The Senate Graduate Council receives information and make recommendation to Senate as appropriate with respect to governance, regulations, educational policies, and matters relating to graduate education and studies at the University. On behalf of Senate it approves new graduate courses, minor modifications, and the creation or revision of graduate scholarships and awards.
The Secretary for the Senate Graduate Council is Tony Kongly.
Membership 2026-2027
Ex-Officio
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Justin Wan [Chair] | Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs |
| Mike Beazley | Dean, Faculty of Science (designate) |
| Charmaine Dean | Vice-President, Research |
| Thomas Duever | Interim Vice-President, Academic & Provost |
| Bill Rosehart | President and Vice-Chancellor |
| Alison Hitchens | University Librarian (designate) |
| Barbara Csima | Dean, Faculty of Mathematics (designate) |
| Brian Laird | Dean, Faculty of Health (designate) |
| Christopher Nielsen | Dean Faculty of Engineering (designate) |
| Brad Pomeroy | Dean, Faculty of Arts (designate) |
| Ian Rowlands | Dean Faculty of Environment (designate) |
Appointed - Associate Dean
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Rob de Loë | Associate Dean, Research |
Appointed - Faculty
| Name | Faculty |
|---|---|
| Steven Bednarski | Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo (AFIW) |
| Heather Mair | Faculty of Health |
| Martin Karsten | Faculty of Mathematics |
| Marcel O'Gorman | Faculty of Arts |
| Clarence Woudsma | Faculty of Environment |
| Chris Yakymchuk | Faculty of Science |
| En-Hui Yang | Faculty of Engineering |
Appointed - Regular Faculty
| Name |
|---|
| Helen Chen |
| Stephanie Denison |
| Tizazu Mekonnen |
| Michelle Rutty |
Appointed - Graduate Students
| Name |
|---|
| Meray Sadek |
| Geetam Saha |
| Vacant |
Appointed - Postdoctoral Scholar
| Name |
|---|
| Adna Bliek |
Resources (non-voting)
| Name | Membership/Title |
|---|---|
| Angela Christelis | Director, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement |
| Marianne Simm | Director, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs |
| Richard Wikkerink | Director, Student and Faculty Relations |
Terms of Reference
1. Membership
The membership of this council shall consist of the following:
Ex-officio
- President and Vice-Chancellor
- Vice-President, Academic and Provost
- Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, who shall chair the council
- Vice-President, Research and International
- University Librarian or designate
- The Dean of each Faculty or designate, who shall normally be an associate dean responsible for graduate studies
Appointed by Senate
- One (1) associate dean responsible for research
- Six (6) Faculty Senators, one from each Faculty
- Up to four (4) additional members holding regular faculty appointments
- One (1) faculty member from the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo
- Three (3) graduate students, one of whom is the Graduate Student Association President or designate
- One (1) postdoctoral scholar
For members appointed by Senate, the aim is to have broad and inclusive representation from all Faculties.
Resources (non-voting)
- Director, Student and Faculty Relations
- Director, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement
- Director, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
- University Secretary or designate
2. Responsibilities
Consistent with Senate's responsibilities for the establishment of educational policies, provide advice and guidance on matters related to graduate education and studies at the university.
Receive for information and make recommendation to Senate as appropriate with respect to governance, regulations, polices, and matters relating to graduate education and Studies at the University.
Consider, study and review all proposals for new graduate programs, the deletion of graduate programs, and/or major modifications to existing graduate programs, and make recommendations to Senate thereon.
On behalf of Senate, consider and approve all new graduate courses, the deletion of graduate courses, and proposed minor modifications to existing graduate courses and programs, and provide Senate with a brief summary of Council's deliberations in this regard.
Any matter of controversy that might arise may be referred to Senate.
On behalf of Senate, consider and approve all new graduate scholarships and awards, and proposed changes to existing graduate scholarships and awards. Any matter of controversy that might arise may be referred to Senate.
The Committee shall review its terms of reference on an annual basis and make recommendations to Senate thereon. A comprehensive review shall be undertaken every five years.
3. Meetings
The council shall normally hold at least four (4) regular meetings during each year, to be scheduled in the period from September to June.
Special meetings may be called by the chair of the council.
Joint meetings of this council and the Senate Research and Innovation Council shall normally be held at least once annually to consider strategic matters of shared interest.