Dear members of the McGill Community,
It is our pleasure to provide you with an update on the recent activities of McGill University’s Board of Governors. You can learn more about the Board’s mandate and membership on its website.
The Board of Governors held the fifth regular meeting on May 16, 2024. The full minutes of the meeting’s open session will be available following approval at the Board’s next meeting on October 9, 2024. In the meantime, we would like to share with you the meeting’s important discussions, decisions, and developments.
Thank you for your interest in the work of the Board of Governors. If you have any questions, ideas, or comments, please write mcgill.president [at] mcgill.ca.
Sincerely,
Deep Saini, President and Vice-Chancellor
Maryse Bertrand, Chair, McGill Board of Governors
Key Updates
The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of the Nominating, Governance and Ethics (NGE) Committee, approved the appointment of Mr. Bertrand Cesvet (BA’86, MBA’88, DLitt’16) as a member-at-large of the Board of Governors of McGill University for a four-year term, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028, as well as his appointment as a member of the Human Resources Committee for a three-year term, from July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2027.
A Canadian business leader with a strong track record in the fields of branding, creative management, marketing, and international business, Mr. Cesvet is the former chairman and senior partner at the commercial creativity firm Sid Lee, which developed the Made by McGill/Forgé par McGill brand platform and anthem video. Under his leadership, Sid Lee has grown into an international powerhouse known for its creativity and unique business model. The University looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Cesvet, a dedicated member of our community, in his new functions.
In addition, as recommended by Senate, the Board of Governors approved the following three policies: (i) Policy on Student Safety Abroad, (ii) Policy on Indigenous Membership/Citizenship Validation, and (iii) revisions to the Policy for the Accommodation of Holy Days.
- The Policy on Student Safety Abroad replaces the International Mobility Guidelines and responds to the need to formalize and enhance the University’s governance framework for international experiential learning activities.
- The Policy on Indigenous Membership/Citizenship Validation is intended to support a more robust and equitable approach to validating claims to Indigenous citizenship/membership, based on clear evidence and grounded in Indigenous knowledge, lived experiences, and community recognition. Read more about the Policy’s significance.
- The revisions to the Policy for the Accommodation of Holy Days includes a change in title to “Policy for the Academic Accommodation of Religious Observances.” The Policy outlines how scheduling accommodations for religious observances can be made for students in the context of the University’s academic requirements, and speaks to the responsibilities of students, instructors, and academic administrators.
The Board of Governors, in accordance with the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Tenure Track and Tenured Academic Staff (Regulations), approved the granting of tenure to four academic staff, the promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure for 49 candidates, and the promotion to the rank of Full Professor for seven candidates.
The Board also approved the delegation of authority to the President and Vice-Chancellor to act on behalf of the Board of Governors in the granting of tenure and promotions under sections 1.3 and 7.29.1 of the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Tenure Track and Tenured Academic Staff; section 2.1.2.2 of the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Librarian Staff; and section 5.36 of the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Contract Academic Staff.
From the Audit and Risk Committee, the Board received the Annual Report on the University’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). The report provides an overview of the progress of the 2024 Enterprise Risk Assessment (ERA), which includes, among other items, a re-assessment of the University’s previous top institutional risks. The Board also received, from the Audit and Risk Committee, the Report on Internal Audit Functions and Activities for Fiscal Year 2024, which provided an overview of the main highlights of FY2024 Internal Audit Recommendations.
As recommended by the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR), the Board of Governors approved McGill University’s annual report under the Act to Enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024 for submission to the federal government. The report includes specific details about the steps taken by the University, during the period of May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, to prevent and reduce forced labour.
The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, approved the submission of a declaration of compliance to the Quebec Treasury Board for public procurement contracts for FY2024, in accordance with the reporting obligations outlined in the Directive concernant la reddition de comptes en gestion contractuelle des organismes publics.
Finally, on the recommendation of the NGE Committee, the Board approved the appointments or reappointments of Board members to various standing committees.
President’s Remarks
President Saini shared remarks pertaining to a range of recent developments from across McGill’s campuses. First, he opened by acknowledging and thanking the following outgoing members of McGill’s Board of Governors for their service and dedication to the University: Alexandre Ashkir, Bob Babinski, Celia Greenwood, Chancellor John McCall MacBain, Ram Panda, Adrienne Piggott, and Amanda Rosenberg.
Campus Climate
The President then gave an update on the encampment on McGill’s downtown campus. While he reiterated that McGill recognizes and steadfastly upholds the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, he further specified that an encampment is not a usual form of protest and raises serious concerns regarding safety, health, and sanitation. President Saini closed by expressing that the University continues to work to find a peaceful and timely resolution to this crisis.
Convocation
The President also shared an update regarding McGill’s Spring 2024 Convocation, taking place over May 28 – June 5, 2024. Given the major significance of this milestone for graduating students, as well as for their families and friends, McGill will proceed with holding Convocation as planned; in order to do so, all ceremonies scheduled to take place on McGill’s Lower Field will move to an alternate location, while the events at Macdonald Campus will proceed without adjustment.
Throughout the Spring Convocation celebrations, the McGill community will honour the life and work of ten inspiring honorary doctorate recipients; read more here about their contributions to society, which span disciplines, industries, and continents.
Finally, the President concluded his remarks by offering kudos to a selection of individuals in the McGill community for their recent achievements.
- Five McGill faculty members were inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering: Tal Arbel, Benoit Boulet, Arun Mujumdar, Maryam Tabrizian, and Viviane Yargeau.
- Prof. Emeritus Michael Meaney (Department of Psychiatry), a pioneer in behavioral epigenetics, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- McGill’s Office for Science and Society (OSS), led by Prof. Joe Schwarcz, celebrated its 25th anniversary in May.
The Board of Governors received the following reports:
- Report of the Nominating, Governance, and Ethics Committee
- Renewal of Licensing Agreement with Copibec
- Report of the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR)
- Report of the Audit and Risk Committee
- Report from Senate
