Governance Review of Wilfrid Laurier University · Wilfrid Laurier University Governance Review...

GovernanceReviewofWilfridLaurierUniversityFebruary2017

SUBMITTEDBYHarrietLewisJohnMcCutcheonBonniePatterson

TABLEOFCONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................11.1 THECONTEXTOFOURREVIEW..................................................................................................................................11.2 METHODOLOGY..............................................................................................................................................................21.3 PRINCIPLESTHATGUIDEDTHEREVIEWERS............................................................................................................21.4 OBSERVATIONSANDLIMITATIONS.............................................................................................................................31.5 THEWILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITYACT(“THEACT”).........................................................................................31.6 IMPROVINGTHECULTUREOFCOMMUNICATIONSANDTRANSPARENCY............................................................4

2. THEBOARDOFGOVERNORS–OPPORTUNITIESFORIMPROVEMENTANDCLARITY..........52.1 BOARDCOMMITTEESTRUCTURE................................................................................................................................52.2 BOARDEXECUTIVEANDGOVERNANCECOMMITTEE..............................................................................................62.3 BOARDNOMINATIONSCOMMITTEE...........................................................................................................................72.4 BOARDPOLICIESANDPRACTICES..............................................................................................................................7

3. THESENATE–OPPORTUNITIESFORIMPROVEMENTANDCLARITY......................................103.1 SENATE'SROLEANDRESPONSIBILITIES................................................................................................................103.2 SENATESIZEANDCOMPOSITION.............................................................................................................................123.3 SENATECOMMITTEESANDTHEIRMANDATES.....................................................................................................123.4 INTERACTIONSANDRELATIONSHIPS......................................................................................................................153.5 AGENDAANDCONDUCTOFTHEMEETING;POLICIESANDPRACTICES;BY-LAWS........................................163.6 MATERIALSANDCOMMUNICATIONS.......................................................................................................................17

4. THEADMINISTRATION–OPPORTUNITIESFORIMPROVEMENTANDCLARITY.................184.1 THEUNIVERSITYSECRETARYANDTHESECRETARIAT........................................................................................194.2 STAFFCOMPLEMENT.................................................................................................................................................194.3 AGENDAS......................................................................................................................................................................204.4 SENATEANDBOARDPRESENTATIONS...................................................................................................................204.5 ORIENTATIONANDONGOINGGOVERNANCEEDUCATION..................................................................................204.6 INTERACTIONSANDRELATIONSHIPS......................................................................................................................214.7 OTHERISSUES..............................................................................................................................................................22

5. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................23APPENDIXA:DOCUMENTSCONSULTED...................................................................................................24APPENDIXB:MEMBERSOFTHEUNIVERSITYCOMMUNITYWHOMETINPERSONORELECTRONICALLYWITHTHEPANEL.........................................................................................................25APPENDIXC:MEMBERSOFTHEUNIVERSITYCOMMUNITYWHOSUBMITTEDWRITTENCOMMENTSTOTHEPANEL............................................................................................................................27

WilfridLaurierUniversityGovernanceReview February2017

|1

REPORTONTHEGOVERNANCEREVIEWOFWILFRIDLAURIERUNIVERSITY

1. Introduction

1.1 TheContextofOurReviewThisisatimeofmanytransitionsatWilfridLaurierUniversityandwiththatcomesopportunitytoresetandrefreshrelationshipssovitaltosuccessfulsharedgovernanceoftheinstitution.ArelativelynewUniversitySecretarysupportingbothgoverningbodiesisinplaceandanxioustoaddvaluetotheworkoftheSecretariat;severalcontentiousissueshaveaffectedtheacademiccommunityandthegoodwillbetweenthegoverningbodies. Anewintegratedplanningandbudgetingmodelhasbeenapprovedforfullimplementationintheyearahead. Theacrimonyassociatedwiththeissueofplacingstatuesoncampus,coupledwiththedebatearoundtheintroductionofaFallreadingweek,appeartohaveleftpalpableangstamongsomemembersofthecommunitywhocommunicatedwithourreviewpanel. Andfinally,agovernmentcompetitionintheyearaheadforapotentialnewuniversitycampusinMilton,andasearchprocessfortheuniversity'snextpresident(theformerabouttobelaunchedandthelatternearingconclusionasourconsultationstookplace)haveaddedtotheatmosphereofuncertaintyontheLauriercampuses.EachoneoftheseissuesontheirownmightnothavebeensufficienttoplacesignificanttensionintherelationshipsbetweentheelementsofLaurier'sgovernancesystem,butwhenseencumulativelyinarelativelyshortperiodoftime,webelievethetotaleffectisasenseofdisillusionmentandunease. ThefuturewillbeonewherechangeiseverpresentatLaurier,asitiswithinthebroaderpost-secondarysector,butwebelievethatlikeanyorganizationwheretherearethechallengesofchangethatimpactmany,therearealsoimportantopportunitiestobeseized.Inconductingthereviewandsubmittingthisreport,thepanelreaffirmsthattheintentoftheprocesswasinthespiritofimprovingrelationswithintheinstitutionandstrivingforimprovementinbicameralgovernanceatLaurier. WedidnotexperienceanyreasontoattributemotivesforcommissioningareviewotherthanagenuineinterestinimprovingrelationshipsbetweenandfunctioningofeachoftheBoardofGovernorsandSenate.Wewereheartenedtoexperienceadeterminedcommitmentbythosewhoparticipatedinthereview–whetherstaff,facultymembers,studentsorvolunteergovernors–tobuildastrongandengagedLauriercommunityevenifsomesuggestionsseemedparochialanddifferedfromtheconcludingviewsofthispanel.


|2

Wearemakinganumberofobservationsandsuggestionswhich,iftakenup,willimprovetransparencyandcommunicationswithinthegovernancesystemattheUniversityandwehopewillcontributetotherebuildingoftrustandconfidenceinboththegovernanceandtheleadershipofLaurier.OurreviewteamwasengagedbytheUniversitySecretarytoassesstheoperationoftheSenate,theBoardofGovernors(theBoard),andtheirrespectivecommitteesandcouncilsandtoadviseastowhetherthereareopportunitiesforimprovement. Inparticular,wewereaskedtoreviewcommitteestructure,committeetermsofreferenceandmembership,theby-lawsofeachbody,anumberofcorepoliciesaswellasopportunitiestoclarifyandimprovetheinteractions,responsibilitiesandcommunicationsamongthebodies,theparticipantsingovernanceandtheLauriercommunity.OurreportistobedeliveredtotheUniversitySecretarywithanassessmentandrecommendationsontheabovetopics. TheUniversitySecretaryhascommittedtopresentingthesefindingstothegoverningbodiesforconsideration.

1.2 MethodologyInconductingthereview,anumberofdocumentswereexamined,includingbutnotlimitedtothoselistedinAppendixA,attached.Consultationswereundertakenwithanumberofstakeholdersandwrittensubmissionswerereceivedfromanyoneinterestedandwithaviewonourwork. Includedinourconsultationsweretwoopenforumsessions,oneoneachoftheWaterlooandBrantfordcampuses.AppendicesBandClistthosewhometwithusorsubmittedwrittencomments.WelookedatpracticesatanumberofCanadian,andparticularlyOntariouniversities,someofwhichyouwillseereferredtointhisreport. Finally,thepanelreviewedgovernancebestpracticesdrawnfromtheuniversitysectorandbeyond,inordertoreflectonLaurier'spractices.Thesebenchmarkscoveredaccountabilityandtransparencypractices,missionandstrategicdirection,communication,membership,orientationanddevelopmentofgovernorsandsenators,BoardandSenatecommittees,audits,leadershiproles,theUniversitySecretariat,thePresident'sroleingovernance,conductandethicsandculture.ThisassistedusinidentifyingsomeareasforimprovementinthebicameralgovernancepracticesatLaurierandinreaffirmingthestrengthsofmanyothers.

1.3 PrinciplesThatGuidedtheReviewersThegovernancereviewpanelkeptthreeprinciplesandbeliefsfront-of-mindinlisteningtocommunityinputandinourdocumentreviewasfollows:


|3

• acommitmenttobicameralgovernanceandthesharedandcomplementarynatureofresponsibilitiesthatareimplicitineffectivegovernancepracticesinauniversity,

• abeliefthatpartnershipingovernanceinvolvesanactiveengagementofthoseparticipatinginthegoverningbodiesandanadministrationcommittedtotransparencyandcontinualcommunications,and

• aviewthatgovernanceismoreadancethanamarch,whichmeansthatonemust“listentofindthebeat”toappreciatethenuancewithinthesystemofstatutes,policies,regulationsandrulesthatconstituteandguideeffectivegovernance.

