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Academic Policy & Planning Committee

This committee supports academic excellence in LA&PS through examining and formulating our academic planning and policies.

The Academic Policy and Planning Committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 1 - 3 p.m. (September - June). In the years 2025–27, the meetings are held on Mondays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

From section 6.2 of the rules and procedures of council, updated April 2021.

Examines, formulates, and reviews long-term and short-term academic planning as well as comprehensive policies for the Faculty, including degree and non-degree credit studies. 

In discharging its functions the Committee shall:

1.  In tandem with the Dean and in close consultation with Departments/Schools & Colleges, oversee the development of the Faculty Academic Plan, oversee coordination/implementation of the plan, and report to the Council on activities.  

2. Make recommendations to the Council on the feasibility of new Departments/Schools, Programs, Research Centres;  

3. Make recommendations to the Council on reviews of existing Departments/Schools, Programs, Research Centres;  

4. Direct advice on the employment of resources within the Faculty to the Dean; 

5. Make recommendations to the Dean on budgetary matters that affect academic programs;  

6. Advise the Dean on evening education, part-time and full-time studies, graduate education, and Faculty fundraising;  

7. Advise the Dean on the interplay of academic and budget issues in the development of the Integrated Resource Plan; 

8. Set policy with respect to the institutional development in areas of non-degree programming and the relationship between degree and non-degree studies 

9. Through the Non-Degree Studies Sub-Committee, receive proposals for non-degree studies major modifications, new programs, or program closures; 

10. Advise the Dean on matters related to the allocation of appointments of faculty members to the tenure stream (but not individual appointees) each year, preferably within the context of comprehensive budget proposals and in light of the Faculty Academic Plan and developmental plans of the various Schools/Departments within the Faculty; 

11. Access all relevant information through the Office of the Dean and report to the Council regularly on all advice given to the Dean.  

  • Seven faculty members elected at-large for a three-year term
  • Two students appointed by the Student Council of the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies on an annual basis
  • Ex-officio (non-voting) members
  • Dean or dean’s designate: Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Representative on the Academic Policy, Planning & Research Committee of Senate, Chair of Faculty Council or designate, Staff Representative from the Strategic Planning Unit, Secretary of Council or designate 

Faculty members will be elected at-large for a three-year rolling cycle. Members elected at-large will not be from the same Department/School. Each year, one-third of the membership turns over and will be replaced on a rotational basis by other faculty members from Departments/Schools who are not already represented on the Committee. At all times there shall be at least one member from each of the professional, humanities, and social sciences Departments/Schools 

The Chair of the Committee is selected by the voting members of the Committee for a two-year term. 

At least half of the voting members of the Committee, the majority of whom are full-time faculty members, constitutes a quorum. 

2025-2026 Members

Faculty Members

Othon Alexandrakis, Department of Anthropology (Chair)
You-Ta Chuang, School of Administrative Studies
Anne MacLennan, Department of Communication & Media Studies
Chandan Narayan , Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics
Maurice Poon, School of Social Work
Jean-Thomas Tremblay, Department of Humanities
Xiaohui Yu, School of Information Technology

Representatives from SCOLAPS

Reet Sharma

Ex-Officio Members (non-voting)

Kathryn McPherson, Interim Dean, LA&PS
Ian Roberge, Chair of Faculty Council
Tejas Kittur, Secretary of Council
Alena Kimakova, LA&PS Representative on the Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee (APPRC)
Staff Representative from the Strategic Planning Unit

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Upcoming Meetings

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Reports & Documents

LA&PS Academic Plan, 2021-2026

After eight months of consultation across the Faculty, including visits by APPC and the Dean to the 20 Schools and Departments in LA&PS, a series of Town Halls, a special meeting of Faculty Council, and online discussions conducted via a dedicated eClass site, the final version of the LA&PS Academic Plan was approved at Faculty Council on June 13, 2021.