Senate meeting highlights

McMaster University Senate met on Wednesday, Jan. 12 in the Council Chambers of Gilmour Hall. The following are some of the items addressed at this meeting.

Department of English name change

Senate approved a proposal to rename the Department of English to the Department of English and Cultural Studies. The change is intended to advertise that both English and cultural students are strengths of the department. As well, the department has an established undergraduate combined honours program in cultural studies and critical theory and has recently introduced a master's degree in cultural students and critical theory.

Since 1996, the department has made cultural studies a priority area in faculty hiring, with the aim of establishing programs in this area. As undergraduate and graduate programs in cultural studies are now offered at universities around the world, the department finds it important to identify the presence if it's cultural studies program.

“I feel we have already taken a step towards this and the actual change is really only a symbolic change in my eyes,” said Mary O'Connor, chair of the Department of English. “It has been a long time coming . . . we feel a change in the name will indicate to prospective students and scholars exactly what we've been doing in the department.”

New programs approved

Senate approved a number of new undergraduate and graduate programs. At the graduate level, a new masters in digital society, the addition of a field in management accounting to the MBA program and a master of engineering entrepreneurship and innovation were supported.

At the undergraduate level, three new programs were approved. These include a combined honours arts and science and art history program, four new streams in the Department of Engineering Physics, and the origins research specialization and radiation therapy specialization programs.

Senate also approved a new School for Biomedical Engineering, combining engineering technology and health care.

A new program in software engineering and game design, aimed at better understanding the design and implementation of interactive computer games and data visualization was supported.

Proposals for these new programs will be brought to the Board of Governors for approval on Feb. 17.

Sessional dates

Senate approved the sessional dates for the fall/winter 2005-06 academic period.

Term one classes will begin on Thursday, Sept. 8 and will end Dec. 5, with the exam period scheduled Dec. 7-21. Term two classes will begin Tuesday, Jan. 3 and conclude April 5, with exams taking place from April 7-26. Each terms consists of 62 days.

Convocation dates also were approved. Spring convocation 2005 has been scheduled for June 6-9. Divinity graduates will convoke May 17 and health sciences graduates will convoke May 20. Fall convocation will take place Nov. 18.