Appointment Protocol

A. General

The University Governance Committee should strive to make certain that the 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 "Act".

- Nipissing University Mission Statement: (Bill Pr.70)

3. "The objects of the University are the pursuit of learning through scholarship, teaching and research within a spirit of free enquiry and expression."

4. "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."

- Duties of the Board (Bill Pr 70)

15. "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 this Act to the Senate, are vested in the Board."

Note: Please see Board of Governors' By-Laws, Section V, Powers of the Board, page 3.

- 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.

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

- Academic policy development

- Program evaluation

- Strategic planning

- Public relations

- Linkage between the University and

- the community

- business/industry/labour

- all levels of educational institutions

- Collective bargaining

- Fund raising

- Personnel evaluation

2. Qualities and characteristics of Board members:

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

- Display high expectations for performance of self and others;

- Acts in ways that constitute positive contribution to a profession or the community;

- Behaves in a manner that contributes to team building in an organization;

- 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;

- 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 which it serves, thereby benefitting from a diversity of ability and interest. This broad representation should reflect:

a) Educational institutions (elementary, secondary, post secondary)

b) Business management (including financial institutions, manufacturers, resource and service industries)

c) Professional community (including health care, legal, engineering, accounting, social welfare)

d) Government and/or public sector

e) Labour organizations

f) Culture and the arts

g) Minorities and/or special interest and/or traditionally under represented groups on the Board

h) Philanthropic record

i) Geographical location

j) Gender

4. Consideration For Meeting Functional Needs

At each nominating cycle the Board membership will be examined to ensure appropriate representation from certain functional areas required for proper operation. These areas include, but are not limited, to financial expertise, education expertise, professional, community, business and labour representation.

C. Nominating Process

Before presenting a candidate(s) for election to the Board, the University Governance Committee should:

1. Conduct a needs assessment by analyzing the present Board against stated criteria and representation considerations.

2. Identify the present and future membership needs and priorities of the Board.

3. Secure possible candidates in the following ways:

a) Notification to constituent groups including general criteria where appropriate.

b) Seek nominations from present Board members.

c) Newspaper advertisement.

d) Proactive contact with "identified needs" groups.

NOTE: All suggestions for nomination should be accompanied by a resumé.

4. 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.

5. Reduce the list of possible candidates through matching characteristics of candidates against "member criteria" and Board needs.

6. The University Governance Committee may interview candidates at its discretion.

7. Select the nominees for presentation to the Board.

8. Disposition:

a) Present a slate of candidates to the Board equal to the total number of vacancies.

b) The Board will hold elections for all positions considering candidates from the University Governance Committee and any other nominations submitted in accordance with the Board By-Laws.

c) The University Governance Committee will, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, designate successful candidates as either a "Board appointment" or a nomination for a "Lieutenant Governor in Council appointment"

9. Follow up communication: Each candidate should receive a letter from the Chair of the University Governance Committee, thanking him or her for allowing his/her name to stand for possible nomination and stating the disposition of the candidate as determined in 8 above.

10. The nomination process should begin as early as possible in the fall.

Approved March 3, 1994

Revised May 2001

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