It is customary for the the Provost & Vice-President, Academic to provide a report to each meeting of Senate outlining plans, priorities, issues and other news. As these reports are already public through the University Secretariat Office, they will also be shared regularly through this memorandum page.

Note that appendices to the report can be found on the University Secretariat Office website.

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Report to Senate of the Provost & Interim President – March 23, 2022

Dear colleagues,

With the COVID-19 pandemic only now beginning to ease in Canada, the world already finds itself faced with another humanitarian catastrophe. Members of the Brock community watch in horror at the events unfolding in Ukraine, as acts of violence take the lives of innocent civilians.

This is a difficult time for many of us. Brock has taken a number of steps in recent weeks to show our support for our students, staff, and faculty members of Ukrainian and Russian descent. We have on several occasions publicly stated our support for the people of Ukraine on social media and in other statements, also including links to the various supports and services available on campus to those affected by the events. Schmon Tower was lit in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag. And we have promoted and shared messages from our sector partners, including the Council of Ontario Universities and Universities Canada.

Brock International has contacted our students impacted by these events and provided assistance, including guidance negotiating financial challenges. The Registrar’s Office, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and other units continue to work together to address the challenges our Ukrainian and Russian students are facing to ensure academic progression, in addition to coming up with other creative ways for us to support graduate students and faculty members in Ukraine whose work is impacted by recent events.

Like all Canadian institutions, Brock has a role to play in supporting freedom and democracy around the world. This is a responsibility we take seriously and from which we will not shy away, recognizing that different contexts call for different kinds of actions.

President’s Distinguished Staff Service Awards

On January 26, the Brock community paused for an hour to recognize the dedication and service of our exceptional staff and faculty members. Over 200 staff and faculty members logged in to a virtual event posted by myself and colleagues from HR.

A new award was introduced this year to honour outstanding teams. Two winners were named in this inaugural year – the Central Receiving and Mail Services team, and the Department of Residences. Both of these teams have put it exceptional efforts in ever-changing conditions to ensure the continued functioning of our University campus, often in moments when many staff and faculty were working online.

Along with the new team award, individual staff service awards were announced, which also honoured employees who had achieved service longevity milestones.

The President’s Distinguished Staff Service Awards for Outstanding Contributions recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service or made a contribution to the working environment at Brock at a level significantly beyond normal expectations. The four 2021 recipients were Tanya Bradley, Manager, Student Engagement in Student Life and Success; Pauline Dawson, Manager, Campus Career Education in Co-op, Career and Experiential Education; Tracey Naldjieff, Research Accounting Clerk in Research Services; and Pete Sawatsky, Lead Hand in Facilities Management Structural Services.

The Human Resources Distinguished Staff Service Award for Leadership went to George Bench, Manager, Emergency Management and Life Safety in Campus Security Services. George has played a critical role in almost every aspect of Brock’s pandemic management efforts over the course of the last two years, and we owe him our thanks in unprecedented times for our continued safety on campus.

Ten employees joined the Quarter Century Club of staff and faculty members with at least 25 years of service, including Professor Nota Klentrou, Professor Teresa Menzies and Professor Carol Merriam. Professor Leah Bradshaw and Professor Richard Cheel were both recognized for over 35 years of service to Brock.

Update on senior academic searches

As you know, a number of key administrative searches are currently underway.

• The Advisory Committee on the Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning is creating a long list of candidates and will be moving forward with a first round of interviews in the coming weeks. Many thanks to all members of the University community who participated in the initial phase of consultation to inform the position profile.
• The Advisory Committee on the Dean of the Goodman School of Business is preparing a position profile and job ad, which should be posted soon.
• The Advisory Committee on the Vice-President, Research has met several times and is in the middle of the review process, having invited feedback from the University community in February.
• The Advisory Committees on the Deans of Math & Science and of Education, as well as on the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement, are all in the process of retaining search consultants to facilitate the recruitment process.

Steps to strengthen Brock’s work and learning environment

On March 9, I announced a number of steps that we will be initiating in this calendar year to strengthen Brock’s work and learning environment and pursue our strategic objectives related to fostering a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation, and decolonization.

These include:

• Completing a scheduled review of the University’s Sexual Assault and Harassment Policy, with numerous engagement opportunities for students, staff, faculty members and librarians to provide their feedback on the Policy;
• A scheduled review of the University’s Workplace Violence Prevention Policy;
• A scheduled review of the University’s Employment Equity Policy; and
• A scheduled review of the University’s Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy in Fall 2022.

I have also asked Vice-President, Administration Ken Chan to lead a review of Brock’s Human Rights & Equity Office. HRE was established as a resource to provide members of the Brock community with information, education, assistance, and advice on issues related to human rights, harassment, discrimination, and bullying. In the spirit of continuous improvement, the review will consider HRE’s mandate, operational effectiveness, organizational structure, and resourcing. The review will provide recommendations to the President by the end of the calendar year.

Review of the Sexual Assault and Harassment Policy

On March 10 I launched a review of Brock’s Sexual Assault and Harassment Policy (SAHP), which outlines the University’s commitment to respond to allegations of sexual violence affecting members of the its community, as well as the procedures the University will use to do so.

Sexual violence remains a pervasive issue on campus and in broader society, and one about which I am certain Brock students, staff, and faculty members will have significant feedback. The policy review process will thus include an extensive consultation process to engage the Brock community.

To this end, an online consultation was launched and will remain open until May 13, 2022. Two townhall-style consultation sessions will also be held for each of students, staff, and faculty members, for those who prefer to submit comments in person rather than through the online portal.

Revised medical notes forms

At our last meeting in February, Senate approved changes to Faculty Handbook sections governing the use of medical notes. The revised wording introduces a two-tiered process, with self-attestation required for absences of three days or less and self-declaration of absence with the support of a medical professional required for absences of more than three days, as well as when an exam is missed.

Senate approved the changes and agreed that the proposed forms could be used. However, it also requested that further revisions be made to the supporting documentation, passing a motion:

“That Senate empower the Provost, Senate Chair and Chairs of USAC, TLPC, and Grad Studies to work to identify and correct lingering errors or contradictions in the Medical Verification Form and Medical Self-Declaration Form and to bring a revised form forward for Senate’s approval before the end of April 2022.”

As requested, my team and I met with the Senate Vice-Chair and the Chairs of USAC, T&LPC and SGSC on February 24 to review the forms and receive further comments.

Please find the revised forms attached. Note that any lingering formatting issues will be addressed by the design experts in Marketing and Communications once the content is approved. The forms will also be converted to fillable PDF format to facilitate use.

MOTION (Wells/         )

That Senate approve the revised Self-Declaration of Absence Form and Verification of Absence Form.

Sincerely,

Lynn Wells

Interim President and Vice-Chancellor
Provost and Vice-President, Academic