Board Appointment Protocol

A. General

The University Governance Committee should strive to make certain that the non-constituent membership of the Board is such that it can properly meet the needs and the spirit of the University's mission statement, while at the same time govern the University with prudence and financial responsibility as outlined in the Nipissing University Act (the Act).

The Nipissing University Mission Statement:

• The objects of the University are the pursuit of learning through scholarship, teaching and research within a spirit of free enquiry and expression.
• The University's special mission is to be a teaching-oriented institution that offers programs in education and in liberal arts and science and programs that specifically address the needs of northern Ontario.

As stated in the Act, and as further outlined in the Board Bylaws, the government of the University, the control of its property and revenues and the conduct of its business and affairs, except for those matters assigned by the Act to the Senate, are vested in the Board.

In general, the duties and responsibilities of the Board are:

1. to provide overall fiscal control and direction;
2. to provide accountable mechanisms for academic excellence;
3. to ensure appropriate University constituent links for planning and decision-making purposes.

B. Criteria for Membership on the Board

1. Skills, knowledge and expertise:

Board members should possess a variety of skills and knowledge that will allow them to oversee the management and administration of the University and to appropriately deal with:

• utilization of funds and resources;
• strategic planning ;
• public relations;
• linkage between the University and o the community;
  • business/industry/labour;
  • all levels of educational institutions;
• Indigenous/cultural issues;
• collective bargaining;
• fundraising;
• personnel evaluation; and
• any other issues as identified in the skills matrix (see #4 below)

2. Qualities and characteristics of Board members:

Board members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that respects different perspectives and the decisions of the Board once those decisions are final.

A Board member should display, to a high degree, the qualities listed below:

• high expectations for performance of self and others;
• acts in ways that constitute a positive contribution to the Nipissing University community;
• behaves in a manner that contributes to team building;
• supports high performance through personal modelling;
• bases decisions on analysis of all available information;
• seeks ways to resolve problems and to satisfy the needs of those involved;
• strives to increase personal knowledge and skills;
• behaves in ways that place the goals of the organization at a higher priority than individual needs; and
• considers harmony as essential and fractionalism as detrimental to a leadership role.

3. Considerations for Board membership:

The Board will benefit by having representation from a broad cross-section of the community it serves, thereby benefitting from a diversity of skills, experiences and perspectives. In addition, as the Board of Governors is committed to respecting, fostering and supporting diversity and inclusion within its governance structure, nominations for membership should be actively sought from all qualified members of underrepresented or equity deserving groups.

The Board of Governors will therefore search for highly-skilled candidates who reflect the diversity of the University and the broader community. Such areas of broad representation could include (but are not limited to):

1. educational institutions (elementary, secondary, post-secondary);
2. business management (including financial institutions, manufacturers, resource and service industries);
3. professional community (including health care, legal, engineering, accounting, social welfare);
4. government and/or public sector;
5. labour organizations;
6. culture and the arts;
7. philanthropic record;
8. geographical location;
9. Indigenous peoples;
10. members of visible minorities;
11. women;
12. members of the LGBTQ2S+ community; and
13. persons with disabilities.

4. Consideration for meeting functional needs

At each nominating cycle, the non-constituent Board membership will be examined to ensure appropriate representation from certain functional areas required for proper operation. The skills matrix will be reviewed and, if deemed necessary, updated. It could include such areas as financial expertise, education expertise, professional, community, business and labour representation, etc. A needs assessment will be conducted by the University Governance Committee by analyzing the current Board against stated criteria and representation considerations as identified in the skills matrix.

C. Nomination Process

The Chair of the University Governance Committee (UGC) and at least one other non-constituent member of the UGC shall comprise a University Governance Selection Sub-committee (UGSS). The UGSS shall be responsible for presenting recommendations for non-constituent candidate(s) to the Board.

Before presenting a candidate(s) for election to the Board, the UGSS should:

1. Secure possible candidates in the following ways:
   
   1. seek nominations from present Board members, including (but not limited to) members of the Executive Committee;
   2. place advertisements in the local newspaper and/or online if deemed appropriate; and
   3. contact with "identified needs" groups.
      NOTE: All suggestions for nomination(s) or expressions of interest should be accompanied by a resumé.
2. Check references. Service on other boards and in other volunteer capacities should be checked to ensure that a candidate was a contributing member of the organization. Also, any potential conflicts of interest should be explored.
3. Reduce the list of possible candidates through matching characteristics of candidates against "member criteria" and Board needs.
4. Interview candidates at its discretion.
5. Select the nominees for presentation to the UGC and, subsequently, to the full Board.
6. Disposition:
   
   1. Present a slate of candidates to the Board equal to no more than the total number of vacancies.
   2. The Board will hold elections for all positions considering candidates from the UGSS and any other nominations submitted in accordance with the Board By-Laws.
   3. The Executive Committee will designate successful candidates as either a “Board appointment” or a nomination for a “Lieutenant Governor in Council appointment”.
7. Follow up communication: Each candidate will be notified by the Chair of the UGC of the outcome of his/her application. Successful nominees will also be notified of the type of appointment as per 6.c) above. This will be followed by a formal written notification by the University Secretary.
8. The nomination process should begin as early as possible in the fall.

Approved March 3, 1994 Board meeting – as recommended by Board Executive Committee

Revised May 2001

Revised November 2017 – Resolution #2017-11-02

Revised March 11, 2021 – Resolution #2021-03-05