# Board of Governors #482 Northern College January 20 th , 2026, 1:00pm Timmins, Room A106 | | | |---|---| | Type | PDF | | Size | 157 KB | [Open original PDF →](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/Meeting482.pdf) Referenced from: [Board of Governors](/pages/about/board-of-governors/) ## Document text ## Board of Governors #482 Northern College January 20 th , 2026, 1:00pm Timmins, Room A106 ## Attendance: ## Board: ## Guests: ## Grenke, Kraymr Faught, Tom Kaur Bains, Kanwaljit "Daisy" Bélanger-Corbin, Danielle Staff: Crawford, Connor Dumas, Mitch Fyfe, Kate Gibbons, Fred Loon, Loretta Ollila, Eliisa Sharma, Gauri Baghdady, Ahmed Dicks, Jaret Lessard, Dean MacDougall, Glenn Moorlag, Jennifer Toyne, Mikayla ## Regrets: Fortin, Gary Knox, Rob Patel, Dixitkumar ## 1. Call to Order ## 1.1. Remarks from the Chair Board Chair Kraymr Grenke called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to the Timmins campus. Chair Grenke also introduced Phil Hayes, Academic Chair as he will be presenting to the Board. ## 1.2. Acknowledgement 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 located on these lands include: Matachewan, Timiskaming, Temagami, and Metis Peoples Region #3. ## 2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest Chair Grenke called for disclosures of actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Student Governor Gauri Sharma will have a conflict with item 9.5 Approval of Tuition and Ancillary Fee Schedule. There were no additional conflicts Blaquiere-Norkum, Dana of interest disclosed. ## 3. Approval of Agenda Chair Grenke asked if there were any additions or modifications to the agenda. None requested. Motion: 01-01-26 Moved by: D. Naveau Seconded by: E. Ollila THAT the agenda for the Northern College Board of Governors Meeting #482 dated January 20 th , 2026, be adopted as presented. Carried ## 4. Presentation: Vet Science Programs Phil Hayes, Academic Chair, presented to the Board about Vet Science programs at Northern College. The Board received an update on the Veterinary Sciences programs. There is a total of 132 students enrolled across all Veterinary Science programs. Phil provided an in-depth update on the Companion Animal Physical Rehabilitation graduate certificate program. This program was originally launched in 2012, the program experienced enrolment challenges in Fall 2024 resulting in an intake suspension. In response, a comprehensive review was undertaken and identified that a strong labour market demand drawing graduates directly into the workforce, rising living costs resulted in enrolment challenges. In Spring 2025, approval was granted to modernize the program's curriculum and transition to an online delivery model with modernized curriculum. The updated curriculum strengthens diagnostic, therapeutic, and client communication competencies while introducing opportunities for micro-credentialing and continuing professional development. The first redesigned cohort launched in Fall 2025 with 12 students, and student feedback indicated a clear preference for fully asynchronous online delivery. Beginning in 2026, the program will adopt a flexible model with three intakes per year and both full-time and part-time pathways to improve accessibility and national reach. Experiential learning remains central to the program, including a one-week on-campus practical residency and a 200-hour clinical placement to ensure graduates are workforce-ready. The Board was advised that the redesign enhances alignment with industry demand, improves flexibility and sustainability, and positions the program for long-term growth while maintaining strong applied learning outcomes. ## 5. Move to In-Camera Meeting Motion: 02-01-26 Moved by: D. Naveau Seconded by: F. Gibbons THAT the Board of Governors move in-camera at 1:25pm. Carried 6. In-Camera Meeting 7. Report from In-Camera Meeting Motion: 03-01-26 Moved by: D. Naveau Seconded by: D. Bélanger-Corbin THAT the Board of Governors resume the open session at 1:44pm. AND THAT matters discussed proceed as presented. Carried ## 8. Consent Agenda Chair Grenke asked if any governor wished to comment on or remove any items from the Consent Agenda. There were no items removed from the consent agenda. Motion: 04-01-26 Moved by: K. Fyfe Seconded by: M. Dumas THAT the Board of Governors approves the remaining Consent Agenda items, including all applicable motions. Carried - 8.1. Receive Board Committee Minutes: Board Executive 481E Meeting Notes - 8.2. Program Advisory Committee Schedule - 8.2.1. Board Members Assigned to PACs - 8.3. Program Advisory Appointments - 8.4. Board Goals - 8.5. Board Work Plan - 8.6. Business Plan Q3 Progress Report - 8.7. Correspondence and Information Report ## 9. Discussion Items ## 9.1. Approval of Minutes of Meeting #481 held November 18, 2025 Chair Grenke asked for any changes to the Minutes presented. None received. Motion: 05-01-26 Moved by: D. Bélanger-Corbin Seconded by: K. Fyfe THAT the minutes of Board Meeting #481 held November 18 th , be approved as presented. Carried ## 9.2. Employee Climate Survey Update Acting Senior Vice President Corporate Services, Glenn MacDougall presented the Employee Climate Survey action plan/grid. This identifies key themes and opportunities for improvement and planned initiatives. There was a