On Feb. 11, the McGill Senate convened for its sixth meeting of the academic year. The senators discussed the Accountability and Implementation of the Policy of Assessment of Student Learning, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a broad university context, the proposed strategic plan on undergraduate enrolment and engagement, and the annual report on the Charter of Students’ Rights and Student Life and Learning.
The meeting commenced with three memorial tributes to late Associate Professor David Shannon of the Faculty of Medicine, Associate Professor Richard Hovey of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Science, and Professor Rachelle Keyserlingk of the Faculty of Education.
McGill’s President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini went on to share brief updates regarding international partnerships and university accomplishments. He noted that the Quebec National Assembly has resumed session, drawing attention to Bill 1, which aims to strengthen parliamentary sovereignty and could constrain certain legal challenges to provincial laws. He emphasized that academic freedom at the university level must remain protected. Saini also referenced Bill 9, which concerns secularism, expressing concern about its implications for teaching and campus life. He stressed that any legislative changes must preserve student autonomy and agency.
Turning to international initiatives, Saini highlighted McGill’s expanding global ties. During the 2026 World Governments Summit in Dubai, McGill signed a memorandum of understanding with the Khalifa Foundation to establish the United Arab Emirates-Indonesia Future Major Leaders program, with a donation from the foundation amounting to $17.5 million CAD. The initiative is built on more than 50 years of McGill’s collaboration with Indonesian education sectors and will focus on giving meaningful benefits to Indonesian students, educators, and institutions, while simultaneously providing support in areas of sustainability, engineering, and health care.
Saini concluded by celebrating McGill’s recent accomplishments. The university ranked in the global top three in 10 of 11 subject areas in the latest Times Higher Education subject rankings, with particularly strong performances in medical and health sciences, law, psychology, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Saini thanked the university community for their contributions to this achievement. He also wished luck to McGill athletes, coaches, and staff participating in the ongoing Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
The Senate moved to discuss the Accountability and Implementation of the Policy of Assessment of Student Learning, with senators reflecting on its rollout and areas for improvement. The policy is intended to provide a framework for assessment practices at McGill, aiming to advance student learning and well-being, support course instructors, and promote equity.
Senator Meghan Lai opened the discussion by expressing gratitude for the work completed thus far. She then posed questions about next steps for resource engagement and stakeholder consultation.
In response, Senator Jérôme Fortier pointed to the early successes of the policy’s implementation.
“I think the success of the implementation was the willingness and openness to look at assessments a little bit differently,” Fortier said. “Through that principle-based approach […] there were many practices done very well over the years, but the policy actually didn’t reflect the pedagogical value of some of those practices.”
He further acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly in developing effective rubrics and area-specific assessment frameworks.
“I think the biggest [challenge] was this question of rubrics, or how to support instructors in providing clear expectations for every assessment,” Fortier explained. “That’s not the practice of many parts of the university, and for some disciplines, it actually can be quite challenging to create a rubric that would really reflect the right way to assess on a certain task.”
Fortier concluded by highlighting the value of individual consultation and faculty drop-in sessions. He emphasized their focus on supporting instructors in developing courses using various pedagogical practices, and warned of potential difficulties in monitoring the policy going forward.
“It’s difficult to encourage change months or even a year ahead of when a course is delivered. So, in many cases, in an ideal world, all [learning] policies, when they’re adopted, they’re implemented right away. This was unique in having this long window of implementation, but it is difficult to plan that far ahead in many cases.”
Next, the Senate turned to an open discussion on the use of AI at McGill.
Framing the conversation, Associate Professor Christopher Buddle of the Department of Natural Resource Sciences emphasized that while he is not an expert in AI, the unprecedented speed of advancement in generative AI is a cause for concern. He described generative AI as a tool capable of producing text, code, and other outputs in response to prompts, noting that debates surrounding AI sit within a broader academic, governmental, and ethical ecosystem.
