Senators share their grievances about the Senate’s lack of involvement in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Framework.
Queen’s Senate met for its fourth and final meeting of the year on Nov. 27. The meeting was hosted in a hybrid form where members could join online through Zoom or attend in person at Robert Sutherland Hall. The discussion consisted of updates on the new federal budget, international student recruitment, AI policy consultation, and various reports.
The meeting began with a moment of silence for Thomas Courchene, inaugural director of the School of Policy Studies. Courchene passed away on Nov. 4 and worked at Queen’s from 1988 to 2012.
Reports
Following the moment of silence, Principal Patrick Deane presented his Principal’s Report to the Senate. He shared his thoughts and opinions on the new 2025 Federal Budget, released on Nov. 4.
READ MORE: Federal Budget commits $1.5 billion to student jobs, but experts warn youth continue to face burdens
Deane shared that he thought the budget was relatively positive for Universities, highlighting that research funding and grants were spared significantly, since the federal granting council only faced a two per cent cut.
He also noted that the government seemed committed to strengthening Canada’s sovereignty and encouraged members to keep that in mind when conducting research, pointing to the new six billion-dollar investment in defence, which allocates funds to defence research.
The Provost Report was presented by Provost Matthew Evans following the Principal Report; he participated online via Zoom, as he was out of town at the time of the meeting.
Following his report, Senate members questioned him about international students and Queen’s recruitment efforts.
Professor in Department of English Literature and Creative Writing, Petra Fachinger asked Evans why Queen’s has made such an effort to recruit specifically from Asia and what efforts are being made to recruit international students worldwide.
In response, Evans defended Queen’s targeted strategy, citing 2022–23 data that supported focusing on Asian countries, though he acknowledged increased diversification’s always a goal.
Evans and a fellow colleague also explained that Queen’s has embedded recruiters across the world alongside consultants and an internal recruitment team that works to attract international students on a global scale.
Question Period
During Question Period, Senators raised concerns about AI committees and workgroups, faculty participation, and upcoming changes to academic planning.
Senator and Associate Professor of History Adnan Husain submitted a formal question regarding Queen’s Strategic AI Framework. Specifically, he challenged the absence of the Senate from its published governance structure. He asked whether policies on teaching, learning, and research would be reviewed and approved by the Senate, and why the Board of Trustees appeared prominently at the strategic level while the Senate seemed to play no role.
In the written response, the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), confirmed that the site is now under review and that amendments have been made to the governance page to address concerns regarding Senate’s legislated responsibilities.
Husain also challenged the committees and groups within the AI framework, arguing that they were mostly composed of senior administrators, and questioned the role of faculty members in oversight committees.
Within Queen’s Strategic AI Framework are several governance groups, including Queen’s Digital Planning Committee (QDPC) and AI Nexus. QDPC’s a committee that reviews and funds IT projects to support Queen’s digital strategy. AI Nexus is an internal advisory group that makes recommendations on the use of AI.
In person at the meeting, Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning, Gavan Watson, emphasized that while the QDPC’s made up of deans and “senior leaders,” AI Nexus is composed of faculty, staff, and students across the entire University.
“There are three working groups […] it include librarians and faculty members from a variety of disciplines, including humanities,” Watson said.
Inquiries from the Associate Professor and Department Head of Gender Studies, Senator Sailaja Krishnamurti, about the reallocation of undergraduate enrolment seats were also addressed during the question period. Krishnamurti asked when the Senate could expect to review a formal plan. Evans stated that this issue is currently in the hands of individual faculties and that coordinated deliberations are expected to begin in January.
The meeting concluded without additional motions or business, and Senate will reconvene on Jan. 29 in the new year.
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