The mandate of the Subcommittee on Teaching and Learning (STL) is to recommend, through the APC, initiatives and policies to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at McGill University.
The STL considers medium and long-term trends and issues affecting post-secondary education including, but not limited to, enhancing student engagement, online delivery of courses and programs, alternate credit structures, feedback and assessment, experiential learning, and the integration of teaching and research.
The STL reports to Senate through APC annually.
Membership
Ex-officio:
- Chair: Christopher Buddle, Deputy Provost (Academic)
- Anthony Mittermaier, Dean of Students, Associate Provost (Student Life and Learning)
- Tabitha Sparks, Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
- Charlene Lewis-Sutherland, Senior Advisor, Faculty Development and Inclusive Pedagogies
- Carolyn Samuel, Associate Director (Teaching Success), Teaching and Academic Programs
Faculty representatives:
- Grant Clark, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- Heidi Wendt, Faculty of Arts
- Alissa Levine, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences
- Emmanuel Tabi, Faculty of Education
- Lawrence Chen, Faculty of Engineering
- Helge Dedek, Faculty of Law
- Katherine Hanz, University Libraries
- Sujata Madan, Desautels Faculty of Management
- Beth-Ann Cummings, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
- Lloyd Whitesell, Schulich School of Music
- Sarah Leu, School of Continuing Studies
- Marcy Slapcoff, Faculty of Science
Student representatives:
- Two undergraduate student representatives
- One graduate student representative
Administrative support:
- Secretary: Nancy St-Pierre, Teaching and Academic Programs
Subcommittee composition
According to the STL Terms of Reference, approved by APC
Ex-officio:
- Chair: Associate Provost (Teaching and Academic Planning) or designate
- Dean of Students or designate
- Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies or designate
- Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) or designate
- Associate Director (Teaching Success) Teaching and Academic Programs
Faculty representatives:
- One representative to be appointed by each Faculty, (staggered) three-year renewable terms
- One representative to be appointed by the University Libraries
Student representatives:
- Two undergraduate student representatives
- One graduate student representative
Administrative support:
- Secretary
Meeting dates: 2026-2027 academic year
All meetings are held in room MS-74 (ground floor) of the McLennan Library Building, unless otherwise noted.
- Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (10:00 - 11:30am)
- Tuesday, November 24, 2026 (1:00 - 2:30pm)
- Tuesday, February 16, 2027 (10:00 - 11:30am)
- Tuesday, April 27, 2027 (1:00 - 2:30pm)
Meeting documentation
Minutes are prepared following each meeting - contact Teaching and Academic Programs to request access.
The STL prepares an annual report to APC to summarize key activities and priorities, which is included in APC's annual reports to Senate.
Recommendations on generative AI for teaching and learning at McGill
In 2023, the STL formed an AI Working Group and approved two recommendations on how generative AI tools could be integrated into the University's academic mission. The recommendations were presented by the STL AI Working Group and were discussed and approved by the APC on September 28, 2023.
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Recommendation 1: That APC endorse the following five principles that constitute an operational
framework for McGill to integrate generative AI tools into the academic mission:-
The University community is educated about what generative AI tools are, how
they work, and the opportunities and challenges they entail. -
University leadership and instructors ensure that when used, generative AI
tools play a positive role in the accomplishment of the academic mission. -
As with all approved learning technologies, instructors have autonomy to
decide whether they will use an approved generative AI tool for their teaching and
assessments. -
Instructors remain responsible for comporting themselves according to the
highest standards of academic integrity in their use of generative AI tools. -
Students remain responsible for maintaining academic rigour. This involves
both verifying the accuracy of information generated and acknowledging the use of generative
AI tools, if applicable.
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Recommendation 2: That the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) provide
clear mandates and resources to identified units and groups to develop and implement roadmaps to
operationalize the principles.
The recommendations report examines the potential impacts of generative AI tools - such as ChatGPT - on teaching and learning, specifically assessment and learning outcomes, as well as broader reflections on the goal of university education. As anecdotal evidence suggests that generative AI tools are already in heavy use by the University community, the Working Group recommends that their use be guided to ensure that it supports McGill’s Mission and Values, respects academic rigour, and addresses privacy and academic integrity considerations.
It is abundantly clear that the arrival of generative AI tools is an inflection point in societal thinking around creativity, intellectual property, academic integrity, and responsibility for our collective and individual intellectual productions. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all tools used in attaining a McGill education play a positive role and respect the highest ethical principles.
McGill should invest in research and capacity building and actively engage in deciding on the roles of generative AI in teaching and learning, research, and administration. It is incumbent on us to provide both education and guidelines to the community as well as guardrails which will create a roadmap for the responsible and positive integration of generative AI tools. The recommendations will provide the University community with clear direction for appropriate, thoughtful, and decisive actions in support of its academic mission.