Faculty Bylaws | Faculty of Engineering

BY-LAW No.I

(1986-Revised 1993, 98,2006, 07, 09, 2010x2, 11, 13)

A By-Law relating to the membership, mandate and operation of the Faculty Council

Art. I-1.1

Members of the Faculty Council come from the following categories: Faculty officers, department chairs, school directors and school associate directors, elected academic staff members, elected students.

(a) The officers of the Faculty are the Dean, the Vice-Dean (Research), the Vice-Dean (Graduate Studies), the Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies), the Vice-Dean (International Affairs) and the Vice-Dean (Governance).

(b) Five academic staff members shall be elected from each department and ten academic staff members shall be elected from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

(d) Academic staff members shall serve a three-year renewable term, and at least one member is to be elected each year.

(e) Academic staff members’ terms run from July 1 to June 30.

(f) When a seat becomes vacant, a replacement member shall be formally elected in the department or school of the former member, to complete the original term.

(g) Each department or school establishes its own election procedure.

(h) The academic staff member elected to the Senate, if not already a member of the Council, shall be invited to all meeting.

Art. I-1.2

No one may sit on the Faculty Council in a dual capacity.

(a) Department chairs or school directors holding another office that makes them ex-officio members of the Council shall sit in their capacity of Department chairs or school director, and the ex-officio seat shall remain vacant. When a chair or school director who is also a Vice-Dean chairs a meeting in the absence of the Dean, the chair or school director then sits as Vice-Dean only.

(b) Elected academic staff members who are appointed to an office that makes then ex-officio members of the Council, shall resign their seat, which will be filled by a new election.

Art. I-1.3

One graduate and two undergraduate students shall be elected by their peers from each department. Two graduate and four undergraduate students shall be elected by their peers from each school.

(a) Only full-time students registered in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa are eligible.

(b) Students serve a one-year term, from the time they are elected (generally in spring) until the next election.

(d) Unfilled or vacated student seats remain vacant for the remainder of the term.

Art.I-1.4

The Dean of the Faculty serves as Council Chair. In his or her absence, the Vice-Dean (Research) or the Dean’s delegate shall chair the meeting.

Art. I-1.5

The Chair of the Council has the right to vote; in the event of a tie vote, the motion shall be considered lost.

Art. I-1.6

The Vice Dean (Governance) of the Faculty acts as Council Secretary. In his or her absence, the Council shall elect a temporary secretary among the members present.

Art. I-1.7

Quorum consists of 18 voting members from the Council at the time of the meeting

Art. I-1.8

At least four Council meetings shall be held between September 1 and May 31. Upon written request of one quarter or more of the Council members, the Chair shall call a special meeting of the Council within 15 working days.

Art. I-1.9

The minutes of Faculty Council meetings shall be distributed to Council members and to the teaching staff of the Faculty.

Art. 1-2

Without limiting the generality of its powers under the University of Ottawa Act, the Faculty Council shall have the following mandate:

Art.1-2.1

Establish its own by-laws for the conduct of meetings and for the holding of elections.

Art. 1-2.2

Establish an Executive Committee and any standing or ad-hoc committees it finds necessary; define the powers, the functions and, unless University regulations dictate otherwise, the membership of these bodies.

Art. I-2.3

Make appropriate recommendations to the Senate on:

(a) the Faculty’s admission policy and requirements;

(b) the programs leading to degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded by the Senate on the recommendation of the Council;

(d) the presentation of candidates for degrees.

Art.I-2.4

Ensure that the provisions of the University of Ottawa Act and that the regulations of the Board of Governors, of the Senate and of the Faculty Council are observed.

Art. I-2.5

Make recommendations to the Senate and the Board of Governors to further the progress of the Faculty.

Art. I-3

Notice of a Faculty Council meeting shall be distributed to all members of the Council and to the teaching staff one week before the meeting. The notice shall include the agenda of the meeting.

Art. 1-4

General motions require a simple majority vote to pass; amendments to By-Laws shall require a two-thirds majority vote. To have a motion included in the agenda, members must give a written notice to the Dean 15 days before the meeting. A motion not on the agenda cannot be discussed unless at least two-thirds of the members present agree otherwise.