1.4 ObservationsandLimitationsOuroverallconclusionisthatLaurierhasagenerallysoundstateofgovernance. Whilethetimepermitteddidnotallowforatotallycomprehensivereview,thepanel'sassessmentofbestpracticebenchmarksagainstLaurier'spracticesconfirmedthatthewaytheUniversitygovernsitselfholdsupverypositively. Thisprocessdidnotuncovergapingholesormajorgapsinpracticesalthoughitdididentifyanumberofareasthat,withsomeadaptationorrevision,willstrengthentheBoardandSenateaswellastheinterfacebetweenandamongadministrationandthetwogoverningbodies.

1.5 TheWilfridLaurierUniversityAct(“theAct”)(NotethatfurtherdiscussionoccursinSection3.2)

Afterconsiderablereflectionanddialogueamongstthepanelmembers,weseenocompellingreasonatthistimetoreopenthelegislationwhichgovernstheUniversity. Theprimaryreasonssuggestedtousfordoingsoweretwo:toincreasefacultynumbersonSenateandtheBoardandtodesignatestudentmemberpositionsontheBoardtothoseholdingofficialleadershippositionsinthecentralstudentgovernments.ActingonthefirstwouldresultinahigherproportionoffacultymembersonSenate,increasingthecurrentmajority,whichinouropinionisneithernecessarynordesirable. WeheardfromseveralsenatorsandmembersofthecommunitywithvariedexperiencesandlongevitywithSenatethatitisalreadytoolarge. (Notsurprisingly,therewasnointerestinreducingthenumberoffacultymembersonSenatetoachievetheperspectiveexpressedbysomemembersofthecommunitythatSenatewouldbemoreeffectiveifsmaller.) ItisappropriateandconsistentwithotherinstitutionsthatfacultymembersrepresentamajorityonSenateandinourjudgement,facultyneedtoexercisetheleadershipprovidedbytheirmajoritystatusovertheissueswithinSenate'spurview. Wesettledourselvesontheempowermentphrase:“facultyhaveamajorityvoiceandshoulduseit”inthebestinterestsoftheUniversity'slong-termacademicprogressandforthegoodofthewholeUniversity.


|4

WewerepleasedtoseetheinclusionofcontractacademicstaffinthemembershipofDivisionalCouncils,whichattheirfoundationareplacesofdebateandproposaldevelopmentforacademicprogramsandpolicycreation. WhiletheengagementandexperienceoffacultysenatorsisessentialtoaneffectiveandfunctionalSenate,itisimportanttorecognizethattheyarenotsolelyresponsiblefortheacademicpolicyandthegeneralgoodoftheUniversitybutsharethatwithothersenators:students,thosefacultymemberswhostepoutoftheirfacultyrolesforaperiodoftimetoserveinadministration,othernamedsenioradministrators,staff,alumniandgovernors.Webelievethattoactinrespecttothelattersuggestionofreservingseatsforelectedstudentleaderswouldcreateanundesirableandunresolvableconflictintheircarryingoutthefiduciarydutyand“dutyofcare”requiredofstudentgovernors,andwouldnotrepresentbestpractice.Ingeneral,weseeanunnecessarylevelofriskinopeningtheAct,particularlyatatimewhengovernmentisbecomingevermoreinterestedininvolvingitselfinuniversityaffairsinwayswhichchallengethehistoricalautonomyofuniversities,particularlybecauseweseeseveralotherwaysofimprovingengagementpursuanttothecurrentlegislation. Someofoursuggestedchangescouldbeimplementedquickly;otherswilltakealittlemoreconsiderationandtime.

1.6 ImprovingtheCultureofCommunicationsandTransparencyOverthecourseofthereview,inadditiontohearingcriticisms,concernsandsuggestionsthatrepresentdiametricallyoppositeviews,thepanelheardaconsistentwishforcontinuedsharedgovernancewhereresponsibilitiesandthedivisionofauthorityisbetterunderstood.ItisourobservationthattherearediscreteareasofresponsibilityforeachgoverningbodyintheAct,aswellasareaswherethereisnotonlysharedresponsibilitybetweentheSenateandtheBoard,butwheredecisionsarebettermadeindirectconsultationortogether.Theoverridinggoaloftherecommendationswearemakingistoimprovethecultureofcommunicationandtransparencyofgovernance,withtheprimaryobjectivebeingtorestorethemutualrespect,trustandconfidencebetweenmembersofthecommunity,betweenSenateanditschair,andinthegovernancesystemitself. Weacknowledgethatnotinfrequentlytherewillbedissentingopinionsanddisagreementsamongpeersandbetweenandamonggoverningbodies,butifthereisconstructiveandrespectfuldebate,moderatedbyanattentivechairofeachbody,evenaftersuchdifferences,goodwillcanberestoredandmaintainedinthepresenceofcomplexissuesanddifficultdecisions.


|5

2. TheBoardofGovernors–OpportunitiesforImprovementandClarity

OurimpressionisthattheBoardgenerallyoperatesinanappropriatefashion.WenotethatmostofthecommentswereceivedontheBoardrelatedtotheefficiencyandattimeseffectivenessofvariousBoardprocessesandpracticesanddidnotchallengetheoverallexecutionoftherole.

2.1 BoardCommitteeStructureWeheardconsiderablefeedbackfromgovernorsanduniversitystaffconcerningBoardcommittees. Thecommentsfocusedonthenumberofcommitteesandsub-committees(currentlynine),mandatesandtheresultantdrawonstaffandgovernortime. ThisBoardcommitteestructurehasbeeninplaceforaconsiderableperiodandinanycase,areviewfocusinguponeffectivenessandefficiencyisinorder.TheBoardgovernanceroleandtaskissimilaratmostOntariouniversities. However,LaurierhaschosentoapproachtheworkutilizingamorecomplexBoardstructurethancomparatorinstitutions. Asexamples,theUniversityofWaterlooandYorkhavesevenBoardcommittees;Brock,sevenandonesub-committee;andGuelphhassixcommittees,asub-committeeandanadhocworkingcommittee.Agovernancemodelwithnumerouscommitteesallowsnarrowmandates,taskspecializationanddevelopmentofexpertise. Howevertheseareaccompaniedbyvariousoperationalandothersideeffectsandproblems. TheworkoftheBoardsimplydoesnotfitneatlyintothecommitteestructure. Numerousrespondentscommenteduponoverlappingmandatesofstandingcommitteeswhichresultedingovernorsaddressingthesameissuesandhearingthesamepresentationbystaffatdifferentcommittees. Weweretoldbybothgovernorsandstaffthatthisisanirritantandisalessthanoptimaluseofstaffandgovernors’time. Otherimpactsareheightenedcomplexityofthecommitteestaffingtaskandanincreaseinthenumberofcommitteesanindividualgovernormaybeassigned. Eventheroutinetaskofschedulingofcommitteemeetingsiscomplicatedbythenumberofcommittees. ManycommitteeshavemembershipstructuresthatmirrortherepresentationofthemembershipofthefullBoard.Thisresultsincommitteesbeingarguablytoolargeandingovernorsbeingplacedoncommitteesbeyondtheirinterestsandpotentiallyinsomecases,theirexpertise.WesuggesttheBoardconsiderwhetherthecurrentstructureisappropriateinlightofthefeedbackthatwereceived. Wedonotexpectaredesignthatresultsinfewercommittees


|6

wouldresultinthelossofdecisioneffectivenessanditmaybethatconsiderationofissuesinabroadercontextwouldactuallyimprovethesituation. WealsosuggestthatcommitteemembershipstructuresbereviewedwithparticularemphasisupontheappropriatenumberofmembersoneachcommitteeandwhetherparticularcommitteesneedtomirrorthefullBoardintermsofrepresentation.

