Senate Governance and Nominating Committee

Approving Authority:  Senate
Original Approval Date:  April 2, 2024
Effective Date:  September 1, 2024

1. Mandate

The Governance and Nominating Committee has the responsibility to:

1.1.  Maintain and improve Senate’s governance policies, practices and performance.

1.2.  Formulate regulations to govern elections and the conditions of membership of Senate and of Senate committees.

1.3.  Strike committees and boards and present nominations for appointment and election of Senate representatives to other bodies.

1.4.  Support the priorities of Senate.

2. Responsibilities 

2.1.  Governance Oversight & Policies 

The Governance and Nominating Committee will:

2.1.1.  Ensure Senate’s bylaws and other governing documents, including:

• Committee terms of reference
• Senate Electoral Procedures

are reviewed at least every five years. Assess the need for revisions and provide recommendations to Senate for approval. Ensure a comprehensive Senate governance review, including a review of Senate’s committee structure, is undertaken approximately every ten years. 

2.1.2.  Review the Senate evaluation process prior to its issuance each year. Provide feedback to the University Secretariat to ensure that the evaluation appropriately captures feedback related to Senate governance. Review results of the Senate evaluation, provide the results to Senate for information, and make recommendations to Senate as appropriate. 

2.1.3.  Advise on the structure and effectiveness of Senate meetings. Ensure that Senate processes are aligned with best practices in higher education governance and enable the University to make the best use of Senators’ time.

2.2.  Senate and Senate Standing Committee Membership

The Governance and Nominating Committee will, in keeping with Senate-approved policy, consider and make recommendations to Senate concerning:

2.2.1.  Composition of Senate within the framework of the University of Guelph Act

2.2.2.  Membership of Senate standing committees for each session of Senate, following the issuance and review of a preference survey to all elected Senators

2.3.  Standing Committee Vacancies 

The Governance and Nominating Committee will approve, on behalf of Senate, appointments to Senate standing committees arising from vacancies which remained following the approval of the Senate standing committee membership for a session of Senate or which arise during a session of Senate. 

2.4.  Elections & Membership

The Governance and Nominating Committee will:

2.4.1.  Provide Senate with updates on elections and by-elections including nomination and election period dates, and vacancies.

2.4.2.  Advise and render decisions on matters relating to elections and the membership of Senate as provided in Senate-approved policy or in response to a referral of a matter by Senate. 

2.5.  Selection and Review Committees

The Governance and Nominating Committee will:

2.5.1.  In accordance with the Senate-approved policy, review and consider nominations received for faculty, staff and students to participate on the Chancellor, President, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), or Vice-President (Research) search and review committees.

2.5.1.1.    Prepare search committee slates, in accordance with Board of Governors and Senate-approved policies for consideration and approval by Senate.

2.6.  Senate Meeting Dates

The Governance and Nominating Committee will annually propose and present to Senate for consideration and approval, meeting dates three (3) years in advance. The proposed meetings dates will be developed with reference to multi-faith calendars the academic schedule of dates, and other relevant Senate policies.

2.7.  Appointment of the Academic Colleague to the Council of Ontario Universities

In accordance with the Senate-approved policy, the Governance and Nominating Committee will make recommendations to Senate regarding the appointment of faculty to the roles of Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Academic Colleague and COU Academic Colleague Alternate. 

3. Membership

3.1.  The Governance and Nominating Committee shall consist of the following voting members:

• One (1) Dean, appointed by the Provost & Vice-President (Academic)
• Seven (7) faculty Senators
• Two (2) students, with preference for one (1) of the two (2) seats to be given to a Student Senate Caucus co-chair

3.2.  Normally, there shall be faculty representation from every College.

3.3.  Normally, there shall be undergraduate and graduate student representation. 

4. Other Regulations

4.1.  Authority to Establish Sub-committees & Working Groups

The Governance and Nominating Committee has the authority to establish sub-committees and working groups with such duties and delegated authority as deemed appropriate. Any such sub-committees and working groups will be established in accordance with any relevant Senate guidelines or policies.