Standing Committees of the Faculty Council

Students on Student Caucus can sit on a variety of Standing Committees of the Faculty Council. Each of these committees addresses matters related to Osgoode Hall’s policies, programs and other organizational matters. Ask us if you want to learn more about any of these committees.

Academic Policy and Planning Committee

The Academic Policy and Planning Committee reviews all existing and proposed courses, seminars and programs; supervises and assists in the development of the curriculum; reviews the Academic Rules; and undertakes long range curricular planning.

Academic Standing Committee

The Academic Standing Committee has terms of reference as provided in the Academic Rules of Osgoode Hall Law School, Section E. Examinations and Grading, sub-sections 5.1 through 5.4 inclusive, or as amended from time to time.

Student Caucus can provide advice to any student who is appealing a grade or appearing before the Academic Standing Committee. Contact scchair@osgoode.yorku.ca to be connected with an appropriate Student Caucus representative.

Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee is responsible for:

Student admissions to all years of the JD program; develops, maintains and periodically reviews policies governing the admission of applicants to the first year and upper year JD program; presents for Council approval policies relating to new admissions categories and proposals to change substantially the eligibility criteria of established admissions categories; annually reviews, and, where necessary, revises, procedures for administering the admissions process; monitors admissions decisions for the non-discretionary admissions category.

Makes admissions decisions for all discretionary admissions categories, including admission to the Extended Time program in all years of the JD program; maintains policies and procedures for deciding applicant requests for reconsideration of admissions decisions and applicant requests to waive deadlines and eligibility criteria.

Annually reviews data on applications, offers and registrations; prepares an annual report on admissions data, and on the procedures and policies followed by the Committee, for presentation to the Council no later than its March meeting; reviews the mandate of the Admissions Committee every five years.

Facilitates monitoring of the impact of deregulated tuition fees by surveying applicants who decline offers about their reasons for rejecting an offer (data on the reasons for rejection shall be included in the Committee’s annual report) and presenting in its annual report on admissions data any changes or trends that the committee believes are relevant to the impact of deregulated fees.

Clinical Education Committee

The Clinical Education Committee monitors all clinical programs of the Faculty, and develops proposals for new clinical programs for approval by the Academic Policy and Planning Committee.

Digital Innovation Committee

The Digital Innovation Committee makes recommendations to Faculty Council or to other committees of Faculty Council on issues within its or their jurisdiction relating to innovation and information technology that relate to academic policy, would substantially benefit from faculty or student input, or are referred to it or on which advice is sought by another committee.

Oversees the process of and makes recommendations to Faculty Council with regard to strategic planning for innovation and information technology; comments on decisions of the Administration relating to innovation and information technology; makes recommendations to the Administration on issues relating to innovation and information technology; and develops and implements a plan for broader ongoing faculty and student input into issues relating to innovation and information technology, and recommend similar initiatives to the Administration.

Equality Committee

The Equality Committee identifies and acts on equality issues in the Law School in order to ensure that the commitment expressed in the Equality Resolution is being fulfilled at Osgoode Hall Law School. As well, the Equality Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Osgoode Faculty Affirmative Action Plan.

Faculty Recruitment Committee

The Faculty Recruitment Committee makes recommendations to the Faculty Appointments Committee concerning the appointment of full-time faculty in accordance with the priorities approved by Faculty Council; develops procedures for the recruitment of full-time faculty, for the approval of Faculty Council.

Develops and maintains a three-year rolling plan for faculty appointments that is consistent with the policies approved by Faculty Council; presents the three-year plan for approval annually by the October meeting of Faculty Council. Students who sit on this committee will also sit on the Faculty Appointments Committee which approves recommendations from FRC.

Library Committee

The Library Committee concerns itself with Law Library policy as it affects the academic life of the Law School, and the University. In so doing, it will respond to submissions from groups or individuals or will independently investigate problems, in order that it may advise on matters which have a bearing on academic affairs; collaborates with the Law Library in the review and evaluation of rules for the use of the Law Library.

Receives the preliminary budget figure for the Law Library in the Law School Budget and the rationale for such a figure, so as to participate in the discussion leading to the establishment of the Law Library Budget. The Library Advisory Committee also receives the preliminary allocations within the Law Library Budget from the Law Librarian for communication and advice and submits reports for the information of Faculty Council.

In order to perform this function effectively, it will receive for information and review the Law Librarian’s Annual Report to the Dean, or such similar reports as may be available and facilitates effective communication between user groups and the Law Library, and the Law Library and Faculty Council.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall annually, at the concluding meeting of Faculty Council, and as necessary throughout the year, make recommendations to Faculty Council concerning faculty membership and chairship of its Standing and Special Committees, faculty membership on Senate and its Committees, and other administrative bodies of the Law School and the University. The Nominating Committee shall also forward to Faculty Council the nominations of the Student Caucus concerning student membership and chairship of its Standing and Special Committees, along with any advice, if appropriate.

Priorities and Finance Committee

The Priorities and Finance Committee recommends to Faculty Council the ordering of Law School financial priorities, after a review of its requirements and the estimated level of university support, for use in the Law School’s presentation to the University of the annual estimates of expenditures and budget.

Recommends to Faculty Council the ordering of both short- and long-term budget priorities for internal Law School use; recommends to Faculty Council adjustments to be made in the current Law School budget, after a review of financial statements of the Law School (except those dealing with faculty or staff salaries) from time to time.

Provides Faculty Council from time to time with a narrative statement of the reasons for the recommended order of priorities referred to above; recommends to the Dean the allocation of the Law Foundation Grant; advises the Dean on setting of priorities for fundraising; and approves the allocation of funds actually raised outside the University.

Research and Seminars Committee

The Research and Seminars Committee has responsibility for stimulating research within the Law School and assisting in obtaining outside funding for research, including reading draft grant applications and suggesting revisions for improving the applications.

Vets the applications for such other research grants or awards as require adjudication and make recommendation to the Dean as to recipients; suggests to the Associate Dean (Research & Institutional Relations) and/or the Graduate Studies Committee ways of enhancing links in the research field between graduate students and faculty.

Suggests to the Academic Policy and Planning Committee ways of enhancing the research skills and research culture amongst JD students; generally, provides advice to the Associate Dean (Research & Institutional Relations) on matters brought to the Committee related to research.

Arranges an annual schedule of seminars by members of faculty and distinguished visitors, where appropriate; advises, as requested, on annual or other periodic public lectures; and carries out such other research-related or seminar/lecture-related functions as may be put to the Committee from time to time by the Dean or Faculty Council.

Standing Committee on Teaching and Learning

The Standing Committee on Teaching and Learning develops, promotes and enhances the best practices in legal education within the educational program at the law school; reviews policies, procedures and programs within the law school so as to ensure that they are aligned with the goal of promoting an enriching educational experience for our students; and designs and implements an annual Osgoode Course Design Institute (OCDI) for full-time and adjunct faculty at the law school, as well as for a limited number of graduate students with a particular interest in an academic career.

Student Awards Committee

The Student Awards Committee determines the disposition of prizes and scholarships, except those which must be disposed of by the Admissions or Review Committees; recommends the acceptance of new prizes to the Senate Student Awards Committee, when appropriate; and considers matters related to the giving of prizes and medals.

Tenure and Promotions Adjudicating Committee

The Tenure and Promotions Adjudicating Committee is responsible for adjudication of tenure and promotion files in accordance with the York University Tenure and Promotions Policy, Criteria and Procedures.