2.2 BoardExecutiveandGovernanceCommitteeSomecommentswerereceivedconcerningthesizeandmandateoftheBoardExecutiveandGovernanceCommittee. Thecommitteewasviewedasbeingtoolarge(14members)andunwieldy. ConcernswereexpressedthatmatterswerebeingconsideredbytheExecutiveCommitteethatshouldhavebeendealtwithbythefullBoard. AnexamplethatwascitedwasthefinalapprovaloftheconstructioncontractfortheLaurierBrantfordYMCAAthleticsandRecreationCentreproject.ThesizeandmandateoftheLauriercommitteeare,forthemostpart,similartothatatcomparableOntarioinstitutions. Asexamples,thereare14membersontheBoardExecutiveCommitteeatWaterloo,13atBrockand11atMcMasterUniversity. ThemandatesatthevariousuniversitiesaresimilartotheextentthattheyareempoweredtoactintheabsenceofafullBoardmeeting. AtLaurierandtheotherinstitutions,theExecutiveCommitteemembershipisrepresentativeofthegroupsthathaverepresentationontheBoardandalsoincludesChairsofvariousBoardCommittees. ItseemsappropriatethattheExecutiveCommitteeshouldberepresentativeandknowledgeableifitistoexercisethepowersoftheBoard.TheUniversityofGuelphhasaverydifferentcommitteecomposedofonlythePresident,ChairandVice-Chairwithtwonon-votingmembers. ThemandateoftheGuelphBoardExecutiveCommitteeistoactinemergencysituationswhereconveningaBoardmeetingisnotpractical.Giventhedifferentmandate,GuelphisnotanappropriatecomparatorinthismatterforLaurier.ThemandateoftheExecutiveandGovernanceCommitteedirectstheleadershipto“makeeveryefforttohaveallmattersofsubstancedealtwithbytheBoard.” Itisevidentthatatleastsomeboardmembersdonotfeelthatthisdirectionisalwayshonoured. ApotentialremedymightbefortheBoardtoformallyempowertheExecutiveandGovernanceCommitteetodealwithspecificitemssuchasapprovalofthefinalcontractfortheBrantfordprojectwhenatimesensitiveitemisknownnottofitaregularlyscheduledmeetingoftheBoard. Theprojecthadbeenthesubjectofexhaustivereviewatthecommitteeandboardlevelssotheawardofthefinalcontractisarguablynotamatterofsubstancebutanydisagreementswouldbepre-emptedbyaBoardmotioninadvance. Inanycase,BoardleadershipshouldmakeaconsciousefforttohonourthemandatebyreferringmattersofsubstancetothefullBoard.


|7

2.3 BoardNominationsCommitteeTheNominationsCommitteeisresponsibleforBoardrecruitment,recommendingtheBoardChairandsuccessionplanning,populatingBoardcommittees,evaluatingBoardperformanceandreportingonactivities. Severalpeoplecommentedonthiscommitteeandtheessenceofthecommentswasthatalackoftransparencycausedprocessestobenotwellunderstood.Therewerealsocommentsthatmoreattentionshouldbepaidtodiversityintherecruitmentofexternalgovernors. Itwasevidentthatthesecommentswerenotdirectedatgenderrepresentationbutinvolvedotherdimensionsofdiversity. Wereviewedtheprocessesthatareusedbythiscommitteeandwithtwoexceptions,aresatisfiedthattheyareappropriateandrobust. Thefirstexceptionrelatestodiversityofmembership:theobjectiveofadiverseBoardmembershipshouldalwaysbeconsideredwhilerecruitingBoardmembers. WebelievethatadiverseBoardpromotesconsiderationofdifferentperspectives,reducesthelikelihoodof“groupthink”andleadstomoreeffectivegovernance.ThesecondrelatestopopulatingBoardcommitteesandBoardsuccessionplanning:afewgovernorscommentedtheydidnotfeelthattheircommitteeassignmentswereagoodfitwiththeirexpertise.Theunderlyingissuehereisthatthelargenumberofcommitteesthatmustbestaffedandtheconstituencystructureofthemembershipofsomecommitteesmakesitverydifficulttomakeoptimaluseofmembers’expertise. Arestructuringandreductionofthenumberofcommitteesrecommendedelsewherewouldhelpalleviatethisissue. TheBoardleadershipshouldalsoensurethatgovernorsunderstandthecommitteeprocessesandanylimitationsdrivenbystructureandfeelcomfortablethattheirexpertiseandinterestsareanimportantfactorusedinpopulatingcommitteesandinsuccessionplanning.

2.4 BoardPoliciesandPractices

LengthofMeetings

Severalcommentswereheardconcerningthelengthofmeetingsandtheagendacontentforthemeetings. Thefour-hourmeetingswereconsideredsolongthatthattheyhadanegativeimpactuponBoardeffectiveness. Somegovernorsreportedthattheexcessivelengthwasatleastpartiallyafunctionofnumerousreportsbystaffmembersandattimesthelengthofthepresentations. Ofparticularconcernwerereportsthatwerebasicallyrepetitiveofreportsgivenatthecommitteelevel. Whiletheobjectiveofinforminggovernorsaboutuniversityactivitiesandprocessesisappropriate,thelengthanddetailofthepresentationswereconsideredexcessivegiventheaudience. Inaddition,areviewoftheannualworkplanoftheBoardwouldlikelyidentifyoperationalactivitiesthatdidnotrequireattentionoftheBoardorothermattersthatcouldbedealtwithatthecommitteelevel.


|8

StaffAttendanceatMeetings

ItispracticethataseniorstaffmemberorAssociateVice-PresidentbepresentattheBoardifmaterialfromtheirjurisdictionisunderconsideration. Inpracticethismeansthatanumberofsenioradministratorsspenttimeateachmeetingtotheexclusionofotheractivitieseventhoughtheyarerarelyconsulted. Severalrespondentssuggestedthatthecurrentpracticeofwidespreadattendanceisunnecessaryandstaffpresumablycouldbecontactedintheunlikelyeventthattheyarerequired. WeagreewiththissuggestionandnotethatDeanswereatonetimeurgedtoattendboardmeetings. ThispracticewasendedwithnoapparentimpactupontheBoardalthoughitispossiblethattheDeanslostsomeunderstandingoftheBoardanditsperspectiveonkeyissues. ThiscouldberemediedbyhavingadecanalrepresentativeatBoardmeetingswhoreportsbacktothebroaderdecanalgroup.

BoardAgendas

Commentswerereceivedabouttheformatandlengthoftheagendaandsupportingdocumentation. ThedocumentationisnowmadeavailabletogovernorseitherontheBoardEffectportalwhereindividualitemsmaybeviewedseparatelyorthroughtheWLUwebsiteinasingleunwieldyfilethatisnotwellindexedandisoftenseveralhundredpageslong.Ineithercase,thedocumentationforindividualitemsisoftenverylengthyandcomplexandisviewedbyatleastsomegovernorsasanimpedimenttodecisioneffectiveness.AconsistentformatandanattempttoreducetheamountofdocumentationattheBoardlevelwouldbepositivelyreceived.

BoardCommunications

TheBoardisremotefromdaytodaylifeonthecampus. TheBoarddoesnothaveanyprocessbywhichitsroleandactivitiesareroutinelycommunicatedtothecampusandsoittendstocometoattentionofthecommunityonlyduringtimesofstress. WenotethatashortemailthatincludesalistingofitemsdiscussedanddecisionsmadeisbroadcasttocampusaftereachSenatemeetingandsuggestthatasimilarpracticebeadoptedbytheBoard. ThiscouldbetakenastepfurtherandtheUniversitycouldbeinformedofupcomingmeetingsandtoldofmatterstobeconsidered.

OrientationandResponsibilitiesofBoardMembers

SeveralgovernorsofferedsuggestionsthatwouldhavehelpedthembebetterpreparedfortheirdutiesontheBoard. Twogovernorsexpressedthattheywouldhavebenefitedfromsomeformofmentoringfromanexperiencedgovernor. Avoluntarysystemwhichisavailabletoallnewgovernorswouldberelativelysimpletoinitiateandmightbeveryhelpfultosomeparticipants.


|9

ThereisconsiderableinterestinanexpandedBoardorientationwithspecialinterestincoverageconcerningacademicfreedomanddivisionofdutieswithSenateinabicameralsystem. Thephrase“academicfreedom”iswidelyusedandsomegovernorsexpressedaninterestinadeeperunderstandingofitsmeaningandlimits. SeveralgovernorsindicatedthattheydidnotfeelknowledgeableorwereevenconfusedaboutthedivisionofauthoritybetweentheBoardandSenate. Thestatuesissuewascitedasasituationwherethedivisionofauthoritywasfarmorecomplexthanitfirstappeared. ThegovernorssuggestedthattheBoardorientationspendsometimeonthistopic. Weagreewiththissuggestionbutnotethattheterm“divisionofauthority”impliesthataclear-cutdivisionexistswhereinpractice,thesituationismorecomplexasjurisdictiononsomeissuescanoverlap. Itisincumbentonleadershiptorecognizesituationswherejurisdictionissharedandproceedaccordingly.ThisFall’sjointBoard-Senatedinnerwaspositivelyreceivedbygovernors. Somesuggestedfurtherjointeventswhichcouldhelpnourishacultureofengagement,respect,trustandcooperationbetweenmembersofthetwobodies. Whilebudgetisanobviousconstraint,thisisamatterthatwarrantsfurtherconsideration.

