# NORTHERN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING NO. 467 Board Chair Carly Stringer called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to the Timmins Campus for the last scheduled meeting of the term. | | | |---|---| | Type | PDF | | Size | 228 KB | [Open original PDF →](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting467.pdf) Referenced from: [Board of Governors](/pages/about/board-of-governors/) ## Document text ## NORTHERN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING NO. 467 Tuesday, June 13, 2023 1:00 p.m. ## PRESENT: Board : C. Stringer, Chair - J. Molyneaux, First Vice-Chair C. Reasbeck, Second Vice-Chair - C. Ellis - D. Naveau - E. Poulin A. Penner, President & CEO K. Bird K. Wojtus - J. Harrington P. Hamilton Staff: - L. Hanes, Executive Assistant, Office of the President and Board of Governors - S. Hunter, Chief Cultural Officer, Marketing, Communications and External Relations - A. Klooster, Senior Vice-President Academic & Student Success - F. Nickner, Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology Regrets: A. Jalbert L. Innes M. Metatawabin, Governor-at-Large M. Dumas, Senior VP Corporate Services ## 1. CALL TO ORDER ## 1.1 Remarks from the Chair Board Chair Carly Stringer called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to the Timmins Campus for the last scheduled meeting of the term. ## 1.2 Acknowledgment of Territory 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. ## 2. DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST Chair Stringer called for disclosures of actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Governor Eric Poulin declared a conflict with item 6.3 Approval of Draft Financial Statements. Governor John Harrington declared a conflict with items 6.5 Reaffirm College Legal Representation and 6.10 Approval for Kirkland Lake Site Work Phase II -Contractor. Timmins Campus ## 3. AGENDA The Chair asked if there were any additions or modifications to the agenda. The item 6.8 Academic Plan was removed, as it was completed at the last Board meeting. Moved by: P. Hamilton Motion Seconded by: C. Reasbeck 39-06-23 THAT the agenda for the Northern College Board of Governors Meeting #467 dated June 13, 2023, be adopted as amended. Carried ## 4. PRESENTATION Her worship Michelle Boileau Mayor of the City of Timmins joined the Board virtually to present on the city council's pr iorities for 2023-2026. These have been adopted by Council, but are not yet public. They will be posted to the City's website and a series of town halls will take place to discuss the council prioorities and get budget engagement. President Penner committed that Northern College works with the City to achieve its priorities. For example, with representation on the Housing Strategy Taskforce. Chair Stringer noted that there are many connections between the Council's priorities and the College's Strategic Plan. Lots of overlap and opportunities for collaboration. It is a culture of progress and momentum to move forward. ## 5. CONSENT AGENDA The Second Vice-Chair asked if any governor wished to comment on or remove any items from the Consent Agenda. None noted. - 5.1 Receive Board Committee Minutes - 5.2 Program Advisory Appointments (No appointments) - 5.3 Board of Governors' Work Plan - 5.4 Board Goals Update - 5.5 Correspondence and Information Report Moved by: J. Harrington Motion Seconded by: K. Bird 40-06-23 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. ## 6. DISCUSSION ITEMS ## 6.1. Approval of Minutes of Meeting #466 held May 9, 2023 and E-vote held May 16, 2023 Chair Stringer asked for any changes to the Minutes presented. Governor Ken Wojtus noted that he was not present at the May meeting. His attendance will be removed. Edit to the date in section 5.5. Moved by: C. Reasbeck Motion Seconded by: E. Poulin 41-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approves the minutes of meeting #466 held May 9, 2023, as amended. Carried Moved by: C. Reasbeck Motion Seconded by: P. Hamilton 42-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approves the minutes of E-vote held May 16, 2023, as presented. Carried ## 6.2. Approval of the 2022-2023 Annual Report Chief Cultural Officer Hunter reviewed the report presented to the Board. Senior VicePresident Klooster noted the items from the internal Business Plan that were not completed this year. Those are reflected in the external Annual Report. The governors commented on the branding and overall stunning look of the report. No amendments are recommended. Moved by: K. Bird Motion Seconded by: C. Ellis 43-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approve the 2022-23 Northern College Annual Report; THAT this document be taken forward to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and be posted to the college website, as required. Carried ## 6.3. Approval of Draft 2022-23 Audited Financial Statements Senior Vice-President Dumas presented the Audited Financial Statements for fiscal year 202223 and a summary of the auditor's report . He thanked his staff for their efforts and contributions to these statements. Mr. Dumas explained the unrestricted cash balance; much of it is tied up in working capital, deferred contributions (deferred tuition, monies collected but not yet applied), restricted funds and endowed assets (capital projects, IT renewal, residence repairs, bursaries, etc.). The Chair thanked SrVP Dumas for a clear presentation. She noted that these financial statements and the Auditor's report were presented to the Board Audit Committee. They commended the Auditor