Senate

Ex Officio

• The Rev. Dr. Christopher Brittain (Dean of Divinity)
• The Rev. Andrea Budgey (Chaplain)
• Nelson De Melo (Registrar)
• Jason MacIntyre (Bursar)
• Kristen Moore (Dean of Students)
• Mayo Moran (Provost)
• Michael Ratcliffe (Dean of Arts)
• Kate MacDonald (Nicholls Librarian & Director)

Eighteen elected Fellows, at least two being members of the Faculty of Divinity:

• Leslie Boehm
• Connor Ewing
• Walter Deller
• Nicholas Everett
• Cindy Ewing
• Joy Fitzgibbon
• Mark Lautens
• Sherry Lee
• Thierry Mallevaey
• Aurel Braun
• Timothy Sayle
• Jennifer Leitch
• Mike Kessler
• Nicole Speiglaar
• John Duncan
• Susan Bronskill
• Jack Cunningham
• Michael Classens

Two elected members of Corporation:

• Vacant
• Alex Smith (Chair)

Two elected members of the staff:

• Cameron McBurney
• Emily Gilbert

Two elected general members of Convocation:

• Almos Tassonyi
• Peter Wismath

One elected member of the Divinity Associates:

• The Rev. David Danner

One elected member of the St. Hilda’s Board of Trustees:

• Vacant

Two students elected from the Faculty of Divinity:

• Karim Guirguis
• Sarah Griffin

Six elected students who are not members of the Faculty of Divinity, with at least one being a resident and one being a non-resident of the college:

• Natalie Lo
• Tavie Johnson
• Emily Qin
• Bhavnoor Pannu
• Chelsea Tho

One Don selected by agreement the first meeting of Deans and Dons each academic year:

• Abhishek Moturu

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Advises the Senate on Policy on Fellows, Associates, Research Associates and Senior Research Associates, and Junior Fellows.
2. Advises the Senate on recommendations for the appointment and termination of Fellows who are not Fellows by virtue of appointment as members of the academic staff of Trinity College on a College contract (6.3.4).
3. Advises the Senate on the appointment of Associates (6.3.4), Research Associates, Senior Research Associates, and Junior Fellows (6.3.5).
4. Approves the membership categories of the Dons’ Selection Committee, which committee is a subcommittee of the Academic Appointments Committee.

Membership

• Dean of Arts
• Dean of Divinity
• Four Fellows who are members of the Senate
• Two students who are members of the Senate

The Chair: A member of the Committee elected by the Committee*

* In practice, the chair has for years been the Dean of Arts.

Approved by the Senate: October 22, 1996
Amended by the Senate: January 12, 1998; October 22, 2007

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Responsible to the Senate for policy and planning with respect to the College’s Academic Program in Arts and Science.
2. Monitors, on behalf of the Senate, the progress of the program of the Faculty of Arts and advises the Senate on any changes (6.3.3.)
3. Advises the Senate on Policy for the admission of students in the Faculty of Arts.
4. Approves allocation of the College’s instructional grant.
5. Advises the Dean of Arts on the development of the Annual budget of the Faculty of Arts.
6. Advises the Dean of Arts on the direction of the College’s interdisciplinary programs.
7. Advises the Dean of Arts on the conduct of the College’s writing advisory centre, computer centre and any other program of academic support.
8. Recommends for Senate approval TRN courses for submission to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of the University of Toronto, on the advice of the Dean of Arts.
9. Advises the Dean of Arts on appointments and cross-appointments to staff the College program in Arts and Science (See also Academic Appointments Committee).
10. Advises the Senate on Policy on Scholarships, Prizes, Exhibitions, Bursaries and Student Loans (6.3.6).
11. Advises the Senate on conditions and terms of proposed awards.

