Senate Rules and Procedures

All Submissions should be sent via email to governance@nosm.ca

Deadlines for items can be found here

The Speaker, President or University Secretary may require earlier deadlines or submission prior to the dates given.

Senate uses a Consent Agenda format. To allow the Senate to complete a number of matters and devote more of its attention to major items of business, the Agenda has been divided between items that are to be presented individually for discussion and/or information and those that are approved and/or received by consent.

A Consent Agenda is not intended to prevent discussion of any matter by Senate, but items listed under the consent sections will not be discussed at the meeting unless a Member so requests. All Members are supplied with the appropriate documentation for each item, and all items on the Consent Agenda will be approved by means of one motion.

The Information or Briefing Note will allow for the responsible Committee to indicate if the item being presented should be considered for First Reading/Second Reading, Approval, or as a Consent Item.  The Senate Executive Committee will confirm the appropriate action for the items presented.

Example: NOSM_U_SENATE_BRIEFING_NOTE_TEMPLATE

Need assistance knowing where to go or who to consult: Check out Approval_Flow_Chart-May-2023

Please review the following requirements when preparing items to be presented at Council meetings. If you have any questions, contact the office of the Secretary via email governance@nosm.ca or by calling 705-662-7206.

Members review all materials prior to meetings. Your item should therefore provide all relevant background. It may deliver this information in the form of an Briefing template or an appended report. This report can take the form of a narrative or a slide deck for chart-heavy items. The goal is to effectively deliver all relevant information to the Council for review prior to the meeting.

Important Note: Items should be fully reviewed (and approved) within the portfolio/unit and through the appropriate Committee, Management Group or Executive Group before submission and include all clean and track change versions as well as a completed Briefing template, report or supporting cover page.

All materials are delivered electronically. Your presentation during the meeting should offer highlights or critical points of your topic and elicit questions from the Senate.

Note: Under extenuating circumstances, reports or items may be submitted after the deadline, however only upon written confirmation by the Secretary.

Regular reports can use this template (no action item): NOSM University Report Template Senate (1)

An agenda item will include a cover or briefing note.  Example: NOSM_U_SENATE_BRIEFING_NOTE_TEMPLATE

• Use a template for submitting reports.
• Use the templates for submitting items that are for information or action
• The item title on the cover needs to be the same as the item title on the agenda.
• The item cover lists the attachments, if any. The document titles on the attachments should match the titles listed under Attachments on the item cover template.

Note: If you have an item that you expect will come to the Senate multiple times during the course of the project, please maintain consistency of name and format.

Attachments: Please submit attachments with your items, if applicable.

• Send all attachments in PDF format.
• For items presented that are revised documents must be presented in both a clean and track change format (identifying the changes in the track change version)
• Consistent to the University Policy Framework or Policies, all new or revised documents for consideration must be in the most current document format and template.  See your portfolio or unit designated person or the Secretary for examples and templates.
• PowerPoint slides should have a light or white background whenever possible. Please follow the formatting guidelines given below.
• The title on the attachment should match the title listed under Attachments on the Item Cover.
• Brief bios, with photos, for guest faculty, student, and visitors would be appreciated. Please see the attached Bio Sample.

Due dates: Please see the submission schedule for due dates. The Secretary will lightly proofread your items and attachments. Major additions and changes are the responsibility of the presenting portfolios or units. If your item cover and attachments are late, the item may be pulled from the agenda.

Note: Please be considerate of the time it will take to study the materials you intend to provide. Include enough information for Senate to identify the core issues, but do not overextend. All attachments should be tied directly to the objective of your presentation. If, during the presentation, the Senate or Committee requests additional information, the Secretary will work with you and be the conduit for follow up.

Members review all materials prior to meetings. Meeting time should be devoted to discussion of pre-distributed items rather than to content delivery. Your presentation during the meeting should offer highlights or critical points of your topic and elicit questions from the membership. It is recommended to add questions to engage the participants.