BoardBy-LawsandConflictofInterest

Thetopicofconflictofinterestwasraisedbyseveralrespondents. WeunderstandthattheBoardBy-Lawshavenotbeenupdatedforaconsiderabletimeandthatareviewisnecessary. Areviewwouldallowtheopportunitytoconsidertheeffectivenessoftheexistingconflictofinterestby-lawratherthanallowingtheissuetocontinuetobeofconcern.Wesuggestinparticularthatarevisedpolicyshouldspecificallyaddresstheissueofanunresolvableconflictarisingfromthesituationwhereagovernor’sothercommitmentsconflictwithhisorherfiduciarydutiestotheUniversity.

InCameraMeetings

WeheardconcernsthattheBoardoritscommitteesattimesmeetincameraonmatterswhichfalloutsidewhat ispermittedinBoardBy-Law7 (Meetingsof theBoardOpento thePublic).This by-law states that theBoard and its committeesmeet in publicbutwhere confidentialmattersoftheUniversityarebeingconsideredthatpartofthemeetingmaybeheldincamera.Wereviewedtheagendasforseveralincamerameetingsandaresatisfiedthatatleastinthosecases,itwasappropriatetomeetincameraandexpectthatthisisgenerallythecase.However,weappreciatethattheremaybesomeconfusionconcerningincamerameetingsandsuggestthateffortsbemadetoincreaseunderstandingofcurrentpracticeofapplicationofBy-Law7.Itispossiblethatthereviewofby-lawssuggestedelsewheremayresultinmoreexplicitwordingofthisby-law.


|10

President’sAnnualObjectives

ThesearepresentedtotheBoardChairandtotheHumanResourcesandCompensationCommittee. WequestionwhytheobjectivesarenotpresentedtothefullBoardasthiswouldincreaseaccountabilityandtransparency. Thissuggestiondoesnotimplythattheevaluationprocessshouldchangefromcurrentpractice.

JobDescriptionforInternalGovernors

InternalgovernorsjointheBoardoftenwithnoconcreteknowledgeconcerningtheBoard,theirnewresponsibilitiesandthetimecommitment. ItwouldbehelpfulifadocumentwasavailablethatinformedpotentialgovernorsofwhatisinvolvedwithBoardmembership. Thisdocumentwouldbebriefandcouldcover“hottopics“suchasconfidentialityandconflictofinterest.

WorkloadBalancebetweenBoardMeetings

MeetingsoftheBoardarescheduledwiththreemonthintervals.TheSeptembermeetingisnotprecededbyafullslateofcommitteemeetingsandisdevotedinsteadtoapprovalofthefinancialstatementsandactivitiestoorientandinformgovernors.Asaresult,thereisagapofapproximatelyfivemonthsbetweentheMay/JuneandtheOctober/NovembercommitteedaysandBoardmeetings.Thisfivemonthperiodisachallengeandthecurrentlongstandingschedulingarrangementsshouldbereviewedtodeterminewhethertheyareappropriate

3. TheSenate–OpportunitiesforImprovementandClarity

Asnoted,weunderstandandsupportthecommitmentoftheLauriercommunitytobicameralgovernanceandtheessentialrolethattheuniversity'sSenateplaysinfulfillingitsobligationsundertheWilfridLaurierUniversityAct. Anumberoftheindividualswhometwithus,betheystudents,faculty,stafforboardmembers,hadcommentsontheroleoftheLaurierSenateandhowitfunctions.Belowaretheareaswhichweredrawntoourattentionbythosewithwhomweconsulted,aswellasourobservationsandsuggestionsabouthowtheSenatemightbecomeamoreeffectiveandrespectedconstituentpartofLaurier'sgovernancesystem.

3.1 Senate'sRoleandResponsibilitiesCommunitymembershadstrongandoftendivergentviewsabouthowSenatedischargesitsuniquepowerswithrespecttotheeducationalpoliciesoftheUniversityanditsauthoritytorecommendandcommenttotheBoardofGovernorsonmattersoutsideofitsuniquerole,allofwhicharefoundinSection19oftheAct.Someseethelegislativefunctionasa“rubberstamp”withnoopportunityforinput.ItwasobservedthatSenaterarelydealswithany


|11

mattersotherthancurriculumapprovals.SomeexpressedawishtoengageindetailwithaspectsofthecurriculumproposalsontheSenatefloor,whileothersseetheroleofthecommitteesasessentialvettingbodieswhichdothedetailedworksothatcurriculumproposalscomeforwardfordecisionafterhavingbeenproperlytunedthroughthecommitteestructureandinconsultationwithstakeholders.WeheardconcernthatthePresident'sitemsdominatedthetimeavailableontheagenda,leavinglittletimetoengageinopendiscussiononbroaderacademicissuesorproperlyconsideritemsfordecision.WeheardalsoaboutthedysfunctionoftheUniversityFacultyCouncil(UFC).TheUFCisa“council”createdbySenateby-lawspursuanttotheauthoritygivenbySection19(k)oftheAct.Itiscomprisedofallfacultymembers,librariansandcontractacademicstaffwhoaremembersoftheacademicbargainingunit,andservesasanominatingcommitteefortheSenatePromotionandTenurecommitteeandotherspecifiedcommittees,“asaforumforthediscussionofUniversity-wideissues“andto“sendrecommendationstoSenate”.Itrarelymeets,doesnotachievequorumdespiterecentreductionofthequorumto10%ofmembership,andissaidtobedominatedbyafewindividuals.Itisunclearastowhetheritproperlyfulfillsitsfunctionasanominatingcommitteeinthesecircumstances. WewerealsotoldabouttheineffectivenessofsomeoftheSenatecommittees,whichitwasallegeddidnotmeetordidnothavemeaningfulagendas;andofageneralfeelingthatSenatehadlostitsplaceasatruepolicybody.SeveralindividualsquestionedthemembershipandroleoftheSenateFinanceCommitteeinthecontextofthenewuniversitybudgetmodel.WealsoheardconcernthatSenate'sessentialgovernancerolehadbeencompromisedbytheintrusionoffacultylabourrelationsissuesandconflictsintogovernance.Thelegislationestablishingmost,ifnotall,OntariouniversitiesprovidesforbothadivisionofpowerbetweenBoardandSenateandanidentificationofareasofsharedresponsibilitythroughconsultation,recommendationandcross-appointmentofmembers.Thissystemislikelydesignedtoensurethatgovernanceremainscollegialinthebroadestsenseoftheword.Inthatrespect,Laurier'slegislationisconsistentwiththatofitspeersintheprovince.WeunderstandthatsincethepassageoftheActin1973,Laurierhasgrownandmaturedasaninstitution.Inthattime,muchhasbeendonebywayofacademicpolicytoestablishandrefineitsacademicprograms,andtodolongtermplanningthroughthevehicleofaUniversityAcademicPlan(theUAP).However,overthattime,theOntarioGovernmenthasbecomeinvolvedinsettingcurriculumdirectionthroughfinancialincentivesandprogramapprovals,aswellasStrategicMandateAgreements.Asaresult,muchoftheworkwhichintheinstitution's


|12

formativeyearswaswithintheexclusivepurviewofSenateanditscommittees(andinsomeinstancessuchasthesettingoftuition,intheBoard'sauthority)hasbeenconstrainedbycomplexgovernmentpoliciesandprocesses.Notwithstanding,inourviewSenate'slegislativeroleintheconsiderationandcoordinationofcurriculumandlongtermacademicplanningremainsaveryimportantone.Inaddition,becauseSenateisthebodyonwhichsitfacultymembers,boardmembers,students,alumni,andadministrators,itshouldbeanimportantvenueforcommunicationandgeneraldiscussiononmattersincludingbutnotlimitedtoSenate'sjurisdiction.WenotethatunlikemostOntariouniversities,(e.g.York,Western,Guelph),theActgivestheLaurierSenatealegislatedrighttoconsiderandrecommendpoliciesconcerningtheallocationofresources,andspecifically,authoritytocommentonfinancialmattersoverwhichtheBoardhasexclusivepowersofdecision.WehaveanumberofsuggestionswhichmightmakeLaurier'sSenateanditscommitteesmoreengagingandperhapsmoreeffective.Thesewillbemadeasweaddresssomeofthemorespecificissuesbelow.

