President's Advisory Committee on Freedom of Expression and Inclusive Engagement

Terms of Reference

1. Purpose

The President’s Advisory Committee on Freedom of Expression and Inclusive Engagement (the “Committee”) will serve as a standing advisory body, composed of faculty, staff, and students with relevant expertise to be available to advise the University's senior administration on free expression matters including policy revision and development, and the various tasks and responsibilities that have been identified as part of the implementation plan.

2. Objectives

The core objectives of the Committee are:

• Provide advice to the President, or to such other persons or bodies as the President may direct, related to matters of freedom of expression and inclusive engagement at the University.  
• Advise on issues related to Policy 8: Freedom of Speech at the request of the President or designate. 
• Form working groups to exchange information, develop strategies, and coordinate implementation of specific plans at the request of the President or designate. 
• Provide feedback and input on significant policies, guidelines, and projects or initiatives that relate to freedom of expression and academic freedom. 

3. Membership

Membership in the Committee shall be comprised of:

1. The President, who shall act as chair
2. The Associate Vice-President, Faculty Planning, and Policy (ex-officio)
3. The Director, Faculty Relations (ex-officio) or designate
4. Two to three faculty representatives with relevant expertise
5. Two staff representatives with relevant expertise
6. One undergraduate student representative with relevant expertise
7. One graduate student with relevant expertise

The Associate Vice-President, Faculty Planning and Policy has been designated as administrative lead of the committee and will provide secretariat support. In consultation with the Vice-President, Academic and Provost, the AVP, FPP will recommend membership in the committee to the President. Committee members will generally serve for a term of three years, with a possible extension for one further term. Student representatives will generally serve for a term of one year to accommodate academic commitments but may choose to continue for a second year if their schedule permits.  It is expected that additional stakeholders with relevant expertise and/or accountabilities will work closely with the Committee and may join occasional meetings to provide input or present information and may serve on working groups.

4. Roles of the Chair

The chair shall preside over Committee meetings, and have the authority to:

1. Appoint members to the Committee where relevant
2. Call meetings as necessary
3. Strike working groups as necessary.

5. Committee Member Roles

Committee members are expected to:

• Attend ad-hoc meetings and participate in the fulfilment of the Committee mandate;
• Join working groups of the Committee as appropriate to support specific objectives;
• Liaise with other stakeholder groups on campus to advance implementation of identified objectives;
• Review and provide comment on draft documents in person and electronically;

In addition to the above, the Chair may assign administrative responsibilities to ex-officio members as needed.

6. Decision-Making

From time to time, it is expected that the committee will make recommendations to bring forward to the President.  When forming these recommendations:

1. The committee will make every effort to operate on a consensus model.
2. When consensus is not attainable, the committee will follow a democratic process.
3. It is understood that the recommendations of the committee remain subject to normal University of Waterloo policies and approvals processes.

7. Meetings

The Committee shall normally meet on an as needed basis.

Committee quorum shall be determined as fifty percent of voting Committee membership, plus one. Ex-officio members on the committee may appoint a designate if they are unable to attend a meeting, provided they give notice to the chair through the Director, Faculty Relations.

Meeting agendas and any associated information for review will be circulated by the Director, Faculty Relations after review from the chair, five business days in advance of scheduled meeting times. The Office of the Associate Vice-President, Faculty Planning and Policy will record minutes and circulate to the Committee within ten business days of the meeting, for approval at subsequent meetings.

8. Working Groups

The Committee may form working groups to provide focused support for development or implementation of specific projects and actively engage stakeholders beyond the Committee members. Working groups shall each develop a term of reference, and report back to the Committee at least once per year. All working groups shall have at least one member of the Committee.

Working groups shall meet as often as required to meet their mandates as set by the Committee.

9. Confidentiality

The Committee’s proceedings are generally to be considered open and transparent. However, members may state that certain information or opinion should be kept confidential to the Committee in the interest of ensuring the free flow of ideas and depth of discussion.

10. Review of Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the Committee will be reviewed every three years to ensure they remain relevant and reflect the evolving needs of the university community. Changes to the Terms of Reference must be approved by the President.