# NORTHERN COLLEGE Chair Pirie called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. | | | |---|---| | Type | PDF | | Size | 2386 KB | [Open original PDF →](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting440.pdf) Referenced from: [Board of Governors](/pages/about/board-of-governors/) ## Document text ## NORTHERN COLLEGE ## BOARDOFGOVERNORSMEETINGNO.440 ## GENERAL SESSION Wednesday, January 23, 2019 1:00 p.m. ## PRESENT: ## Board : - G. Pirie (Chair) - D. Walsh (First Vice-Chair) - D. Rizzuto (Second Vice-Chair) - C. Stringer (Governor At Large) - F. Gibbons (President) - J. Carbonneau - M. Dumas - E. Poulin - R. Desgagnés - P. McConnell - C. Ellis - J. Molyneaux - G. Waghorn ## Staff: - P. Fortier, Executive Assistant, Office of the President and Board of Governors - A. Penner, V.P. Academic & Student Success - L. Campbell, V.P. Finance & Administration - C. McEachern, Executive Director, Student Services, Institutional Research & Registrar - C. Heavens, Executive Director, Community, Business Development and Employment Services ## Regrets : - L. Kozak - D. Larkman - B. Allan ## 1. OPENING PROCEDURES ## (a) CALL TO ORDER Chair Pirie called the meeting to order at 1:05 p.m. ## (b) CHAIR'S REMARKS Chair Pirie welcomed everyone to the Timmins Campus and shared a Traditional Territory Acknowledgement. Boardroom A106 - Timmins Campus and Teleconference ## 2. AGENDA ## (a) MODIFICATIONS/ADDITIONS/DELETIONS Item #6m - Approval for Contract with Tahoe Canada. ## (b) ADOPTION Moved by: D. Rizzuto Motion Seconded by: D. Walsh 01-01-19 THAT the agenda for the Meeting No. 440 of the Board of Governors of Northern College of Applied Arts & Technology dated January 23, 2019 be adopted as amended. Carried ## 3. CONFLICT OF INTEREST - DECLARATIONS The Chair called for disclosures of actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest. Governor Carly Stringer declared a conflict with item 6m. Approval for Contract with Tahoe Canada. ## 4. COMMENTS/PRESENTATIONS Mr. Cam McEachern shared an update on January enrolment. Since preparing the report on January 18, FT enrolment is now 1,324 with total part-time at 175 students, while international, on-campus enrolment is at 487. Mr. McEachern explained that total post-secondary enrolment is 1,499 and is still subject to change given the semester is just starting. In terms of applications for September 2019, Mr. McEachern shared early data that reflects applications are up over last year, though still lower than two years ago, when the same programs were offered. Mr. McEachern elaborated on reorganized efforts in recruitments and stated greater emphasis is being placed on converting applicants to registrants. Domestic students may apply to programs up until the start of the semester, as long as there are seats in the program. International students must apply no later than a few months prior to the semester start as they need to obtain a visa. In response to a question, Mr. McEachern shared feedback obtained through a survey of our international students over the holidays; while data analysis continues, responses about the community and the college is positive. ## 5. STANDING ITEMS ## (a) APPROVAL OF GENERAL SESSION MINUTES NO. 439 (Meeting Held November 13, 2018) Moved by: P. McConnell Motion Seconded by: J. Molyneaux 02-01-19 THAT the minutes of Meeting No. 439 dated November 13, 2018 be adopted as presented. Carried Motions from the Committee of the Whole minutes of Meeting No. 439, dated November 13, 2018 follow. ``` Moved by: D. Walsh Motion Seconded by: J. Molyneaux 93-11-18 THAT the Committee of the Whole Agenda No. 439 dated November 13, 2018 be adopted as presented. Carried Moved by: C. Stringer Motion Seconded by: C. Ellis 94-11-18 THAT the Committee of the Whole Minutes No. 438 dated September 14, 2018 be approved as presented; AND THAT motions 80-09-18 to 85-09-18 be recorded in the General Session of the minutes. Carried Moved by: E. Poulin Motion Seconded by: M. Dumas 95-11-18 THAT the Board of Governors receive minutes of the Board Executive Committee meeting dated September 6 and electronic vote minutes dated October 3 and 4, 2018. Carried Moved by: D. Walsh Motion Seconded by: B. Allan 96-11-18 THAT the Board of Governors receive the annual Human Resources Macro Indicators report. Carried Moved by: J. Molyneaux Motion Seconded by: C. Ellis 97-11-18 THAT the Board of Governors approve the Northern College Terms and Conditions of Employment for Administrative Staff, as revised. Carried Moved by: C. Ellis Motion Seconded by: M. Dumas 98-11-18 THAT the meeting be adjourned. Carried ``` ## (b) FINANCE REPORT