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 fourth regular meeting on April 25, 2024. The full minutes of the meeting’s open session will be available following approval at the Board’s next meeting on May 16, 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 President and Vice-Chancellor, approved the appointment of Professor Fabrice Labeau to the role of Vice-President (Administration and Finance) for a five-year, renewable term beginning on June 1, 2024. The Board also approved the President’s recommendation to appoint Professor Vivek Venkatesh to the role of Dean of the Faculty of Education for a five-year, renewable term beginning on June 1, 2024. Read the full announcement.
Based on the recommendation of the Nominating, Governance, and Ethics (NGE) Committee, the Board of Governors approved the following:
- The reappointment of Mr. Pierre Matuszewski as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors of McGill University for a two-year term commencing July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2026, with the understanding that he will continue to serve as a member and Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board.
- The appointment of Chancellor John McCall MacBain to the rank of Chancellor Emeritus, effective July 1, 2024. As Chancellor, Mr. McCall MacBain has represented McGill with integrity and passion, and has provided exemplary leadership and support. The McGill community thanks him for his dedication and distinguished service to the University.
- The appointment of Mr. Ram Panda to the rank of Governor Emeritus commencing July 1, 2024, in recognition of his numerous contributions as member of the Board of Governors and Chair Emeritus. The University thanks Mr. Panda for his exemplary service and dedication to the McGill community, particularly in the area of sustainability.
- The appointment of members of the Board to the Advisory Committee for the Selection of the Dean of the Faculty of Science, as well as to a number of other standing committees.
The Board received, from the NGE Committee, a notice of motion for the approval of a new member-at-large of the Board of Governors. It is anticipated that the Board will vote on the motion at its next meeting.
In accordance with the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Tenure Track and Tenured Academic Staff, the Board also approved one appointment to the rank of Full Professor with tenure, one promotion to the rank of Full Professor, and the granting of tenure to one academic staff member.
On the recommendation of the Finance and Infrastructure Committee (FIC), the Board approved the University’s provisional budget for FY2025. Given the uncertainty regarding enrolment-driven revenues and the level of Quebec grant revenues the University will receive in light of changes to the funding policies, the provisional budget projects a $12-million deficit, including a $10-million contingency. It is anticipated that a final budget and a recovery plan will follow in fall 2024 for approval. Read the full report.
The Board of Governors also approved the FIC’s recommendation to (i) adopt the Policy for the Management of Moveable Assets, which establishes a framework for the University to manage, maintain, and track its moveable assets for the lifecycle of the asset, and (ii) to proceed with Lot 2B of the McConnell Arena Upgrade, which will address deferred maintenance repairs, increase the Arena’s electrical infrastructure, as well as improve the ventilation and cooling systems.
The Board of Governors received a presentation of the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement (CSE) Strategy for review and input. The CSE strategy outlines McGill’s communication objectives and proposes initiatives to advance the University’s priorities in Quebec to help reverse the financial impacts of the Government’s revised tuition policy and to strengthen McGill’s reputation as a world-class university.
Following its presentation to Senate, the Board received the 2023 Annual Report on Research and Innovation, which provides a review of McGill’s performance in major funding programs and progress in areas related to innovation and partnerships in FY2022.
The Board also received the 2023 Investment Committee Report on Socially Responsible Investing, which outlines the progress made by the University toward meeting its commitment to advance sustainability through its investment policies and practices.
Per the recommendation from Senate, the Board approved the appointments of academic staff members to the following committees: the Committee on Staff Grievances and Disciplinary Procedures; and the University Appeals Committee.
President’s Remarks
President Saini shared remarks pertaining to a range of recent developments from across McGill’s campuses.
Government Relations
The President provided an overview of the federal budget, which was adopted last April. The budget proposes a substantial and welcome $3-billion investment in research over the next five years, including significant increases to granting council budgets, investment in research facilities, and increases to federally-funded scholarships and fellowships.
The President further elaborated on the projected financial impact of the Government of Quebec’s changes to the tuition policy. Assuming that enrolment levels and the distribution among different student populations remain the same, the University anticipates that operating revenue will drop by $9 million in fiscal year 2025, gradually increasing to a $37 million annual loss in fiscal year 2028. As previously announced, McGill has launched a legal challenge against the revised tuition policy; the community will be kept informed of any related developments.
External Relations
President Saini recently attended the spring membership meeting of the Association of American Universities (AAU) in Washington D.C. The AAU is an organization of 71 leading public and private research universities in the United States, including two in Canada (McGill University and the University of Toronto). The meeting addressed a number of themes, including strengthening political advocacy for higher education and the reimagining of university policies on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Selected Kudos
- The President shared that the following subjects at McGill placed among the Top 10 in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject: Mineral & Mining, Library Information & Management, and Anatomy & Physiology, with an additional seven subjects ranked in the Top 20.
- He reported that McGill earned a platinum STARS sustainability rating (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System), which places the University among a select group of 14 universities worldwide.
- He congratulated Professor Henri Darmon (Department of Mathematics and Statistics) and Prof. Jonathan Sterne (Department of Art History and Communication Studies) for being named among the 2024 Guggenheim Fellows.
- Lastly, the President expressed appreciation to the Trottier Space Institute and all others who volunteered and helped organize McGill’s three solar eclipse viewing events on downtown campus, the Gault Nature Reserve, and on the West Island.
Reports and Presentations
The Board received the following reports:
- Report of the Nominating, Governance, and Ethics Committee
- Report of the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility
- Report of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
- Report from Senate
- Report of the Joint Senate Steering and Board Executive Committees Meeting
- Annual Report on Enrolment and Strategic Enrolment Management
- Annual Report on Research and Innovation 2023