Editor’s note: Due to Board of Governors protocols which forbid all participants from recording any portion of the public meetings, direct quotes from meeting participants could not be verified in line with the Charlatan’s accuracy standards to be included in the article.
Carleton University’s Senate reviewed COVID-19 health guidelines, approved a list of graduates and modified programs for the upcoming academic year at a virtual meeting on Feb. 25.
President and vice-chancellor Benoit-Antoine Bacon said there would be no change to the delivery of in-person summer classes, as long as there were no dramatic changes to the trajectory of the pandemic. Carleton University’s health measures will remain in place indefinitely, Bacon added.
University COVID-19 lead and vice president (students and enrolment) Suzanne Blanchard emailed students about the health measures during the meeting.
“Carleton is not planning significant changes to the measures we currently have in place,” Blanchard wrote. “We strongly recommend that all members of the Carleton community get their third dose booster of the COVID-19 vaccine when eligible.”
Vaccination and mask requirements, restricted access to the tunnels and CUScreen procedures will remain in place at least until the end of the winter term. However, capacity limits in research labs will increase to 50 per cent and international travel for university-related work may be permitted. Previously, labs were only allowed a capacity of one person per room where two metres of social distancing was not possible.
Blanchard stated the university will follow Ontario’s guidelines and “will be gradually increasing the capacity limits for activities and events on campus.”
Carleton University students and faculty members reported 24 cases of COVID-19 on campus so far this month, according to the university’s case tracker.
In a closed portion of the meeting, the Senate approved this term’s list of graduating students and six candidates were granted honorary degrees. The identities of degree recipients are still confidential.
Admissions requirements for the bachelor of economics program were changed. If applicants have not completed a high-school course in advanced functions or obtained an equivalent certification, they will still be eligible for admission if they complete MATH 0005 in their first term in the economics program.
The Senate also approved several new streams and concentrations to programs in the Sprott School of Business, which will come into effect this fall.
The university will introduce a new stream and concentration in business analytics. Sprott will also offer a new stream and minor in business sustainability and a stream in entrepreneurship.
The Senate also made changes to its internal committees.
Associate Dean (student affairs) and professor of psychology Anne Bowker was appointed to the Senate Academic Governance Committee.
The Senate voted to rename the Senate Committee on Student Awards to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Student Awards. Professor of political science Elinor Sloan said the name change was because the committee only actually reviewed undergraduate awards. Awards for graduate students are reviewed by the Graduate Student Caucus, partnerships between the Graduate Students’ Alliance (GSA) and university departments.
The Senate will be putting out calls to fill its committees in early March, according to Sloan.
The Senate is scheduled to meet again on March 25.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
