School Governance
Council
School Council
The School Council is the core decision-making body for the School on matters pertaining to academic programs, admission policies, and all calendar entries. Meetings of School Council are conducted as "open" meetings so that any student, faculty, sessional, or staff member who wishes to be heard can have a voice. The Director of the School chairs the meeting and decision-making is by consensus, with a provision for vote to be taken if consensus is not possible and a decision must be made.
Membership of the Council includes:
- all regular faculty
- a representative from the administrative and professional staff
-a representative from the office support staff
- a representative from the sessional teaching staff
- student representatives
Student representatives are chosen by the students according to the following groupings: 3rd and 4th year, on campus; off-campus students; Indigenous students; MSW students. In addition any organized student group can ask to have representation, subject to the condition that the total number of student representatives can not exceed the total number of faculty/staff representatives.
Most of the detailed discussion necessary to developing consensus in the School takes place during interest/working group meetings. The composition and open meeting structure of the groups in addition to their representation on Council provide an opportunity for all members of the School to be involved in decisions that directly affect them as well as be knowledgeable about and participate in all aspects of the School’s operation in accordance with the School’s mission to be inclusive, respective and collaborative.
The limits on School Council authority are:
(i) Council can not override powers given specifically to regular faculty in the faculty Framework Agreement, and,
(ii) the Director can refer a decision back to Council for more discussion if he or she considers the decision not to be in the best interests of the School.
Working Groups
The School’s core interest/working groups are:
Faculty —tenure and tenure track faculty and instructors meet as a group two to three times a semester to discuss curriculum, School policies and procedures, budget and related matters. Proposals from working groups are discussed at faculty meetings before proceeding to School Council and any recommendations or concerns are reported back to the working groups for their consideration.
Membership: All faculty and full time instructors
Administration Forward - responsible for coordinating the professional staff work in the School, including admissions, advising, distance education organization and support, budget management and staff hiring processes
Members: Academic Administrative Officer (chairs the meetings), School Director, Distance Education Program Director, Field Coordinators, Admission/advising staff
Office Staff Working Group —responsible for organizing support work for programs and individual faculty and instructors, allocation of space, purchasing of resources and providing advice to Director about office operations
Members: Office Manager (chairs the meeting), all of the support staff, School Director
BSW Curriculum Working Group - responsible for the BSW curriculum development, course scheduling and programming, including practicum and accreditation processes for both on campus and off campus students. Oversee the admission process and specializations in the undergraduate curriculum. Provide a forum for student voices, on and off campus and liaise with the MSW Working Group. Make recommendations to the School Council regarding BSW curriculum, calendar changes and admissions policies and procedures.
Members: BSW Coordinator (chairs the meetings), School Director, Distance Program Director, Field Coordinator, faculty members representing Indigenous specialization, child welfare specialization and on campus program as well as any specializations that may be developed, Admissions co-coordinator and student representatives. Meetings are open to all students, staff and faculty.
Undergraduate Course Team Leaders--full time faculty are asked to take the lead for each of the courses in the undergraduate curriculum to monitor the course content and assignments and to bring any changes that need to take place in their course before the BSW Curriculum Working Group. The group can also ask the team leader to redesign or renew their course and bring the changes to the curriculum group. The team leaders also are responsible for mentoring any new instructors, faculty or sessionals. If there is more than one section of a course the course leader will meet with the instructors in those sections to ensure that they are providing similar learning events to students in the course across the sections.
MSW Curriculum Working Group - responsible for overseeing MSW curriculum development, course scheduling and programming, including practicum and accreditation processes. Oversee the admission process and be a forum for student voices. Liaise with the BSW Working Group and make recommendations to School Council regarding MSW curriculum, calendar changes and admission policies and processes.
Members: MSW Coordinator/ Grad Advisor (chairs the meetings), Grad staff support person, School Director, Field Coordinator, Director of Distance Programs, Indigenous faculty member and at least one other faculty member who teaches in the program along with a graduate student representative. Meetings are open to all graduate students, faculty and staff.
Indigenous Circle - responsible for indigenous specializations’ course development and assignment of instructors; support for students (BSW and MSW indigenous specializations). Make recommendations to School Council regarding indigenous curriculum and calendar changes.
Members: Indigenous faculty and instructors (one of whom chairs the meetings), indigenous practicum coordinator, indigenous community liaison, School Director attends meetings when invited. The Indigenous Circle has a Indigenous Advisory Council that meets at least twice a year to provide a link between the Circle and the School to indigenous communities on the Island.
Community/Practice Advisory Committee - responsible for advising the School about community and practice developments that can impact undergraduate and graduate programs and providing feedback about School policies and curricula. A related responsibility is providing a link to practice and the BC Association of Professional Social Workers for joint efforts to promote social justice and the profession. The Committee meets four to six times a year, depending on work before the Committee.. The Director provides a link between the School Council, the Working Groups and the Committee. The Director forwards the minutes of the meetings to the faculty and provides a summary of the meetings to School Council.
Members: Director of School (chairs the meeting), field coordinator, twelve to fourteen social work practitioners representing a range of community and government human service organizations approved by faculty and at least one student representative from the student association. All faculty and students are invited to attend the meetings.
Equity Working Group - responsible for developing and monitoring equity policy and practices within the School and the University. Make recommendations to School Council regarding any changes in School equity policies and procedures.
Members: All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend meetings that are chaired by a full time faculty member or instructor, appointed by the Director. The chairperson is responsible for building the agenda for regular meetings and encouraging student participation in meetings.
In addition to these continuing working groups there are also ad hoc task groups established as needed. One example of such a group is the Social Workers in Health Task Group, which is collaborating, with the School in the development of undergraduate and graduate courses and continuing education offerings to address the need for preparing practitioners to work in the health sector.
|