Ms. Laurel Campbell presented the finance report for the period ended November 30, 2018 and reviewed a change in the statement of operations resulting in a projected year-end surplus of $9.4M compared to $9.5M from the previous period. On a question about the impact on the college of the province's 10% tuition roll-back, Ms. Campbell indicated we will be looking at quantifying the net effect in the next few weeks. ## 6. NEW BUSINESS ## (a) APPROVAL FOR INVESTMENT SERVICES PROVIDER Moved by: D. Walsh Motion Seconded by: J. Carbonneau 03-01-19 THAT the Board of Governors appoint TD Wealth Private Investment Counsel as provider for Investment Services for Northern College, for a five (5) year period starting February 1 st , 2019 to January 31, 2023. Carried ## (b) MARCH 2019 BOARD MEETING The President informed the Board about results of the poll conducted to confirm the level of participation at a proposed March 8 Board meeting in Moosonee. Given that 9 Board members (6 external and 3 internal) are available, consensus from the Board was that the meeting be held in Moosonee. Others will be available to join by video from another campus. Moved by: J. Carbonneau Motion Seconded by: C. Stringer 04-01-19 THAT the March Board of Governors meeting be held on March 8 in Moosonee. Carried ## (c) EMSI ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY President Gibbons elaborated on a recently conducted economic impact study, based on economic data for the year 2016-17, for each of our campus locations as well as for the college as a whole. Fact sheets for the respective campuses are provided in the Board package. The studies reflect the college's significant contribution to the communities we serve. We have promoted these results through news releases and shared them with each of the Mayors and Councils in our campus communities. The studies give us good data to provide to government in reporting, to share with our communities, and for proposal writing purposes. Governors Molyneaux and Walsh reported that the information shared with their respective municipalities were eye-opening and in Kirkland Lake in particular, has reiterated the importance of the campus for the town. ## (d) EAST END FAMILY HEALTH TEAM ANNUAL REPORT Moved by: D. Rizzuto Motion Seconded by: E. Poulin 05-01-19 THAT the Board of Governors receive the 2018 East End Family Health Team Annual Report. Carried ## (e) APPROVAL OF BOARD POLICIES The President reviewed changes to policies being recommended by the Board Policy Review Committee. Discussion followed on the recommendation to replace the word gender with diverse and inclusive in policy B-11 and the Board favoured the new language. It was recommended that more detail around environmental protection and reference to the Environmental Protection Act will be added to the policy when the policy is next reviewed. The policy is reviewed on an annual basis. Moved by: D. Rizzuto Motion 06-01-19 Seconded by: P. McConnell THAT the Board of Governors approve the following policies, as revised: B-4 External Governor Representation B-5 Effective Student Governor Representation B-7 Board and Member Self Evaluation C-7 President Emeritus B-11 Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Policy Carried ## (f) ANNUAL REPORT ON JOINT HEALTH AND SAFETY AND APPROVAL OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT Moved by: J. Molyneaux Motion Seconded by: D. Walsh 07-01-19 THAT the Board Board of Governors receive the 2018 Report of the Joint Health and Safety Committee; AND THAT the Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Policy Statement be approved as revised. Carried ## (g) GENERATIVE DISCUSSION: STUDENT GOVERNOR ROLE/ENGAGEMENT President Gibbons invited discussion on how we might support the Student Governor position and elicit greater engagement and participation from student representatives. Ms. Renée Desgagnés, our current student representative, shared there is a lack of education about what the position entails. Ms. Desgagnés also suggested that the recruitment efforts could be improved. Ms. Fortier, Executive Assistant to the Board, shared information on the current student recruitment process. Working with the college's Marketing/Recruitment department as well as involving Program Coordinators and faculty in the recruitment process were recommended. In terms of increasing the engagement level, Ms. Desgagnés concurred that bridging the gap between the student governor position and the student association to share information back and forth would add value to the role. Adding a 'Student Governor Updates' standing item to the agenda would