SENATE 05 - 06:03 McGILL UNIVERSITY

Minutes of a meeting of Senate held on Wednesday, October 19, 2005, at 2:30 p.m. in the Robert Vogel Council Room (Room 232), Leacock Building.

PRESENT: Al-Ghouleh, Imad Hodder, Janyne Pekeles, Gary Baines, Malcolm Hoechsmann, Michael Pierre, Christophe Bartlett, Kim Hourani, Rami Rankin, Sharon Bhatt, Vikram Jean-Claude, Bertrand Reed, Max Campeau, Justin Kamran, Niky Robaire, Bernard Chadha, Roshi Kasirer, Nicholas Saroyan, Alenoush Chase, Ronald Krajewska, Ewa Sedgwick, Donald Chagnon, André Lane-Mercier, Gillian Serero, Didier Conter, Adam Lewis, Brian Shaughnessy, Honora Cooke, Rosemary Lin, Charles Slee, Roger C. Cox, Amy Linger, Rance Smith, Michael Elbourne, Elizabeth Lund, James Stoa, Ryan Eley, Robin Mandich, Marie-Alice Stubley, Eleanor Foster, William (Secretary) Masi, Anthony M. Sutton, Mark Fuks, Abraham Matthews, David Tallant, Beverlea Galaty, John McDougall, Sally Upham, Finn Glenn, Jane McLean, Donald Vennat, Manon GowriSankaran, Kohur Mucciardi, Frank Wade, Kevin Grant, Martin Munroe-Blum, Heather (Chair) Whitesides, Sue Harpp, David Nemes, James Wild, Gary Henderson, Ian Oxhorn, Philip Wolfson Christina Henderson, Jim Paré, Anthony Yalaoui, Malek Hobbins, John Pasternak, Jesse Zannis-Hadjopoulos, Maria

REGRETS: Marc Angenot, Jodene Baccus, Maxim Ben-Yakov, Robert Bracewell, Frances Ezzy- Jorgensen, Anita Gagnon, Jacques Hurtubise, Ram Jakhu, Ellen Jewett, Frederick Kingdom, Chandra Madramootoo, Milan Maric, Kathryn Peterson, Richard Pound, Robert Rabinovitch, Janine Schmidt, Bruce M. Shore, Terence Spithill, Brian Trehearne, Morty Yalovsky.

1. RESOLUTION ON THE DEATH OF PROFESSOR EMERITUS RAYMOND KLIBANSKY

The following resolution on the death of Professor Emeritus Raymond Klibansky was presented by Interim Dean John Galaty, and adopted unanimously by Senate.

Raymond Klibansky, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, who died last month, was born in in 1905 of Jewish parents and lived there until 1914. His father was of German nationality, and the family was obliged to move to Germany at the outbreak of the war. Klibansky was a student and later a Dozent at the University of Heidelberg, where he studied under Karl Jaspers. He also knew Ernst Cassirer and the Warburg family in Hamburg, creators of the Warburg Library.

In March 1933 Hitler's National Socialist party came to power, and sanctions against Jews followed rapidly. For example, on April 1 it was decreed that all shops owned by Jews should be marked by a yellow star. Klibansky moved to Oriel College, Oxford. The Warburg Library was transported to London and changed its name to the Warburg Institute, of which Klibansky became an active member.

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In September 1939 war was declared. Klibansky, along with many academics in England, became a member of the "Political Warfare Executive". Their job was to determine in great detail the intentions and morale of the enemy leadership in Germany, using as sources of information newspapers, radio broadcasts, aerial photographs, spies etc. Klibansky's office was near Bletchley Park, where the top- secret Enigma decoding operation was located. The Enigma personnel read German military messages on a daily basis.

In October 1942 the first British military victory took place at El Alamein in Egypt, where the Germans were stopped in their drive to capture the Suez Canal. After that, the decision was taken to invade and occupy Italy. But jointly with military planning, there had to be intelligence gathering on Italy and its leadership. Klibansky knew Italian, and the job of putting together Italian intelligence was given to him. He was responsible for the production of a separate manual for each of the 18 regions of Italy. In two years he became an expert on Italian political and military leaders, the intrigues that divided them, and their struggles for power.