“Artificial Intelligence is not new to universities. AI [has] been used for decades, but what’s new is its visibility, accessibility, and the speed of the tools,” Buddle stated.
Senators then broke into 10 discussion groups before reconvening to share key points.
Across groups, senators identified potential academic benefits of AI, including its ability to aid research, support students with learning differences, assist with coding and industry workflows, and help students develop skills in evaluating AI-generated outputs. Several noted that familiarity with generative AI will likely soon be expected in many professions.
Concerns about academic integrity and authorship were also prominent. Senators raised questions about how to assess originality, how to recognize AI-assisted work, and how grading practices may need to adapt. Some emphasized transparency and traceability as guiding principles, while others suggested developing a values-driven policy rather than rigid rules, given the rapidly evolving nature of the technology. Senators also raised environmental concerns, noting the high energy and water demands associated with AI systems.
“AI can support tutoring, drafting notes for studying, language support, accessibility, inclusion, research acceleration, and administrative efficiency,” Buddle stated. “Some of the challenges [concern] academic integrity. Who is the author? It’s the classic kind of question that could be important in high ed[ucation]. It’s been an important question for a long time, but again, that question has been accelerated.”
Several groups stressed the importance of faculty training and institutional clarity, such as creating an endorsed list of AI tools, integrating guidance into course syllabi, and providing education on safe and responsible AI use. Others emphasized that norms will emerge through practice and that flexibility will be necessary.
The discussion concluded with broad agreement that AI will shape the future of teaching and learning at McGill, though senators differed on what university policy will consist of and how it will be implemented.
The Senate then turned to discuss the proposed 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for Undergraduate Student Enrolment, led by Senator Angela Campbell.
The plan outlines four major priorities for guiding the university’s requirement mission: Transform, expand globally, anchor locally, and unite. The aim is to move beyond admissions numbers to consider access, engagement, and long-term student outcomes. Campbell emphasized coordinated efforts between central admissions and faculties, aiming to create an ‘end-to-end’—from recruitment to graduation—student experience while carefully shaping the composition of the student body.
“It’s not just the number of students that we’re thinking about when we recruit and admit students, but we’re thinking about the composition of our student demography, where we’re recruiting from, and how we are admitting our students,” Campbell said.
But enrollment is also tied to budgeting. Engineering and Commerce have seen significant growth, yet course capacity is strained. Senator Jan Kopyscinski warned that Engineering admissions may be too high, citing limited lab space. Senator Chloé Muñoz described overcrowded lecture halls, with students sitting on floors, and raised concerns about housing shortages and retention. Campbell acknowledged that other departments face similar pressures, especially during the add-drop period.
Timing also matters. If admissions offers go out too late—as Senator Elham Emami noted—McGill risks losing students to faster-moving universities. Ultimately, Campbell stressed that the goal is to “get the target right” by encouraging redistribution, relieving pressure on oversubscribed programs, and planning growth sustainably.
Lastly, the Senate briefly reviewed the Annual Report of the Advisory Council on the Charter of Students’ Rights, presented by Associate Professor and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Law Tina Piper for information, before moving to the Annual Report on Student Life and Learning.
Professor Anthony Mittermaier, who assumed the role of Interim Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning) just last week, highlighted key achievements from 2024-2025, including the expanded use of preferred names and pronouns, an orientation welcoming over 700 students, upgraded digital systems, and the administration of a revised Student Code of Conduct. The Student Wellness Hub also served more than 5,000 students, with expanded support for Jewish, Muslim, 2SLGBTQIA+, Black, and Indigenous students.
Moment of the Meeting:
Saini remarked that the flag would be lowered for the lives lost in a recent mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, and shared his condolences in response to the senseless act of violence.
Soundbite:
“AI does not simply change how work is done. It also raises questions about what institutions value, how learning is assessed, and how responsibility and accountability are distributed. So, it matters at McGill a great deal.”— Christopher Buddle.
