Highlights from the May 22, 2025 Board of Governors meeting

deidre.mccabe@��Ǿ�Ʒ��.Ca — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:22:27 +0000

Highlights from the May 22, 2025 Board of Governors meeting deidre.mccabe@… Thu, 06/05/2025 - 08:22

Dear members of the ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� Community,

It is our pleasure to provide you with an update on the recent activities of ��Ǿ�Ʒ��’s Board of Governors. You can learn more about the Board’s mandate and membership.

The Board of Governors held the fifth regular meeting on May 22, 2025. The full minutes of the meeting’s open session will be available following approval at the Board’s next meeting on October 2, 2025. 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 (mcgill[dot]president[at]mcgill[dot]ca).

Sincerely,

Deep Saini, President and Vice-Chancellor

Maryse Bertrand, Chair, ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� Board of Governors

Key Updates

The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of the President and Vice-Chancellor, approved the appointment of Professor Tony Mittermaier as ��Ǿ�Ʒ��’s Dean of Students for a five-year renewable term beginning on June 1, 2025. Read the full announcement.

The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of Senate, approved the following:

Revisions to the Policy on Harassment and Discrimination. The revisions ensure that the Policy continues to abide the law, meet the needs of the University community, and support the University’s commitments in relation to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Revisions to the Policy Concerning the Rights of Students with Disabilities. Revisions include, among others, clarifying scope and language to articulate a framework for establishing academic accommodations for students with disabilities, as well as specifying roles and responsibilities of students, instructors, staff, and academic leadership.
Revisions to the Statutes of ��Ǿ�Ʒ��. Notable revisions include: an increase in Senate’s composition from 111 to 114 members and approval to develop electoral procedures relating to the election to and service on Senate for certain constituents.

The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, approved the revisions to the Policy on the Approval of Contracts and Designation of Signing Authority. The review was undertaken one year ahead of schedule to reflect structural changes within the University and to support broader governance and operational streamlining initiatives.

Also on the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Board approved the submission of Annex 3 Déclaration du dirigeant de l’organisme for FY2024 to the Quebec Treasury Board, in which the University affirms that it has complied with the relevant reporting obligations relating to public procurement contracts governed by the Act respecting contracting by public bodies and its regulations.

The Board received the Annual report on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) activities. The 2025 Institutional Risk Register identifies a series of strategic risks, reflecting the University’s rapidly evolving context and strategic priorities.

The Board also received a presentation on the UniForum Initiative supporting Horizon ��Ǿ�Ʒ��, which provided the methodology employed to advance this transformational project.

On the recommendation of the Nominating, Governance and Ethics (NGE) Committee, the Board approved the recommendations contained in the report of the Working Group on Phase II of the Board Efficiency and Effectiveness Project, which aims to enhance the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Board’s governance functions and operations. The recommendations will also lead to a revised composition for advisory committees for the selection or reappointment of Vice-Presidents.

Also on the recommendation of the NGE Committee, the Board of Governors approved a series of appointments and reappointments to Board standing committees, external non-board bodies, health board bodies, and the Research Ethics Board.

President’s Remarks

President Deep Saini provided updates pertaining to a range of recent developments from across ��Ǿ�Ʒ��.

Government Relations

The President began with an update on Bill 95, which was tabled by the Government of Quebec in March and proposes a 50% cap on subsidized daycare spots reserved for specific communities. The Bill would, therefore, potentially affect ��Ǿ�Ʒ��’s campus daycares, which serve the children of students, faculty, and staff. The University has submitted a mémoire detailing the specificities of university campus daycares, advocating that full access should remain reserved for ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� community members.

The President also shared that An Act to foster the practice of medicine in the public health and social services network (previously Bill 83) was adopted in April. The Act mandates that medical graduates practice in Quebec’s public system for a minimum of five years or risk a financial penalty. It, moreover, allows Santé Québec to evaluate private practice requests based on various criteria, such as regional needs. ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� has raised the concern that these measures may adversely impact applicants and residency recruitment in Quebec. The University continues to monitor the situation closely.

The President noted that a provincial committee was established in March to examine adherence to Quebec’s Act on State religious neutrality in public institutions. Although universities are not considered state institutions, Minister Roberge’s public comments have suggested the law’s potential extension to higher education. In collaboration with Université Laval, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke, ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� will submit a joint letter highlighting essential considerations linked to the autonomy and mission of universities, particularly in terms of institutional neutrality, academic freedom and pluralism.

Finally, President Saini shared commentary on the recent federal election, which resulted in a Liberal minority government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney. The President expressed pride in the fact that over 20 ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� alumni were elected to Parliament, several of whom have been appointed to Cabinet.

Community Relations

In May, the University launched Make Your Mark, the next phase of its philanthropic campaign. The President shared that this initiative builds on the success of Made by ��Ǿ�Ʒ��, which raised over $2 billion from nearly 114,000 donors. In response to global challenges—from disinformation to climate change and AI—the University is increasing its goal to $3 billion. The campaign will continue to focus on its four original pillars and will introduce the transversal themes of: sustainability, AI, student support and services, innovation and entrepreneurship, and Indigenous initiatives.

The President also signaled that Spring Convocation will take place May 27 to June 4, with downtown ceremonies taking place in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse. Given the venue’s capacity constraints, two additional ceremonies were added to accommodate graduates from larger faculties. This year, ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� conferred honorary degrees on 10 remarkable individuals, whose profiles are featured in The ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� Reporter.

Selected Kudos

Finally, the President concluded his remarks by offering his congratulations to a selection of individuals in the ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� community for their recent achievements.

��Ǿ�Ʒ�� celebrated the 2025 Equity and Community Building Awards, honouring nursing student Gislaine Batubenge, Fatima Nabi from the Student Wellness Hub, Prof. Kimani Daniel from the Ingram School of Nursing, and the POWER Hub team.
Twenty-eight ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� professors were recognized with Distinguished James ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� Professor, James ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� Professor, and William Dawson Scholar awards.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� physician and Super Bowl champion, has been named a recipient of the Order of Montréal.
Milda Graham, a 59-year-old ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� master’s student and yoga instructor, will represent Canada at the world’s largest gymnastics festival in Germany.

The Board of Governors received the following reports

Gaza situation and support reminders

deidre.mccabe@��Ǿ�Ʒ��.Ca — Wed, 21 May 2025 13:25:50 +0000

Gaza situation and support reminders deidre.mccabe@… Wed, 05/21/2025 - 09:25

Dear members of the ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� community,

Many of us are watching the escalation of human suffering in Gaza with alarm. While thousands of kilometres away, many members of the ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� community are touched at a human level by the scale and impact of the crisis unfolding, which threatens to intensify over the coming days.

To reiterate my past messages, ��Ǿ�Ʒ��, as a university, must remain mindful of its academic mission and refrain from commenting or taking a position on a geopolitical crisis. That said, we will always express compassion for and extend care to our community members affected by international emergencies.

If you need support, please do not hesitate to reach out. Resources are set out below.

Sincerely,

Deep Saini
President and Vice Chancellor
��Ǿ�Ʒ��

Resources   

For students:   

The Student Wellness Hub offers counselling services for students located in Montreal.     
GuardMe is a service accessible 24/7 whenever you need to speak (or text) with a mental health professional for support. You can access GuardMe from anywhere in the world.

For faculty and staff:     

The Employee & Family Assistance Program is available to ��Ǿ�Ʒ�� employees as a confidential support service.

Communications