University Act updates roles and representation

Summary#

• This bill updates the University of New Brunswick Act. It modernizes titles, clarifies who counts as faculty and librarians, and changes how university councils and senates are made up.
• It also creates a new Libraries Council and formally recognizes contract academic instructors and contract academic librarians.
• Many terms are updated to gender‑neutral and plain language, and some French wording is corrected.

Key changes

• Updates job titles (for example, “chair” instead of “chairman”; adds Provost and several Vice Presidents; standardizes “Vice Chancellor”).
• Redefines “faculty member,” “teaching staff,” and “librarian” and adds “contract academic instructor” and “contract academic librarian.”
• Gives librarians the right to vote and run in certain Board elections and adds librarian seats on each campus Senate.
• Creates a Libraries Council with defined powers and a Dean of Libraries as its head; allows student representation on the Libraries Council.
• Revises who sits on the Fredericton and Saint John Senates, adding specific roles (including Indigenous engagement leaders) and ensuring balance between elected academic members and others.
• Makes language gender‑neutral across the Act and aligns English and French terms.

What it means for you#

• General community

  • Clearer, more modern language and titles in university law.
  • Governance bodies (Boards, Senates, Councils) are adjusted to reflect today’s UNB structure.

• Librarians

  • Recognized in law as a distinct group, with a clear definition.
  • Gain voting and candidacy rights for some Board seats.
  • Get one elected librarian seat on each campus Senate, plus broader elected representation rules.
  • A new Libraries Council is created; you have a formal role in advising and making rules (subject to approvals).
  • A Dean of Libraries role is set as the chief officer for the libraries (except the Law Library).

• Contract academic instructors and contract academic librarians (part‑time, course‑based)

  • Newly recognized in the Act.
  • Gain elected representation on each campus Senate (two combined seats in Fredericton and one in Saint John).

• Faculty and researchers

  • Titles updated (e.g., “assistant/associate/teaching professor”; “research associate/senior research associate”).
  • Department leaders are “chairs,” not “heads.”
  • Senate membership rules ensure elected academic members (including librarians and contract academic staff) balance other members.

• Students

  • Graduate students keep representation on the Senates.
  • The Libraries Council may include student representatives under its own rules.

• Alumni

  • The Executive Director of the Associated Alumni is named in the Act; alumni have representation on the Senates.

• University leadership and staff

  • Establishes a Provost and multiple Vice Presidents (Academic, Administration and Finance, Advancement, Research).
  • Clarifies that the President chairs the Senates; the Provost is vice chair and may act for the President in academic matters the President delegates.
  • Updates the Board of Deans to include the Dean of Libraries.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Brings the Act up to date with UNB’s current structure and titles, reducing confusion.
• Expands participation by librarians and contract academic staff, giving more of the academic community a voice.
• Creates a Libraries Council to focus on library policy and services, improving oversight and coordination.
• Adds Indigenous engagement leaders to Senates, reflecting a commitment to inclusion and reconciliation.
• Uses gender‑neutral, clearer language, which is more inclusive and easier to understand.

Opponents' View#

• More bodies and seats (e.g., Libraries Council, added Senate members) could make governance slower or more complex.
• Adding administrative roles and formal councils may increase internal bureaucracy without clear cost information.
• Changing who is counted as faculty or teaching staff could shift influence within governance in ways some groups may question.
• Giving multiple groups representation (faculty, librarians, contract staff) requires careful balance and could lead to overlap or role confusion.