Preparations for the invasion of Italy, through Sicily, were highly secret. Klibansky learned that, once Sicily was secured, the plan was to cross the Straits of Messina and work north along the coast. He was horrified. Every previous attack on Italy, from Hannibal with his elephants to Garibaldi, had demonstrated that to be successful, one must attack either from the north or from the centre of the Italian peninsula, near Rome. In the south, from Messina north to Naples, there is only one narrow road between the mountains and the sea, with several rivers to cross. Klibansky sent his assessment to Eisenhower's headquarters in Algiers, where the invasion planning was taking place, but being merely a political intelligence officer his opinion on military matters carried no weight. In the event, the error of invading from Messina was paid for by heavy losses of Allied soldiers on the march north, including many at Monte Cassino.

One of Klibansky's special competences concerned the character of Mussolini, who was deposed as leader in July 1943. For Klibansky, the importance of Mussolini in the overall picture of the war lay in his relationship with Hitler. Mussolini apparently felt that Hitler should treat him as a senior counsellor and adviser, but alas, Hitler never took the trouble to inform him of his military initiatives. To get his own back, Mussolini launched an attack on Greece in October 1940 which Hitler learned about only through the newspapers. Unfortunately the attack bogged down in Yugoslavia, and Hitler was forced to come to Mussolini's aid. In April 1941, the German army occupied Greece in six weeks in a brilliant campaign. But there were repercussions. The German attack on Russia which was supposed to begin in May 1941 did not start until June 22, with the result that December found them at the gates of Moscow but not inside. The Germans were forced to retreat in bitterly cold weather. This turning point of the war we can credit to Mussolini.

After the war, Klibansky accepted a job in the philosophy department McGill, and arrived in in 1946. Of his many publications I mention one in particular, Saturn and Melancholy, which he wrote jointly with and Fritz Saxl. More than any other, this work demonstrates Klibansky's incredible breadth of knowledge and scholarship in art, science, medicine, astrology and philosophy.

At McGill, Klibansky stood out in virtue of being the sole member of a sophisticated European intellectual elite in a department whose roots were in moral philosophy and British empiricism. The dominant figure during and after the war was R.D. McLennan, the son of a Highlands Presbyterian minister. Needless to say, there were few direct contacts between the two intellectual wings of our department, but those of us who were philosophy students in late 1940s and early 50s could benefit from the best of two very different traditions. Personally, I owe a huge debt to Klibansky's recommending I read Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, the last sentence of which is "Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen". This was heady stuff to an undergraduate in the 1950s.

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Raymond Klibansky was married to Ethel Groffier, a professor in the Law Faculty, and died two months short of his hundredth birthday. I cannot think of any McGill professor, in any faculty, whose life has led him through such a rich and varied set of experiences, or who has had contact with so many intellectuals in so many different fields. We are privileged to pay tribute today to the memory of such a distinguished colleague.

2. REPORT OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE

The report of the Steering Committee (05-06:03) was received.

Item 1, Approval of Minutes of Senate, on motion by Professor Robaire, seconded by Professor Zannis- Hadjopoulos, the minutes of the meeting of September 28, 2005, was approved.

Item 2, Degrees and Diplomas Granted, was noted.

Item 3, Speaking Rights, on motion by Professor Chase, seconded by Professor GowriSankaran, Professor Kerry McSweeney was granted speaking rights to answer to questions regarding the Annual Report of the Bookstore Committee (D05-22).

On motion by Ms. Rankin, seconded by Mr. Hobbins, Professor Boyd White was granted speaking rights to present the Annual Report of the Committee on Libraries (D05-11).

3. AGENDA

On motion by Professor Bhatt, seconded by Mr. Conter, the Agenda was approved.

