1. Appointment Authority
Vice-Presidents and the Secretary-General ofthe University (“Secretary”) are appointed by the Board of Governors (“Board”) on the recommendation of the President.
2. Re-appointment Procedure
2.1 Consultation in Anticipation of End of Term of Office
At least one year before the end of a Vice-President’s or the Secretary’s term of office, the President shall consult with the incumbent to ascertain whether he or she wishes to seek re-appointment.
2.2 Consultations on Potential Re-appointment
If the incumbent wishes to seek re-appointment, the President shall invite each member of the Senate of the University (“Senate”) and of the Board to provide written comments, in strictest confidence, regarding the incumbent’s potential re-appointment. The President may also consult, in strictest confidence, such other members of the University community as the President considers appropriate.
2.3 President’s Report and Recommendation to Board Regarding Potential Re-appointment
The President shall, in confidence, report the results of the consultations on the incumbent’s potential re-appointment, and make his or her own recommendation in that regard, to the Board.
2.4 Decision Regarding Re-appointment
The Board shall decide whether to (a) re-appoint the incumbent; (b) decline to re-appoint the incumbent; or (c) require that the incumbent’s candidacy for re-appointment be considered under the regular appointment procedure set out in section 3 below. If the Board decides to re-appoint the incumbent, the President shall take the necessary steps to inform the incumbent, the Senate and the University community of the incumbent’s re-appointment.
2.5 Re-Appointment Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of employment for a re-appointed Vice-President or Secretary shall be determined by the President. The Executive Committee of the Board may vary the terms and conditions of employment of the re-appointed Vice-President or Secretary, in consultation with the President, in keeping with its Terms of Reference.
2.6 Engagement of Regular Appointment Procedure
If the incumbent does not seek re-appointment, or the Board either declines to re-appoint the incumbent or requires that the incumbent’s candidacy for re-appointment be considered under the regular appointment procedure set out in section 3 below, the President shall engage the latter procedure.
3. Regular Appointment Procedure
3.1 Selection Committee
3.1.1 Establishment and Role
To assist the President in recommending the most suitable candidate to the Board for appointment as Vice-President or Secretary, the President shall establish a selection committee (“committee”).
3.1.2 Membership
The committee shall consist of:
- the President, as non-voting chair;
- three persons appointed by the Board from among its own members, one of whom shall be a student;
- three persons appointed by the Senate from among its own members, one of whom shall be an undergraduate student (if the student member appointed by the Board is a graduate student) or a graduate student (if the student member appointed by the Board is an undergraduate student);
- one person from outside the University appointed by the Joint Committee of the Senate and the Board on the recommendation of the President; and
- up to two additional persons appointed by the President, if deemed necessary by the President to ensure the committee’s diversity or representation of key stakeholder groups.
Committee membership of a person appointed by the Board or Senate shall not lapse by reason only of subsequent expiry of that person’s mandate as a member of the Board or Senate.
3.1.3 Withdrawal of Committee Member(s)
The committee shall not cease to function by reason only of withdrawal by one or more of its members, unless the effect of such withdrawal(s) is to reduce the committee’s membership to fewer than four members. If a member withdraws, the President shall decide, in light of the remaining number of committee members and the state of the committee’s work, whether to replace the withdrawing member. Should the President decide to replace the withdrawing member, the replacement member shall be appointed in the same manner as the withdrawing member.
3.1.4 Quorum
A majority of members constitutes a quorum.
3.1.5 Meetings
The committee shall meet at the call of the President. Committee meetings shall be held in camera and in confidence. Minutes shall be strictly confidential and kept sealed in the University Secretariat.
3.2 Position Profile and Criteria
The committee shall consult key stakeholders within the University community on the qualities, qualifications, attributes and experience required of the Vice-President or Secretary to be appointed. Comments received in the course of this consultation process shall remain strictly confidential. The committee shall take these comments into account in developing a position profile. The position profile shall include criteria that will guide the committee in recommending a candidate.
3.3 Identification of Potential Candidates
The committee shall invite members of the University community to propose potential candidates, whether internal or external, for the position of Vice-President or Secretary. The committee may also use means it deems appropriate to identify potential candidates itself. The committee shall ascertain whether potential candidates who meet the requirements of the position are willing to be considered for the position.
The committee may retain the services of external search experts to assist it in searching for and evaluating potential candidates.
3.4 Committee Recommendation
Once the search for potential candidates is complete, the committee shall:
- analyze the list of candidates who meet the requirements of the position and draw from it a short list of candidates to interview;
- hold interviews with the shortlisted candidates; and
- decide whether to invite one or more of the shortlisted candidates for a second interview, and if so, hold this second interview.
