The University Senate first met in 1935. It inherited the functions of the University Corporation which ceased to exist in 1934. The records of the latter are included here. The Corporation first met on 27 November 1838, but had been foreseen in the Charter of 1821, according to which the Governors, Professors and Fellows constituted a corporate body. From 1843 to 1850 academic affairs were governed by the Caput, a body composed of the Principal, Secretary and academic staff. By the 1854 Statutes, the Board of Governors enlarged the Corporation's sphere of activity and gave it responsibility in academic matters, which had previously been directed by the Board's Education Committee. In 1934 the Corporation was replaced by the Senate, which is composed of ex officio, appointed and elected members and is the ruling academic body of the University. A good deal of the activities of the Senate are conducted through committees, both standing and temporary. The Registrar has served as Secretary to the Senate at times. The administrative matters of Senate are now looked after by the Secretary to the Senate who is attached to the University Secretariat. In some cases the Secretariat interfiles subjects relating to Senate and the Governors and therefore R.G. 4 should also be consulted under the heading Secretariat Administrative Records.
MINUTES OF MEETINGS, 1843-1965
Minute Book of the Caput of McGill College, 1843-1850, 1 vol, 5 cm (c.1)
The Caput determined academic regulations, awarded honours and prizes and dealt with student and staff disciplinary problems. The curriculum is described in some detail. At the end of the volume are the college statutes. The volume is not indexed.
Minute Books of the Corporation of McGill University, 1854 - 1934, 9 vols, 40 cm (c.2-c.11)
The minutes record decisions on a variety of academic policies and regulations as well as the establishment of scholarships, announcements of financial support and grants, reports from the Board of Governors, the names of students receiving degrees and the granting of honorary degrees. Each volume has an index which is bound separately (c.10). There is also a general card index covering all volumes. Listed.
Minutes Books of the Senate of McGill University 1935-1983, reels, 2 m (c.11 - c.13, c.47-c.52) (See Microform Inventory) PARTS RESTRICTED
The minutes record decisions on academic matters, reports from the Board of Governors, names of graduating students and increasingly by the 1960's, the creation of standing and ad hoc committees for various purposes. Access to the minutes of Senate is not restricted except for those of closed sessions and those for the period before 11 September 1968 which are less than 30 years old. Listed.
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, 1935 - 1979
General Administrative Files of the Secretariat of the Senate, ca 1935-1970, 4.5 m (c.14-c.26, c.36-c.37) RESTRICTED
Many of these records relate to the various Senate committees, including the Nominating Committee, the University Libraries Committee, Honorary Degrees Committee (1943-1970), and committees submitting briefs to the Parent Commission (1965-1967) and the Royal Commission on Biculturalism and Bilingualism (1964-1965). In addition there are various subject files such as Governors, Academic Functions, and Student Discipline. There are several blocks of these records. The arrangement is a mixture of alphabetical and chronological order. Listed.
Records of the University Libraries Commission, 1969-1971, 1.5 m (c.38-c.43)
Set up by Senate in 1969, the University Libraries Commission issued its report in 1971. Following its recommendations for increased coordination in the Library's administration, the Library system was reorganized into 5 areas: Humanities and Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, Law and Undergraduate. Included are the records of the Chairman of the Committee, Vice-Principal R.F. Shaw, which consist of minutes of meetings, correspondence and reports of the Implementation Committee (c.38-c.40). There are also the records of the Research Assistant to the Commission, George McArthur, which include correspondence and completed survey questionnaires on other university libraries (c.41-c.43), as well as the complete edition of the report and a shorter version, without appendices, produced for wider distribution (c.40).
Records of Committees of Senate, 1949-1979, 1.5 m (c.26-c.35)
In addition to the many committee records throughout the general files of the Secretariat, there are separate blocks of minutes, reports and correspondence, sometimes maintained by the chairman or a member of the following committees:
Academic Policy 1965 (c.26)
Audio-Visual Aids 1949-1953 (c.26)
Communication of Information 1968 (c.26, c.28)
Development 1960-1974 (c.28, c.28, c.30)
McGill Lectures 1965-1975 (c.28)
Planning Commission,
Report on Faculty of Education 1974 (c.33)
Revision of Statutes(Joint Ctte) 1971 (c.33)
Retirement (RESTRICTED) 1964-1974 (c.29)
Staff Relations (RESTRICTED) 1976-1979 (c.27)
Structure and Future of the
Faculty of Graduate Studies 1967-1968 (c.26)
Technological Developments 1962 (c.33)
Tenure Regulations 1978-1979 (c.28)
Timetable 1935- (c.46)
Tripartite Commission on the
Nature of the University 1967-1970 (c.31 - c.32)
University Government (Joint Ctte) 1967-1968 (c.26)
University Libraries 1962-1969 (c.34 - c.35)
University Scholarships 1958 (c.33)
Senate Handbooks, 1970-1977, 20 cm (c.30)
The Senate handbooks are issued in duplicated form each year for the use of Senators. They contain procedural rules as well as terms of reference and membership lists of committees.