Governance

The Faculty of Engineering is governed by a council made up of professors and students from each academic unit and chaired by the Dean, who is also the chief executive officer of the Faculty. The Dean is assisted by the Vice-dean of Research, the Vice-dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Vice-dean of Graduate Studies, the Vice-dean of International Affairs, the Vice-dean of Governance, the Vice-dean of Quality Assurance and Teaching Innovation, the Chairs (3) of the departments, the Director of the School of EECS, and the Chief Administrative Officer of the Faculty.

Introduction

The 2011 – 2016 Action Plan of the Faculty of Engineering, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Plan’, was developed by the Faculty Executive Committee during the period May – September 2011; it was approved by the Executive Committee on September 29, 2011. The Plan builds on the outcomes of the Faculty’s 2006 – 2011 Action Plan and it is aligned with the institutional goals of the Vision 2020 strategic plan of the University of Ottawa.
The Plan identifies five (5) areas of focus and nineteen (19) specific objectives / actions for which the Faculty must make progress during the 2011 – 2016 period.

Area of focus #1:
To improve the university experience of our students and to innovate in the areas of teaching methods and of program content.
Specific objectives / actions:

To modernize teaching laboratory facilities and equipment and to innovate in the area of laboratory engineering design teaching and learning.
To strongly incentivize quality and innovation in teaching, such that it is considered by all to be as important as research.
To add and enhance spaces for students, to facilitate collaboration, teamwork, peer mentoring, and improving the social atmosphere.
To identify high failure rate undergraduate courses in order to take early corrective actions to improve student retention.
To focus on attracting high-quality undergraduate students in all programs.
To follow MCG's approach to implement teaching evaluations for Teaching Assistants, and to adopt CHG’s practice of requiring mandatory training for all teaching assistants.
To add multidisciplinary project/studio/active learning courses before fourth year, starting with pilots.

Area of focus #2:
To improve the overall efficiency of the Faculty’s administrative and student support services and activities.
Specific objectives / actions:

To share the activities of the Student Experience Officer between the Undergraduate and Graduate Office.
To review the administrative structures and procedures for the purpose of standardizing operations in the faculty
To review the allocation of support staff positions within the academic and service units of the Faculty for the purpose of reducing turnover and duplication of work and of increasing efficiency during peak periods.

Area of focus #3:
To improve the reputation and the perception of the Faculty by potential undergraduate students.
Specific objectives / actions:

To improve the effectiveness of recruitment and outreach; in particular, recruiting students of the Faculty to serve as ambassadors, as well as developing more effective and appropriate promotion materials and activities for kindergarden to grade 12 students.

Area of focus #4:
To better connect the Faculty with external stakeholders in the private and public sectors in order to better support our mission of education, advancement of knowledge, and service.
Specific objectives / actions:

To better engage external partners, such as invited guest speakers or lecturers, and part-time professors.
To establish Advisory Boards for each of the four academic units of the Faculty.
To design market-relevant capstone projects that are interdisciplinary in nature.

Area of focus #5:
To secure additional financial resources for the Faculty through incremental undergraduate student enrolment and retention, additional external research funding (and associated indirect costs / overhead revenues), and increased philanthropic donations in order to appropriately support our core academic activities as well as the new initiatives that we wish to pursue.
Specific objectives / actions:

To increase the number of Teaching Associate positions in the Faculty in order to allow regular faculty members to devote more time to research and graduate supervision
To proactively contribute towards correcting and improving the University's operating budget allocation process and criteria.
To facilitate the development of major joint research proposals (identification of teams and themes).

Updated in 2014

BY-LAW No.I

(1986-Revised 1993, 98, 2006, 07, 09, 2010x2, 11, 13, 17)

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.

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), the Vice-Dean (Governance), and the Vice-Dean (Quality Assurance and Teaching Innovation).
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.
At least 60% of the members elected from each department or school shall be tenured professors.
Academic staff members shall serve a three-year renewable term, and at least one member is to be elected each year.
Academic staff members’ mandates last for 36 months starting from the month they are elected.
When an academic staff member’s seat becomes vacant, a replacement member shall be formally elected in the department or school of the former member, to complete the original term.
Each department or school establishes its own election procedure.
The academic staff members elected to the Senate, if not already a member of the Council, shall be invited to all meetings.

Art. I-1.2

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

Department chairs or school directors holding another office that makes them ex-officio members of the Council shall sit in their capacity of Department chair 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.
Elected academic staff members who are appointed to an office that makes them 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.

