The Brandon College Senate was created in 1900 under “An Act to Incorporate Brandon College.” At the time, however, the Senate was not given a clear policy mandate. The Act stated: The Professors in said College, together with three members of the Board of Directors nominated by the said Board for that purpose, shall constitute the Senate, to whom shall be entrusted the reception, academical superintendence and discipline of the students and of all other persons within the said College.
Despite general authority over the discipline of students, measures to enforce discipline and the power to appoint or remove professors rested with the Baptist Convention. As a result, the Senate remained largely ineffective until 1910 when the Board re-defined their function as follows: The Senate be composed of the Council of the College together with three members appointed by the Board of Directors. That this body shall be responsible for all matters that concern the determination of the curriculum, the recommendations to the Board regarding appointments of instructors in subjects otherwise specifically assigned to individual members of the several faculties.
These new powers provided the Senate with a rational boundary of authority including some control over the curriculum, but its main function was still recommendations to the Board on matters concerning faculty. There are no known documents regarding the Brandon College Council, which existed from 1910 to 1915. Affiliation with McMaster was a contentious issue with faculty. Courses had to correspond with those in McMaster, effectively eliminating the Brandon College Senate from its authority over academic matters.
In 1915 the Senate was re-organized following the “Act to Amend An Act to Incorporate Brandon College.” With this reorganization the Senate assumed a more direct role in the selection of faculty and tutors. As well, the Senate became a stronger advisory body of the faculty.
The Brandon College Senate remained relatively unchanged until 1939 when, under by-law 1, the Board defined the Senate functions as:
Power to regulate instructions and to determine the methods and limits of instructors.
To prepare a calendar of the College for publication.
To recommend to the Board the establishment or abolition of, or any changes in departments, chairs, lecture-ships, bursaries, scholarships and prizes, and generally have charge of all matters of an academic character, but shall not have any power to incur any expenditures or liabilities on behalf of the Corporation until specifically authorized by resolution of the Directors, nor shall their powers be construed as authority to engage teachers for the Corporation.
Along with these functions the Senate was also the body that possessed the binding authority to deal with all academic grievances.
The Senate under the new Charter and by-law 1, consisted of the President, Chairman of the Board, seven members from the faculty (including President and Registrar), and six members from the Alumni. The Registrar was to act as Secretary.
The Senate was changed once more in 1959. This change led to a more significant role in the administration of Brandon College.
Scope and Content
These records consist mainly of minutes from various faculty council and executive meetings from 1900 to 1942 including Arts, Science and Theology faculties. Included as well are Minutes of the Ministerial Committee of the Baptist Union of Western Canada As well, there are University of Manitoba Senate Minutes dating from 1950 to 1958.
Storage Location
RG 1 Brandon College fonds
Series 5: Brandon College Senate
In accordance with "The Brandon University Act (1998)" the Brandon University Senate consists of the following members: (a) the chancellor of the university; (b) the president of the university; (c) the vice-presidents of the university; (d) the deputy minister of the department whose minister is responsible for The Council on Post-Secondary Education Act, or his or her designate; (e) the deans of each faculty and school in the university; (f) the director of the Educational Technology Unit or, if there is none, the person exercising comparable functions (g) the chair of the Bachelor of General Studies degree program or, if there is none, the person exercising comparable functions; (h) the University Librarian or, if there is none, the person exercising comparable functions; (i) the Dean of Students or, if there is none, the person exercising comparable functions; (j) one member of the board appointed by the board; (k) one representative from each faculty or school who has been on the staff of the university for at least two years, elected by and from the staff of that faculty or school; (l) six professors or associate professors of the university, elected by the professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers; (m) two assistant professors or lecturers of the university who have been on the staff of the university for at least two years, elected by the professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and lecturers; (n) one member of the rank of professional associate of the university elected by the members of that rank; (o) eight students elected or appointed as follows: (i) one appointed by the executive of the Brandon University Students’ Union who is a member of that executive. (ii) one elected from each faculty or school of the university, (iii) the remainder elected from the student body of the university at large.