3.2 SenateSizeandCompositionSomeindividualsandgroupsurgedustoconsiderarecommendationtoincreasethesizeofSenatetoallowfortheadditionofeachoffacultymembers,studentsandcontractteachingstaff. Otherswerecomfortablewiththesize,butbelievethebodywouldbemoreeffectiveifthecompositionwerealteredinvariousways,forexample,toreducethenumberofexofficiomembersoftheadministrationandtogiveexofficioseatstodelegatesofothergroupssuchasstudentgovernment,theSeniorAdvisor:AboriginalInitiativesandtheDirectoroftheDiversityandEquityoffice.BehindsomeofthesesuggestionswasanexpressedbeliefonthepartofsomethattheadministrationdominatesboththeagendaandtheoutcomesofSenateandthatSenatewasnotproperlymonitoringaspectsoftheUniversityAcademicPlanwhichcallforanincreaseindiversityofbothpersonnelandprogramming,particularlywithrespecttoAboriginaleducation.ThereappearstobeageneralrecognitionthatsmallFacultiesandstudentnomineesareatadisadvantageintheirabilitytoparticipateeffectivelyinSenateanditscommitteesbecauseoftheburdentheparticipationplacesonthefeweligiblenomineestofillseatsdesignatedforthemonSenatecommittees.WealsoheardfromtheBoardmembersonSenatethatwhile


|13

theymadeeffortstoattendtheSenatemeetings,participatingintheirrolesoncommitteeswithdesignatedBoardseatscanbedifficult.WehaveobservedthatthesizeandcompositionofLaurier'sSenateissimilartothatofotherinstitutions,albeitsomewhatsmallerthansome. ThecompositionisalsofairlyconsistentatuniversitiesthroughouttheProvinceofOntario,allofwhichprovideforanumberofexofficiopositions,butstipulatethatthemajorityshouldalwaysbemembersofthefull-timeteachingfaculty. AtLaurierthismajorityincludesanelected “academiclibrarian.”WedonotthinkachangeinsizeorcompositionoftheSenateisthekeytoimprovingtheengagementofsenatorsintheworkofthatbody.Asnoted,contractacademicstaffhavetheopportunitytoparticipateintheacademicpolicyissuesoftheUniversitythroughtheirdepartmentsanddivisionalcouncilsandthusinthegrassrootsdevelopmentsthatultimatelyemergeforconsiderationanddecisionwithinthegovernanceprocess.ShowingacommitmentattheSenateleveltoissuesofdiversityisimportant,andtothatend,notwithstandingthattheremaybenodesignatedseatsforpersonswhocanchampionLaurier'scommitment,effortsshouldbemadetorecruitindividualswiththeseinsights,experienceandknowledgetoFaculty,staffandexofficioseats. Inaddition,eitherattheAcademicPlanningCommitteeand/orinSenateasawhole,therecouldbeannualprogressreportingbythosetheUniversityhasassignedtoheadinitiativesintheseimportantareas.

3.3 SenateCommitteesandtheirMandatesLaurierhastwelveSenatestandingcommittees,alargenumberincomparisontootherOntariouniversities. Wehavealreadynotedthattherearesomestandingcommitteesthatarepopulatedbynominees,butthatdonothaveitemsontheiragendaanddonotmeetregularlyoratall. Mandatesmaynowbetoolimitedorlessrelevantthantheyoncewere.Weheardofsubstantialinterestinmergingsomeofthecommitteeswiththeintentionofgivingthemnewlife. Forexample,itwassuggestedthatStudentLifecouldbemergedwiththeCommitteeonTeaching,asaCommitteeonTeachingandLearning,withafocusonthestudentclassroomexperience. WedidnottakeonourtaskwiththeviewofredesigningLaurier'sSenatecommitteestructure,whichweagreeisuptoSenateitself,butwedohavesomeadditionalsuggestionsaboutcommitteesandroleswhichmaybeofsomeassistanceinanyinternalreview.


|14

TheSecretaryandVice-ChairofSenatearefacultymembersgiventitles,withlittletodo. Asweunderstandit,theSecretarymonitorsattendanceatSenateandreviewsthedraftminutespreparedbytheUniversitySecretary. TheVice-ChairconductstheSenatemeetingwhentheChairisabsent. Inourview,therolesshouldbestructuredinawaytoprovideformeaningfulparticipationormerged,perhapsunderthetitleofaVice-Chair.TheExecutiveCommitteeiscomprisedof19peopleandhasaleanmandate.ItapprovesthedraftagendasforSenatemeetings,actsonbehalfofSenatebetweenmeetingsandoverseesconvocationandfunctions.TheSecretaryofSenateisamember,buttheVice-Chairisnot.ThereisaseparateNominatingCommitteeandBylawsandRegulationsCommittee,withcombinedmembershipsofafurthersixteenindividuals,andneithermeetfrequently. WeretheExecutiveCommitteetoabsorbtheothertwo,establishingworkinggroupsforby-lawreviewandnominations,thecommitteewouldcometohaveamoremeaningfulroleinrespecttotheoversightofthestructureandconductofSenate.TheSenateFinanceCommitteewasthesubjectofcommentfromseveralindividualsincludingthosewhoprovideitwithadministrativesupport. Asnoted,Senatehasalegislatedpowerto“considerandrecommendtotheBoard,policiesconcerningallocationoruseofUniversityresources”(S.19(j)oftheAct)andthemandateofthecommitteefollowswithresponsibilityforconsideringtheuniversity'sbudgetonbehalfofSenateandpriortoarecommendationbySenatetotheBoard. Thecommentsweheardcanbeputincategoriesasfollows:commentsthatsomemembersofthecommitteedidnothavetheappropriatelevelofunderstandingofuniversitybudgetingorfinancialfluencytoparticipatefully;thestaffsupportingthecommittee,perhapstryingtobeastransparentaspossible,broughttothecommitteematerialsdesignedfortheBoardratherthantailoringthemforSenateanditsrole;thecommitteehadtakenontheroleofevaluatingthefinancialimpactofnewprogramswhichmaybebetteraddressedelsewhere;andgiventhenewResponsibilityCentredManagementbudgetmodel(whichshiftsbudgetemphasistorevenuegenerationfromexpenditures),thecommitteeaspresentlyconstitutednolongermakessense.WesuggestthattheFinanceCommittee’smandateandcompositionmaynolongerbeappropriateorviableandthataspartoftransitionplanningastheUniversitymovestothenewbudgetmodel,carefulthoughtbegiventohowtheSenateconsidersbudgetarymatters.Giventheemphasisonintegratedplanning,itseemsprudenttoconsiderintegrationoftheFinanceCommittee’sroleexaminingfinancialimpactsofnewprograms,forexample,withtheSenateAcademicPlanningCommittee(SAPC).WhateverthestructureusedtofulfillthefunctionoflinkingtheBoard,theAdministrationandSenateonfinancialmatters,thematerialsshouldbedesignedwiththecommitteemembersandSenate'sroleinmind.


|15

3.4 InteractionsandRelationshipsFewpeoplewespokewithfoundSenatetobeameaningfulgovernanceexperience,possiblywiththeexceptionofservingontheSAPC.WehavealreadycommentedonhowSenate'srolemayhavechangedastheinstitutionhasmatured,butthelevelofdisengagementbySenatemembersatthistimeisconcerning.Gistsofthecommentswereceivedconcerningcultureandtoneinclude:

• Theambianceofthebodywhileinsessionisthatofa“gotchaculture”,withmembersofthefacultypittedagainsttheadministration.

• Senatorsdon'tfeelthattheyhaveavoiceinSenatebecauseSenatedebateisdominatedbyafewoutspokenindividuals.

• SenatorsdonotspeakatSenateoutofconcernthattheyeitherwillappear“non-collegial”,orthattheywillbeattackedorsubjecttoreprisalfortheircontraryviews.Somedeclinetovoteoncontentiousmattersforthesamereason.

• Onoccasion,senatorswhoindicateawishtospeakarenotrecognizedbytheChair.

• Thereisabeliefthatadministratorsvoteinablockandthereforedecisionsareeffectivelypredetermined.