4. CHAIR’S REMARKS

The Principal updated Senate on the ongoing discussions with representatives of the Government, the Université de Montréal, the MUHC, the CHUM and McGill concerning the complementarity of programs and services to be offered by the two hospitals. The Government’s initial proposals do not appear consistent with its position when the plans for the new hospitals were announced. Discussions will continue with the representatives of the Government, the Université de Montréal and the CHUM to ensure the concerns, goals and principles of McGill and the MUHC are clearly understood. Professor Munroe- Blum stressed that any complementarity proposal must be consistent with the best interests of McGill and the MUHC, must respect their missions, and must not impinge on the academic freedoms of the University, the MUHC or their staff. She called on the Dean of Medicine, Dr. Fuks, to comment on this matter.

Dean Fuks explained that the Government wishes to avoid duplication in particular services and programs and has requested that the MUHC and the CHUM develop a complementarity plan. After two years of slow internal negotiations between the two hospitals with no results, the Government tabled eleven proposals for complementarity. Seven proposals were acceptable to McGill and the MUHC; the remaining four, if approved, will have a negative impact on their teaching and research activities, and clinical care services. Dean Fuks noted that the Government further intends to move forward with a complementarity plan for pediatric services between Montreal Children’s Hospital and St. Justine’s Hospital; and that it has voiced its intentions to deliver a proposal for complementarity on teaching and research. He stated that, at this stage, it is unclear what the Government requires and that he will report once more information is available.

Professor Munroe-Blum then updated Senate on the hazing incident stating that a full investigation into the incident had now been completed and immediate action taken pursuant thereto. She noted that the

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findings of the investigation and the action taken in light of the report had been communicated to the University community by the Interim Provost. She stressed that hazing has no place at McGill and would not be tolerated in any form or in relation to any activity or group in the University community.

Professor Munroe-Blum then reported that a major gift ($20 million) to the Faculty of Music was announced at the inauguration of the new music building. The gift, from philanthropist and businessman, Mr. Seymour Schulich, will support scholarships and endowed chairs. She noted that the gift was the most generous ever made in Canada in support of a Faculty of Music and this was the first time in McGill’s history that an academic unit had been named after a benefactor. She then provided an overview of the process and the criteria that guided the decision to name the Faculty in honour of the benefactor.

In conclusion, Professor Munroe-Blum informed Senate that two members of the academic staff had received the 2005 ACFAS Prix de la Recherche.

Professor Munroe-Blum then responded to a number of questions concerning the hazing incident.

5. QUESTION RE DEGREE DESIGNATIONS IN THE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Mr. Matthews asked the following question:

Students in the Faculty of Music were very pleased with the announcement of a $20 million gift to our Faculty by Mr. Seymour Schulich. The increased funds for student scholarships were particularly appreciated by the student body and the renaming of the Faculty to the Schulich School of Music seems a fitting tribute for such a gift.

The renaming of an academic program, thus far unprecedented at McGill, has raised certain concerns amongst our students. Foremost of these is the effect of the change on the name and title of degrees to be awarded in Music. This is an issue of concern for much of the McGill community, as other academic programs are likely to be named in the future.

He asked what impact will the renaming of the Schulich School of Music have on the name and title of degrees granted in Music by McGill University?

What changes, if any, will be made to diplomas granted in Music to reflect the renaming of the Faculty?

The Interim Provost, in response, thanked Mr. Matthews for his questions. He stated that the new designation of the Faculty of Music would have no impact on the name or title of the degrees conferred. Graduates of the Faculty would still be graduates of McGill University. The designation Faculty of Music, or any other faculty designation, is a descriptor of the academic unit. The decision to rename an academic unit after a benefactor, as had occurred with the Faculty of Music, or for some other reason, does not change the name or title of the degrees granted by the University. Indeed, in March of 2005, the Provost had advised the Dean of Music in writing that the Faculty of Music would remain the Faculty of Music, as per Article 7 of the Statutes, with all the rights and responsibilities accorded such academic units; but that it would now be known as the Schulich School of Music.

