REPORT OF A MEETING OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN BOARD OF GOVERNORS
8:00 am, FRIDAY, J UNE 24, 2011
ROOM 238 COLLEGE BUILDING
Board members present: Nancy Hopkins (chair), Art Dumont, Linda Ferguson, Scott Hitchings,
Peter MacKinnon, Grit McCreath, Susan Milburn, Vera Pezer, Greg Smith, and David
Sutherland.
Regrets:
Garry Standing
Resource officers: Rick Bunt, Karen Chad, Brett Fairbairn, Richard Florizone, Laura Kennedy, Heather
Magotiaux, Colin Tennent, and Sandra Calver (acting secretary).
Also present: Greg Fowler (for item 3) and Cheryl Carver (for item 6.1)
Further information about the composition of the board of Governors and its committees, as well as the
bylaws and annual work plan of the board, are available at
http://www.usask.ca/university_secretary/board/
Agenda
Item
1
Subject
Comments/Decisions
Minutes of May 10, 2011
meeting
The minutes were approved as circulated.
2
Outstanding action items
3.
Risk presentation: Consumer
Services operations overview
4.
In camera items (board
members only)
A list of items arising from past meetings was
received for information, and an additional item
(relating to potential changes in thresholds for capital
projects) was referred to the Governance Committee.
The board received an overview of the major services
within Consumer Services portfolio and the
objectives of the unit within the context of the third
integrated plan.
The board met in camera.
5.
Report of the president
6
6.1
Standing committees
HUMAN RESOURCES
COMMITTEE
6.1.1
Minutes of May 9, 2011
6.1.2
Outstanding action items
The president's written report is appended.
The committee met on June 23. Members in
attendance: Grit McCreath (chair), Nancy Hopkins,
Peter MacKinnon, Vera Pezer, and David Sutherland.
Others in attendance: Linda Ferguson, Scott
Hitchings, and Greg Smith.
The minutes were received for information.
A list of action items was received, and one item
(relating to intellectual property oversight) referred to
the governance and executive committee.
6.1.3
Changes to senior
administration compensation
6.1.4
Ratification of CUPE Local
3287 (Sessional Lecturers)
collective agreement
Overview of bargaining units
and employee demographics
The board approved a pension adjustment for senior
administration, to bring the handling of salary caps
into line with compensation principles approved by
the board and to allow for contribution limits to be
reflective of tax rule thresholds.
The tentative agreement between the U of S and
CUPE Local 3287 for September 1, 2010 to August
31, 2014 was ratified by the Board of Governors.
An update on employee demographics and bargaining
units at the university was received.
6.1.6
Bargaining and labour
relations update
A verbal report on the status of bargaining and labour
relations was received for information.
6.1.7
Safety, environment, health
and wellness update
A verbal report on safety, environment, health and
wellness activities was received.
6.1.8
Senior administrative
appointments
A list of senior administrative appointments was
received for information.
6.1.9
Senior academic appointments A list of senior academic appointments was received
for information.
6.1.10
Tenure and promotion appeal
results
6.2
GOVERNANCE AND
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
6.2.1
Minutes of May 9, 2011
It was noted that a list of the results of tenure and
promotion appeals was available on the board PAWS
website.
The committee met on June 23. Members in
attendance were Art Dumont (chair), Nancy Hopkins,
Peter MacKinnon, Susan Milburn and Greg Smith.
Also in attendance: Linda Ferguson, Grit McCreath,
Scott Hitchings, and David Sutherland.
The minutes were received for information.
6.2.2
Outstanding action items
A list of outstanding action items was received.
6.2.3
Revision to board bylaw
regarding terms of reference
of the human resources
committee
Appointment to board
committees for 2011/2012
This item was deferred.
Report on progress of the 2nd
Integrated Plan/Development
of 3rd Integrated Plan
Board succession planning:
Review of skills matrix
A summary of the progress achieved on the 2nd
integrated plan and the steps and timelines for the 3rd
integrated plan was received for information.
