GOVERNANCE POLICY: GP-2 Governing Style
POLICY TYPE: |
Governance Process |
DATE APPROVED: |
April 16, 2010
|
Council will govern with an emphasis on:
- outward vision rather than an internal preoccupation,
- commitment to obtaining public input,
- encouragement of diversity in viewpoints,
- strategic leadership more than administrative detail,
- clear distinction of Council and staff roles,
- collective rather than individual decisions,
- future rather than past or present,
- pro-activity rather than reactivity, and
- an appropriate balance between confidentiality and transparency.
More specifically, the Council will:
1. Cultivate a sense of group responsibility. The Council, not the staff, will be responsible for excellence in governing. The Council will be an initiator of policy, not merely a reactor to staff initiatives. The Council will use the expertise of individual members to enhance the ability of the Council as a body to make policy, rather than to substitute their individual judgments for the group's values.
2. Direct, control and inspire the organization through the careful establishment of broad written policies reflecting the Council’s values and perspectives. The Council’s major policy focus will be on the intended long term impacts of the College, not on the administrative or programmatic means of attaining those effects.
3. Enforce upon itself whatever discipline is needed to govern with excellence. Discipline will apply to matters such as attendance, preparation for meetings, policy making principles, respect of roles, and ensuring the continuity of governance capability. Continual Council development will include orientation of new members in the Council’s governance process and periodic Council discussion of process improvement. The Council will not allow any officer, individual or committee of the Council to hinder or be an excuse for not fulfilling its commitments.
4. Monitor and regularly discuss the Council’s process and performance at each meeting. Self-monitoring will include comparison of Council activity and discipline to policies in the Governance Process and Council-Registrar Relationship categories.