FACULTY COUNCIL

The Faculty Council is the decision-making body that oversees governance activities of the Faculty. Faculty Council exercises its powers and duties under the provisions of the University of Toronto Act, 1971, as amended. Under its Constitution, Faculty Council is a fully representative body. Faculty Council and its Standing Committees make decisions about academic policies that can have a major impact on student, faculty and staff working and learning experiences. Academic policy sets out the principles for, general directions of, and/or priorities for the teaching and research activities of the Faculty. The Council also acts in an advisory capacity, tendering advice to the divisional administration.

Council's specific responsibilities include approving new courses, new degree programs, and new program requirements (the latter two subject to approval by the Governing Council). Council does not have authority over administrative or financial matters, which are in the jurisdiction of the Dean, who is the chief executive officer of the Faculty. The Dean reports directly to the Vice-President and Provost, and exercises decanal responsibilities under the authority of the University's Policy on the Appointment of Academic Administrators.

Membership

Council is composed of 60 elected voting members (30 faculty/librarians, 5 instructors, 5 initial teacher education students, 10 graduate students and 10 staff), who are elected by their constituencies. There are 19 ex-officio voting members and 9 ex-officio non-voting members.

2012-13 Faculty Council membership list

Organization

The Faculty Council Organization Chart shows the full membership and the reporting and communications relationships of the Faculty Council with its Standing Committees.

Elections

The Faculty Council runs elections and by-elections for vacant elected positions on the Faculty Council and Standing Committees alternately, each year in the early fall. The elections process is mostly electronic.

Terms

Faculty/librarian, graduate student and staff members of Council may choose to serve one- or two-year terms. Standing Committees members serve two-year terms.

Meetings

There are a minimum of four governance cycles each academic year (July 1 - June 30), and a schedule of meetings of the Faculty Council and its Standing Committees is circulated among the OISE community and posted on the governance website. View the Faculty Council & Standing Committees Schedule of Meetings for 2012-2013.

Operating Procedures

The Bylaws, which were last updated by Faculty Council on April 21, 2010, govern the operating procedures for the Faculty Council and Standing Committees. The Bylaws include rules for electing/appointing members, terms of office, mandate and membership of Standing Committees, and general operating procedures for the conduct of meetings.