A summary of the skills required to prepare for board
members replacements was reviewed.
Board succession planning:
reappointment of board
members
Filling board member
vacancies
It was agreed to recommend to the province that N.
Hopkins, G. Smith and D. Sutherland be reappointed
to the Board of Governors.
It was agreed to recommend to the province that S.
Millburn be appointed to the Board of Governors and
that a search committee to find an aboriginal member
6.1.5
6.2.4
6.2.5
6.2.6.1
6.2.6.2
6.2.6.3.a
&b
The new slate of board committees for 2011/2012
was approved.
to the board be struck.
6.2.7
President review and
compensation
The board met with the president and then in camera
for consideration of this item.
6.3
LAND AND FACILITIES
COMMITTEE
The committee met on June 23 2011. Members in
attendance: David Sutherland (chair), Linda
Ferguson Scott Hitchings, and Vera Pezer. Also in
attendance: Art Dumont, Peter MacKinnon, Grit
McCreath, and Greg Smith.
6.3.1
Minutes of May 9, 2011
The minutes were received for information.
6.3.2
Outstanding action items
An update on list of outstanding action items was
received.
6.3.3
Sustaining capital grant
2011/12
6.3.4
Gordon Oakes Red Bear
Student Centre
6.3.5
Griffiths Stadium additional
seating
The sustaining capital grant (formerly the Annual
Capital Allowance) addresses the university’s
growing need for capital renewal and replacement,
deferred maintenance, information and
communications technology, and capital equipment
renewal and replacement. Allocations for the
2011/2012 sustaining capital grant were approved.
The board received a presentation concerning this
project; details of the decision will be released at a
subsequent date.
The board approved an additional seating project for
Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park.
6.3.6
Agriculture Building
Phytotron infrastructure
renewal
6.3.7
Dairy Research facility
6.3.8
WCVM Equine Performance
facility
6.3.9
Steam distribution
replacement – Veterinary
Road
6.3.10
Capital addition to the
Canadian Light Source
Building
Board 2 approval for the Controller Replacement
(Phase 2) and Board 2 approval of the Chiller
Replacement (Phase 3) of the Agriculture Building
Phytotron Infrastructure renewal project was granted.
Board 2A approval of the Dairy Research Facility
capital project to address the research, teaching and
animal care needs of the university was approved.
Board 2A approval for a scope and budget increase to
the Equine Performance facility project at WCVM for
the acquisition of an equine MRI was approved.
Board 2B approval regarding the required
replacement and capacity increase of the failing direct
buried district stem distribution system that runs
between the WCVM and VIDO was granted.
Board approval of the Phase III beamline projects (for
Capital Addition) for the Canadian light Source Inc.
with the Capital Addition to be managed by the CLS
was granted.
6.3.11
Children’s Hospital of
Saskatchewan – Early Works
Board 2 approval for the Early Works package for the
Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan was granted.
6.3.12
Purchase of Agriculture
Research lands
6.3.12.a
College of Arts and Science –
Controlled Environment Plant
Growth Chambers
6.3.13
InterVac project update
Approval was granted for the University to proceed
with the purchase of 11 quarters of land in the R.M.
of Blucher with removal of the conditions that it be
suitable for the relocation of the beef research unit.
Board 1 and 2 approval of the equipment purchase, as
well as the renovation and installation, related to the
College of Arts and Science – Controlled
environment Plant Growth Chambers project was
granted.
An update on various components of the InterVac
project was received for information.
6.3.14
Southern Saskatchewan
Academic Health Sciences
Hub/College of
Medicine/Department of
Family Medicine- Regina Site
Major capital projects –
Portfolio and strategy for
funding gaps
Major capital projects
portfolio – operating costs
6.3.15
6.3.16
An update on the physical re-location of the College
of Medicine, Department Family Medicine in Regina
was received.
A consolidated report of the major capital project
portfolio, focusing on the key strategies to resolve
current capital funding gaps, was received.
