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Governance Strategy

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Provide background information and a status update on the governance 'Key Result ... cited the inability to actively contribute to Council as a reason for resigning. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Governance Strategy


1
Governance Strategy
August 21, 2006
2
Purpose
  • Provide background information and a status
    update on the governance Key Result Area
  • Provide a summary of consultations/discussions to
    date
  • Propose a governance strategy that seeks to
    address several of the success measures listed
    under the governance KRA, including a proposal
    for changes to the structure of the TUAA Council
    and,
  • Outline next steps.

3
Status of Governance KRA
4
Consultation/Discussion to Date
  • Potential reforms to Council have been the
    subject of numerous and lengthy discussions since
    the creation of the strategic plan.
  • Key consultation/discussion activities to date
    have included
  • An e-broadcast which informed alumni of the
    governance KRA.
  • Creation of an ad hoc committee on governance to
    get alumni input into the governance of the
    organization.
  • Creation of a governance options paper which
    was presented to Council.
  • Discussion of governance options at the June 2005
    Council retreat and subsequent Council meetings
    (i.e., November 2005).
  • Informal discussions with past members of the
    Council and the Executive.
  • Discussion with Chapter presidents.

5
What weve heard
  • Consultations on TUAA governance to date have
    revealed the following themes
  • Flexibility is important the Council needs to
    adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
  • Councillors like being assigned portfolio-type
    work on an as needed basis since it allows them
    to take a lead in an area.
  • Designating specific councillor roles or
    constituencies (i.e., councillors which
    represent specific years) may prove
    counter-productive.
  • For example, if a position is designated for a
    specific constituency, but no one in the
    constituency willing to fill that position, it
    could leave the association with resource
    deficiencies.
  • Committee work is an important method for
    opening up Council processes to the membership
    alumni can participate on an ad hoc basis
    without committing long-term.
  • Chapter Presidents (at times) may feel
    overwhelmed by additional activities related to
    also being members of the Council.
  • Some Chapter President have cited the inability
    to actively contribute to Council as a reason for
    resigning.
  • The Executive should help provide leadership,
    focus and long-term planning for core Council
    activities.
  • Facilitating communication between the
    University, Association and TUAA membership
    should be a key focus of the Councils
    activities.
  • The current Council structure does not need
    radical change.

6
Key Considerations
  • The TUAA constitution gives Council the ability
    to change the constitution/by-laws subject to
    ratification at the Associations Annual General
    Meeting (AGM).
  • This was done previously when the Vice-President,
    Chapter Relations position was established in
    2005.
  • It is anticipated that the Alumni Office will
    receive additional resources as the creation of
    the new Advancement and External Relations
    department within Trent University proceeds.
  • Preliminary scoping indicates that the changes to
    the Alumni Office will be used in support of key
    Association activities (i.e., there is unlikely
    to be overlap, as any new positions are to be
    complimentary to current activities), and
    should not impact any potential governance
    changes of the TUAA.
  • Notice of potential governance changes will be
    given in the Fall Edition of the Trent Magazine.

7
Governance Strategy - Key Principles
  • Issues regarding succession cannot be achieved
    through structural reform alone.
  • Success breeds success good work within the
    association will generate interest in the
    Councils activities and events.
  • Baby-steps alumni need smaller, but important,
    opportunities to be drawn into the Associations
    activities.
  • The current Council structure is fundamentally
    sound and does not require radical reform.
  • Current practices which engage councilllors and
    provide leadership opportunities should be
    continued.
  • Positions on the Executive Committee should be
    modified to ensure that core areas of the
    association, including Internal and Campus
    Affairs, External and Chapter Relations, and
    Communications, have at least one person to
    responsible for them.
  • Chapter Presidents should be allowed to focus on
    local work, but should be informed of Council
    activities and have opportunities to participate,
    where appropriate.

8
Governance Strategy - Tactics
  • Council
  • Do not make any constitution/by-law changes to
    the composition of Council.
  • Continue to use the portfolio approach for
    engage councillors and ensure they have
    leadership opportunities which allow them a real
    contribution to the Association and the
    University.
  • Strengthen the use of Council committees (i.e.,
    nominations and recognition, finance and
    services) and ad hoc Council committees to draw
    in the alumni membership and act as a gateway
    to Council membership by
  • Identifying committees that could be include
    alumni membership
  • Ensuring councillors are appointed chairs to
    these committees and
  • Actively advertising and encouraging alumni
    participation in these committees.
  • Executive
  • Amend the constitution/by-laws to refocus the
    two current Vice-Presidents of the Executive
    Committee (1st Vice-President and Vice-President
    Chapter Relations (2nd Vice President)) into
  • Vice President, Internal and Campus Affairs.
  • Vice President, External and Chapter Relations.
  • Add a Vice President, Communications.
  • This position will also act as Secretary to the
    Council.

9
Governance Strategy - Tactics
  • Executive (cont)
  • Consistent with current practice in the by-laws,
    only outline broad duties for the Vice
    Presidents.
  • Make no constitutional/by-law changes to the
    President or Past-President positions.
  • Chapters
  • Remove Chapter Presidents as voting members of
    the Council.
  • Chapter Presidents, like all TUAA members, will
    continue to be able to attend Council meetings as
    non-voting members
  • The proposed Vice-President, External and Chapter
    Relations, will work to facilitate strong
    communication between the Chapter Presidents and
    the Council (i.e., inviting them to meetings,
    making personal contact where possible, informing
    Council of Chapter activities)
  • NOTE PLEASE SEE APPENDIX A AND B FOR
    ORGANIZATIONAL GRAPHS OF CURRENT COUNCIL AND
    PROPOSED COUNCIL STRUCTURES.

10
Advantages of the Governance Strategy
  • Completes a Major Initiative of the TUAA
    strategic plan.
  • Consistent with comments from consultations/discus
    sions with key stakeholders.
  • Full implementation (including ratification vote
    by AGM) can occur by October 2006.
  • Reduces any potential instability created by an
    ongoing governance review (review has been in
    progress since 2004).
  • Strategy is consistent with previous changes to
    the Executive (i.e., Vice-President, Chapter
    Relations), in that it seeks to provide more
    direction for the role of the Vice-Presidents.

11
Next Steps
  • Council to vote on whether to adopt governance
    strategy and proposed Constitutional/by-law
    amendments (please see attached document for
    exact constitutional amendments).
  • Motion to approve strategy and associated the
    proposed amendments (I.MacFarlane/M.Griem)
  • Should the governance strategy and proposed
    constitutional/by-law amendments be approved
  • Make appointments to fill new Executive positions
    (i.e., current incumbents plus Communications KRA
    leader)
  • Begin implementing the strategy by identifying
    Council Committees that could be advertised to
    alumni
  • Prepare a package to outline governance changes
    adopted by Council and,
  • Seek ratification of constitutional/by-law
    amendments at the 2006 Annual General Meeting of
    the TUAA (September 30, 2006).

12
Appendix A - Current TUAA Council Structure
13
Appendix B - Proposed TUAA Council Structure
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