Planning, Academic Resources & Research (PARR) Committee

On behalf of Faculty Council, and in the context whereby academic planning encompasses research, other scholarly endeavours, and teaching, the Committee shall be responsible for consultations and recommendations on academic plans and major academic processes and will advise the Dean on the allocation of academic resources. This committee will also promote research and evaluate research resources at the Faculty level. The committee considers and discusses items of business on behalf of the Faculty Council. These items may be directed to this committee from the Executive Committee or received indirectly by the PARR committee under the knowledge of the Executive Committee, or initiated and developed by the members of the Committee.

Taking a broad, principled approach to planning, the Committee shall be responsible for:

2.1. Academic Activities

2.1.1. Relaying PARR academic related activities to the departments via PARR members in order to elicit feedback and poll the Faculty for responses.
2.1.2. Initiating action on strategic academic opportunities and challenges that are raised by members of the various constituent departments.
2.1.3. Receiving early drafts and/or final submissions of Notifications of Intent (NOIs) for new academic units and programs (including Departments’/Schools’ units, research centres and organized research units), and evaluating and providing commentary/recommendations to proponents and/or Council. Apply knowledge of strategic plans (e.g., Strategic Research Plan (SRP) & Strategic Academic Plan (SAP)). Provide recommendations to Council for approval of the units/programs.
2.1.4. Receiving requests for consultation and concurrence on items from LCS on the disestablishment or transfer of programs. Provide recommendations to Council for approval of the disestablishment or transfer of programs.
2.1.5. Receiving cyclical program reviews, accreditation reviews and non-degree studies reports and act as a resource to prepare responses for changes arising from such reports (for example by delegating to joint subcommittee between LCS & PARR such as PAGES: Program assessment group on evaluation and systems.
2.1.6. Receiving and reviewing the Schools’, Departments’, and Organized Research Units’ strategic plans.
Report outcomes to Council and make recommendations for changes arising from such plan (for example by delegating to joint subcommittee between LCS & PARR).
2.1.7. Advising and recommending on the allocation of academic resources including reporting on the implementation of Faculty academic plan objectives.

2.2. Advisory Role to the Dean and the Leadership Team

Working closely with the Dean and Leadership Team to assist in the development of the Strategic Academic Plan (SAP), Strategic Research Plan (SRP), Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), and other Foundational documents. PARR approves and brings the Strategic Research Plan forward to Council. PARR approves and brings other plans to Council when applicable.

2.2.1. Advising the Dean and Leadership Team via receiving and responding to annual and periodic reports on
issues relating to:
2.2.1.1. The employment of research, infrastructural and fiscal resources within the Faculty;
2.2.1.2. The articulation of research, teaching and programmatic principles for academic planning and
criteria for assessment of major initiatives.
2.2.1.3. Physical space: receives twice annual report on Space that includes actions taken and plans for the
future as per the Space Planning Principles & Prioritization guideline. Specifically, physical space
for research purposes will be reported on.
2.2.1.4. The IT/Computing plans

2.3. Research activities

2.3.1. Relaying PARR research related activities to the departments via PARR members in order to elicit feedback and poll the faculty for responses.
2.3.2. Initiating action on strategic research opportunities and challenges that are raised by members of the various constituent departments.
2.3.3. Supporting and enhancing the scholarly climate by developing overarching faculty strategies for
advancing research scholarship and creative work and by generating ideas and approaches for
implementing these strategies, such as:
2.3.3.1. Constitute and oversee the Grant Adjudication & Ethics Review Sub-Committees (chaired by a
member of PARR) and review applications for minor research grants and other grants or awards,
according to policy and procedures established by PARR. Make recommendations for allocations
to the Dean.
2.3.3.2. Establish ad hoc working groups to deal with emerging priorities in relation to research and scholarship, or advance specific strategies, administer policies, establishing application procedures and adjudication criteria.
2.3.3.3. Recommends funding allocation models for strategic internal programs such as LURA, LIF etc.
2.3.4. Coordinating with the Awards committee on the adjudication of research awards, and the design of
research celebrations, including:
2.3.4.1. Reviewing and adjudicating nominations for any awards for research excellence and scholarly
creative excellence, and any other prizes that shall be approved by the Faculty Council;
2.3.4.2. Reconciling any overlap with Awards Committee.
2.3.5. Receiving requests and responding to consultations regarding establishing endowed chairs.

