A set of "essential and generic goals of a university education" were the main topic of debate at the University of Victoria's Oct. 7 senate meeting.
The goals were developed, after public feedback, by the university planning and priorities committee as directed by the UVic strategic plan.
The strategic plan recommended that the university develop a statement of the goals of an undergraduate education and regularly review academic programs in light of these goals. Although some senators expressed reservations about the possibly proscriptive nature of such a set of specific goals and about how they would be applied, there was general agreement on the five goals articulated in the document: to learn, to think, to communicate, to discover, to continue learning.
However, there was much criticism of the one-sentence descriptions enlarging
upon each of the goals. Criticism centred on problems of ambiguity and grammar.
Senate passed a motion to accept the goals in principle but to return the
document to the committee for revision in light of the discussion.
In other business, senate approved revised terms of reference for the senate
committee on honorary degrees and other forms of recognition. Among the
changes were provisions specifying that people holding political office
or current appointments at UVic are not normally eligible for honorary degrees,
that normally only one honorary degree be awarded per ceremony, and that
the committee consult with the appropriate chair, director or dean in cases
in which a candidate is recommended on the basis of distinction in an academic
area represented at UVic.
Senate also approved a partnership degree program with Malaspina University-College for a BSc in computer science and approved, subject to funding, renewed centre status for the Centre for Forest Biology through June 30, 2003. It also approved revisions to the certificate program in computer-based information systems and the phase-out plan for the certificate program in technology and management, both offered by continuing studies.
Elected as new student senators were Christena Sabourin (education), John Trueman (fine arts) and Dale Flood (business). In the wake of the resignations of other student senators, three student senators were elected from the alternates list as their replacements: Melissa Svendsen (graduate studies), Jennifer Schlotter (humanities), and Baljinder Bains (social sciences).
Law dean David Cohen was elected vice-chair of senate.