• Provide a bio to the Secretary with your materials
• Introduce yourself(-selves) and state your name(s) and title(s).
• Agendas are typically very full. Practice your presentation to make sure the timing is accurate. Maintain time discipline.
• Do not present in person all of the information you submitted in advance. Assume the members have reviewed the materials.
• Highlight the Actions and emphasize the outcomes. Present a few high level points and your objective in bringing this information to the Board’s attention.
• Leave time for questions from the members and discussion about the item. Develop specific questions for the audience to answer to stimulate dialogue and interest.
• Reading suggestion before presentation: 12 Tips to Help You Ace Your Next Meeting Presentation
• Ensure your system is updated for the meeting contact helpdesk@nosm.ca

The University is fortunate to have an engaged and dedicated Senate. Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns. We would like your presentations to be successful!

Unless otherwise specified in these rules of procedure or Constitution, Bourinot’s Rules of Order, in its most recent edition, shall govern.

These exist to ensure that meetings proceed smoothly and democratically. The rules of order are intended to facilitate equitable participation, not limit it.

Bourinot’s Rules of Order are relied on by the Board and Senate.

Bourinots at a glance

Examples for reference:  Parliamentary Procedures Motion Examples

No meeting of the Council shall exceed two hours unless two-thirds of the members present agree to continue with the business of the meeting.

To allow the Senate to complete a number of matters and devote more of its attention to major items of business, the Agenda has been divided between items that are to be presented individually for discussion and/or information and those that are approved and/or received by consent. A Consent Agenda is not intended to prevent discussion of any matter by Senate, but items listed under the consent sections will not be discussed at the meeting unless a Member so requests. All Members are supplied with the appropriate documentation for each item, and all items on the Consent Agenda will be approved by means of one motion.

Secretary’s Memorandum – Consent Agendas – The Use of Consent Agendas to Run Efficient and Effective Meetings (February2021)

Generally, Senate accomplishes the passage of new proposals, policies, other documents or constitution in two readings. At the first reading, the presentation of the proposed document is discussed.  At the second (or future) meeting, further discussion may take place and the vote on the document shall be taken. Any changes to this are at the discretion of the Speaker.

All motions and resolutions shall be preceded by a Briefing note, that is to be submitted to the Secretary in time to be included in the agenda circulated before the next meeting.

The Speaker/Chair shall propose all motions and amendments under discussion in reverse order to that in which they are moved.

When a motion is under debate, no motion shall be received unless

• to amend,
• to refer to committee or to waive the rule of reference,
• to postpone,
• to adjourn.

Ordinarily, no member shall speak more than once to the same question (and then not longer than 3-5 minutes unless permitted by the chair), but the mover shall have the right of replying after all the members who choose to speak have spoken. A member may, at any time, with the permission of the Speaker/chair, explain a material part of the speech which may have been misunderstood.

At meetings of the Senate only Senators may move and second motions, propose amendments and vote on amendments and motions.

For Examples or language:  Parliamentary Procedures Motion Examples

All Members, including Ex Officio members, have full voting rights. Voting rights are limited to those Members present at the time of the vote. Proxy votes are not permissible. In the case of a tie, the Speaker/Chair has a casting vote.

When a motion is proposed during a University Senate meeting, members will have the following options for voting:

• For the Motion: A vote in favor of the motion, indicating agreement with the proposal as presented.
• Opposed to the Motion: A vote against the motion, signaling disagreement with the proposal and a preference not to adopt it.
• Abstain from the Motion: Choosing not to vote either for or against the motion, indicating a conflict of interest.

When a vote is taken in the Senate any member may request that the numbers, or that the member’s own vote, be recorded in the minutes. If not requested, only the result will be noted.

In exceptional circumstances where time is of the essence and there is no reasonable possibility of convening a meeting, electronic voting is permissible. The use of electronic voting is to be determined by the Senate Executive Committee or when this is not possible by the Speaker.  As a part of procedure, the voting of the Graduands list is completed by electronic vote on an annual basis.

In circumstances where electronic voting is necessary, the wording of the Motion and any background material shall be circulated to the Senate.  Members will be asked to vote on the Motion and their votes must be recorded with the Secretary on or before a specific date. Voting will be on the Motion as presented. The result of the electronic vote shall be transmitted to the Academic Council.

Following are some of the policies most relevant to Senate, for policies approved by Senate, they are available within the appropriate programs.

Rules of Procedure at Senate Meetings (2023)

Senate Enabling Motion-Approval of Graduands (2024)