provide an opportunity to bring information forward. ## (h) ANNUAL BOARD AND MEMBER SELF-EVALUATION SURVEYS The President invited participation on an ad-hoc committee to review survey language. Governor Domenic Rizzuto will join the President and we will ask Governor Bill Allan to be part of the committee as well. ## (i) UPDATE ON COLLEGE RISK MANAGEMENT V.P. Laurel Campbell shared that work continues on the college's risk management program. A plan inclusive of goals, timelines, deadlines and outcomes is currently being developed and Ms. Campbell confirmed we will provide the Board with a framework and a risk register for their consideration in the calendar year 2019. As Board members may be aware, a number of northeastern Ontario health network hospitals were hacked recently, resulting in their computer systems being down for a period of time. The President reported that the College's system was attacked yesterday by the same ransomware and he was pleased to confirm that thanks to risk management mechanisms in place, our system was operational in a matter of hours. ## (j) UPDATE ON CQAAP PROGRAM QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT Dr. Audrey Penner indicated we have accepted the final report from the quality assurance auditors which reflects we have met all of the standards. Within the standards, 3 of the requirements were partially met while all others were met. We have also been cited for four best practices across the system. We have 62 statements of commitment and have since reviewed these internally. A commitment plan is in place to guide actions over the next 18 months when an interim update will be due. Chair Pirie commended the college for these results. ## (k) PARTICIPATION AT FEBRUARY 14, 15 GREAT MOON GATHERING CONFERENCE The President invited governors to confirm their interest in attending the conference. Chair Pirie and Governor McConnell, along with Governor Allan who previously expressed his desire to attend, will be registered for the conference. President Gibbons is also attending. ## (l) APPROVAL FOR PURCHASE OVER $100k Moved by: C. Stringer Motion Seconded by: D. Rizzuto 08-01-19 THAT the Board of Governors approve the purchase of equipment required to replace the Video Bridge System for a maximum amount not to exceed $300,000, in accordance with Broader Public Sector purchasing guidelines. Carried ## (m) APPROVAL FOR CONTRACT WITH TAHOE CANADA Having declared a conflict, Governor Stringer abstained from the discussion and the vote. Moved by: E. Poulin Motion Seconded by: G. Waghorn 09-01-19 THAT the Board of Governors approve a Contract for Service with Tahoe Canada for the Underground Hard Rock Miner Common Core program, for $1,352,462 over a 4-year period, from November 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022. Carried ## 9. ROUTINE ITEMS ## (a) CORRESPONDENCE Noted. ## (b) NORTHERN COLLEGE INDIGENOUS COUNCIL ON EDUCATION Item deferred. ## (c) PRESIDENT'S REPORT The President's report was provided in the Board Package. President Gibbons reported on additional items, the first around the government's announcement for the postsecondary sector. In addition to the 10% reduction in tuition fees for domestic students, changes will be made to ancillary fees whereby the government will be categorizing these fees as mandatory and nonmandatory. As an example, students will be able to opt out of non-mandatory fees such as student association fees which colleges collect and remit directly to the association - this has caught the ire of student associations at colleges and universities. Separate from the General Purpose Operating Grant are special funding envelopes that have been provided on an annual basis; colleges were informed that these will not be reduced this year; however, there were no indications on the special envelopes for 2019-2020. Our new Integrated Emergency Services complex will soon house the Timmins Fire Department's Whitney Fire Station, and is currently occupied by the CDSSAB Ambulance Service. The President was very pleased to confirm the Timmins Police Service will also have a presence in the complex as early as this March. This will add a new dimension and benefit to the Police Foundations program and its students, and provide a tremendous opportunity for the Timmins Police Service who will have access to a state of the art training facility. The President announced that Ms. Christine Heavens will be undertaking a professional development leave this April to complete a Master's Degree. In closing, the President informed the Board that we will be undertaking a review and analysis of our international