It won’t surprise you to know that I’ve spent some time in the last few days reading and rereading the Ontario Auditor General’s Special Report (“Report”) on Laurentian University. I appreciate the Report and while I don’t think it gets everything right, I think it...
Hey University Boards – It’s time to get excited about (or at least focused on) your university’s policy framework As this blog is being written while I’m on a flight, I’ll use the following analogy: In this analogy, I am travelling on an independent airline and they...
In a survey I conducted of Canadian university governance professionals in 2021, 65% of those responding agreed that if their roles were better understood and valued, they could make more of a contribution to effective governance of their institutions. The survey was...
I recently had the pleasure of participating in a panel at the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Council of Chairs of Ontario Universities (CCOU) conference. It’s always a pleasure to speak at this conference and to “virtually see” so many familiar and friendly...
A Message to the Ontario Government In addition to taking to task Laurentian’s senior leaders, board, legal advisors and consultants, the OAG criticizes the Ontario government for weak oversight of Laurentian. She calls for government intervention to forestall future...
A board member wrote to ask the following question: I was curious about one topic that has come up in recent years, your view on the Board’s role (if any) in influencing the balance between protecting students from uncomfortable discussions and speakers...