Professor Masi further stated that it was agreed between the University and the benefactor that diplomas and other official public documents would show the new name of the academic unit, in this case the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, and, following consultation with the Dean, the administration and the Secretariat, degree and diploma templates were developed to accommodate this agreement. Senate was then shown examples of the new templates. On these templates, at the bottom, there appears in both official languages the name “Schulich School of Music of McGill University” and its logo, together with the official McGill shield and name. In this fashion it was felt that degrees and

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diplomas could show the new designation for the academic unit in an appropriate manner, and in conformance with the terms of agreement with the benefactor, while maintaining in all other respects the look and feel of our current McGill degrees and diplomas.

Professor Masi then thanked the Dean and the staff of the Schulich School of Music, as well as the staff of the Secretariat, Student Records Office, and Development and Alumni Relations for their efforts in dealing with the important documentation aspects of this unprecedented gift. He also joined the Principal in thanking Mr. Schulich for his extraordinary gift to McGill, which was one that set a new standard for higher education in the arts, specifically to music, in Canada.

6. QUESTION RE E-MAIL COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS

Mr. Al-Ghouleh asked the following question:

Whereas the University administration has recently sent an email to the McGill Community using the "all-students" email list, stating their position on issues regarding an ongoing dispute between a student organization and the University administration;

Whereas these issues pertain to a specific select group of the McGill community, and may not be of concern to all members of the McGill community;

Whereas the "all-students" email list constitutes a powerful tool which should be used within definite guidelines;

whereas many members of the McGill community receive on a daily basis many e-mail messages that they have to filter through;

May the Administration please answer the following questions:

1- What are the guidelines to sending out communication using the uniform email list?

2- What issues would warrant the use of such a tool?

3- What are the reasons for using such a tool to address the issues regarding an ongoing dispute with a student organization, keeping in mind that this has been done twice in the past few months?

4- Why did the administration fail to give the student organization a chance to reply using the same tool, in order to give the McGill community a more balanced view of the issue, which the Administration seems to place high priority on?

5- Why did the Administration not opt for using a more neutral and level medium like the press to address the above mentioned issue?

Vice-Principal Hodder thanked Senator Al-Ghouleh and the PGSS for his question and interest in communications at McGill.

She explained that the University has several different ways of communicating with students and other members of the community, either at the scale of departments and faculties, or with the community as a whole. These include, among others, alnotes and all-student (e-mail communications to McGill addresses for students, staff and professors, from departments, faculties or the University as a whole), Voilà McGill, an electronic bulletin, or The Reporter. All of these are official University communications mechanisms 5 SENATE – October 19 2005

whose content falls under the responsibility of the University. There exist, of course, many other communication tools across the University, whose users are free to debate any action of the University or any of its stances on matters of community interest.

Vice-Principal Hodder stated that the guiding principle in the use of alnotes or all-student, which is what the question refers to, is the University’s obligation to communicate in a direct and timely fashion to members of the University community on matters either urgent or important, often both. General guidelines for use include a review of the following questions: Is the matter of broad University interest? Is the matter of urgent University concern? Is there a need to clarify a University stance on any matter of broad interest? Is there misinformation which requires clarification? Affirmative answers to any of these questions may render an alnote or all-student distribution appropriate.

While the question does not identify the particular messages which have prompted the inquiry it is assumed that the messages were those intended to inform members of the community about the University’s secular character and the fact that, as a matter of policy, it does not provide permanent space to any group for religious purposes. In these instances, members of the University community had the right to accurate information in a timely manner about the stance the University was taking on a matter of public interest within the community. This clarification of the University’s position was important as there were erroneous reports both on the position of the University and on the actions it had taken.

Alnote and all-student are also used for a broad range of other messages, sometimes in emergency situations or for general announcements that are of relevance to the entire community. For example, e-mail was used last winter to communicate with students about the administration’s response to the tsunami that devastated parts of south-east Asia and to locate students who came from the affected countries. E-mail was also used to alert people in the faculties of medicine and science about an accident that caused the cancellation of classes in the Stewart Biology building and disrupted parking services. Vice-Principal Hodder further noted that the e-mail system is used, in addition to our other channels of communications like The Reporter and Voilà McGill, to share information with members of the community about upcoming events, general interest announcements, senior appointments and about University policies and positions.