Following the interviews, the committee shall either recommend one of the candidates to the President or decide that it is unable to recommend any candidate. If the committee recommends a candidate, the committee’s mandate is fulfilled and its work shall come to an end. If the committee decides that it is unable to recommend any candidate, the President shall decide, in consultation with the committee, either to have the committee recommence the search for potential candidates or to terminate the committee’s mandate. In the latter case, the procedure for an interim appointment set out in section 4 below shall apply.
3.5 Confidential Consultation on Committee Recommendation
If the Committee recommends a candidate, the President shall invite each member of the Senate and of the Board to provide written comments, in strictest confidence, regarding the recommended candidate. The President may also consult, in strictest confidence, such other members of the University community as the President considers appropriate.
3.6 President’s Report and Recommendation to the Board
The President shall report in confidence to the Board on the committee's activities, its recommendation, and the results of the consultations regarding the candidate recommended by the committee. The President shall also make his or her own recommendation, in confidence, to the Board.
3.7 Appointment
The Board shall decide whether to make the appointment recommended by the President. If the Board makes the appointment recommended by the President, the President shall take the necessary steps to inform all the candidates, the Senate and the University community of the appointment. If the Board does not make the appointment recommended by the President, the procedure for an interim appointment set out in section 4 below shall apply.
3.8 Appointment Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of employment for the new Vice-President or Secretary shall be determined by the President. The Executive Committee of the Board may vary the terms and conditions of employment of the Vice-President or Secretary, in consultation with the President, in keeping with its Terms of Reference.
4. Interim Appointment Procedure
4.1 Application of Interim Appointment Procedure
The procedure established in this section shall apply where:
- a committee decides, under subsection 3.4 above, that it is unable to recommend any candidate and the President decides to terminate that committee’s mandate;
- the Board declines, under subsection 3.7 above, to make an appointment recommended by the President;
- a regular appointment procedure under section 3 above has been engaged but, in the President’s judgment, is unlikely to be completed before the end of the incumbent Vice-President’s or Secretary’s term of office, and it is necessary to fill the position on an interim basis between the end of that term and completion of that procedure; or
- the position of a Vice-President or the Secretary becomes effectively vacant due to incapacity, resignation or any other circumstance and, in the judgment of the President, it is necessary to fill the position on an interim basis pending the return to duties of the incumbent or the appointment of a new Vice-President or Secretary pursuant to the regular appointment procedure set out in section 3 above.
4.2 President to Identify Interim Candidate
The President shall, through means he or she deems appropriate, identify a candidate who in the President’s judgment meets the requirements of the position to be filled and who is willing to serve in the position for an interim period.
4.3 Consultation on Interim Candidate
The President shall invite each member of the Senate and of the Board to provide written comments, in strictest confidence, regarding the recommended interim candidate. The President may also consult, in strictest confidence, such other members of the University community as the President considers appropriate.
4.4 President’s Report and Recommendation to Board on Interim Appointment
The President shall, in confidence, report the results of the consultations on the interim candidate, and shall make his or her recommendation regarding the interim appointment, including its duration, to the Board.
4.5 Interim Appointment
The Board shall decide whether to make the interim appointment recommended by the President, and if so, its duration. If the Board makes the interim appointment recommended by the President, the President shall take the necessary steps to inform the candidate, the Senate and the University community of the interim appointment. If the Board does not make the interim appointment recommended by the President, the procedure under this section shall recommence.
4.6 Interim Appointment Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of the interim appointment shall be determined by the President. The Executive Committee of the Board may vary the terms and conditions of the interim appointment, in consultation with the President, in keeping with its Terms of Reference.
5. Confidentiality
All documents in whatever form produced, received or used in connection with selection committee deliberations and consultations, the President’s consultations of members of the Senate and Board or other members of the University community, or the President’s reports to the Board, shall remain strictly confidential and shall be retained in accordance with the University’s records retention schedule and applicable regulations. All non-documentary information produced, received or used in connection with committee deliberations and consultations, the President’s consultations of members of the Senate and Board or other members of the University community, or the President’s reports to the Board, shall also remain strictly confidential.
The confidentiality provisions of this section shall apply to the re-appointment, regular and interim appointment procedures set out in sections 2-4 above.
6. Exceptions and Amendments
Exceptions or amendments to this Procedure shall require the approval of the Executive Committee of the Board.
Adopted by the Executive Committee of the Board at its meeting of May 9th, 2017