–A message from your Faculty Association President (printable statement available here)–
Dear Colleagues,
In its November 26th meeting, the UOIT Board of Governors accepted the meeting policy changes recommended by its Governance, Nominations and Human Resources Committee to modify the policy approved in June.
These changes were in response to the presentations and letters provided by the Faculty Association and Student Association, and can be summarized as follows:
- There is to be no requirement for advanced notice to attend public board or committee meetings
- Agenda items can be requested with 10 working days’ notice
- Presentations to the Board or committee meetings to continue to be allowed
- They are to consider other communications methods such as public consultation sessions
- The Board Committees will amend their terms of reference to include a public session in each of their scheduled meetings dates and their agendas and meeting material will be posted online.
- A faculty, staff or student Board Member will be included in the Audit and Finance, and the Investment Committees
Additionally, the Board encourages members of the UOT community to use existing channels to communicate with it, one of which is the UOIT-FA. Other supplementary means of communicating with the Board may in the future include public consultations.
Importantly, the Board’s Committees will become more public by posting their agendas and materials and ensuring that there is a public section of their scheduled meetings. It remains a norm that part of such meetings are non-public.
The Faculty Association would like to thank the Student Association for their collaboration on this issue. It was by working together that we were able to make our Board of Governors see that increased participation in our University’s Board is something we should be encouraging not deterring.
We recognize these as significant steps towards an open and transparent system of governance at UOIT and will continue to work with the university to continue to improve on this.
In solidarity,
Gary Genosko
President