fees (which are excluded from the recently announced tuition reduction) to remain competitive with other colleges. A recommendation may need to be presented prior to the next full Board meeting and thus approval by the Executive on behalf of the Board would be requested. ## (d) EXECUTIVE TEAM REPORTS AND BUSINESS PLAN PROGRESS - V.P. Audrey Penner reported on Signature Program initiatives. Our initiative to rebrand the current Electrical Engineering programs away from Hydro One messaging will be carried forward and has been included in the 2019-20 Business Plan. Second, curriculum for the Health Care Management Certificate has been developed and we will be ready to launch the program this May. Third, we have explored the potential to open a Northern College campus on mainland China and will not be proceeding with this initiative. - V.P. Laurel Campbell confirmed that the Northern Experience initiative to create and launch recruitment materials for international markets was completed in September 2018. In December 2018, the development of an attendance management program was completed. - Executive Director Cam McEachern shared that we are on track with Indigenous Perspectives initiatives with the hiring of the Indigenous Services Manager. This position is a key contributor in planning for the forthcoming Business Plan and in advancing other Indigenous initiatives which continue to move forward. - Executive Director Christine Heavens provided updates on Accessibility initiatives. Our programs require technology that is adaptive and responsive to both institutional needs and student needs and we have prioritized through the Business Plan that we needed to explore the replacement of Blackboard collaborate, a web conferencing tool that can be used with any LMS. As a result of this investigation, the IT department has decided to renew Bb Collaborate. The work to determine Northern College's ability to create a dual Developmental Services Worker (DSW) and/or Child and Youth Worker (CYW) graduate diploma tied to the existing Social Service Worker (SSW) or Personal Support Worker (PSW) program is complete. The feasibility study confirms this is a good and viable option to pursue and a program plan is being assembled for a Fall 2019 launch. ## (e) PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS The following appointments are recommended: Health Sciences: Manon Therrien Social Service Worker: Christina Reid, Julie Bechard and. Rose E. Cameron Early Childhood Education: Lynda Mitchell Welding Engineering Technology: Mikael Carriere Police Foundations: Joel Breault Moved by: D. Rizzuto Motion Seconded by: P. McConnell 10-01-19 THAT the Board of Governors approve program advisory committee appointments as presented. Carried ## (f) ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE As provided in the Board package. ## (g) REPORTS FROM BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES Governor Domenic Rizzuto reported on discussions at the Electrical Engineering Technician PAC meeting he attended in December. Of note, apprenticeship will be impacted by changes announced by the government. This will also have an impact on our curriculum. ## (h) BOARD MEMBER COMMUNITY-RELATED UPDATES Governor Jeff Molyneaux informed the Board that the Town of Kirkland Lake has convened a Committee of Council named 'Community Campus Committee.' This Committee is comprised of local individuals who are intent on helping support the community, building up the college and making Kirkland Lake more accessible to international and out of town students. Mr. Molyneaux was informed that one of our faculty members as well as our Kirkland Lake Training Division Manager are members of this committee. ## (i) 2018-2019 BOARD OF GOVERNORS WORK PLAN The Board Work Plan is provided in the Board package. ## (j) 2018-2019 BOARD GOALS As provided in the Board package. ## (k) FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Noted. ## (l) NEXT MEETING The next Board meeting will be held on March 8, 2019 in Moosonee. The meeting will be held during the morning and a meeting invitation will be issued. ## 10. INFORMATION REPORT As provided in the Board package. ## 11. PROPOSED MOTIONS As recorded in the minutes. ## 12. MOVE TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Moved by: C. Stringer Motion Seconded by: M. Dumas 11-01-19 THAT the Board move into Committee of the Whole, time noted at 2:53 p.m. Carried P. Fortier, Executive Assistant to the Board --- Source: [https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting440.pdf](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting440.pdf)