for a concise and engaging presentation and the Committee has recommended the adoption of the Financial Statements as presented. Moved by: J. Molyneaux Motion Seconded by: P. Hamilton 44-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approve the Audited Financial Statements as at March 31, 2023, for submission to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and posting to the college website, as required. Carried ## 6.4. Program Approvals SrVP Klooster presented three programs for Board approval. ## 6.4.1. Business Fundamentals -Ontario College Certificate This is an existing one-year College Certificate program, which also forms the first year of the Business General program. As part of continuous improvement, and with the addition of a Quality Assurance Support Officer, the College has identified certain existing programs that could be adjusted for compliance with Ministry guidelines. This program will be resubmitted to the MCU with a titling change that is more inline with Ministry requirements. Moved by: J. Harrington Motion Seconded by: E. Poulin 45-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approve the Business Fundamentals -Ontario College Certificate program and recommend it for application for MCU funding. Carried ## 6.4.2. Supply Chain Management -1-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate Previously submitted as an international only 2-year program (which received no grant funding). While this is still attractive to international students, a new offering will be available to domestic students (would qualify for funding). The same program outcomes from the 2-year program have been compressed into a one-year program. It does not include a 4 th semester placement. As it is a domestic program, it could be offered virtually as there is no 51% on campus rule. There will be challenges for staffing, as it would rely on part-time faculty. Those challenges could be alleviated with a shift to virtual. Moved by: C. Reasbeck Motion Seconded by: K. Wojtus 46-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approve the Supply Chain Management -1-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate and recommend it for application for MCU funding. Carried 6.4.3. General Arts and Science -English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Certificate This program is currently available as a Board-approved program, which is uncommon in the college system. Moving it to a certificate program would put Northern College on-par with other colleges in Ontario. Moved by: D. Naveau Motion Seconded by: J. Harrington 47-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approve the General Arts and Science -English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Certificate program and recommend it for application for MCU funding. Carried ## 6.5. Reaffirm College Legal Representation A recommendation was presented from Mr. Dumas with no changes to the labour lawyers currently in use by the College. In the Fall, a tender will be sent out for contract negotiations. Reaffirmation now will ensure coverage until the negotiations are complete. Moved by: A. Penner Motion Seconded by: K. Bird 48-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors approve the appointment of Hicks Morley for labour relations and arbitration, for one year effective September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024 Carried ## 6.6. Draft 2023-2024 Board Meeting Schedule President Penner presented the draft schedule for next year's Board meetings. One major change is the scheduling of the Board meeting held in Moosonee, which has been moved to January. This will ensure that the ice road will be available between Moosonee and Moose Factory. The Fall planning meeting will take place in Haileybury. The meeting will take place on campus, but the planning meeting will be held off site. The March meeting date will be changed to avoid the week of March Break. Moved by: J. Harrington Motion 49-06-23 Seconded by: C. Reasbeck THAT the Board of Governors approve the 2022-2023 Board Meeting Schedule as amended. Carried ## 6.7. Summer Recess 2023 Dr. Penner explained that a summer recess is declared by resolution at the June meeting with the Executive Committee being empowered to act on behalf of the Board during the recess. The Executive Committee deals with any general items requiring Board approval during the recess. There may be a few tenders for capital projects that will require approval from the Executive on behalf of the Board. In the case of an extremely unusual circumstance, a Special Meeting of the Board would be called. Moved by: E. Poulin Motion Seconded by: C. Ellis 50-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors declare a summer recess for the months of July and August 2023. AND THAT the Executive Committee be empowered to act on behalf of the Board of Governors during such recess; AND THAT the Executive Committee call a Special Meeting, if required, by the matter under consideration. Carried ## 6.8. Employee Climate Survey Results SrVP Dumas explained that the Employee Climate Survey was distributed to faculty, support staff and employees and was open from April 24th to May 5th. The Employee Climate Survey provides an opportunity for all employees to provide their thoughts, feelings and feedback on their employee experience and also indicates what we are doing well and areas for improvement. This year there were 227 employees that completed the Employee Climate Survey. Highlighted strengths were taking responsibility of their own actions, effective working relationships