A semi-annual consolidated report on the estimated
incremental operating costs associated with the
current major capital project portfolio and the status
of the funding for those operating costs was received
for information.
A status update on the projects awarded through the
Knowledge Infrastructure Program was received.
6.3.17
Update on Knowledge
Infrastructure Program project
6.3.18
Sustainability update
The board received an update relative to sustainability
planning and initiatives at the university.
6.3.19
Major capital projects status
report
An overview of the current status of capital projects
was received.
6.3.20
Update on administrative
approvals
An overview of the administrative approvals made
related to projects, programs, and the campus physical
plan was received.
6.4
FINANCE AND
INVESTMENT
COMMITTEE
The committee met on June 23. Members present:
Greg Smith (chair), Art Dumont, Susan Milburn, and
Scott Hitchings. Others in attendance: Linda
Ferguson, Peter MacKinnon, Grit McCreath, and
David Sutherland.
6.4.1
Minutes of May 9, 2011
The minutes were received for information.
6.4.1.a
Outstanding action items
A list of outstanding action items was reviewed.
6.4.2
6.4.3
Non-Academic Pension Plan – The board approved that the actuarial valuation for
actuarial valuation report
the U of S and Federated Colleges Non-academic
pension Plan as at December 31, 2010 be filed with
the plan regulators. An update on the financial status
of the Plan was also provided.
Pension plan committee
The board approved the membership of the Pension
memberships
Plan Committees.
6.4.4
Supplementary executive
retirement plan
6.4.5
Research pension plan –
contribution rate change
6.4.6
Non-academic pension plan
statement of investment
policies and procedures
6.4.7
Retirees pension plan –
investment manager
appointment
Chair in Aboriginal Education
6.4.8
6.4.9
Use of undesignated gifts for
Griffiths capital deficit
6.4.10
WCVM – Internal loan for the
purchase of a standing equine
MRI system
6.4.11
Multi-year operating budget
framework update 2011
2010/11 operating reserve
surplus – updated projection
Pension strategy and analysis
update
6.4.12
6.4.13
6.4.14
Operations Forecast 2012/13
6.4.15
6.4.16
Academic Priorities Fund
April 2011 report
2011 SUFM results
6.4.17
Endowment report
The board approved the appointment of the Associate
Vice-president Research to the supplementary
executive retirement plan.
The board approved an amendment to the research
pension plan to accommodate, effective August 1,
2011, a contribution rate increase to certain
classifications of employees who are members of the
research pension plan.
The statement of investment policies and procedures
as of June 2011 for the University of Saskatchewan
and Federated Colleges Non-Academic Pension Plan,
and the strategy to appoint a transition manager was
approved.
The board approved a new custom liability
investment manager for the Academic Employees of
the University of Saskatchewan, 1974 (Retirees Plan).
The board approved the establishment of a Chair in
Aboriginal Education effective July 1, 2011.
The board approved the use of undesignated gift
proceeds towards the capital deficit related to the
original Griffiths Stadium expansion project.
The board approved an internal loan to the Western
College of Veterinary Medicine for the purchase of a
standing equine MRI system to be housed in the
Equine Performance Facility.
An update on the multi-year operating budget
framework was received for information.
An update to the projected operating reserve surplus
with the preliminary April 2011 results was received.
An update on the financial status of the defined
benefit plans and implications for additional payment
contribution estimate and on activities related to the
pension strategy was received.
A preliminary operations forecast was received.
Information on the major funding decisions related
the Academic Priorities Fund was received.
A report on the 2011 Saskatchewan Universities
Funding Mechanism funding results was received
An overview of the university’s approach to
allocations to mitigate the impact of investment losses
on endowment and trust funds was received.
