New chancellor among discussions at Students’ Legislative Council

By Derek Baker and Tina Shaygan, October 10 2017 —

The Oct. 10 meeting of the Students’ Legislative Council included a report from senate representative Alisha Gordon on the Oct. 5 meeting of the University of Calgary senate.

Gordon said that current U of C chancellor Robert Thirsk cannot be reappointed after his term ends on June 30, 2018. She added that the Chancellor Search Committee has been created for the appointment of a new chancellor. According to the Post Secondary Learning Act, the committee must include three members of General Faculty Council, three members of the U of C Alumni Association, three members of the senate, one member of the Students’ Union and one member of the Graduate Students’ Association.

Gordon said that the committee has added two additional members — the senate vice-chair Elizabeth Cannon and a member of the Board of Governors not already on the senate — in order to ensure that the university’s strategies are represented in the committee’s priorities.

Gordon added that the senate has delegated the power to this committee of bringing forward one candidate for chancellor for the senate to vote on.

SU president Branden Cave, vice-president student life Hilary Jahelka and vice-president operations and finance Ryan Wallace did not provide verbal reports. Vice-president academic Tina Miller provided a verbal report, which included conducting interviews with the Gauntlet and attending university committees relevant to her portfolio.

Faculty representative reports included conducting roaming office hours, promoting the SU byelection and attending various faculty committees.

Faculty of Arts representative Puncham Judge provided absent representative Frank Finley’s report, which included updates from Faculty of Arts Faculty Council. According to Finley’s report, the Arts and Science Honours Academy may be restructured into a certificate program. It was also mentioned that the creative writing concentration may also be  transformed into a certificate program.

The meeting adjourned at 6:48 p.m. The next SLC meeting will be on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Executive Council Chambers.