with colleagues, availability of help from coworkers, continuing employment with the College and physical safety withing their work environment. Areas for improvement include training and orientation, staffing, communication between departments and campuses, public recognition of successes and SMT action on employee feedback. A total of 296 comments were received, which is significantly higher than prior years. A thematic and qualitative analysis will be conducted by Institutional Research. And an Action Plan will be brought to the Board Planning Meeting in September by Dr. Penner. ## 6.9. Approval for Kirkland Lake Site Work Phase II -Contractor Approval from the Board of Governors is required for a contract in excess of $500,000 for Site Work (asphalt) Phase 2 at the Kirkland Lake Campus. The existing asphalt roadways and parking lots, including concrete curbs and walkways, are mostly original to the site and are in need of replacement. The replacement of these elements will seek to improve and preserve the condition of the Kirkland Lake campus property for the next 50 years. Moved by: P. Hamilton Motion Seconded by: J. Molyneaux 51-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors of Northern College approves Pedersen Construction as the contractor for the Kirkland Lake Site Work -Phase II project with a bid of $1,234,500.00 + HST. Carried ## 6.10. Strategic Plan Measurement Report President Penner explained that the Strategic Plan Measurements will be deferred to the fall, as not all the data is yet available for a complete report. ## 7. REPORTS AND INFORMATION ## 7.1. Financial Reports: ## 7.4.1. Verbal Finance Report for the period ended May 31, 2023 SrVP Dumas delivered a verbal report on the period ended May 31, 2023. The fiscal year 25 budget has been uploaded into the system, as was approved at the last Board meeting. When comparing FY23 to FY24, the College is exactly on target for spending. ## 7.4.2. Investment Report as of March 31, 2023 Mr. Dumas reported that the investment portfolio has increased slightly. The market continues to be volatile with higher inflation and interest rates. Though the return has not quite kept up with the benchmark indices, we are still on target for return on investment for the year. Through the Investment Policy Statement developed by TD Waterhouse and Northern College, the market value of the College's assets has increased by $2.377M. ## 7.2. Quarterly Risk Management Report The role of Risk Manager is currently vacant, but the department is looking to hire to a new position with a broader scope to move this portfolio forward. Software has been implemented for risk management. A list of 100 identified risks are incorporated (based on Humber College's research of the college sector). As risks are identified within the sector, they will be added. ## 7.3. Verbal Enrolment Report CIO Frédéric Nickner reported that there were approximately 1200 students across all Northern campuses. This is a huge increase over previous years. Timmins campus has the highest enrolment. One third of students are in their 1 st term of their program. The biggest programs for the Summer intake are within the Business department. ## 7.4. Annual Monitoring Reports President Penner presented the monitoring reports provided on an annual basis. The President confirmed we have complied with the policies and executive limitations. These annual monitoring reports are required by our Bylaw 1. ## 7.4.1. Partnerships & Collaborative Initiatives There were no substantive changes to existing agreements. New Partnerships include the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), Northlands College, Timmins and District Hospital, Agnico Eagle Mines, Go-Give and DIY Community Health, James Bay Aski Ishkotaykan Bio Utility and Bioenergy, First Annual Festival of Diwali at Northern College partners, and a collaborative third year Computer Programming and Analysis program with Algonquin and Sault Colleges. ## 7.4.2. Compliance Report -Program Advisory Committees The President presented the Program Advisory Committees Policy Compliance Report, as compiled by SrVP Klooster. She indicated that we have been in compliance with Board Policy D-4. Board members are continued to be encouraged to participate in PACs. ## 7.4.3. Compliance with Executive Limitations Policies President Penner confirmed we have been in compliance with the Executive Limitations' monitoring statements including: D-1 General Executive Constraint D-6 Naming of Facilities D-7 Language Services Policy D-8 Purchasing D-11 Asset Protection D-12 Financial Matters D-13 Insurance D-14 Commitment to Quality D-15 Staff Relations D-16 Risk Management The Board was presented with an annual summary of revenue-generating leases, as required by D-9 Facility Leasing. ## 7.4.4. College Signing Authority In accordance with policy D-5, signing officers were named and include: the Chair of the Board of Governors the First Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors the President the Treasurer / Vice-President, Corporate Services; and the Vice-President, Academic & Student Success. An underutilized software program that is currently used in procurement will be opened up for use in monitoring MOUs, policies and non-disclosure agreements. This program will help the College work smarter by monitoring and flagging review dates and verifying signing authority. Having presented the annual monitoring reports, a motion was presented. Moved by: C. Reasbeck Motion Seconded by: J. Harrington 52-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors has received Executive Limitations Compliance and Monitoring Reports, as required. Carried ## 7.5. Sexual Violence Reporting CCO Hunter informed the Board that the MCU has not yet required reporting on sexual violence for 2022-23, however the College still monitors for compliance and any incidences of sexual violence on campus. She indicated that three incidences of sexual violence on our premises have been reported for 2022-23. All of these reports involved students, no staff or faculty, and were inappropriate and non-consensual occurrences of a sexual nature. Chair Stringer inquired about the potential for liability within the College. Ms. Hunter noted that all 3 incidences were resolves through disciplinary measures with the agreement of the reporter. There is no further action anticipated. CCO Hunter updated on the new reporting tool in development. It is a centralized hub that will lower the barrier for disclosure even further. It would also reduce the College's risk of liability. It will contain resources and information for anyone seeking assistance. This reporting tool has the option of submitting an anonymous report. REES is victim-focused to be responsive to their needs. First Vice-Chair Jeff Molyneaux asked after the Campus Safety Funding from the government. SrVP Dumas responded that the funding was all spent this year, with a focus on updating security cameras on campus. The College also has a Behaviour Intervention Team, which is student focused, and a Threat-Assessment Team, who investigate reports of violence. Further to sharing the reports with the Board, we will assure our compliance with the Ministry. Moved by: K. Bird Motion Seconded by: C. Ellis 53-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors has received the 2022-23 Sexual Violence Reporting, as required. Carried ## 7.6. Report from Northern College Indigenous Council on Education Governor Bird submitted a written report to the Board. She added that discussions are underway and a policy is in development for the appropriate use of the permanent tipi on campuses. A study of Humber College's procedure on confirmation of Indigenous heritage is also underway to decide whether this procedure can be adopted at Northern. The Terms of Reference for the NCICE will be updated shortly. Ms. Bird also added that for questions regarding the terms used to identify communities in our land acknowledgement, it is best to ask this communities directly. President Penner acknowledged Governor Bird's leadership on the NCICE. ## 7.7. President's Report President Penner supplied her report. She added that the College hosted the Minister of Colleges and Universities June 12th, at the Timmins campus. This was a long-awaited visit and included demonstrating our Medical Lab, our Early Childhood Education Lab, the Nursing Lab, the Indigenous center, and ending with the Integrated Emergency Services Complex. The site visit was very engaging and well received by the Minister who loves to engage with students. We created a unique gift for the visit, a moose made at our 3D printing lab set on a wooden platform with logo and mission laser printed on the wood. Key elements of this tour were for the Minister to get to know us better and for us to promote the things we are trying to achieve. Minister Pirie attended as well and took great pride in talking about all that we, collectively, have done. Quality Assurance for the International Student Standards was brought forward to the Committee of Presidents, and as chair of the working group it was well received with a few minor tweaks. Northern college is in the pilot for this, and we are beginning to compile our data and evidence. ## 7.8. Reports from Board Advisory Committee Representatives Governor Cathy Ellis attended the ECE Committee. It has been a steep learning curve to get up to speed. Governor representation is very valuable on the PACs. ## 7.9. Board Member Community-Related Updates Governor Reasbeck reported that she will be taking part in the St-Jean Baptiste celebrations in Kapuskasing. She welcomed all present to attend these events. ## 7.10. Governors Completing Terms The end of Chair Stringer's 6 -year term will be complete on August 31, 2023. She has been a valuable member of the Board and will be missed. Governor Jalbert is also completing her short term. On behalf of the Board, President Penner thanked Chair Stringer and Governor Jalbert for their contributions to the Board and stated that it has been a pleasure working with them. ## NORTHERN COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NO. 467 JUNE 13, 2023 ## 8. MOVE TO IN-CAMERA MEETING Moved by: P. Hamilton Motion Seconded by: E. Poulin 54-06-23 THAT the Board of Governors move in-camera at 3:02 p.m. Carried ## 9. REPORT FROM IN-CAMERA MEETING Moved by: J. Molyneaux Motion Seconded by: K. Bird 55-06-23 THAT the Board resume the open session at 3:48 p.m. AND THAT matters discussed proceed as presented. Carried ## 10. NEXT MEETING ## 10.1 Date and Location: Board Planning Meeting September 14, 2023 -9:00 a.m. in the Haileybury area Board Meeting September 15, 2023 -9:00 a.m. at Haileybury Campus ## 10.2 Future Agenda Items Governors are invited to send any requests for agenda items to Executive Assistant, Leslie Hanes. ## 11. ADJOURNMENT Moved by: D. Naveau Motion 56-06-23 THAT the meeting be adjourned. Carried Time noted at 3:48 p.m. Leslie Hanes Executive Assistant to the Board --- Source: [https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting467.pdf](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/2025/07/BoardMeeting467.pdf)