NORTHERN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING NO. 465
Dr. Valerie Gideon, President, FEDNOR Lucie Perrault, Executive Director, FEDNOR
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NORTHERN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING NO. 465
Thursday, March 16, 2023 1:00 p.m.
PRESENT:
Board :
-
C. Stringer, Chair
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J. Molyneaux, First Vice-Chair
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A. Penner, President & CEO
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A. Jalbert
-
C. Ellis
-
D. Naveau
-
E. Poulin
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C. Reasbeck, Second Vice-Chair
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M. Metatawabin, Governor-at-Large
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J. Harrington
-
K. Bird
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K. Wojtus
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P. Hamilton
Guest:
Dr. Valerie Gideon, President, FEDNOR Lucie Perrault, Executive Director, FEDNOR
Staff:
L. Hanes, Executive Assistant, Office of the President and Board of Governors
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M. Dumas, Senior V.P. Corporate Services
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S. Hunter, Chief Cultural Officer, Marketing, Communications and External Relations
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A. Klooster, V.P. Academic & Student Success
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F. Nickner, Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology
Regrets:
- L. Innes
1. CALL TO ORDER
1.1 Remarks from the Chair
Vice-Chair Jeff Molyneaux called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to the Timmins Campus, with a special welcome to Governor Alyssa Jalbert to her first Board of Governors meeting. He also welcomed guests: Dr. Valerie Gideon, the President of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and the Associate Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services, and Lucie Perrault, Executive Director, also from FEDNOR.
1.2 Acknowledgment of Territory
I (we) begin by acknowledging that we are on the traditional and territorial lands of the Cree, Oji-Cree, Ojibway, and Algonquin homelands. We acknowledge these ancestral lands that we are gathered on, which continue to interconnect us all and remind us that we are all treaty people. First Nation communities now located on these lands include: Mattagami, Matachewan, Flying Post, Wahgoshig, Taykwa Tagamou and Metis Peoples Region #3.
Timmins Campus
2. DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Vice-Chair Molyneaux called for disclosures of actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
The vice-chair disclosed a conflict for item 7.5 Report on MaJIC. Governor Poulin declared a conflict of interest for item 6.2 Budget Expenditures.
3. AGENDA
Chair Stringer asked that item 5.4 be taken out of the consent agenda for further discussion.
Moved by:
D. Naveau
Motion
Seconded by: E. Poulin
12-03-23
THAT the agenda for the Northern College Board of Governors Meeting #465 dated March 16, 2023, be adopted as amended. Carried
4. PRESENTATION
4.1 Dr. Valerie Gideon, Federal Economic Development Agency
President Penner introduced Dr. Gideon.
Dr. Gideon provided some background on her experience and work with FEDNOR. She remarked that there are opportunities for economic growth resulting from COVID. One such example lies in healthcare and holistic wellness. Inclusivity has been a priority, including the promotion of female entrepreneurship and indigenous opportunities. One of the goals of FEDNOR is to be flexible and responsive to the geographic community or community of interest’s needs. They have a focus on inclusive and sustainable ways to su pport regional economic growth.
Both the Innovation Hub and the Integrated Emergency Services Centre at Northern College have received funding through FEDNOR.
5. CONSENT AGENDA
The Chair asked if any governor wished to comment on or remove any items from the Consent Agenda. Item 5.4 will be removed from the consent agenda.
- 5.1 Receive Board Committee Minutes
- 5.2 Program Advisory Appointment (No appointments)
- 5.3 Board of Governors’ Work Plan
- 5.4 Board Goals
- 5.5 Correspondence and Information Report
NORTHERN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NO. 465 MARCH 16, 2023
Moved by:
C. Ellis
Motion
Seconded by: J. Harrington
13-03-23
THAT item 5.4 be placed on the regular agenda; and
THAT the Board of Governors approve Consent Agenda items, including all applicable motions.
Carried
Carried
5.1 Receive Board Committee Minutes
THAT Board Committee Minutes be received.
