Senate

The Senate was established through the University of Waterloo Act, 1972 and is responsible for academic programs, educational policies, faculty appointments and tenure, qualifications for degrees and diplomas, conferring honorary degrees and appointing the Chancellor. The Senate also has the power, subject to the approval of the Board insofar as the expenditures of funds is concerned, to create, modify or remove schools, institutes, departments or chairs. 
 
The composition of Senate is representative of the University community, with both elected and ex-officio membership.  Senators include faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, governors and administrative staff. The Act requires that the Senate have a majority of elected faculty members.
 
The Senate conducts its business through committees that bring recommendations to the Senate at regularly scheduled meetings through the governance year.  Meetings include open session, which guests are welcome to attend, and closed sessions reserved for Senators.
 

  • The President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Vivek Goel, is the Chair of Senate.
  • The Vice-President, Academic and Provost, Dr. James Rush, is the Vice-Chair of Senate.
  • The Secretary of Senate is Genevieve Gauthier-Chalifour, with Mike Grivicic designated as the Associate University Secretary for Senate.

Senate - Membership

Members 2024-2025

Last Updated: 1 May 2024

Constituency

Position

Name

Ex-Officio

[26]

Chancellor

Jagdeep Singh Bachher

Chair, Board of Governors

Murray Gamble  

President and Vice-Chancellor

Vivek Goel [Chair]

Vice-President, Academic & Provost

James Rush [Vice-Chair]

Vice-President, Administration & Finance

Jacinda Reitsma

Vice-President, Research & International

Charmaine Dean

Associate Vice-President, Indigenous
Relations

Jean Becker

Associate Vice-President, Equity,
Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

Christopher Taylor

Associate Vice-President, Academic

David DeVidi

Associate Vice-President, Graduate
Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs

Clarence Woudsma [interim]

Associate Vice-President, Academic
Operations

Paul Fieguth

Dean, Faculty of Health

Lili Liu

Dean, Faculty of Arts

Alexie Tcheuyap

Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Mary Wells

Dean, Faculty of Environment

Bruce Frayne

Dean, Faculty of Mathematics

Mark Giesbrecht

Dean, Faculty of Science

Chris Houser

University Librarian

Beth Sandore Namachchivaya

Registrar

Cathy Newell Kelly

President, Conrad Grebel
University College

Marcus Shantz

President, Renison
University College

Marc Jerry

President, St. Jerome’s University

Peter Meehan

Principal, United College

Richard Myers

President, Faculty Association of
the University of Waterloo

David Porreca

President, Waterloo Undergraduate
Student Association

Nicholas Pfeifle

President, Graduate Student
Association

Neela Hassan

Board
of Governors

[4]

Aubrey Basdeo

John Saabas

Teresa Fortney

 

Vacancy

Faculty
Representatives 

(Three from
each Faculty)

Faculty of Arts

Veronica Kitchen (25)

Faculty of Arts

Shana MacDonald (26)

Faculty of Arts

James Skidmore (27)

Faculty of Engineering

Mary Robinson (25)

Faculty of Engineering

Christopher Nielsen (26)

Faculty of Engineering

En-Hui Yang (27)

Faculty of Environment

Jennifer Lynes Murray (25)

Faculty of Environment

Vacancy (26)

Faculty of Environment

Johanna Wandel (27)

Faculty of Health

Narveen Jandu (25)

Faculty of Health

Ellen MacEachen (25)

Faculty of Health

Vacancy (27)

Faculty of Mathematics

Sivabal Sivaloganathan (25)

Faculty of Mathematics

Achim Kempf (26)

Faculty of Mathematics

Cecilia Cotton (27)

Faculty of Science

Laura Deakin (25)

Faculty of Science

Colleen Maxwell (26)

Faculty of Science

Kirsten Muller (27)

Faculty
Representatives

[AFIW]

 

Conrad Grebel University
College

Troy Osborne (25)

Renison University College

Kristiina Montero (25)

St. Jerome's University

Scott Kline (25)

St. Jerome’s University

Carol Ann MacGregor (26)

St. Jerome’s University

Veronica Austen (27)

United College

John Abraham (27)

Faculty-at-Large
Representatives

[29]

Faculty of Arts

David Ha (25)

Faculty of Arts

Neil Randall (27)

Faculty of Engineering

Nasser Abukhdeir (27)

Faculty of Engineering

Marc Aucoin (25)

Faculty of Engineering

Siva Sivoththaman (25)

Faculty of Engineering

Nadine Ibrahim (26)

Faculty of Environment

Rob Gorbet (25)

Faculty of Environment

James Nugent (26)

Faculty of Environment

Mark Seasons (27)

Faculty of Health

Mark Ferro (26)

Faculty of Health

Peter Hall (26)

