SENECA COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Approved electronically, January 21, 2010
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Academic Planning Committee
PUBLIC SESSION
MINUTES
Newnham Campus January 14, 2009
Meeting Room D2012
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Present:
Regrets:
Recorder:
Staff:
Trish Barbato, Chair
Tim Abbott, Committee Member
Richard Goyder, Committee Member
Ruby Wong, Committee Member
Tina Tehranchian, Committee
Zulfiqar Gilani, Committee Member
Joanna Crabtree, Program Planning and Policy Analyst
LauraJo Gunter, Dean, Faculty of Information Arts and Technology
Henry Decock, Associate Vice President Academic
Daniel Atlin, Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs
Susan Savoie, Dean, Faculty of Continuing Education and Training
Tina DiSimone, Dean, Faculty of Applied Arts and Health Sciences
Anna Di Rezze, Registrar
Stan Talesnick, Dean, Faculty of Workforce Skills Development
Laurel Schollen, Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology
Susan Zimmerman, Dean, Faculty of Business, Management and Admin. Studies
Jennifer Singh, Dean, Faculty of Business, Arts and Commerce
Monisa Cheung, Manager, Registration and Records, Markham Campus
Mohammed Khan, Vice President, International and Business Development
Marianne Marando, Chair, School of International Business and Centre for Human
Resources
Carol Fearon, Coordinator and Professor, School of International Business
Andres Diaz, Professor, School of International Business
Byron Tobar, Professor, School of International Business
Cindy Hazell, Senior Vice President
The Chair called the meeting to order. Members, College staff and guests introduced themselves.
1. Confirmation of the Agenda – January 14, 2010
Labour Update and Implications was added to the agenda under Other Business.
T. Abbott moved, seconded by R. Wong, “THAT the agenda be approved as amended.”
CARRIED

2. Announcements
a. C. Hazell provided the following update on Seneca’s new program proposals:
i. Accounting Techniques Ontario College Certificate has received validation from
the CVS and funding approval from MTCU.
ii. Financial Services Agent Ontario College Diploma has been validated by the
CVS under the title, Financial Services – Client Services. The revised title
reflects a field of study as opposed to a specific job. The proposal is currently
being considered by MTCU for funding approval.
iii. Aviation Operations Ontario College Diploma has been validated by the CVS
and is currently with MTCU for funding approval.
iv. Aviation Safety Ontario College Advanced Diploma has been validated by the
CVS and is currently with MTCU for funding approval.
b. C. Hazell introduced and welcomed Anna Di Rezze in her new role as College
Registrar.
c. C. Hazell announced that the Principal of Markham Campus has been added to Dean S.
Talesnick’s portfolio.
d. S. Talesnick announced two new project approvals. The Ontario Ministry of
Citizenship and Immigration has approved a $700,000 proposal to bridge
Internationally Trained Engineers into the Green Economy. MTCU has approved a
$500,000 proposal on workplace literacy.
e. T. DiSimone announced that the National Association of Canadian Optician Regulators
has granted full accreditation for a period of six years to Seneca’s full and part-time
opticianry programs.
f. C. Hazell announced that the Collaborative BScN program (Seneca, Georgian and
York) underwent a formal program accreditation by CASN (Canadian Association of
Schools of Nursing) in November 2009. The partners have received a preliminary
report outlining program strengths (i.e. faculty and program leadership) and
opportunities for improvement (space and infrastructure constraints) to which the group
is expected to respond before formal accreditation can be granted.
g. L. Schollen announced that the annual co-op awards event will be held on Thursday,
March 25 th from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the Markham Campus cafeteria and extended an
invitation to all Board members to attend. The event honours a Co-op Student of the
Year and a Co-op Mentor of the year. There are usually between 60 to 80 attendees
including student and company nominees. D. Atlin agreed to communicate the
invitation to the full Board of Governors.
3. Public Session Minutes - November 5, 2009
T. Barbato confirmed that the Public Session APC minutes of November 5, 2009 were
approved by email on November 20, 2009.
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a. Business Arising
i. Travel and Tourism Program Modification
Further to the minutes of November 5, 2009, S. Savoie confirmed that the Travel
and Tourism program modification was approved by the Tourism Program
Advisory Committee by email between October 22 nd and 27 th . The committee
met in person on November 12, 2009.
4. Degree Program Proposal – Bachelor of Business – International Business Management
(IBM) – S. Zimmerman
C. Hazell provided context on the provincial approval process for degrees. She indicated that
degrees are presented in summary format to the Board for approval prior to full proposal
development and submission to PEQAB, the advisory agency that makes recommendations to
the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities of Ontario on applications for ministerial
consent.