E-mail is regularly used by faculties and professors to communicate with students in particular programs. McGill, as an institution, also communicates about academic affairs by e-mail to students.

In reply to a supplemental question from Mr. Al-Ghouleh, Vice-Principal Hodder explained that she had given a number of examples of different kinds of use of e-mail. The matter to which he referred, like her examples, was a matter of broad public interest across the university and one on which the University stance ought to be clear to all members of the community.

Professor Robaire asked about the possibility of setting up blogs on which people can express their opinions and engage in debate regarding issues that concern the University. Vice-Principal Hodder replied that her response covered only the use of alnotes and all-students communications which is the responsibility of the University administration. She noted that this question should be referred to the Chief Information Officer. Professor Masi noted that blogs were technically feasible and indicated that he would be happy to take this request under advisement.

7. REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL RE PLANS, PROGRESS AND STRATEGY

The Principal presented her report on Plans, Progress and Strategy (D05-21) and responded to questions and comments.

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Ms. Yalaoui asked if the Principal would elaborate, first, on undergraduate support and the research- teaching interface and, second, on the meaning of “navigability” with respect to undergraduate support. Professor Munroe-Blum replied that she preferred to defer a response to these questions as they would be addressed in the forth-coming White Paper and by the Principal’s Task Force. She noted, however, that by “navigability” she was referring to ease of access by students to the various student services and programmes from admission to graduation.

Professor Baines thanked the Principal on her report and asked about the difference in terminology used to describe performance evaluation of academics and of support staff. Professor Munroe-Blum explained that the language signalled that there were different evaluation processes but that the goals of both processes were the same. She noted that it was hoped to introduce a process of performance dialogue for all employees in the University.

To a question by Mr. Reed concerning her reference to a review of Senate and other committees, Professor Munroe-Blum replied that a review of certain committees was timely and any recommendations for change would follow usual governance procedures.

8. MOTION TO AMEND THE CODE OF STUDENT DISCIPLINE

Professor Nemes presented the motion to amend the Code of Student Discipline (D05-20).

Senate approved the following motion:

“Upon receiving the Dean’s Residence Director’s notice, the student may obtain a full hearing on the charge or charges before the Hearing Committee of the CSD by electing to do so in a written submission sent to the Dean of Students within seven days;”

9. REPORT ON PRIVATE GIVING

The Interim Vice-Principal (Development and Alumni Relations) presented the Report on Private Giving (D05-23) and responded to questions and comments.

10. 2004-2005 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOOKSTORE COMMITTEE

The 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Bookstore Committee (D05-22) was received.

Professor Paré inquired as to the reasons for which 650 rain-checks were issued by the Bookstore and how this situation could be remedied. Professor McSweeney, the Chair of the Bookstore Committee, noted that this was a serious factual error in the Report; that in fact approximately 3000 rain-checks were issued in September 2005. This meant that coursepacks were unavailable to student purchasers on approximately 3000 occasions. Professor McSweeney acknowledged that this was clearly an unacceptable state of affairs especially because its causes were entirely intramural.

He noted that primary responsibility for the 3000 rain-checks lay with Printing Services. Coursepacks are submitted by professors to Eastman for editorial work then transmitted to Printing Services which prints and delivers the coursepacks to the Bookstore. The quantities printed are determined by Printing Services. The Bookstore merely sells the coursepacks, issuing rain-checks when it has insufficient quantities. For the winter 2005 semester Printing Services remedied the rain-check problem that occurred in the fall 2004 semester by printing a greater percentage of copies of coursepacks per total course enrolment. However, this resulted in Printing Services being left with a number of unsold coursepacks, the costs of which it had to assume. Consequently, for the fall 2005 semester it decided to print only

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enough copies to meet the needs of 75% of the student enrolment in each course; the result being that it was the students and professors who again had to bear the inconvenience of insufficient copies.