Art. 1-5

Une modification au présent règlement ne peut pas faire l’objet d’un vote à moins que les membres du Conseil et du personnel enseignant reçoivent par écrit, au moins 30 jours avant la réunion où le vote aura lieu, un avis donnant le texte de la modification proposée.

Art.I-6

Sous réserve de l’approbation du Sénat, le présent règlement entre en vigueur le 30/09/2013

BY-LAW No 2

(1986-Revised 1996, 98,2006, 07, 10x2, 13)

A By-Law relating to the composition, organization and jurisdiction of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council

Art.II-1.1

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Council shall be composed of:

(a) the Dean who shall be the Chair of the Committee;

(b) the Vice-Dean (Research), who in the absence of the Dean, shall act as Chair of the Committee;

(d) the Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies);

(e) the Vice-Dean (International Affairs);

(f) the Vice-Dean (Governance) of the Faculty who shall act as secretary of the Committee;

(g) all department chairs, school directors, and school associate directors;

(h) ex officio member (no voting privileges): the Chief Administrative Officer of the Faculty.

Art.II-1.2

A majority of all the voting members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

Art.II-1.3

The Chair of the Committee shall be entitled to vote at all meetings and, in the event of a tie vote, shall have a second or casting vote.

Art.II-2.1 Mandate of the Committee

The mandate of the Executive Committee shall be the following:

(a) to administer the Faculty in accordance with the policies established by the Faculty Council and the general policies established by the Senate and the Board of Governors of the University and, subject to the collective agreement between the University and the A.P.U.O., to act on all matters judged to be essential for the proper operation of the Faculty.

(b) to prepare any project of legislation that it deems to be necessary, or of some benefit to the Faculty, for submission to the Faculty Council.

(d) to nominate persons to be considered by Council for membership on standing committees of the Faculty.

(e) to review the projected student enrolment and to recommend to Faculty Council the establishment of priorities with respect to the expansion of existing programs or the establishment of new programs within the Faculty.

(f) to study the policies and regulations of the University with respect to bilingualism, and to adapt such policies to the Faculty.

(g) to deal with all matters relating to the effectiveness of teaching in the Faculty.

(h) to act for the Faculty Council on urgent matters between meetings of the Council and to report back to Council at the next meeting.

(i) to discharge other responsibilities as the Faculty Council may entrust to it from time to time.

(j) to report back to Council on its decisions.

Art.II-3

Subject to approval by the University Senate, this By-Law shall come into force on 30/09/2013.

BY-LAW No 3

(1986-Revised 1993, 1998-2006, 2007, 2010x2, 2012)

A By-Law relating to the composition, organization and mandate of the Standing Committees in the Faculty of Engineering

Art.III

The present By-Law describes the standing committees which the Faculty Council has deemed necessary to create.

The membership of these committees is decided by Faculty Council, and except where otherwise indicated, is open to all members of the academic staff of the Faculty and to its students. To ensure as wide a knowledge of and participation in Faculty affairs as possible on the part of the academic staff, it is desirable to establish a rotation of membership on these committees.

The Faculty Council will appoint its committees at the first meeting following the election of its student members (normally the September meeting).

The Dean of the Faculty shall receive a copy of the convocation, the agenda and the minutes of all meetings. The chairman of a committee, in consultation with the Dean of the Faculty, can decide to submit a report to the Council. In general, these reports should be in writing with well formulated proposals and should be pre-circulated to all Council members.

All committees have the powers and privileges delegated to them by Faculty Council and in general make recommendations to the Council.

III-1 CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Art.III-1.1 Mandate of the Committee

(a) to study all changes, deletions, and new offerings of baccalaureate programs, and /or courses submitted by the departments and/or schools, and to make recommendations concerning them to the Faculty Council;

(b) to study any problem which might arise out of the curricula, and to make appropriate recommendations to Faculty Council.

Art.III-1.2

This committee can create such sub-committees as it deems appropriate for the study of particular issues, such as service courses, non-science elective courses and degree programs offered jointly by more than one department.