• Deansandotheracademicadministrators,despitetheiracademicappointments,donotseethemselvesandarenotseenbyothersasalsobeingfacultymembers.Theybelievetheyarenotseenasacademiccolleagues.AlthoughtheymayspeakinSenatetomatterscomingforwardfromtheirDivisionalAcademicCouncils,theydonotseethemselvesasaninherentpartoftheacademicgovernancesystemattheSenatelevel.

• Senatorsdon'tknowtherulesofprocedureofSenateandhowtousethem.

Weobservethatsomeoftheapparentlackofcollegialitybetweenthemembersoffacultyandtheadministrationmaybetheresultofinitiativestakenbythisadministration,andthestricturesunderwhichOntariouniversitiesareoperatingatthepresenttime.Wealsoobservethatovertime,therehasbeenamigrationoflanguageintoSenate'sby-lawsandintotheFacultyCollectiveAgreementwhichconfusesthegovernanceroleofSenatewiththeengagementoffacultymemberswiththeinstitutionanditsadministrationasmembersofabargainingunit.Wealsoobservethatbothsenatorsandgovernorsareconsistentlyidentifiedindocumentationbytheir“constituency”andthesourceoftheirnomination.Thislatterpracticecontributestoanunhelpfulculturethatdividesthemembersofeachbodyratherthanbringing


|16

themtogetherastrustednomineesofvariousgroups,whoareservingtheUniversityasawholeandinafiduciarycapacity.

3.5 AgendaandConductoftheMeeting;PoliciesandPractices;By-LawsTherewereanumberofissuesbroughttoourattentionconcerningtheorganizationandconductofSenateanditsmeetings.Amongthesewere:

• howandbywhomistheagendacreated,

• thevolumeanddetailofagendamaterial,

• thetimeanddurationofSenatemeetingsandwhetherthemeetingscanorcannotbeextended,

• theshortageofitemsforconsiderationonsomeagendascomparedtotoomanyitemsonothers,

• ageneralsenseofmalaiseanddiscomfortintheSenatemeetings:someasaresultofthemeetingvenue,someasaresultoftheconductofthemeeting,someasaresultofafeelingofintimidationaroundparticipation,someasaresultofadversarialpositioningbetweenfacultyandadministration;

• thedifficultyBrantfordcampusmembershaveinmakingcommitteeorSenatemeetings,

• thelackofknowledgeoftherulesoforderandhowtousethem,(e.g.howtomakeproceduralmotionssuchaschallengingtheChair,extendingthemeetingorcallingforasecretballot);

• thesomewhatobscureroleoftheVice-ChairandSecretaryofSenate.

Webelievethattherearestepswhichcouldbetakentoaddresssomeoftheseissues.SomearelargelyadministrativeandcanbeaddressedbytheUniversitySecretaryandherteam.OtherswouldbemattersofpolicyandprocedurewhichcouldbeaddressedbytheUniversitySecretaryandanewlyreconstitutedSenateExecutiveCommittee(seerecommendationunderSection3.3above)workingtogether.WesuggestthatanimportantstepwouldbefortheUniversitySecretaryandthereconstitutedSenateExecutivetoestablishasetofprinciples,rulesandproceduresdesignedtogoverntheactionsandconductofsenatorsduringSenatemeetings.Wenote


|17

thatYork'sSenatehassuchadocumentwhichisintendedasa“standalone”guidetogovernitssenators,itsSenateandtheircommittees. WesternUniversityalsohasasetofrulesandprocedures. InbothcasestheserulesareapprovedbytheirSenatesatthelevelofpolicy.York’ssenatorsareprovidedwithanorientationsessiondescribingtherulesandhowtousethem. Suchrulesreplacereferencestocomplicatedexternalauthoritiesbutincluderulesformanyoftheissueswhichweheardwereofconcern:voting(includingrequestsforsecretballots),challengingthechair,draftingandamendingmotions,addingitemstotheagenda,extendingthemeeting,etc.Weheardanumberofcommentsabouttheagendaandtheconductofmeetings.Again,someoftheissuescanbecorrectedbytheSecretariatinpreparingdraftagendas,butotherswouldbematterstobedealtwithwithinrulesandprocedures.Forexample,wesuggestthat:

• ImportantgovernanceitemssuchasestablishingnewFaculties(“statutorymotions”)couldhavefirstandsecondreadings,withthefirsttakingplaceonemeetingbeforethemattercomesforwardfordecision,givingtheplenarybodynoticeandachancetorefinetheproposal.

• Atsomemeetings,timecouldbesetasidefordiscussiononissueswhichmaynotbedirectlythesubjectofamotion,underaheadingsuchas“FortheGoodoftheUniversity”or“CommitteeoftheWhole”.

• “Regrets”shouldbeconsideredanabsenceratherthanbeingnotedonminutes.

• TimelimitscanbeplacedontheagendaitemsandadheredtobytheChair.

• Wheretherearemattersofurgencyandthereisachancethatquorummaybelost,thenormalorderoftheagenda(whichhastheChair'sinformationalremarksasthefirstitem)bealtered“onthefly”atthemeetingopening,bymovingitemsfordecisionaboveitemsforinformationwhichcanbedealtwithwithoutquorum.

• Aspeaker'slistcanbemaintainedbytheSecretaryorVice-Chairfortheattention/assistanceoftheChair.

3.6 MaterialsandCommunicationsAnumberofindividualsexpressedtheirdismayandimpatiencewiththeamountanddetailappendedtocurricularandothermotions,particularlybecausetherewassometimesinsufficienttimetodiscernorabsorbtheissuesbetweenthereceiptofmaterialsandthemeetingdate.Therewasgeneralfrustrationaboutthe“bunchup”ofmattersatsome


|18

meetings,whileothermeetingswereconvenedwithnothingofsubstanceoranydecisionstobeaddressed.WeunderstandfromtheUniversitySecretarythattherhythmofbusinesstobebroughttoSenateisnotasteadyone,asSenateisdependentoncommitteesandFacultiestobringtheirmattersforward.Thelargenumberofcurriculumapprovalswhichwereplacedononeagendalastyearbecameaflashpointoffrustrationbecausesenatorshadtheimpressionthematterswerejammedintoafewminutesattheendofthesession,whenwithnotice,themeetingsessioncouldhavebeensetformoretime.Therewassomeconcernthatthemeetingsareheldlateintheday,andthatsenatorsleftbeforetheconclusion,puttingquoruminissue.TheActrequirestheSenatetomeet“notlessthanfourtimesayear(s.18(1)),buttheSenateBy-Lawspecifies“nofewerthansevenregularmeetings,includingatleastthreeineachofthefallandwinterterms.”(s.4.2).Ineachgoverningdocument,provisionismadeforspecialmeetingscalledbythePresidentorbyanumberofsenators.TheActcertainlyprovidestheflexibilitytohavefewermeetingsshouldtherebenobusinessreadyforconsideration,anditdoesn'tspecifywheninthegovernanceyeartheyshouldbeheld.Inlightofthechancethatthebunch-upmaybesystemicandunavoidablegiventheshortcycleoftheacademicterm,Senatemightwishtoreconsiderwhetherthenumberandscheduleofmeetingsshouldbealteredtoaccommodatethemorelikelyflowofitemsforattention.

4. TheAdministration–OpportunitiesforImprovementandClarity

Asnoted,theTermsofReferenceforourreviewchargeduswithidentifying“opportunitiestoclarifyandimprovetheinteractions,responsibilitiesandcommunicationsamongthegoverningbodies,participantsingovernanceandtheUniversitycommunity”.ThisquestionwastopofmindinourdiscussionswiththemembersoftheadministrationengagedinthegovernanceprocessbothattheBoardandSenate.WeareremindedthattheadministrationisaninherentpartofthegovernancestructureatLaurier,thePresidentandhisteamhavingspecifiedauthorityanddutiespursuanttotheLaurierAct.Wehavealreadyreferredtotheunfortunatesenseamongsenioradministration,particularlydeans,thattheyhavelittleornoconstructiveroletoplaywithintheacademicgovernanceprocessinSenate,andthisislargelyasaresultofissuesoftonewhichwehopewillabateascircumstanceschange.Wealsohavenotedconcernsraisedbygovernors,senatorsandadministratorsabouttherelationshipamongthegoverningbodies,andmoreadministrativeissuessuchasthenatureandvolumeofmeetingmaterials,lengthandschedulingofmeetings,andcommunicationsofdecisionstakenbyonepartofthegovernancestructuretotheother.


|19

ItisourviewthatthepositionoftheUniversitySecretarycanbecentraltoaddressingmanyoftheseissues.

