/modifications for programs with upcoming September intakes, the appointment of individuals to Senate standing committees with existing vacancies, or a change to the dates of upcoming Senate meetings. In extraordinary circumstances, the Committee may approve the conferring of a degree, including an honorary degree.
Actions taken will not include items such as grading system modifications; amendments to university-wide policies such as those related to academic and/or research integrity, educational equity, strategic enrolment planning except as affected by a program approval or modification, admission policies, or the closure of academic programs; amendments to any Senate Statement; or the naming of a department, faculty or school.
While it is acknowledged that the Committee requires a degree of discretion to operate effectively and avoid a gap in the academic governance and operations of the institution, members must be mindful of the principles of good governance and the importance of collective decision making when reviewing items requiring approval.