5.4 Board Goals
Chair Stringer asked to have an update on the Board Goals for the next Board meeting. This would include all the actions taken to accomplish the goals thus far.
6. DISCUSSION ITEMS
6.1 Approval of Minutes of Meeting #464 held January 24, 2023
Moved by:
K. Bird
Motion
Seconded by: C. Reasbeck
14-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors approves the minutes of meeting #464 held January 24, 2023, as presented. Carried
6.2 Budget Expenditures
Governor Poulin declared a conflict of interest for this item and will abstain from voting.
Senior Vice-President Dumas reminded that the fiscal year ends March 31 st . The budget will be approved at the May Board meeting. Until that time, the Board is requested to approve funds for operational use between April 1 and May 9, 2023.
This has been the normal course of business for many years, but the Finance department has recently been investigating the possibility of moving budget approval to the March Board meeting.
Moved by:
P. Hamilton
Motion
Seconded by: D. Naveau
15-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors approve continued operating expenditures, in a fiscally responsible manner, from April 1, 2023 to May 10, 2023, not to exceed total expenditures of $7.5 million.
Carried
6.3 Tuition and Ancillary Fee Schedule
Chief Information Officer Nickner reminded the board that while tuition has been frozen by the government for many years, ancillary fees must be approved and posted publicly by May 1 st .
A grand review of ancillary fees has been undertaken. The College maintains the authority to increase ancillary fees by up to 20%, while an increase greater than 20% would require a student referendum to approve. Several new services have been implemented and made available to students, justifying an increase to the ancillary fees, including MyCreds, a transcript service with lifetime access. An increase in international student fees, mainly due to the increased cost of health insurance. Program-specific fees must be reapproved each year. While many are pre-existing, several have been realigned to reflect actual costs.
An increase in our private partner’s ancillary fees is also recommended. They have been frozen for quite some time and are recommended for an increase due to rising costs.
The Ministry’s Binding Directive encourages consultation with the student association. Northern College did consult its student associations on these fee changes and received their approbation.
The Registrar’s Office conducted an investigation of other Ontario colleges’ ancillary fees. Northern maintains fees at approximately half the amount of other colleges.
Moved by:
J. Harrington
Motion
Seconded by: C. Ellis
16-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors approve the 2023-24 Tuition & Compulsory Ancillary Fees as presented. Carried
6.4 Approval of Insurance Premiums
Mr. Dumas provided notes which evaluated the current insurer, including their premiums. There has been a significant increase in costs due to market conditions. Some minor policy changes have been enacted to align with the College’s risk profile, objectives, and business needs.
Governor Wojtus inquired about cybersecurity coverage. Mr. Nickner responded that the policy includes a few million dollars in coverage for ransomware.
Moved by:
E. Poulin
Motion
Seconded by: K. Wojtus
17-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors approve an insurance premium payment to Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc. for a maximum payment of $485,000 + applicable taxes to bind the policies for insurance coverage of Northern College, beginning April 1, 2023.
Carried
6.5 Approval: Indigenous Rehabilitation Support
Vice-President Klooster described the Ontario College Certificate for Indigenous Rehabilitation Support. CVS validation has been granted. The College’s partners in the community have identified the need for this program. It will be available in a hybrid method, with a virtual element and an on-site component, as recommended by the best practice for this type of program.
Those who receive this certification would support the certified professionals to deliver services to the community. There is a possibility of these graduates moving towards professional certification in the future.
Moved by:
P. Hamilton
Motion
Seconded by:
J. Harrington
18-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors recommends the CVS-approved Indigenous Rehabilitation Support -Ontario College Certificate program proposal for application for MCU funding.
Carried
7. REPORTS AND INFORMATION
7.1 Financial Reports
7.1.1. Finance report for the period ended January 31, 2023
SrVP Dumas ’ financial report ending January 31, 2023 was presented to the Board. There is an additional $11K increase to the projected surplus, which is now projected to be $15.13M. TSF revenue has decreased due to the Ministry’s requirement to increase the budgeted bursaries.