4.1 TheUniversitySecretaryandtheSecretariatTheUniversitySecretaryisuniqueamongtheseniorexecutivemembersoftheadministrationinthatthepositionhastheresponsibilityforensuringthegovernanceprocessiscarriedoutlegallyandeffectively,andwithoutbiasorconflictofinterest.HerdutyisequallytotheBoard,Senateandadministration.Inotherwords,whileamemberoftheuniversity'sexecutiveteam,theSecretaryowesadutytotheinstitutionasawholeandhasthedifficulttaskofmonitoringafinelinebetweensometimescompetingauthorities.HavinghadseveraldiscussionswithLaurier'sUniversitySecretarythroughoutthereviewprocess,havingreviewedthepositiondescription,andhavingmetwiththeseniormembersoftheSecretariatteam,wehavenodoubtthatthisOfficehastheexpertisetoprovideleadershipandhighlyprofessionalgovernanceadviceandsupporttotheinstitution.Fromcommentswereceived,wealsohavenodoubtthattheworkoftheSecretaryandteamisvaluedbyallparticipantsinLauriergovernance.However,wearenotcertainthattheSecretaryfeelsempoweredorsupportedincarryingoutherdutiesatanexecutivelevel,orthatthestaffingcomplementiscurrentlylargeenoughtoencouragethis.Ourobservationsandsuggestionsforpossibleimprovementsaremadeinthatcontext.

4.2 StaffComplementOnlyveryrecentlyhastheSecretariathadsufficientadministrativeassistancetoenabletheSecretaryandhertwoseniorstafftofocusmoreongovernanceandassignsomeclericalmatterstoothers.ItisourviewthattheSecretariatcanandshouldplayakeyroleinfacilitatingthechangesandimprovementswhichwouldmakeformoreeffectiveandcleargovernance.Whileweknowresourcesarealwayslimited,thereshouldbecarefulconsiderationofwhatmightbeneededtoenabletheSecretaryandherteamtoengagewiththeSenate,Boardandadministrationatahigherlevelofleadershiponsomeimportantgovernanceissuesandtotakeuptheriskmanagementresponsibilityalsoassignedtothatoffice.OneexampleofanissueonwhichtheSecretariatcanbeofgreatuseisonareviewofcommitteestructuresinbothgoverningbodies;anotherwouldbeareviewoftheSenateby-laws/creationofrulesofprocedure.Atthispoint,theteamseemscompletelyengagedifnotoverwhelmed,suchthatsomethingsarenotbeingdoneandothersnotdonetotheirownsatisfactionbecauseoftimeconstraints.WesuggestthattheSecretaryconsiderthepossibilityofsecondments,short-termcontractsandotheralternativestofull-timeadditionalemployees


|20

aswaystoenhancecapabilityintheshorttermandthatthoughtbegiventowhatanappropriatebudgetshouldbeforthenextbudgetcycle.

4.3 AgendasAsnotedabove,thereareconcernsabouttheorganizationandcontentofagendasofbothgoverningbodies.TheSecretariatcanensureagendasaremeaningfulandfocussed.Inthebestcase,theyshouldbeorganizedtoensurethatmattersforactiontakeprioritywhentheagendaisfull.Presentationsshouldbekeptatanexecutivelevel,withtimeavailableforcommentsorquestions.Wesuggestthatresolutionsbeforeeachofthegoverningbodiescouldtakeanappropriatestandardform,supportedbyarationaleandriskassessment.Asnotedearlier,materialswouldbemoreaccessibleweretheytotaketheformofexecutivesummaries,withbackgroundmaterialsavailablethroughlinksforthosewhowishtodelvedeeper.Thiswouldreducetheamountofmaterialwhichmustbedigestedinordertomakeaninformeddecision.Exceptinextraordinarycircumstances,agendasandsupportingdocumentsforbothgoverningbodiesshouldbedeliveredtoparticipantsoneweekbeforethemeetingtoallowtimeforreview.Becausepropernoticeofamotioniskeytogoodgovernance,onlyintherarestcasesshoulditemsbeaddedtotheagendaatthelastminuteoratameeting.Becausetheagendasarepostedelectronically,theycanhavelinkstoindividualitemsandattachmentsforeasieraccess.

4.4 SenateandBoardPresentationsBothgovernorsandsenatorscommentedthatpresentationsareoftentoolong,toodetailed,toorepetitiveandnotalwayspreparedwiththedecisionmakersinmind.ThereisanopportunityfortheSecretariattoprovideguidancetopresentersonhowbesttocommunicatewhenmakingpresentations.IndividualschargedwithpresentingtotheBoardalsoindicatedtheirwishformoreclarityaroundwhatinformationshouldbepresentedwhere,andinwhatform.Weheardfromatleastoneboardcommitteechairofeffortstoworkwithadministrationtofocusapresentation.ThisissomethingthatcouldberoutinelydonebytheSecretaryworkingasanintermediarybetweenacommitteechairandthosepresenting.Reasonablelimitscouldbesetonnumberofpages,numberofslides,andlengthoftimeforeachagendaitem.

4.5 OrientationandOngoingGovernanceEducationWerepeatedlyheardarequestforclarityonthedistributionofpowersbetweentheconstituentpartsofthegovernancestructure.Someparticipantsinthegovernanceprocess


|21

wereunclearabouttheirroleandhowtoengage,particularlyintheplenaryBoardandSenatesessions. Weunderstandthatwithdifferentlevelsofexperienceandknowledgeintheincomingmembersofthegoverningbodies,itisnecessarytohaveaninitialorientationfornewmembersofeachbodywhichdescribesLaurier'sgovernancestructureandprovidespracticaladviceonhowtoengage.Thissessioncouldbesupplementedinanumberofways.Somesuggestionshavealreadybeenmade.Othersareasfollows:

• ItispossibletochartthedistributionoftheauthorityandresponsibilityoftheconstituentpartsofLaurier'sgovernancesystemassetoutintheLaurierAct,illustratingwhatpowersareexclusivetoChancellor,Board,SenateandPresident;whenconsultationmusttakeplace;andwhenapprovalmustbeshared.Oneexampleisthe“GovernanceataGlance”documentonthewebsiteofYork'sSecretariat.WerecommendasimilardocumentbepreparedforLaurier.

• Fromtimetotime,onappropriateoccasions,additionalsessionsongovernancecouldbeheldformembersofeachbody,articlespertainingtouniversitygovernancebestpracticescouldbecirculated,or“notes”oncurrentissuesorproblematicissuesofgovernancecouldbedraftedandcirculated.

• Asnotedabove,weheardsomeinterestintherebeinganinformalmentorshipbetweennewandlongservingmembersofthegoverningbodies.Whileformalmentorshipprogramsarenotthenorm,theSecretarycouldfacilitatesomepairingsofexperiencedwithnewmemberstoencouragetheopportunitytolearnfromothers'experiences.

• Newcommitteechairs(particularlyofSenatecommittees)couldbegivenastartoftermorientationonmandatesandpotentialproceduralmatters.

4.6 InteractionsandRelationshipsTheSecretariatisinauniquepositiontoplayakeyroleinimprovingtheexperienceofthoseingovernanceandinbringingconsistencytoprocessesthroughcreatinginteractionandrelationshipswherenonecurrentlyexist.Examplesinclude:

• Specialsessionsforstudentsservingonthegoverningbodiestohelpthemunderstanddifficultorcomplexissues,(suchasuniversityfinancingandbudgeting),toheartheirconcernsandtootherwisehelpthemmaximizetheirexperienceontheBoardandSenate.


|22

• Bringingtogetheronaregularbasis,administratorswithintheFacultieswhoareresponsibleforshepherdingitemstoandthroughSenate.Thiswouldbeanopportunitytodiscussissuesofgovernancewiththegoalofdevelopingaconsistencyofapproachtopolicies,processesandmaterialsandwouldemphasizethatgovernanceisadistributedresponsibility.

• Asnotedearlier,listingandreferringtosenatorsandboardmembersonthewebsiteandinpublicationsinawaywhichdoesnotdistinguishthembynominatorsororiginofappointment.Thiswouldaidinhavingthemseethemselves,andhavingthecommunityseethem,notasrepresentativesofaconstituencybutasindividualsservinginpersonamandinafiduciaryratherthanarepresentativecapacity.

