Concordia's Board of Governors discusses report by External Governance Review Committee

Remarks from the Chair
In his remarks to Concordia’s Board of Governors, Chair Peter Kruyt spoke with enthusiasm about the university’s stellar week, which featured convocation ceremonies, the installation of Chancellor L. Jacques Ménard and a major donation to Concordia. In particular, he noted the honorary doctorates that were granted to six impressive leaders and the inspirational speeches made by outstanding valedictorians. The week was capped by the announcement of a $5 million gift from the Azrieli Foundation to establish the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies, to be housed in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Code of ethics  for employees approved
The Board of Governors approved a code of ethics and safe disclosure policy for Concordia employees. The policy, which had not been reviewed since 1997, underwent a thorough review that included consultations with the Inter-Union Council. The code establishes the rules of conduct respecting conflicts of interest applicable to employees and provides a protected disclosure mechanism by which directors, officers and employees acting in good faith can disclose wrongdoing within Concordia. A dissemination plan will be implemented to inform employees of this new and comprehensive code of ethics.

Amendments to Rules and Procedures for Senior Administrative Appointments approved
Amendments to the Rules and Procedures for Senior Administrative Appointments, to modify the selection process of the President and Vice-Chancellor, were approved by the Board of Governors. The amendments were proposed by the Board’s Ad Hoc Governance Review Committee, and fully endorsed by the External Governance Review Committee, to support the recruitment of the best candidate and create confidence in the process. As a result, a special committee of the Board will review the list of shortlisted candidates, provided by the President Search Committee, before a decision is made on which candidate is to be presented to the university community.

Board voices strong support for governance report and recommendations
The report by the External Governance Review Committee was the subject of an hour-long open discussion. President Frederick Lowy acknowledged that the committee, led by Dr. Bernard Shapiro, addressed key issues within its 60-day mandate. Lowy said he looked forward to further discussion and consultations, both within the Board and the broader Concordia community. He described the report, which featured 38 recommendations, as “positive; one that shows the way forward,” — sentiments echoed by many Governors. To this end, the Board approved a motion, indicating its strong support of the report and its commitment to consultation with the university community. The motion also directed the Ad Hoc Governance Review Committee to determine how the Board could implement the recommendations, under its purview, in a timely manner.

The Senate Steering Committee will meet on Monday, June 27 to discuss the report. An open meeting for all members of the Concordia community will be held on June 28, from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the J.A. DeSève Cinema, in the J.W. McConnell Building, 1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W. The meeting will be also be webcast live.

Staff, faculty and students can also send written comments to Andrea Renaud at andrea.renaud@concordia.ca or by fax at 514-848-4550.

For a copy of the report, as well as the details about the mandate of the External Governance Review Committee, please visit the Concordia University webpage: External Governance Review Committee.

Related links:
•   Archived convocation webcasts, June 20-22
•   “Israel Studies Research Institute Announced” – NOW, June 22, 2011
•   “Strengthening our Governance: A Collective Challenge” – NOW, June 16, 2011?
•   “Concordia University Releases Report by External Governance Review Committee” – NOW, June 15, 2011