Only full-time students registered in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa are eligible.
Students serve a one-year term, from the time they are elected (generally in spring) until the next election.
The Vice Dean (Governance) of the Faculty shall act as returning officer for the elections.
Unfilled or vacated student seats may be filled by holding by-elections.

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 defeated.

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. Electronic votes may be held if urgent matters need to be decided between Council meetings.

Art. I-1.9

The minutes of Faculty Council meetings shall be distributed to Council members and posted on the Faculty website.

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, subject to approval by the Executive Committee of the Senate, 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:

the Faculty’s admission policy and requirements;
the programs leading to degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded by the Senate on the recommendation of the Council;
the requirements for student promotion;
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 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. I-5

No amendment to this By-Law can be voted on unless a written notice, including the proposed amendment, has been given to all members of the Faculty Council and the teaching staff at least 30 days before the meeting at which the vote will be held.

Art. I-6

Subject to approval by the University Senate, this By-Law shall come into force on 30/06/2017.

BY-LAW No II

(1986-Revised 1996, 98,2006, 07, 10x2, 13, 17)

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:

the Dean who shall be the Chair;
the Vice-Dean (Research), who in the absence of the Dean, shall act as Chair;
the Vice-Dean (Governance) of the Faculty who shall act as secretary of the Committee;
all other Vice-Deans, as enumerated in By-law No 1;
all department chairs, school directors, and an EECS associate director;
ex officio members (without voting privileges): the Chief Administrative Officer, the Assistant to the Dean, the Alumni Relations Officer, the Development Officer, the Manager of Marketing and Communications and the Manager of Outreach.

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:

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.
to prepare any draft by-laws that it deems to be necessary, or of some benefit to the Faculty, for submission to the Faculty Council.
to approve the general budget estimates for the Faculty and, as need may be, to verify their implementation.
to nominate persons to be considered by Council for membership on standing committees of the Faculty.
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.
to study the policies and regulations of the University with respect to bilingualism, and to apply such policies to the Faculty.
to deal with all matters relating to the effectiveness of teaching in the Faculty.
to make decisions regarding the disbursement of funds from the Faculty of Engineering Development Fund, following submissions by the academic units and Faculty services, in accordance with the terms of By-law III-3.
to act for the Faculty Council on urgent matters between meetings of the Council and to report back to Council at the next meeting.
to discharge other responsibilities as the Faculty Council may entrust to it from time to time.
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 30/06/2017.

BY-LAW No III

(1986-Revised 1993, 1998-2006, 2007, 2010x2, 2012, 2017)

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

Preamble

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 all 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 Executive Committee will appoint committee members as the terms of members expire.

The Dean of the Faculty shall receive a copy of the agenda and the minutes of all meetings. The chair 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

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;
to study any problem which might arise out of the programs, and to make appropriate recommendations to Faculty Council.

Art.III-1.2

The 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 Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, including 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 for one year from the date of their election.

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

to oversee, in consultation with the schools and departments, student progress in their programs;
to make decisions on appropriate measures to be taken regarding the academic standing of individual students;
to receive and act on appeals lodged by students concerning their marks in accordance with the Senate’s academic regulations;
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 year 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 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT FUND

Art.III-3.1 Mandate

The role of the former Faculty of Engineering Development Fund Committee to be fulfilled by the Executive Committee as per By-Law II. The following Articles describe the rules.

Art.III-3.2 Types of Projects

The following is a general list of types of projects which could be considered for funding from the Fund (the order of the projects below does not imply any hierarchy of priorities);
1. Upgrading of equipment in undergraduate laboratories.
2. 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).
3. Upgrading of equipment used principally or exclusively for teaching purposes in Faculty, School or Departmental laboratories that permit Faculty-wide student access.
4. Travel and other expenses for professors who may wish to learn special techniques for their teaching in the laboratory or in the classroom.
5. 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 or her inability to support the student from any other existing sources.
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-3.3 Submission of Proposals

Proposals will be solicited once a year.
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.
Proposals will outline clearly the objectives of the project, the timeline and a detailed budget of the costs involved (as per form DF-100).

Art.III-3.4 Criteria for Funding

In soliciting proposals, the types of projects normally funded and the criteria used in evaluation of proposals will be clearly indicated.
Criteria for evaluation of teaching funds (III-3.2.1 a-d):
1. Pertinence of a project to teaching and number of students expected to benefit from the project.
2. Pertinence of a project to the enhancement of laboratory capabilities.
3. Faculty priorities in the development of specific programs.
4. Recommendation of the department or the school concerned and the basis for it.
5. Special efforts to attract first-class students to the Faculty of Engineering.
Criteria for graduate student support (III-3.2.1 e):

Art.III-3.5 Allocation of Funds

In each competition, the Executive Committee will decide which projects will be funded and the amount of funds that will be released from the Faculty Development Fund.
The 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.
For every $2 provided by the Faculty Development Fund, the department or school must provide $1 in matching funds.