Faculty of Heatlh

Martin Cooke (27)

Faculty of Mathematics

Brad Lushman (25)

Faculty of Mathematics

Changbao Wu (25)

Faculty of Mathematics

Christiane Lemieux (26)

Faculty of Mathematics

Blake Madill (26)

Faculty of Mathematics

Sachin Kotecha (27)

Faculty of Mathematics

Ondrej Lhotak (27)

Faculty of Science

Kim Cuddington (25)

Faculty of Science

Stan Woo (26)

Faculty of Science

Natalie Hutchings (25)

Vacancy (27)

Vacancy (27)

Undergraduate Students

[8]

Faculty of Arts

Andrew Chang (26)

Faculty of Engineering

Asher Scaini (25)

Faculty of Environment

Katie Traynor (26)

Faculty of Health

Avery Akkerman (25)

Faculty of Mathematics

Catherine Dong (25)

Faculty of Science

Jordan Bauman (26)

Student-at-Large

Bilal Ahmed (25)

Student-at-Large

Rida Sayed (25)

Graduate
Students

[4]

Judy Castaneda (25)

Stephanie Maaz (25)

Everett Patterson (26)

Nicholas Pellegrino (26)

Alumni

[4]

Acey Kaspar (25)

Sharon Tucker (25)

Vikas Gupta (26)

Diana Vangelisti (26)

(25) = to 30 April 2025

(26) = to 30 April 2026

(27) = to 30 April 2027

Senate - Meeting Dates

2024-25 Meeting Dates

Date Start Time Place
May 6, 2024 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
June 10, 2024 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
September 23, 2024 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
October 21, 2024 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
November 25, 2024 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
January 27, 2025 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
March 3, 2025 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual
April 7, 2025 3:30 p.m. Needles Hall 3407 / Virtual

Senate - Agendas & Minutes

NOTE: minutes of meetings are not official until approved at the next Senate meeting.

2024-2025

Agenda Minutes
April 7, 2025 April 7, 2025
March 3, 2025 March 3, 2025
January 27, 2025 January 27, 2025
November 25, 2024 November 25, 2024
October 21, 2024 October 21, 2024
September 23, 2024 September 23, 2024
June 10, 2024 (Special Meeting)
June 10, 2024
June 10, 2024 (Special Meeting)
June 10, 2024
May 6, 2024 May 6, 2024

2023-2024

Agenda Minutes
April 8, 2024 April 8, 2024
March 4, 2024 March 4, 2024
January 29,2024 January 29, 2024
November 27, 2023 November 27, 2023
October 23, 2023 October 23, 2023
September 18, 2023 September 18, 2023
June 19, 2023 June 19, 2023
May 15, 2023 May 15, 2023

2022-23

Agenda Minutes
April 17, 2023 April 17, 2023
March 27, 2023 March 27, 2023
February 27, 2023 February 27, 2023
January 16, 2023 January 16, 2023
December, 19 2022 Cancelled December 19, 2022 Cancelled
November 21, 2022 November 21, 2022
October 17, 2022 October 17, 2022
September 19, 2022 September 19, 2022
June 20, 2022 June 20, 2022
May 16, 2022 May 16, 2022

 2021-22

Agenda Reports from Faculties Minutes
April 18, 2022 April 18, 2022 April 18, 2022
March 28, 2022 March 28, 2022 March 28, 2022
February 28, 2022  February 28, 2022 February 28, 2022
January 17, 2022  January 17, 2022 January 17, 2022
December 20, 2021 December 20, 2021 December 20, 2021
November 15, 2021 November 15, 2021 November 15, 2021
October 18, 2021  October 18, 2021 October 18, 2021
September 20, 2021 September 20, 2021 September 20, 2021
June 21, 2021 June 21, 2021 June 21, 2021
May 17, 2021 May 17, 2021 May 17, 2021

2020-21

Agenda Minutes
April 19, 2021 April 19, 2021
March 22, 2021 March 22, 2021
February 22, 2021 February 22, 2021
January 18, 2021 January 18, 2021
December 21, 2020 - cancelled December 21, 2020 - cancelled
November 16, 2020 November 16, 2020
October 19, 2020 October 19, 2020
September 21, 2020 September 21, 2020
June 15, 2020 June 15, 2020
May 19, 2020 May 19, 2020

2019-20

Agenda Minutes
April 20, 2020 April 20, 2020
March 30, 2020 - revised March 30, 2020
February, 24 2020 cancelled February 24, 2020 cancelled
January 20, 2020 January 20, 2020
November 18, 2019 November 18, 2019
October 21, 2019 October 21, 2019
September 16, 2019 September 16, 2019
June 17, 2019 June 17, 2019
May 21, 2019 May 21, 2019