Membership (10 members):

• Dean of Arts
• Librarian, ex officio *
• Registrar
• Assistant Provost (Academic)****
• three Program Coordinators
• Director of the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program**
• Two students who are members of the Senate
• One Fellow who is a member of the Senate
• Director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History***

The Chair: A member of the Committee elected by the Committee

Approved by the Senate: October 22, 1996
*Amended: September 17, 2007; **Amended: September 19, 2011; ***Amended: February 13, 2012; ****Amended: September 17, 2012

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Advises the Senate on proposals for greater interaction among the groups that make up the Trinity community: staff, students, faculty and alumnae/i.
2. Advises the Senate on long-range plans and particular projects to improve non-resident facilities.
3. Advises the Senate on internal College communication vehicles (publications, publicity for events), especially with respect to their integration, improvement and community impact.
4. Advises the Senate on policy and procedures for the discipline of students (5.10.7).
5. Advises the Senate on policy and procedures for the student residences (5.10.7).
6. Advises the Senate on matters relating to the well-being and activities of the students of Trinity College.

Membership (11 members):

• Chaplain
• Dean of Students
• Registrar*
• One Fellow who is a member of the Senate
• Two students who are members of the Senate
• One student who will be elected each year from among the current first-year students
• One student who will be elected each year from among the current Non-resident students**
• One student in the Faculty of Divinity
• One member of the administrative staff who is a member of the Senate
• One alumna/us who is a member of the Senate
• The Senate Don

The Chair and The Secretary: Members of the Committee elected by the Committee at the first meeting either by consensus or vote.

Operating Procedures:

• One of the ex officio officers will call the Community Affairs Committee’s first meeting by the end of September.
• Meetings are held every two weeks, beginning no later than the end of September.
• In its capacity as an advisory committee of the Senate the Community Affairs Committee will fulfil its mandate by requesting submissions and collecting information from the Provost, the Senate, Community Affairs Committee members, the Joint College Meeting and any other Trinity College constituency. To expedite business, the Community Affairs Committee may decide to proceed on some issues via subcommittees. The latter may include members belonging to neither the Community Affairs Committee nor Senate.
• In cases of conflict or uncertainty about its mandate, the Community Affairs Committee will seek advice from Senate.

Approved by Senate: October 22, 1996
Amended by Senate: February 9, 1998; September 11, 1998; January 25, 1999; January 21, 2002
*Amended by Senate February 9, 2015; **Amended by Senate April 11, 2016

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Responsible to the Senate for academic affairs of the Faculty of Divinity (8.3).
2. Determines general requirements for admission of students, curriculum and degree requirements in the Faculty of Divinity (8.3.1).
3. Receives reports from the Dean of Divinity on the admissions of individual students and the award of scholarships, bursaries and prizes in the Faculty of Divinity (8.3.2.)
4. Provides regular reports to the Senate on the current business and concerns of the Faculty of Divinity (8.3.3.).

Membership:

• Dean of Divinity
• All full-time members and part-time members of the academic staff of the Faculty of Divinity in the professorial ranks, and lecturers
• One teaching assistant, elected by the teaching assistants in the Faculty of Divinity
• A Fellow who is not a member of the academic staff of the Faculty of Divinity, appointed by the Senate
• Librarian
• Registrar
• Student Head of Divinity
• Three students registered in the Faculty of Divinity, elected pursuant to the Regulations, at least two of such students being registered in a basic degree program
• Two persons elected by the Divinity Associates
• One person appointed by the House of Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario
• One member-at-large from the alumni non-Divinity constituency *

The Chair: A member of the Council elected by the Council (8.2.) 

Confirmed by the Senate: October 22, 1996
* Amended by Senate: November 26, 2001 and confirmed by Divinity Council on October 2 and November 6, 2002

TERMS OF REFERENCE

See Statutes, 9.

1. Proposes to the Corporation the names of individuals to be recommended for Honorary Degrees (G9).
2. Nominates to the Corporation persons for election as Honorary Fellows (G11).

Membership (11 members):

• Chancellor
• Vice-Chancellor
• Seven other persons appointed by the Senate
• The Vice-Chancellor has the right to appoint two further persons.

