Proceedings of the Special Senate Committee on Post-Secondary Education

Issue 1 - Order of Reference

Extract from the Journals of the Senate of Wednesday, October 8, 1997:

The Honourable Senator Bonnell moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Callbeck:

That a Special Committee of the Senate be appointed to continue the inquiry on the serious state of post-secondary education in Canada;

That, while respecting provincial constitutional responsibilities, the committee be authorized to examine and report upon the state of post-secondary education in Canada, including the review of:

(a) the national, regional, provincial and local goals of the Canadian post-secondary education system;

(b) the social, cultural, economic and political importance of post-secondary education to Canada;

(c) the roles of the federal, provincial and territorial governments;

(d) the ability of Canadian universities and colleges to respond to the new, emerging educational marketplace including the changing curriculum and new technologies, distance, continuing and cooperative education, and adult and part-time education; and

(e) the Canada Student Loans Program and the different provincial and territorial student financial assistance programs as well as the growing concern over student indebtedness;

and to identify areas of greater cooperation between all levels of government, the private sector and educational institutions;

That the papers and evidence received and taken on the subject and the work accomplished by the Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology during the Second Session of the Thirty-fifth Parliament be referred to the committee;

That, notwithstanding rule 85(1)(b), the special committee comprise seven members namely the Honourable Senators Andreychuk, Bonnell, DeWare, Forest, Lavoie-Roux, Losier-Cool and Perrault, and that three members constitute a quorum;

That the committee have the power to send for persons, papers and records, to examine witnesses, to report from time to time and to print such papers and evidence from day to day as may be ordered by the committee;

That the committee have power to authorize television and radio broadcasting, as it deems appropriate, of any or all of its proceedings;

That the committee submit its final report no later than December 11, 1997, and that the committee retain all powers necessary to publicize the findings of the committee contained in the final report until December 31, 1997; and

That the committee be permitted, notwithstanding usual practices, to deposit its report with the Clerk of the Senate, if the Senate is not then sitting, and that the report be deemed to have been tabled in the Chamber.

The question being put on the motion as modified, it was adopted.

Paul Bélisle

Clerk of the Senate