Membership & nominating a PAC member | PAC Resources | Seneca Polytechnic

Who can be a PAC member? 

PACs are composed of individuals who:

• are external to Seneca Polytechnic (Seneca employees, including contract faculty, cannot serve on a PAC)
• have experience and expertise related to a particular occupational area or discipline addressed by a Seneca program, or cluster of Seneca programs
• are interested in giving back to their community and preparing the next generation of the global workforce

In line with Seneca’s Strategic Plan, it is important that PAC membership reflects the diversity of the global workforce and the Seneca community. 

Members are invited as individuals to represent their industries, and/or their professional standing within an industry. Members do not represent their organizations and designates cannot attend meetings on behalf of a PAC member.

Membership on a PAC does not imply endorsement by Seneca of a particular company, product or service. Participation is voluntary, and members are not remunerated for their service.

Seneca students and employees cannot be members of a PAC, but may participate as valuable resource members who do not have voting privileges.

If a PAC member accepts employment at Seneca (including part-time instruction or a curriculum development contract), they will be asked to resign from the committee. 

How are PAC members recruited and approved?

Potential members are identified through referrals, self-nominations or invitation by an academic chair or dean. Candidates are then approved by the academic chair responsible for the PAC.  

The search for members should include the private and public sectors, companies, trade and professional associations, accreditation bodies and government. Recommendations for PAC members can come from a variety of sources. Faculty, Seneca employees, alumni and other PAC members are good sources of information and referrals.

Seneca alumni are always valuable PAC members, with their first-hand experience of completing a Seneca credential.

PAC membership reflects the diversity of the Seneca community and our collective commitment to reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion. 

How do I nominate a new PAC member? 

Here are the steps to nominating a new PAC member:

1. Share Seneca’s PAC website with the nominee
2. Have the nominee complete, sign and submit the following documents:  

• • Nomination & consent to release information form 
  • A curriculum vitae, resume or biography
  • Non-disclosure agreement for program advisory committee members 

How are new PAC members confirmed? 

The academic chair assesses applications to join a PAC and schedules a meeting (phone or virtual) with the candidate to discuss the role and responsibilities.

Successful candidates will receive an appointment letter from the chair or designate.

Internally, once a new PAC member is confirmed, the chair or designate emails all signed new membership documents, along with an updated PAC membership list to Seneca’s Academic Quality team. 

Academic Quality will update the central PAC repository with the revised membership list and request a welcome communication from the President to be sent to the new member.

Note: The nomination form and non-disclosure agreement are fillable forms and can be shared with nominees and new members in several different ways:

• downloaded from Seneca’s PAC website
• sent by email for signature using Adobe Sign
• a web form that can be published by a program area for multiple new PAC members to complete and sign electronically
• a mass email sent to multiple new PAC members

How many members do PACs have? 

A PAC must have a minimum of six members, with the exception of degree programs, which require a minimum of eight in accordance with Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) requirements. Committee membership usually ranges from six to eight people.

Generally, a PAC does not have more than one representative from the same organization. 

It is important that each academic program is represented in the membership of a clustered PAC and that committees are not so large as to make achieving quorum difficult. 

All members have voting privileges. 

How long do PAC members serve? 

The term for PAC members is three years, renewable once. Members must not serve more than two terms, six years total. 

Renewal of a member’s term will be determined by the academic chair and the PAC chair. 

Reappointment letters are issued to members by their respective program areas at the start of their second three-year term.

Members who reach the end of their final membership term are provided a notification letter, thanking them for their service. For more information, see Retiring a PAC member.

Note: A member’s term(s) can be tracked on the PAC membership template. 

The academic chair reviews their PAC membership and engagement every fall. Required membership updates or re-engagement strategies will be implemented as appropriate.

Is there a PAC membership list template?

Program areas are encouraged to use the PAC membership template to manage their committee membership. 

PAC membership lists should be updated and submitted to Academic Quality by email whenever committee membership changes. 

Academic Quality actively uses PAC membership lists to share Seneca communications and invite PAC members and chairs to Seneca events.

What is the PAC repository? 

Academic Quality maintains a password protected central PAC repository of PAC membership lists and minutes. Membership lists and approved meeting minutes should be regularly submitted by email to Academic Quality for uploading to the repository. 

Faculty and staff supporting a PAC(s) are encouraged to request access to the repository by emailing Academic Quality and to ensure their files on the repository are up-to-date.

Faculty and staff can search for their PAC on the repository using the drop-down menu, “Program Advisory Committee Name”.