Elected and appointed members of the senate, other than student members, are to hold
office for two years, beginning on July 1 of the year in which they are elected or appointed. Student members of the senate are to hold office for one year, beginning on the first day of July of the year in which they are elected. Ex officio members are to hold office until they cease to hold the position that qualify them for membership. An elected or appointed member of the senate is eligible for re-election or re-appointment, but the senate may set a maximum number of consecutive terms of office that any member may hold.
The president of the university shall be the chair of the senate. If the president of the university is absent or unable to act as chair, the vice-president (academic and research) or, in his or her absence, an academic dean appointed by the president, shall be the chair at meetings of the senate. The registrar of the university or, if there is none, the person exercising comparable functions shall be the secretary of the senate.
The senate shall meet at least four times a year and may meet more often if its rules so provide. The secretary of the senate shall call special meetings at the request of the chair or at the written request of at least four members of the senate.
The senate is responsible for the academic policy of the university. The senate may (a) establish rules and procedures for the conduct of its proceedings, including fixing a quorum; (b) elect the chancellor of the university; (c) appoint any standing and other committees that it considers necessary; (d) consider and determine all courses of student, including requirements for admission, examination and graduation; (e) recommend to the board the establishment of additional faculties, school, departments, chairs and courses of instruction; (f) determine the degrees, honorary degrees, diplomas and certificates of proficiency to be granted by the university, and the persons to whom they are to be granted; (g) award scholarships, medals and prizes; (h) make rules and regulations respecting the academic conduct and activities of students; (i) consider and make recommendations to the board about any other matters that the senate considers appropriate for achieving the objects and purposes of the university.
Scope and Content
Series has been divided into six sub-series, including: (1) Senate minutes; (2) Committees of Senate; (3) General Faculty Council; (4) Ad Hoc Committees of Senate; (5) Convocation services, Baccalaureate services, Banquets; and (6) Brandon College/University calendars.
Notes
Information in the History/Bio field was taken from "The Brandon University Act (1998)" at http://www.brandonu.ca/administration/governors/documents/BU_Act.pdf (December 2005).
This is an artificially created series containing records retained by Manitoba Pool Elevators of official commissions, committee and inquiries that dealt directly with the organization and it's interests. Subjects include commission investigation as well and committee and inquiries into government policy and bills.
See also fonds level description of RG 4 for history/bio of MPE
Scope and Content
.This series has been divided into seven sub-series, including: (1) Royal Commission on Co-operatives, (2) Royal Commission on Manitoba Pool Elevators, (3) Transportation Commissions and Inquiries, (4) Box Car Inquiry, (5) Grain Commissions and Inquiries, (6) Agricultural Commissions and Policy, (7) Miscellaneous Committes, Commissions and Inquiries
The Ministerial Committe was created with the purpose of discovering prospective students for the Baptist ministry. To become recognized as a student in Theology, a student had to be examined by the Ministerial Committee. The committee looked at the student’s intellectual, moral and spiritual fitness for the work of the ministry. He was then graded on his chances at entering the ministry. The committee could tell him that he was not suitable for ministerial work, or they could put him on the “encouraged” list. After repeated meetings with the Committee, a student could be voted as “accepted” as a prospective Baptist ministerial student.
Scope and Content
These records consist of a book from the Ministerial Committee. It contains the records of prospective theological students, including comments on their spirituality, morality and intellect. It records which students were rejected, encouraged and accepted into the program. Some notable students interviewed in this collection are: J.R.C. Evans, John Hart, Charles Stone, H. Friend, J. Church, and Tommy Douglas.
The Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women (MACSW) was formed by a group of women who had participated in the preparation of a comprehensive brief to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1967. The Manitoba Volunteer Committee, formed in 1967, then went on to hold its first public meeting in 1970, adopt its constitution in 1973, and build up a membership of over 400 women by 1981. Until its demise in 2000, MACSW was the only feminist lobby group in Manitoba. Nothing has since taken its place.