Various sources of underspending have been identified. Underspending ties up funds that could be used for other projects. The funds have been redeployed using strategic investment.
VPA Klooster asked whether underspending of funded projects, which results in monies being returned to the funding agency, would appear as underspending in the budget. It was confirmed that it would.
7.1.2. Quarterly Investment Report as at December 31, 2022
Mr. Dumas provided the report, which confirmed that the risk profile is still being adhered to , as per the investment committee’s recommendations from last year.
Generally, investments are down by approximately 4%. However, some investments are slowly increasing, while others are outperforming the benchmarks, if not actually growing.
The investment portfolio has recovered back to the amounts from December 2021.
7.2 Risk Management Report
SrVP Dumas ’ report was presented to the Board. The report related that the risk profile continues to follow the goals set two years ago. Currently under development is a new software for tracking risk in the organization in real-time. A presentation will follow once the framework has been completed.
7.3 Enrolment Report
Mr. Nickner reported an update on a record winter enrolment. There was a 225% increase in the number of students enrolled over last year. Of the 1504 domestic students enrolled, 72% identify as female. The 1220 international students had a more evenly gendered mix of 44% female and 56% male.
The new Tableau software utilised by the Institutional Research and Regist rar’s Office provides the opportunity to identify anomalies and trends. This allows for targeted intervention for student retention.
Chair Stringer asked if Tableau could identify vulnerability for risk. Mr. Nickner answered that all revenues are taken into consideration in the risk management framework. This includes enrolment. Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) is the response to risk to the College. SEM software provides a collaborative function to mitigate risk.
Governor Metatawabin inquired about the cultural awareness opportunities afforded to international students. Mr. Klooster responded that the mandatory general education course (Introduction to Indigenous Culture) is provided to all students both domestic and international. This course provides a base level of understanding and awareness, while the indigenization of other programs contributes to preparing informed, successful, and productive members of society.
Governor Bird shared some of the topics covered when she facilitated the Indigenous Culture course. It grants a look at biases while working to combat them.
The Board asked about where in the world the international students were coming from. The response was mainly from India, but efforts are being made to diversify and open new markets in other countries, which will take 3-4 years to come to fruition. Diversification reduces the risk to the College.
7.4 Community Health Indicators
Dr. Penner shared the actions that have been taken since the results of the Community Climate Survey had been released. She has met with several of the communities the College serves and made presentations to city councils to continue the discussion on what Northern College is and what we can do. The responses from these meetings have been extremely positive. Housing remains one of the most pressing issues in all communities.
The next round of surveys will take place in Spring 2023 and will take the same format of inperson and personal contact. In following years, the survey will likely revert to a mainly virtual formal. Findings from the Spring 2023 survey will be presented to the Board at the September meeting.
7.5 Report on MaJIC
Vice-Chair Molyneaux presented his report on the Materials Joining Innovation Centre. The goal of MaJIC remains to improve the welding industry in Canada. The centre employs a student from the College who is funded by the government. However, this is the only public funding that MaJIC receives. All other funds come from industry partners.
Given the current economic climate, many companies are hesitant to put money into research and development. MaJIC provides a resource to find solutions. As a result of this, they have operated at a loss for 2022. However, they have secured new customers and put new programs in place for 2023, which should provide new revenue streams.
MaJIC maintains close ties to Northern College ’ s welding program. They try to hire Northern grads as much as possible. They also provide lab space for college programs and help students with technical reports required in their courses.
MaJIC is also heavily involved in the community high schools and advocates quite a bit within the community.
Mr. Molyneaux also sits on the Program Advisory Committee for the welding program, which gives a lot of advice to the College from industry. This helps to make the College more responsive to the needs of industry.
Moved by:
C. Ellis
Motion
Seconded by:
E. Poulin
19-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors receive the 2023 Materials Joining Innovation Centre report. Carried
7.6 Verbal Report from Northern College Indigenous Council on Education
Governor Bird reported that the Council again experienced challenges in attendance. AS a result, the Council has changed its Terms of reference to reduce quorum, made further outreach to the community for membership, planned their meeting dates ahead of time for next year and provided hybrid access so that all members can attend in-person, virtually or by phone.
