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Council and 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 being held remotely using Zoom software and are likely to continue to be held remotely for this session. When held in person before, and if held in person subsequently, the meetings would take place in the Senate Chamber, N940 Ross Building. Zoom data is available to members of Council. Although meetings are generally considered public, permission of the Chair is required to address Council.

Current officers and members of Council by category

Membership of Faculty Council 2024-25 (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