6.4.18
Development activity for
fiscal 2011/11
6.4.19
Annual investment report
2010/11
6.4.20
6.4.21
Nasser gift- terms of reference
update
Scenario analysis update
6.5
AUDIT COMMITTEE
6.5.1
Minutes of May 9, 2011
6.5.1.a
Outstanding action items
6.5.2.1 –
6.5.2.5
Pension Plan financial
statements
6.5.2.6
Draft memorandum of audit
observations
6.5.3
Draft annual report – 2010/11
(including MD & A).4
6.5.4
Draft unaudited consolidated
financial statements 2010/11
6.5.5
Internal control project update
6.5.6
Senior management
compensation and expenses
6.5.7
Enterprise risk management
(ERM) update
A progress report of philanthropic revenue and
donations received from May 1, 2010 to April 30,
2011, was received.
The Board received an annual internal investment
committee report on investment income, investment
management fees and investment income allocation
An update on the gift from the Nasser family and
revised terms of reference was received.
The board was provided with an update on the
economic outlook of the scenario analysis and
indicated that submission of this report on an annual
basis was appropriate.
The committee met on June 23. Members present:
Susan Milburn (chair), Linda Ferguson, Grit
McCreath, and Greg Smith. Also in attendance: Art
Dumont, Scott Hitchings, and Nancy Hopkins.
The minutes of the May 9 audit committee were
received for information.
This item was received for information.
The board approved financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 2010 for the following pension
plans:
• Non-Academic Pension Plan for university
and Federated College Non-Academic
Pension Plan
• Retirees Pension Plan
• 1999 Academic Pension Plan
• Research Pension Plan
• 2000 Academic Money Purchase Plan
A draft memorandum from the Provincial Auditor of
significant audit findings pertaining to audits of the
pension plan financial statements was received and
discussed.
It was reported that a brief overview on the status of
the preparation of the annual report including the
management discussion and analysis had been
presented at the committee meeting.
In accordance with the timeline requested by the
provincial auditor a copy of the draft unaudited
financial statements for 2010/11 was provided to the
board for information.
An update on the status of the Internal Control Project
was received.
An overview of salary, benefit and reimbursement
payments to the President and Vice-Presidents was
received for information.
A bi-annual report on enterprise risk management
activities and the “Top 10” ERM risks was received.
6.5.8
6.5.9
6.5.10
6.5.11
6.5.12
6.5.13
7.
8.
Division of Audit Services
annual report 2010/2011
The purpose of this report is to provide full disclosure
to the audit committee of the activities of the Division
of Audit Services for the 2010/11 fiscal period. This
report was provided to the board for information.
Emergency measures planning An update regarding emergency measures planning
activity at the university was received.
Outstanding legal matters
As part of the annual audit requirement, it was
report
reported that a report on the status of legal matters
relating to the university covering the 2010/11 fiscal
year was reviewed by the audit committee.
Outstanding Audit Services
An update on the status of outstanding Audit Services
recommendations
recommendations is provided to the board semiannually.
Final Audit Services reports
Received for information: the final executive
summary audit reports since the last audit committee
meeting. This regular report ensures that completed
internal audit reports are provided in a timely manner
and in accordance with the terms of reference of the
audit committee. One report was received.
Report on payments and
This is a regular report received for information in
remittances
accordance with the audit committee's work plan. Its
purpose is to provide assurance to the board that the
university has met all obligations which may result in
personal liability.
Other business
No other business was raised.
Items for information
8.1
Items approved by the board
since the May 10, 2011 board
meeting
The board approved by mail-out ballot the following:
• May 24 - the recommendation regarding
additional funding for Marquis Hall renewal –
Phase 2 (stages 2-4)
• June 3 - the reappointment of Vicki
Williamson as Dean of the University Library
for a five-year renewable term.
Received for information.
8.2
Meeting schedule for
2011/2012
8.3
Update on board retreat
The board retreat and community dinner will be held
October 12-14 in Melfort.
9.
Communications
There were no communication items.
10.
Other business – items by
board members
11.
Next meeting and
adjournment
Further discussion on demographics affecting the
university was suggested as a potential topic for the
fall board retreat.
The meeting adjourned at 11:50 am. The next
meeting will be held Friday, July 22. A member
asked that the meeting be re-scheduled to Thursday,
July 21.