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Council & Governance

Faculty Council | Structure, Rules and Procedures | Members

Responsibilities of Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

As the pan-university Committee of Senate responsible for graduate and postdoctoral educational development, the Council will:

  • provide the oversight and advocacy of graduate and postdoctoral educational development in the university's mission to achieve excellence in scholarship, research, and teaching in pure, applied and professional fields;
  • consult, cooperate, and plan strategically with graduate programs, anchor Faculty Council Graduate Committees, and other relevant units across the university to support disciplinary, multi-disciplinary, and cross-Faculty initiatives;
  • develop and maintain uniformly high standards of graduate and postdoctoral educational development, research and professionalization across the University. These standards are to be supported by the adoption and review of regulations governing standards of admission, examinations, academic progress milestones and completion;
  • define the minimum membership criteria for appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies to facilitate student and program development in the areas of teaching, scholarship, research, and supervision;
  • enact such policies, regulations, guidelines, and procedures as are necessary to conduct the affairs of the Faculty.

Council meetings are normally scheduled for the first Thursday of each month October through June. The agendas and minutes as well as other documents such as policy or regulation changes for the current session and for the past five years are linked below:

Faculty Council meetings, agendas and supporting documentation

Meetings of Council are currently held either remotely using Zoom software or in person. When in person, meetings take place in the Senate Chamber, N940 Ross Building. Although meetings are generally considered public, permission of the Chair is required to address Council.

Council meetings are normally scheduled for the first Thursday of each month October through June except in January when meetings take place on the second Thursday. The agendas and minutes as well as other documents such as policy or regulation changes for the current session and for five years prior are linked below:

Faculty Council meetings, agendas and supporting documentation

Agendas and documentation are normally available the week prior to meetings, posted online and distributed to councillors via a listserv.

Meetings of Faculty Council take place in two modes: online via Zoom, or in person. There are no hybrid meetings. Meetings start at 2:30 p.m.

Members of Faculty Council are expected to attend meetings to contribute where possible and appropriate. If members of Council are not able to attend, they should send regrets in advance to Council’s administrative support at fgsgovrn@yorku.ca.

Council meetings are public. Members of the York community may attend in-person meetings, or for Zoom meetings may contact Council’s administrative support for Zoom access. For remote meetings, participants should use the “raise hand” function and/or chat features in order to contact the Chair to speak. For meetings held in person, there is a sign-in sheet for councillors and guests. These meetings are held in the Senate Chamber, North 940 Ross Building.

Academic Planning & Policy Committee serves as the primary route for Council business, although it is possible to introduce new business at Council meetings with notice and permission of the Chair. With Council’s approval, this Committee may act with authority for Council in summer.

Officers of Council are its Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. The Council Members page has information about the current membership of Council, mainly comprised of graduate program directors; other faculty members holding positions across the University; student representatives both at-large and from Standing Committees of Council, as well as the Graduate Students’ Association President and that association’s chief councillors; postdoctoral researchers; and non-voting staff and senior York administrators.

The Structure, Rules and Procedures of Council include more specific information about procedures.

Current officers and members of Council by category

Membership of Faculty Council 2025–26 (176)

Officers of Council, comprised of Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary.

Voting members (153) (120 faculty members, 3 postdoctoral researchers, and 30 students)

  • graduate program directors or representatives (73);
  • student representatives (30) comprised of YUGSA President or designate (1), students on Faculty Standing Committees (7), chief councillors (10), at-large councillors by area (12);
  • anchor Faculty Council graduate committee representatives, chairs or designates (11);
  • postdoctoral researchers including at least one Postdoctoral Fellow (3);
  • Libraries Associate Deans or designates (2);
  • Indigenous Council representatives (2);
  • Enable York representatives (2);
  • Council of Research Directors’ representatives (2);
  • Major Awards Committee/Research Chair representatives (2);
  • faculty members on Council Standing Committees (19) comprised of Academic Planning & Policy Committee (6); Appeals & Academic Honesty Committee (3); Awards Committee (6); Petitions Committee (4);
  • FGS representatives on Senate Committees (4) comprised of Academic Standards, Curriculum & Pedagogy Committee (1), Academic Policy, Planning & Research Committee (1), Executive Committee (1), and Executive Committee’s Honorary Degrees & Ceremonials Subcommittee (1); and,
  • FGS Dean’s Office (3) comprised of Dean (1) and Associate Dean Academic and Associate Dean Students (2).

Ex Officio non-voting members (23)

  • FGS staff (6), comprised of Executive Officer (1); Associate Director, Graduate Academic Affairs (1); Associate Director, Graduate Student Affairs (1); Associate Director, Communications, Recruitment & Digital Engagement (1); Manager, External Scholarships & Graduate Awards (1); and Coordinator, Faculty Governance (1);
  • anchor Faculty Associate Deans Research/Graduate or designate (10); and,
  • University representatives (7), comprised of President (1); Provost (1); Vice-Provost Academic (1); Vice-President Research & Innovation (1); Vice-President Equity, People & Culture (1); Senate Chair (1); Dean of Libraries (1).

Quick Links

One of the YorkU buildings (mcewen-schulich)

Faculty Council

five little blocks forming the word "RULES"

Structure, Rules and Procedures

Vari Hall fachade

Members