Committee Procedures

In conducting the search for the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Advisory Committee on the Presidency has adopted the following procedures to govern its work.

Mandate of Advisory Committee

As stipulated in section 1.4.1.4 the Policy on the Appointment and Reappointment of the President and Vice-Presidents (“Policy”) the Committee shall recommend to the Board of Trustees an individual to serve as President of the University and prepare a report for the use of the next Presidential Search Committee.

Composition

The composition of the Committee is as set out in section 1.4.1.2 of the Policy.

Chair

The appointed Chair of the Committee is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Vice-Chair

The Vice-Chair shall be elected by the Committee and shall chair meetings and fulfill chair responsibilities where the Chair is unable to do so for any reason.

Vacancies

In accordance with section 1.4.1.3 of the Policy, if a member ceases to be a member of the Committee for any reason, the Committee shall determine if a replacement is advisable given the stage in its deliberations and if so, a successor shall be chosen in the same manner as the member withdrawing.  If a member of the Committee ceases to be a member of the constituency from which they were appointed, the Committee will determine whether they may continue on the Committee given the stage in its deliberations or whether a successor should be appointed.

Meetings

Meetings of the Committee shall abide by the following procedures:

  1. Schedule: A schedule of regular meetings will be set by the Committee Secretary in advance. Additional meetings may be held at the call of the Chair.
  2. Notice: Notice of the time and place of a meeting and the agenda for the meeting shall be provided to members at least two days in advance of the meeting.
  3. Materials: Meeting materials will normally be distributed in advance to members via a dedicated SharePoint site. Members must appropriately safeguard any confidential materials provided and return any materials provided to them to the University Secretary when the Committee’s mandate has been discharged.
  4. Quorum: Quorum shall be a majority of the voting members of the Committee. During the meeting to vote on the Committee’s final recommendation to the Board of Trustees, no more than one member may be absent unless the Committee agrees otherwise.
  5. Voting: Each member of the Committee shall have one vote, with the exception of the resource staff (the University Secretary, Associate Vice-President, Human Resources and Associate Secretary). Voting shall be by show of hands or general consent. The Chair or Acting Chair may vote on all motions and any motion on which there is an equality of votes shall be deemed to be negative.
  6. In-camera: All meetings of the Committee shall be held in-camera.
  7. Records: In-camera minutes of meetings shall be kept by the University Secretary and shall record only the decisions of the Committee.

Communication with the Brock Community

The Committee shall provide the Brock Community with updates on the status and progress of the Committee’s work through a dedicated website.

Responsibilities of Committee Members:

Each Committee member is expected to comply with the following responsibilities:

  1. To act in the best interests of the University: irrespective of the source of their appointment to the Committee, each member is expected to consider and act in the best interests of the University and not solely the interests of his/her particular constituency.
  2. Attendance: Members are expected to attend every meeting of the Committee. Any member who fails to attend more than two meetings, not including the first meeting of the Committee, may be removed from the Committee at the discretion of the Chair.
  3. Participation: Members are expected to prepare adequately and commit the time required to fully engage in the work of the Committee. Members are expected to participate constructively in the work of the Committee and assess all matters on a fair and objective basis.
  4. Conflict of interest: Members shall declare to the Chair of the Committee any real or perceived conflict of interest at the earliest possible opportunity and the Chair shall determine how to resolve or address the conflict.
  5. Confidentiality: Members must comply with the Non-Disclosure Agreement signed by the member. In response to questions about the Committee’s work, members shall refer individuals to the Committee website, the Chair of the Committee or shall respond as otherwise directed by the Committee.

Search Consultant

The Advisory Committee shall engage the services of an appropriately qualified executive search consultant to assist with the search through the established procurement processes prescribed by the Policy. The search consultant shall support and advise the Committee and shall be bound by these procedures.

Failed Search

If the Advisory Committee is unable to identify a qualified candidate for the position of President and Vice-Chancellor, it will advise the Board of the failed search and recommend appropriate interim measures for the Board’s consideration.