Art.III-1.3 Membership

Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies) or the Dean’s delegate-Chair.

One academic staff member nominated by each department and two nominated by the School of Information Science and Technology, normally the Chair of the relevant Department or School Curriculum Committee;

Two undergraduate students elected by Faculty Council.

Art.III-1.4

The term of office of student members shall be of one year duration, from the date of their election to June 30th of the following year.

Art.III-1.5

A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

III-2 COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC STANDING

Art.III-2.1 Mandate of the Committee

(a) to oversee, in consultation with the schools and departments, the student progress in their program;

(b) to make decisions on appropriate measures to be taken regarding the academic standing of individual students;

(c) to receive and act on appeals lodged by students concerning their marks, as regulated by the decision of Senate of February 5, 1980;

(d) to review periodically the security procedures used in the administration of examinations.

Art.III-2.2

This committee can create such sub-committees as it deems necessary for the study of specific issues.

Art.III-2.3 Membership

Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies) or the Dean’s delegate (Chair);

One academic staff member nominated by each department and two nominated by EECS.

Art.III-2.4

The terms of office of the academic staff members shall be of two years duration, two to be replaced or re-nominated each year.

Art.III-2.5

A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

III-3 CALENDAR COMMITTEE

Art.III-3.1 Mandate of the Committee

The mandate of this committee is to prepare and keep up to date the calendar of the Faculty in accordance with the decisions of the Faculty Council and of the Senate.

Art.III-3.2 Membership

Vice Dean (Undergraduate Studies) or the Dean’s Delegate-Chair.

One academic staff members nominated by each department and school, normally the Chair of the Department Curriculum Committee or School Curriculum Committee.

III-4 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT FUND COMMITTEE

Art.III-4.1 Mandate of the Committee

This committee is responsible for making recommendations for the disbursement of funds available to the Faculty of Engineering from a variety of sources.

Art.III-4.2 Membership

The Dean of the Faculty (Chair)

The Vice-Dean (Research), of the Faculty;

The Director of the Technology Transfer and Business Enterprises or his representative;

The Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies) of the Faculty;

One academic staff member nominated by each department and two academic staff members nominated by the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Art.III-4.3

The term of office of the academic staff members shall be of two years duration, two to be replaced or re-nominated each year.

Art.III-4.4

A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

Art.III-4.5 Types of Projects

1. The following is a general list of types of projects which could be considered for funding by the Faculty of Engineering Development Committee (the order of the projects below does not imply any hierarchy of priorities);

(a) Upgrading of equipment in undergraduate laboratories.

(b) Establishment of modular teaching resources to assist students in specific undergraduate courses (including the development of computer-based training modules, or special courses and/or tutorial notes).

(c) Upgrading of equipment used principally or exclusively for teaching purposes in Faculty, School or Departmental laboratories that permit Faculty-wide student access.

(d) Travel and other expenses for professors who may wish to learn special techniques for their teaching in the laboratory or in the classroom.

(e) Support of graduate students registered in the Faculty of Engineering in cases where the supervisor is no longer able to provide support due to unforeseen loss of funding (grants). It is understood that application to the Faculty of Engineering Development Fund represents a “last resort” in acquiring graduate student support. The supervisor must demonstrate a direct link between the loss of funding and his/her inability to support the student from any other existing sources.

2. Item (e) will only be considered in cases where an application has also been made to other funding sources that require matching Faculty contributions.

Art.III-4.6 Submission of Proposals

1. Proposals will be solicited once a year.

2. Proposals will be submitted through the departmental chair, school director or faculty officers responsible for Faculty-wide teaching support services who will prioritize the items submitted from their units and make a recommendation after consultation with the departmental or school council.

3. Proposals will outline clearly the objectives of the project and a detailed budget of the costs involved (as per form DF-100).

Art.III-4.7 Criteria for Funding

1. In soliciting proposals, the types of projects normally funded and the criteria used in evaluation of proposals will be clearly indicated.

2. Criteria for evaluation of teaching funds (III-4.5.1 a-d):

(a) Pertinence of a project to teaching and number of students expected to benefit from the project.