The goal of the Council is to provide a safer college, that is more representative of the community. The College is engaged and anxious to both help and learn from NCICE.
NCICE will have representation at the upcoming CICan Summit in April in Montreal. Chair Stringer voiced her support on behalf of the Board and offered to help with recruitment.
7.7 President’s Report
President Penner supplied her report. She highlighted the change to the Public-Private Partnership binding directive from the Ministry; the enrolment ratios have been removed and the cap increased to 7,500 students.
The Auditor General of Ontario has followed up on their previous recommendations to the public colleges. Northern has submitted their response with all recommendations either completed or to be completed by end of fiscal year. The Public College Private Partnership audit is underway. Northern has submitted the responses to the first phase of the audit. Further investigation is ongoing, with additional phases presumed.
Dr. Penner shared details from the Colleges Ontario visits in Ireland. There are several opportunities for follow-up with Irish institutions. VPA Klooster, the Deans and AREI Manager will be involved in the development of articulation agreements.
CICan reached out to the College for an interview with President Penner, as a result of Northern College being identified as a trailblazer for signing o n to three of CICan’s key initiatives.
Dr. Penner announced that she received an LGIC appointment to the Board of Directors for Science North. This helps to increase the College’s profile and provides possible partnership opportunities.
7.8 Business Plan
7.8.1. Business Plan Initiatives 7.8.1.1. Initiative 1.4.1
’ Implement an environmental standard for instructional spaces that incorporates Indigenous ideologies and learning preferences.”
Mr. Dumas acknowledged the support from NCICE and the College Indigenous Elder for this initiative. He explained that a spiritual garden has been included in the capital plan for this year. Several other initiatives have been included in the capital plans for the next several years, including indigenizing classrooms, lounges and other spaces on every campus.
7.8.1.2. Initiative 3.2.1
’ Increase the student activity/learning projects at each campus by one, specifically to promote environmentally sustainable practices. ’
Mr. Dumas identified the ideal of taking advantage of all four seasons at each of the College’s main campuses. Workshops and events have been planned and carried out to share opportunities with staff and students. Equipment availability has been a challenge, but partnerships within the communities have been very important in providing these opportunities.
7.9 Reports from Board Advisory Committee Representatives
No reports.
7.10 Board Member Community-Related Updates
Governor Metatawabin mentioned that Attawapiskat, Fort Albany and Kashechewan recently underwent upgrades to fibre optic cable for internet access, which has been helpful in ensuring that they are connected.
8. MOVE TO IN-CAMERA MEETING
Moved by:
E. Poulin
Motion
Seconded by: J. Harrington
20-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors move in-camera at 3:12 p.m.
Carried
9. REPORT FROM IN-CAMERA MEETING
Moved by:
K. Bird
Motion
Seconded by: D. Naveau
21-01-23
THAT the Board resume the open session at 4:45 p.m.
AND THAT matters discussed proceed as presented.
Carried
President’s 2022 -2023 Performance Evaluation
Further discussion with the President was had following the meeting and an e-vote was conducted as follows:
Moved by:
C. Ellis
Motion
Seconded by: J. Molyneaux
22-03-23
THAT the Board of Governors approve the recommendation that President Penner’s performance be rated as exceptional;
AND THAT the Board of Governors offer their congratulations to President Penner for a job well done.
Carried
10. NEXT MEETING
10.1 Date and Location:
Board meeting Tuesday, May 9, 2023 -1:00 p.m. at Moosonee Campus
10.2 Future Agenda Items
The Chair invited governors to send any requests for agenda items to Executive Assistant, Leslie Hanes.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by:
D. Naveau
Motion 23-03-23
THAT the meeting be adjourned.
Carried
Time noted at 4:48 p.m.
Leslie Hanes
Executive Assistant to the Board
Source: https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting465.pdf