RYERSON UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
                  
Policy Name:        Constitutional Provisions for Department/School Councils
        
Ref. No.:           45
            
Academic Council     
Approval Date:      May 6, 1986

Status:             CURRENT


                 
Each department/school shall establish a department/school Council to develop
and recommend policy relevant to the department/school as it relates to the
general policy of the University.
                   
Such Councils shall:
                
a) include all full-time members of the teaching staff of the department,
   course supervisors, assistant Chair(s), the Chair, and where applicable 
   one member chosen by and from the sessional and part-time instructors of 
   the department.  The department may co-opt additional members.  The number
   of such additional members shall be set out in the by-laws.
                                   
b) include a number of elected or appointed students to the ratio of not less
   than one-third, and not more than one half, of the total of faculty 
   members on the Council.  Schools and departments at Ryerson which have 
   no program of study and therefore have no students shall be exempted 
   from this requirement.
                                     
c) meet formally at least twice a year as a full Council.  A quorum shall
   consist of not fewer than 50% of the full membership.
                                      
d) establish a sub-committee to consider curriculum and course development as
   it relates to the department/school and may establish such other sub-
   committees as may be thought necessary.  Faculty and student membership 
   on each sub-committee shall reflect the membership proportions for the 
   whole department/school Council established under paragraph b) above, 
   save in cases where there may be a conflict of interest.  In such cases, 
   machinery shall be established, to provide for input of data from the 
   excluded group.  Recommendations of sub-committees shall be approved by 
   the department/school Council before being transmitted or implemented.
                                                                             
e) submit their by-laws for the approval of Academic Council.
                       
A department/school Council may initiate policy recommendations on any
matter pertaining to the operation of the department. If such policies
have significance and effect only within the department/school, approval
by the department/school Council, and by the Chair and Dean, will provide
authority for action. Such action will be reported by the Dean to Academic
Council for its information.
                   
If such policies have extra department/school ramifications, they shall be
transmitted to the Dean of the Faculty/Division for discussion with the
committee of Chairs. If there are no ramifications beyond the
Faculty/Division, the matter may be settled there with the approval
of the Dean, and shall be reported to the Academic Council by the Dean for
its information. If there are broader ramifications, the recommendation shall
be brought to Academic Council for action.
                               
In the event of a disagreement between a department/school Council and
the Dean, or between a department/school Council and its Chair and Dean,
the disagreement will be referred by the disputants to the Vice President,
Academic. In the event of continuing disagreements, the matter shall be
reported to the President for action. Should such a dispute have bearing
on the academic policy of the University as a whole, the matter shall be
reported to Academic Council upon its resolution.

                                   
Note: See related curriculum policies including Ref. No. 7 "Procedures for 
the Preparation, Submission and Approval of Academic Proposals", Ref. No. 21
"Academic Jurisdiction", Ref. No. 32 "Procedures for Program and Course 
Curricular Revisions", Ref. No. 33 "Program Balance", Ref. No. 35
"Degree Programs Policy", Ref. No. 112 "The Development, Review
and Approval of New Undergraduate Degree Programs", Ref. No. 126 "The
Periodic Review and Evaluation of Undergraduate Programs at Ryerson", and
Ref. No. 127 "Procedures for Graduate Program Approval".