(b) Pertinence of a project to the enhancement of laboratory capabilities.

(d) Recommendation of the department or the school concerned and the basis for it.

(e) Special efforts to attract first-class students to the Faculty of Engineering.

3. Criteria for graduate student support: See item (III-4.5.1 e).

Art.III-4.8 Allocation of Funds

1. In each competition, the Faculty Development Fund Committee will decide which projects could be funded and rank the proposals in order of merit. The Faculty Executive Committee will decide the amount of funds that will be released from the Faculty Development Fund.

2. Deadline for the competition will be April 30. The Committee will meet thereafter to study these requests, but additional meetings could be called to consider urgent proposals.

3. For every $2 provided by the Faculty Development Fund, the department or school must provide $1 in matching funds.

Art.III-4.9 Financial Procedures

1. All disbursements for the projects through allocations made from the Faculty Development Fund Committee will be processed through the Dean’s Office and will require the authorization of the Dean or his delegate.

2. The Chief Administrative Officer of the Faculty will keep an account of all expenses and assist the Dean in the preparation of the annual report.

3. The Dean has authority for disbursements up to $5,000.

Art.III-4.10 Overhead from Research Contract

Of the portion of the funds generated as overhead from each research contract, 35% is retained by the University, 30.4% is retained by the Faculty as part of the Faculty of Engineering Development Fund, 17.3% is returned to the Department or School Development Fund which has generated the funds and 17.3% is returned as a research grant to the Principal Investigator who generated the funds. Policies for disbursements of any funds generated as overhead must be approved by Faculty Council.

III-5 UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA DAY COMMITTEE

Art.III-5.1 Mandate of the Committee

The responsibilities of this committee include all matters pertaining to the organization of publicity for the participation of the Faculty in the University of Ottawa Day.

Art.III-5.2 Membership

A chair elected by Faculty Council.

One academic staff member nominated by each department or school.

One representative from the Engineering Students Society.

One representative from the Computer Science Students Society.

One graduate student representative nominated by the Council.

Art.III-5.3

A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute quorum.

III-6 LIBRARY COMMITTEE

Art.III-6.1 Mandate of the Committee

The mandate of this joint committee with the Faculty of Science is to make recommendations to the Council of the Faculty of Science and the Council of the Faculty of Engineering concerning the operation of the Library, as well as policies affecting program collections.

Art.III-6.2 Membership

A co-chair from Engineering elected by Faculty Council.

A co-chair from Science elected by Faculty Council

One academic staff member nominated by each department and two academic staff members nominated by EECS.

A librarian appointed by the Chief Librarian.

One graduate student elected by the Council of each Faculty.

One undergraduate student elected by the Council of each Faculty.

Art.III-6.3

The term of office of the elected students shall be of one year duration, from the date of their election to June 30th of the following year.

Art.III-6.4

Seven members shall constitute a quorum

III-7 COMMITTEE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN ENGINEERING

Art.III-7.l Mandate of the Committee

(a) to promote an environment for students and professors to work together an to build in individual strengths, to improve retention, to place the University of Ottawa in the forefront of programs that enhance the learning experience, and to enhance essential non-academic skills in students and faculty;

(b) to recommend and assist in the implementation of an action plan to retain students studying engineering and computer science at the University of Ottawa and to encourage the participation of under-represented groups, particularly women and visible minorities;

(d) to recommend and assist in the implementation of an action plan to promote graduate studies in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa.

Art.III-7.2 Membership

A Professional Engineer (Non-Academic).

At least one undergraduate student and one faculty member from each department and/or school.

The Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies) or the Dean

The Communication and Liaison Officer of the Faculty of Engineering.

The NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (provided that such a position exists in the Ottawa/Carleton region).

Two graduate students (one female and one male).

Art.III-7.3

The Chair of the Committee will be elected by the committee members.

Art.III-7.4

Every effort will be made to maintain a representational balance with respect to both gender and discipline.

Art.III-7.5

A majority of the members of the Committee will constitute a quorum.

Art.III-7.6

Subject to approval by the University Senate, this By-Law shall come into force on 01/06/2012.