• Encouragingandfacilitatinganinformationflowbetweenthetwogoverningbodies.Again,synopsesorotherrecordsofdecisionsmadebyonegoverningbodycanbetransmittedinatimelywaytomembersoftheotherbody,throughelectronicmeans,orattachedtotheagendaofthenextmeetingasanitemforinformation.Thenomineesofonebodytotheothercouldbeavailabletoanswerquestionsontheseitemsatthemeeting.SynopsescouldbepostedontheSecretariatwebsite,and/orappearinanyregularinformationalpublicationasawayofkeepingthosenotdirectlyinvolved,informedabouttheactionsofthegoverningbodies.

4.7 OtherIssuesWeweremadeawareofanumberofotherissuesthataffecttheabilityofindividualstoparticipateintheworkofthegoverningbodies.ThesemattersarewithinthepurviewoftheSecretariattoaddress,althoughwerespectthatdoingsomayinvolveanelementofcost:

• TheSenate/Boardroomlacksawelcomingatmosphere.Ithaspooracoustics,andthetechnologyneedstobeupgraded.

• Theissueofparticipationbyteleconferenceorvideoconferenceshouldbeaddressedbyaprotocolsoitisclearwhenthiscanandcan'tbearranged.BecauseLaurierisatwo-campusuniversitywithplanstoexpandtothreeandperhapsfourcampuses,planningshouldbetakingplaceonhowtofacilitateequivalentparticipationingovernancefromeachcampus.Atpresent,itisverydifficultformembersofSenatefromBrantford,(particularlystudentmembers)toattendSenateandSenatecommitteesinperson,anddifficultorimpossibletoattendthroughtechnologyinitscurrentform.


|23

• Asevidencedbythemanysuggestionsreceivedduringthereview,memberswhoserveonSenatehaveideasthatwillsupportcontinuousimprovementofSenatepractices,structureanddialogue.Establishinganannualperformancesurveyforsenatorsthatseeksfeedbackonpractices,processes,aswellasareasthatwentwellandareasthatcouldbeimprovedthenextyearwouldbeaninnovativepracticeatLaurier.NotmanySenatesdothattoday.Thiswouldalsosupporttheexpressedinterestweheardfrommembersofthecommunitytoimprovetheeffectivenessofself-governance.

5. Conclusion

Asnotedinourintroduction,weareoftheopinionthatLaurier'sgovernancestructureisgenerallysound,bothinrespecttoexternalbenchmarksandcomparatorinstitutions.Weseeissuesarisingfromexternalimperatives,uncertaintyinthesector,andtheinevitabilityofinternalchange.Whateverissueshavearisentoengenderdisunityanddistrust,leadingtoasuspicionofpoorgovernance,wealsoseeacommunityofhardworkingandengagedemployeesandvolunteerswhoshareadesiretoseeLaurierthrive.Thatspeakswellforthechallengesahead.Wefeelprivilegedtohavebeengiventheopportunitytoconductthisreview,andaregratefultothecommunityforitscooperation,patience,andcandour.Wehopeourcommentswillbeofassistanceastheinstitutionmovesforward.AparticularthankstoRebeccaWickensandherteam,whomadeusfeelwelcomeandwellsupportedthroughout,despiteherkeeping“anappropriatedistance”fromourdeliberations.Thankyoutoall.

HarrietLewisJohnMcCutcheonBonniePatterson


|24

AppendixA:DocumentsConsulted

• WilfridLaurierUniversityAct,!973,asamended,2001and2016

• BoardofGovernors,agendasandagendapackagesforrecentmeetings

• BoardofGovernors,By-Laws

• BoardofGovernors,agendasandminutesforrecentmeetingsofvariouscommittees

• BoardofGovernors,AnnualSurvey

• BoardofGovernors,attendance

• BoardOfGovernors,BoardManual

• BoardofGovernors,InCameraagendasforrecentmeetings

• BoardofGovernors,othermaterialsincludingProposedPlanof2016-2017meetings

• BoardofGovernors,PowerPointfornewmemberorientation

• CollectiveAgreementforFull-timeFacultyandProfessionalLibrarians

• CollectiveAgreementforPart-timeContractAcademicStaffandPart-timeLibrarians

• PresidentialTaskForceonMulti-CampusGovernance,May2012Report

• Senate,agendasandagendapackagesforrecentmeetings

• Senate,agendasandminutesforrecentmeetingsofvariouscommittees

• Senate,recentAnnualReportsofCouncilsandCommitteestoSenate

• SenateBy-LawsandRegulations

• StrategicAcademicPlan2015-2020

• UniversityFacultyCouncil,recentAgendasandMinutes

• Documentationfromselecteduniversities


|25

AppendixB:MembersoftheuniversitycommunitywhometinpersonorelectronicallywiththePanel

October19,2016(Iistedinorderofattendance)MembersofthePresident’sGroupMembersoftheVicePresident:AcademicAdvisoryCommittee(inabsenceofVicePresident:Academic)Dr.AndrewHerman,facultymember,SenatorandmemberofBoardofGovernorsTylerVanHerzele&ColinAitchison,PresidentandVicePresident:UniversityAffairs,WLUSUDr.JonathanFinn,formerChair,SenateBy-LawsandRegulationsCommittee(alsosubmittedwrittencomments)AttendeesatpublicdropinsessionatWaterloocampusDr.MaxBlouw,PresidentandViceChancellorFinanceandAdministrationTeamOctober20,2016JillianSwartz,Vice-chairofBoardJoelPeters,AVP:ExternalRelationsandseniorteamJamieMartin,PastChairofBoardandChairofBoardNominationsCommittee(alsosubmittedwrittencomments)StephanieRatza,ChairBoardAuditandComplianceCommitteeShereenRowe,GeneralCounselandformerUniversitySecretary&GeneralCounselMelanieWill,staffresourcetoBoardHumanResourcesandCompensationCommittee,GovernorDr.DeborahMacLatchy,ProvostandVice-President:AcademicNiruPhilip,staffmemberandGovernorLyndaKitamura,BoardTreasurerandChairofBoardPensionsCommitteeScottLyons,SecretaryoftheBoardMichaelDell,ChairBoardBuildingandPropertiesCommitteeOctober21,2016JohnBowey,ChairoftheBoardAttendeesatpublicdropinsessionatBrantfordcampusBrianRosborough,SeniorExecutiveOfficerBrantfordCampusandsenioracademicandadministrativeleadershipofBrantfordcampus


|26

OtherDatesRebeccaWickens,UniversitySecretarySarahWilley-Thomas,AssociateUniversitySecretary(alsosubmittedwrittencomments)AnneLukin,AssociateUniversitySecretaryJohnFraser,Director:StrategicAcademicInitiatives,formerAssociateUniversitySecretaryHeatherBouillon,ProjectManager,OfficeoftheVice-President:Academic(alsosubmittedwrittencomments)


|27

AppendixC:MembersoftheUniversitycommunitywhosubmittedwrittencommentstothePanel

• ScottBebenek,alumnus,Boardmember

• ThomasBerczi,alumnus,Boardmember

• HeatherBouillon,ProjectManager,OfficeoftheVice-President:Academic(alsometwithCommittee)

• Dr.KathrynCarter,AssociateVicePresident:TeachingandLearning(acting)

• RobDonelson,Vice-President,Development&AlumniRelations

• Dr.RudyEikelboom,facultymemberandformerSecretaryofSenate(alsoattendedpublicdropinsessionatWaterloocampus)

• Dr.JonathanFinn,formerChair,SenateBy-LawsandRegulationsCommittee(alsosubmittedwrittencomments)

• CharlotteInnerd,LibraryDepartmentHead,CollectionsandAcquisitions

• Dr.DavidJohnson,facultysenator

• Dr.LauraMaeLindo,Director,DiversityandEquityOffice

• MichaelLisetto-Smith,onbehalfofManagerialGroupExecutive

• JamieMartin,PastChairofBoardandChairofBoardNominationsCommittee(alsometwithCommittee)

• Dr.JasonNeellis,facultySenator(alsoattendedpublicdropinsessionatWaterloocampus)

• Dr.ChristopherRoss,facultymember

• AidanShaw,undergraduatestudent

• JessSiegel,graduatestudentandGovernor

• SociologyStudentsAssociation–ChelseaSimo,BobbiMartellacci&ShaelynBurnet

• MikeWhitehouse,staffmember

• SarahWilley-Thomas,AssociateUniversitySecretary(alsometwithCommittee)

• RebeccaWickens,UniversitySecretary

Governance Review of Wilfrid Laurier University · Wilfrid Laurier University Governance Review...

Documents

Transcript of Governance Review of Wilfrid Laurier University · Wilfrid Laurier University Governance Review...