2.4. Liaison Role between York University and the Lassonde Faculty Council

2.4.1. Serving as Council’s liaison with institutional academic administrators and other collegial bodies dealing with matters related to PARR’s mandate.
2.4.2. Facilitating connections and communications between PARR and other bodies of the university, including:
• 2.4.2.1. Liaising with any committee(s) that have planning and policy functions to ensure a free flow of ideas and information between the departments, Faculty and the University level on matters of academic planning, research and scholarship.
• 2.4.2.2. Liaising with any research committee(s) in units, encourage and exchange research/scholarly ideas, enhance the scholarly climate of the faculty, and discuss the development of research, scholarship, and creative work within and across the units.
• 2.4.2.3. Develop and implement a strategy to communicate relevant information about the committee to the departments and the York community
• 2.4.3. Receiving requests relating to Advancement Campaign.

Subcommittees
• Grant Adjudication Committee
• Ethics Review Committee
• Technology Enhanced & Active Learning (TEAL), joined sub-committee with LCS

The Lassonde School of Engineering is committed to creating a community where students, faculty and staff feel welcome and valued, and a place and space for people to thrive in their various endeavours. This means creating policies, procedures, programs, events, and other interventions that work to eliminate barriers, and to establish and sustain the conditions that enable everyone to fully participate in our community. To reach this goal, the committee will support Lassonde’s learning journey to:
• Create a diverse, inclusive integrated teaching, learning and research environment.
• Empower diverse internal and external communities to organically grow by optimizing existing spaces and creating new ones with a culturally inclusive lens.
• Prioritize equitable outcomes by adopting a values-driven integrated approach to research, teaching & learning and operations.
• Cultivate an inclusive interdisciplinary community that brings the diverse perspectives required to envision and devise engineering and science solutions that address environmental, economic and social problems.

5.1 Meetings and Protocols
• Committee meetings may be held completely virtually via videoconference (Zoom) or in a hybrid/Hyflex (in-person + simultaneous videoconference) format.
• Meetings are open to members of the Lassonde community, subject to the availability of space
• When the committee considers matters relating to specific individuals or to other matters where
confidentiality must be observed, the committee may, in the notice for a meeting, declare part of a
meeting to be closed or in camera.
• When the committee meets in camera, only committee members may be present.
• The Lassonde Faculty Council has adopted “York University Rules of Senate” to guide and inform its
governance structure and operations.
• This committee shall make its decisions based on a simple majority of those members present and voting
at a duly constituted meeting
• Committee members shall notify the Chair/Secretary if they will be absent from a meeting.

5.2 Chair & Vice-Chair
Lassonde Faculty Council Planning, Academic Resources & Research (PARR) Committee
• The Chair of PARR is responsible for providing leadership to the committee in pursuit of its mandate. The Chair presides at all committee meetings, acts as the official spokesperson for the committee, and ensures that the committee operates in conformity with the rules enacted by Faculty Council and Senate.
In the case of the absence or illness of the Chair, the Vice-Chair acts as Chair.
• In the case of the absence or illness of the Chair and the Vice-Chair, the committee may appoint one of the members of the committee to act as Chair pro tempore and for such period the member so appointed shall act as, and have all the powers of, the Chair.

5.3 Quorum
• Per Senate rules, the quorum shall consist of a majority of voting members.

5.4 Timing and Frequency of Meetings
• PARR meetings take place once per month, usually the second week of the month. The meeting dates are decided at the beginning of each academic term.

5.4 Standing Orders
• The conduct of the business of the meeting shall be subject to the “York University Rules of Senate”

5.5 Agenda, Code of Conduct, Administration, and Minutes
• The administration of the committee shall be taken up by the Secretary to the Committee.
• All Committee meeting agendas shall be made available to the Lassonde community at least one week in advance of a committee meeting.
• Meeting minutes shall be shared to the extent possible without breaching confidentiality.
• All records of the meetings, including the minutes, shall be retained in accordance with the Common
Records Schedule (CRS) for Faculty Councils (ADG15) and Faculty Council Committees (ADG17) under
York University’s Information, Privacy and Copyright Office.
• The Secretary to the Committee shall be responsible for ensuring correspondence and decisions made by
the Committee are available to relevant people or bodies, including the membership of sub-committees
and secretaries of relevant Faculty Councils.

5.6 Voting
• All members of the committee are voting members unless specifically indicated otherwise. Ex-officio and
elected/appointed members have the same voting rights.
• Votes may be cast in person or by e-vote
o Pursuant to the discretion of the Chair, members may be permitted to vote by means of an
electronic communication (e-vote) which enables the votes to be gathered in a manner that
permits their subsequent verification

The Committee shall provide a report of its activities to Faculty Council on an annual basis, including a progress status.

Version Number: Planning, Academic Resources & Research (PARR) Committee V.3

Approved By: Faculty Council

Date: June 2023