Art.III-3.6 Financial Procedures

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

Art.III-3.7 Overhead from Research Contract

Of the portion of the funds received by the Faculty as overhead from research contracts, 46% is retained by the Faculty as part of the Faculty of Engineering Development Fund, 27% is returned to the Department or School Development Fund which has generated the funds and 27% 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-4 COMMITTEE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN ENGINEERING

Art.III-4.l Mandate of the Committee

to promote an environment for students and professors to work together and to build individual strengths, to improve retention, to place the University of Ottawa at the forefront of programs that enhance the learning experience, and to enhance essential non-academic skills in students and faculty;
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;
to recommend and assist in the implementation of an action plan to aid in Faculty development;
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-4.2 Membership

A Professional Engineer (Non-Academic).
At least one undergraduate student and one faculty member from each department and/or school.
The Vice-Dean (Quality Assurance and Teaching Innovation) - Chair.
The Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
The Vice-Dean (Graduate Studies)
The Student Experience Officer
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).
The NSERC Chair for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Design (provided that such a position exists in the Ottawa/Carleton region).
Two graduate students (one female and one male).

Art.III-4.3

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

Art.III-4.4

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

III-5 SPACE COMMITTEE

Art.III-5.l Mandate of the Committee

to evaluate the use of space available to the Faculty of Engineering;
to recommend changes to the allocation of space, for the consideration of the Dean and the Executive Committee.

Art.III-5.2 Membership

The Dean.
The Vice-Dean Governance-Chair.
One other Vice-Dean from a different academic unit than the Vice-Dean, Governance.
The Chief Administrative Officer.
The Facilities Manager.
One representative from each Department, and two representatives of EECS.

Art.III-5.3

A majority of the members of the Committee will constitute a quorum, although no decisions will be made about the space used by an academic unit if there is no representative or Vice-Dean from that unit present.

III-6

Subject to approval by the University Senate, this By-Law shall come into force on 30/06/2017.

Code of Ethics is a basic guide for professional conduct and imposes duties on practitioners

Code of Ethics of Canadian Professional Engineers

Professional engineers shall conduct themselves in an honourable and ethical manner. Professional engineers shall uphold the values of truth, honesty and trustworthiness and safeguard human life and welfare and the environment. In keeping with these basic tenets, professional engineers shall:

Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and the protection of the environment and promote health and safety within the workplace;
Offer services, advise on or undertake engineering assignments only in areas of their competence and practise in a careful and diligent manner;
Act as faithful agents of their clients or employers, maintain confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest;
Keep themselves informed in order to maintain their competence, strive to advance the body of knowledge within which they practise and provide opportunities for the professional development of their subordinates;
Conduct themselves with equity, fairness, courtesy and good faith towards clients, colleagues and others, give credit where it is due, and accept, as well as give, honest and fair professional criticism;
Present clearly to employers and clients the possible consequences if engineering decisions or judgements are overruled or disregarded;
Report to their association or other appropriate agencies any illegal or unethical engineering decisions or practices by engineers or others;
Be aware of and ensure that clients and employers are made aware of societal and environmental consequences of actions or projects and endeavour to interpret engineering issues to the public in an objective and truthful manner; and
Treat equitably and promote the equitable treatment of all clients, colleagues and coworkers, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, marital or family status, and national origin.

Source: Engineers Canada (Guideline on the Code of Ethics)

Registration

Programs of study

Courses, programs of study and their requirements are proposed by the Faculty and approved by the Senate of the University. If the requirements are modified during the course of their studies, students may satisfy the requirements of their program at the time of admission or they may follow the new requirements.

The Faculty responsible for the program is normally charged with the interpretation of program requirements.

Admission

Regular student status (full- or part-time): to register for courses with the intention of pursuing a degree, an individual must first be admitted to a program. Regular student status is granted upon admission.

Governance

Introduction

Executive Committee Meeting

2017

2016

2015

2014

Faculty Council Meeting

2017

2016

2015

2014

BY-LAW No.I

BY-LAW No II

BY-LAW No III

Preamble

III-1 CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

III-2 COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC STANDING

III-4 COMMITTEE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN ENGINEERING

III-5 SPACE COMMITTEE

Code of Ethics of Canadian Professional Engineers

Programs of study

Admission