Professor McSweeney stated that it is imperative that Printing Services understand that it has responsibilities to more than the bottom line, and that it is not simply a business with exclusive access to McGill clients. It must understand that it is an integral part of the University’s teaching and learning function. Printing Services needs to interact more fully with the Bookstore and with academic units to develop a better understanding of enrolment figures, coursepack requirements, and the academic importance of the need for coursepacks when classes begin. Printing Services also needs to collaborate with the Bookstore to help ensure that both text book requisitions and coursepacks are submitted by professors in a timely fashion. (This semester almost 25% of the coursepacks were received by the Bookstore after classes had begun.)

Professor McSweeney noted that a new general manager of the Bookstore has recently been appointed. The Committee will urge him to consider the rain-check problem part of his responsibility and to forge a more constructive and collaborative relationship with Printing Services.

Mr. Reed asked why students were not consulted in the coursepack survey given that the issue was initially raised by a student at a previous Senate meeting. Professor McSweeney noted that he was not in a position to reply as Ancillary Services conducted the survey. The Bookstore Committee was only consulted with respect to the format of the survey and the questions.

In reply to a question regarding whether the 133 (out of the 2500) professors who responded to the survey was a representative sample, Professor McSweeney replied in the affirmative, noting that it could be inferred that those who did not respond were satisfied with the coursepacks.

Ms. Yalaoui raised concerns regarding the high cost of course packs which, in part, is due to the high costs of copyright. She suggested that students are paying twice for copyright, first, through the McGill copyright fees and, secondly, through their tuition fees. She asked whether this problem could be addressed by the Bookstore Committee. Professor McSweeney was of the view that the course packs were not over-priced. He also stated that the Interim Provost was aware of the copyright fee problem and that the issue had been discussed at the Senate Committee on Libraries.

Professor Tallant then asked whether the Bookstore has a policy regarding the number of textbooks ordered per course, noting that there was sometimes a considerable discrepancy between professorial requests and Bookstore orders. Professor McSweeney replied that this problem is more frequent in the fall semester due to unpredictability of course enrolment figures. He noted that the Bookstore usually consults with professors and departments and is guided by past years enrolment in courses. The Bookstore is sometimes faced with the problem of having on its hands hundreds of unpurchased textbooks because some professors overorder. He also noted that the Bookstore should consult and get the permission of the professors before returning any unsold textbooks.

In reply to a question from Mr. Pasternak regarding the buy-back policies, Professor McSweeney explained that the Bookstore is involved in an aggressive buy-back plan. However, the major difficulty faced by the Bookstore is the lack of knowledge of the textbooks that will be re-used by professors the following year.

Professor Galaty asked whether coursepacks could be produced and sold by competing suppliers just as orders for textbooks can be placed with off-campus stores. Professor McSweeney replied that he did not see why this could not occur.

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Professor Paré asked for assurance that the new Bookstore manager would be able to bring about the changes described in the memorandum circulated with the report. Professor McSweeney observed that the new manager's business background should facilitate greater cooperation between the printing service and the bookstore.

11. 2004-2005 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LIBRARIES

Professor White presented the 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Committee on Libraries (D05-11).

Professor Smith commented on the proposed terms of reference of the Committee on Libraries noting their lack of clarity, and suggested their further review before approval by Senate. He further suggested that the Committee on Libraries should be able to make comments on budgets, a matter which was not clearly spelled out in the proposed terms.

Professor Baines commented on the change in the composition of the Committee whereby the chair of the Committee would be the Provost or Deputy Provost. This, he suggested, changes the nature of the Committee and that it would be preferable that the chair be a member of the academic community.

Professor White responded that the rationale in designating the chair in this way was to ensure a reasonable measure of continuity for the Committee. The Interim Secretary-General noted for the information of Senate that a number of Senate Standing Committees are chaired by the Provost or delegate, the Principal or the Chancellor.

12. REPORT OF A MEETING OF TENURE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The Report of a meeting of Tenure Committee member (D05-18) was noted.

The meeting ended at 5:15 pm.

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