The Chair: Vice-Chancellor

Confirmed by the Senate: October 22, 1996
*Amended by Corporation: April 13, 2000

More on the Committee for Honorary Degrees and Honorary Fellows

Nomination Form for Honorary Degrees & Fellowships [LINK to NEW ONLINE FORM: 1.1.1.3.4.1 – Form1] 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Advises the Senate on policy and planning with respect to collection management, user services, facilities and access to the College’s Library and Archives.
2. Advises the College Librarian on the development of the annual budget of the College Library and Archives.
3. Advises the College Librarian on matters of policy and resources related to collection management, user services, facilities and access within the College libraries.
4. Advises the College Librarian on relationships with other libraries within the Toronto School of Theology and University of Toronto campus systems, and within the larger post-secondary and other library and information environments.

Membership:

• The College Librarian (The Nicholls Librarian and Director, John W. Graham Library)
• The Archivist (Rolph-Bell Archivist)
• Four Fellows who are members of the Senate
• Two students who are members of the Senate
• One Trinity College student who works as a student assistant at the Graham Library, appointed by the College Librarian
• One Divinity student
• One alumna/us nominated by the Friends of the Library (need not be a member of the Senate
• One alumna/us who is a member of the Senate
• One member of the full-time library staff

The Chair:

The College Librarian

Operating Procedures:

• The Committee normally meets two times during each academic year, once each term, at times determined with reference to the schedules of the members. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair, or at the request of members, as necessary.

Approved by the Senate: October 22, 1996
Amended by the Senate: October 22, 2001; April 13, 2009; April 8, 2019

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Oversees elections to the Senate.
2. Monitors the positions for which the Senate has responsibility for appointment to ensure that vacancies are filled promptly.
3. Seeks out, and nominates to the Senate, individuals for appointment by the Senate, to committees of the Senate itself, and to college and other bodies on which there are Senate representatives.
4. When authorized by the Senate, appoints Fellows and others to fill vacant positions on committees.
5. Has responsibility to identify candidates for the position of Senate Chair.

College Officers and students are ineligible.*

Membership (6 members):

• Two Fellows who are members of the Senate who are not Officers of the College
• Two students who are members of the Senate
• One member of the administrative staff who is a member of the Senate and not an Officer of the College
• One alumna/us who is a member of the Senate

Secretary: College Secretary shall act as non-voting Secretary of the Committee

The Chair: A member of the Committee elected by the Committee.

 Approved by Senate, October 22, 1996
*Amended by Senate: September 30, 2002

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Advises the Provost on the award of all scholarships, prizes and exhibitions awarded in the Faculty of Arts (4.5.3.1.).
2. Advises the Provost on the award of all bursaries to students in the Faculty of Arts.

(The Senate will receive reports from the Provost on awards made. In the case of bursaries, the report will not include the names of recipients, but only the number awarded and the total value.)

Membership (5 members):

• Registrar
• Dean of Arts
• Bursar
• Dean of Students
• One Fellow who is a member of the Senate

The Chair: Registrar

Operating Procedures:

1. Undergraduate College scholarships and awards are made by the Provost on the advice of the Trinity College Awards Committee, a committee of the Senate. Recommendations of the Awards committee are forwarded to the Provost for final signature by a memo from the Registrar and Bursar. The Awards Committee reports its decisions annually to Senate.
2. Donor advice under the terms of a donation is permitted when advisory in nature, but shall always be subject to review by the Awards Committee.
3. “Selection committees” may be struck, either to review applicants’ files or to interview candidates for specific awards. Such committees may include non-college members whose contributions are relevant to the discussion of a specific award.
4. All “selection committees” must include within their membership at least two college officers, normally at least one of the Registrar or Dean of Students, and at least one of the Provost or Dean of Arts.
5. Recommendations of “selection committees” shall be forwarded in writing (with the relevant application when requested) to the Registrar and the Awards Committee for review before final submission to the Provost.

Approved by the Senate: October 22, 1996
Amended by Senate: October 22, 2007