large gap in the scoring from FullTime Support Staff versus other permanent employee groups, as such, the Full-Time Support Staff group is being considered a priority focus. All future strategic initiatives will be developed to align with the College Strategic Plan, Mission, Vision, and Values. Employment data is collected and used from multiple sources to guide and advise in the development of impactful actions and initiatives. ## 9.3. Community Climate Survey Update Executive Director of Marketing, Communications and External Relations, Jaret Dicks, presented an update on the Community Climate Survey and items of focus. After the survey was reviewed the 4 areas of identified focus are: - -Northern College's Commitment to Indigenous Relationships, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Partnerships; - -Quality of Facilities, Labs, Classrooms, and Common Spaces; - -Fostering Community-Related Opportunities for Students; and - -Increasing Community and Industry Presence on Campus. The next steps include creating an action plan/initiatives that respond to each of these areas of focus and a metrics or method of measurement. ## 9.4. Policy Review Committee Report This will be deferred to the March 10 th meeting with tracked changes provided for each policy. ## 9.5. Approval of Tuition and Ancillary Fee Schedule Executive Director, Student Services, Institutional Research and Registrar, Jennifer Moorlag, presented the recommendation on tuition and ancillary fees. Domestic tuition remains frozen; however, there is a recommended 3% increase in international tuition fees. The cost of offering programs continues to increase, the 3% increase helps to offset rising program costs while ensuring that tuition is still competitive. The Ministry requires that program-specific compulsory fees be strictly regulated and must balance with actual expenditures. The compulsory ancillary fees are determined per the protocol with the Student Executive Committee. However, some fees are excluded from the protocol (ex. NCSA student fee). Program-specific fees include the exit exam fees, which are a direct charge. Non-compulsory fees include service fees for voluntary services, such as a challenge exam fee. The Board discussed the effects of an increase in international tuition fees on enrolment. Most institutions are increasing international tuition by the same amount. The 3% increase won't be a deterrent for students studying at Northern College, the curren t deterrent for international students is the reputation of Canada through a federal lens and uncertainty of immigration. Motion: 06-01-26 Moved by: D. Bélanger-Corbin Seconded by: D. Naveau THAT the Board of Governors approve the proposed 2026-27 domestic tuition, the 3% international tuition increases, the proposed Compulsory Ancillary Fees and the Program Specific Ancillary Fees as presented. Carried ## 9.6. FY27 Capital Projects List The Board Executive is delegated the authority to approve the use of capital reserve funds. Capital reserves cannot be used for operational expenses; they result from the prior year's surpluses and are set aside for investment projects. Acting Senior Vice-President MacDougall presented the Capital Project List for fiscal year 2027. The capital projects list includes the carryover projects from last fiscal year and new projects for this fiscal year. Due to the current fiscal climate, if funds from a previous fiscal year are not spent there will be a request to allocate them in the next fiscal year. Currently, there is a request for $17,975,000.00 to be allocated from capital reserves; however, this includes a rollover request of unspent FY26 funds of $16,100,000.00 and new project funds of $1,875,000.00. There is a 5-year capital project plan that focuses on deferred maintenance. Confirmation of funds from the Facilities Renewal Program has not been received yet. ## 9.7. Approval of Respectful College Community Policy Acting Senior Vice-President MacDougall presented the Respectful College Community. Each year, the Board reaffirms the College's commitment to providing a respectful environment in which to learn and work. Changes to the policy were legislative requirements. Motion: 07-01-26 Moved by: E. Ollila Seconded by: D. Naveau THAT the Board of Governors approve the revisions to the Respectful College Community Policy, as part of the annual review required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Carried ## 10. Reports and Information ## 10.1. Financial Reports ## 10.1.1. Finance report for the period ended November 30, 2025 Acting Senior Vice-President MacDougall presented the Interim Financial Forecast for the period ended November 30 th , 2025. The Finance Report includes an 8+4 forecast. At the beginning of this fiscal there was a projected surplus of $875,363.00. Currently there is a projected deficit of $1,322,304.00. This is due to international enrollment falling below projections and a reduction in expected interest revenue due to a decrease in interest rates on the GIC. Motion: 08-01-26 Moved by: D. Bélanger-Corbin Seconded by: D. Naveau THAT the Northern College Board of Governors approves the interim finance forecast dated November 30, 2025 as presented. Carried ## 10.1.2. Financial Health Indicators FY25 The Financial Health Indicators are based on