MACSW was run by the membership and a Provincial Coordinating Committee (composed of members and staff), which met at least three times annually in various parts of the province. This made the workings of the Provincial organization more accessible for women throughout the province. Feminist process was used in all meetings and decisions were made by consensus. During the 1980s and 1990s, there were four MACSW branches: one each in Brandon, Winnipeg, Dauphin (Parkland Status of Women) and Thompson (Thompson Action Committee on the Status of Women). There were individual members in all areas of Manitoba, and for a few years in the 1990s, a Rural Coordinator networked with individual members outside of the four branch locations and helped coordinate provincial activities.
From the beginning, funding was short-term. Operations were run on a shoe-string and with the help of dedicated volunteers. The funding allowed for wages was poverty-level, forcing the organization to operate only part-time with part-time staff in order to provide staff with a reasonable salary.
As governments changed their funding objectives and methods, it became harder and harder for MACSW to maintain its presence as the only feminist lobby within Manitoba. When Status of Women Canada stopped funding core operations and only allowed for “project funding,” the job became impossible to do. Projects meant research and the publication of a document each year, and the work was to be coordinated among the various branches. Work on the project was necessarily additional to the daily tasks of the coordinators of the various offices. It became impossible to operate four branches, a provincial coordinating function and prepare a publication in conjunction with an annual project--all with a total budget of approximately $120,000.00 per year. Although an astonishing amount of work was accomplished by dedicated women under these circumstances, MACSW was unable to continue. MACSW closed its doors in Winnipeg in 1998, Brandon in 1999, and then throughout the province.
The primary activities of MACSW were political action (working for legislative change), public education about women’s issues, and providing resources, referrals and advocacy services to women in need of such support. Where possible, joint actions were planned with other groups in the community sharing similar concerns. The Coordinating Committee met quarterly, including representatives of three standing committees (finance, communications and membership) and up to ten members-at-large. Other committees were set up as members showed an interest in particular issues. At various times, there were committees on media monitoring, political action, labour, day care, education and so on. Branches had their own “mini-committees,” which worked with the Provincial committees on issues in common. Consultation between the branches, between Quarterly Meetings, was done by phone, mail or e-mail.
MACSW strove to advise women on issues of interest through films, guest speakers, speaking engagements, information tables, and working with other groups to present conferences and seminars, public meetings and so on. They also lobbied all levels of government and researched and wrote position papers and briefs for commissions and hearings.
MACSW members also liaised and networked by sharing their resources and working with other women’s groups, such as (in the Brandon area) Women for Equality, The Westman Coalition for Equality Rights, and The Western Manitoba Women’s Resource Centre. They organized and responded to government and public requests for input through research, conferences and the actions of their sub-committees. The media sought out MACSW for comment upon issues of the day.
Throughout the approximate 30 years of its existence, MACSW was respected as an informed and highly effective organization working on behalf of women. No other feminist organization has taken the place of MACSW. However, lobbying and education on behalf of women continues on an ad hoc basis through former MACSW members who have been empowered through their experiences in MACSW to speak up for change and improvement in the status of women in Manitoba, Canada and the world.
Custodial History
The Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women disbanded during the mid 1990s, due to lack of funding. Acting on behalf of the organization, Paula Mallea donated the records to the McKee Archives in 2003.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains minutes of governing bodies (local and provincial) from 1979-1992, correspondence files of the Brandon MACSW, scrapbooks of the Brandon Action Committee (1972-1992), Action Newsletters (1979-1999), records of AGM (1982-1990), and extensive miscellaneous files dealing with activities, workshops and research concerns of the Brandon local of the Manitoba Action Committee of the Status of Women. These include files dealing with violence against women, rural women, northern women, child abuse, social policy, sexual orientation, feminism, poverty, prostitution, pay equity, and racism, among others.