S. Zimmerman introduced the program development team: Program Coordinator and Professor
Carol Fearon, Professor Andres Diaz, Professor Byron Tobar, and Academic Chair Marianne
Marando; and provided strategic context for the International Business Management degree.
She indicated that a large percentage of Seneca business students and high school applicants
express interest in completing a degree, and that IBM fits with the current degree programs in
the Faculty of Business. The proposed program is built on a two-year business degree
foundation shared with other Seneca business degrees. The final two-years provide
specialization in International Business.
M. Marando confirmed that the three industry certifications for which graduates will be eligible
on completion of the program are unique to IBM degree. Members discussed PEQAB
requirements for faculty credentials, the College’s support for faculty development and
Seneca’s hiring policy.
T. Barbato indicated that the Committee would review the degree financials and vote on the
proposed motion as part of the in camera agenda. T. Barbato thanked the development team for
attending the meeting and for their work on the proposal.
5. Deans’ Overviews – Faculty of Business
a. Management and Administrative Studies – S. Zimmerman
Consistent with the APC Work Plan, S. Zimmerman provided the Committee with an
overview of Management and Administrative Studies in the Faculty of Business. She
indicated that the portfolio is large with approximately 50 programs and that total
enrolment is steady. Members discussed the limitations of the KPI surveys, specifically
Employer Satisfaction where Compustat must receive a graduate’s permission to survey
their employer. Other challenges highlighted include difficulty attracting students to
co-op programs and the Union’s Article 2 grievance regarding the Colleges use of
partial load faculty. Strengths include Seneca’s reputation for diverse and unique
business programs.
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. Arts and Commerce – J. Singh
6. Written Reports
J. Singh provided the Committee with an overview of Arts and Commerce in the
Faculty of Business. Using a PowerPoint presentation, she discussed programming,
application and enrolment trends, Faculty and program KPIs, a SWOT analysis and
emerging issues.
J. Singh cited similar challenges to Management and Admin Studies including co-op
programs, budgetary constraints and low graduation rates in some programs.
Members discussed the difference between the course assessment survey and KPI
surveys. The course assessment survey is a Seneca survey (as opposed to a provincial
tool) and pertains to faculty. The results of a course assessment survey go directly to
the faculty member and the Academic Chair for review as one part of the faculty
performance review process. It was noted that the course assessment survey is currently
under review and an online system, with opportunities for course specific questions and
student comments, is being piloted.
a. Program Review
C. Hazell indicated that written reports were submitted by Ronan Wilson, Academic
Planning Analyst and Katharine Janzen, Associate Vice President, Research and
Innovation. H. Decock highlighted new sections on the Program Review Report. There
were no questions on the Research and Innovation Report.
b. Office of Research and Innovation (ORI)
See above.
7. Other Business
a. Labour Update and Implications
Fulltime College faculty across Ontario voted to give their union a strike mandate on
Wednesday, January 13 th . The provincial results were 57% “in favour” and 43% “against”;
Seneca results were 55% “in favour” and 45% “against”. C. Hazell announced that the
College had just received notice from Council that bargaining will resume next Tuesday,
January 19 th and that Mediator Greg Long has been appointed to work with the groups to
reach a negotiated settlement.
In response to members’ questions, C. Hazell indicated that there is no provincial cut off at
which point students will automatically lose their semester. She further indicated that there
has never been a strike long enough that students were at risk of losing their semester. She
reassured members that, should a strike occur, the College will work with faculty to ensure
that semester completion plans are in place after the strike.
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The College is engaged in a detailed communications plan to try and ease student anxiety
surrounding a potential strike. A communication will be forth coming indicating it is
“business as usual” pending further negotiations.
In the event of a strike, T. Abbott suggested that March convocation be cancelled and
collapsed into the June convocation ceremonies. C. Hazell indicated that she would pass
this recommendation on for consideration as progress in negotiations becomes clearer.
8. Adjournment
R. Wong moved, seconded by T. Tehranchian, “THAT the public session of the Academic
Planning Committee be adjourned.”
CARRIED
APC Follow-up/Action List – Public Session
Item (Responsibility) Meeting Initiated Meeting for Follow-up
Ongoing review of APC Terms of Reference/
Work Plan (T. Barbato and all Committee
Members).
E. Burns agreed to review current online fee
definitions and expand/clarify where appropriate.
October 8, 2009
October 8, 2009
ongoing
ongoing
Provide the date of the Tourism Program
Advisory Committee meeting where the Travel
and Tourism Seneca College Certificate program
modification was approved (J. Crabtree).
November 5, 2009 January 14, 2010 -
completed
Update the ACP Work Plan as the timing of the
new tuition fee policy becomes known.
November 5, 2009
TBD
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