data collected by the Ministry. Acting Senior Vice-President MacDougall reviewed the indicators, and Northern College passed all metrics with clear margins. ## 10.2. Review of Strategic Plan Metrics Executive Director Moorlag presented the Strategic Plan Metrics. The metrics is the tool/mechanism of how the Strategic Plan will be transparently measured. The process for the previous strategic plan included a cross institutional collaboration of setting outcome statements. This was an extensive process that aggregated data from several data sources across the College. It was challenging to ensure all data and reporting were available. As well, aggregating the data from the outcome statements created measurements that were often challenging to interpret and compare to previous reporting periods. Reporting for the new strategic plan is more intuitive and streamlined for additional transparency in interpretation and comparison. Under each objective statement a comprehensive list of actions has been compiled to support achievement of that objective. Many of these items/tasks can be measured on one level as a yes/no; but can also be measured by numeric impact. There will be a narrative component in the reporting. If an item is not achieved the narrative will provide additional information on the why. Feedback from the Board included support of the metrics and a recommendation for a website/micro-site. Additional feedback also included a sliding scale instead of check marks. ## 10.3. Annual Report on Compliance with the Costs of Educational Materials Directive Executive Director Moorlag presented the Annual Report on Compliance with the Costs of Educational Materials Directive. This requirement is from a new Ministry Directive issued in September 2024 and is legislated through the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024. Each publicly assisted college and university must ensure that students are informed of the costs of all textbooks and other learning materials that are mandatory and optional in the course syllabus for each course. This was required for all courses beginning in January 2025. Northern College met this expectation. Motion: 09-01-26 Moved by: F. Gibbons Seconded by: D. Naveau THAT the Board of Governors approves the Costs of Educational Materials report for submission to Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES). Carried ## 10.4. Annual Report on Anti-Racism/Anti Hate Executive Director Moorlag presented the Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism report. This requirement is from a new Ministry Directive issued in September 2024 and is legislated through the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024. The directive requires all publicly-assisted colleges and universities to have policies and rules that describe how they will address and combat racism and hate. These policies and rules must be published on the institution's website and be publicly availa ble if print copies are requested. Northern College met the implementation requirements of the report. Motion: 10-01-26 Moved by: K. Fyfe Seconded by: E. Ollila THAT the Board of Governors approves the Anti-Hate and Anti- Racism report for submission to Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES). Carried ## 10.5. Annual Report on Student Mental Health Executive Director Moorlag presented the Annual Report on Student Mental Health. This requirement is from a new Ministry Directive issued in September 2024 and is legislated through the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024. The directive requires all publicly-assisted colleges and universities to have a student mental health policy in place. Policies must describe the programs, services and supports available to students with respect to student mental health. Northern College in in compliance with the implementation deadline of the policy. Motion: 11-01-26 Moved by: D. Naveau Seconded by: D. Bélanger-Corbin THAT the Board of Governors approves the Student Mental Health Annual report for submission to Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES). Carried ## 10.6. Report from Northern College Indigenous Council on Education Northern College Indigenous Council on Education Chair Devin Naveau provided an update that the next meeting is scheduled for February 5 th , there will be an update at the March 10 th Board meeting. - 10.7. Reports from Advisory Committee Board Representatives - 10.8. Board Member Community Related Updates All Board members are invited to attend the NOHFC announcement that will be held on Friday, January 23 rd at 1:00pm in the Emergency Services building. ## 11. Next Meeting - 11.1. Tuesday, March 10 th , 2026 - 11.2. Future Agenda Items Chair Grenke invited governors to forward any requests for agenda items to Executive Assistant Mikayla Lachance. ## 12. Motion to Adjourn Motion: 11-01-26 Moved by: D. Naveau THAT the January 20 th , 2026, meeting of the Northern College Board of Governors be adjourned at 3:07pm. Carried ## 13. Meeting Evaluation Board members are encouraged to complete the meeting evaluation that will be emailed by Executive Assistant Mikayla Lachance. --- Source: [https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/Meeting482.pdf](https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/Meeting482.pdf)