Dear Colleagues:
I recently wrote to Mr. Stuart Belkin, Chair of the Board of Governors, to ask when the Board expects to provide a public response to the submissions made at the April Board meeting. I am attaching Mr. Belkin’s detailed response for you to read. (Link to letter)
It is clear that the Board has heard our concerns and is taking them seriously. In addition to some immediate operational changes that make the Board’s work more transparent and accessible to the public, Mr. Belkin highlights two key parts of the Board’s response thus far: (1) a review of Policy 93 on Closed Meetings of the Board of Governors, and (2) a review of Board policies and procedures, including the Code of Conduct for Members of the Board of Governors. This is encouraging news.
In addition to Mr. Belkin’s letter, recent exchanges with Professor Ono make me confident that that we have a strong advocate for faculty in our new president. At this point, I am optimistic that the Board is proceeding with care and due diligence as it works to address concerns about governance at UBC. The Board’s Governance Committee is engaged in a significant review of Board policies and practices, and Mr. Belkin has indicated this committee will undertake this work in phases, so we can expect to see the Board engage periodically with the University community as part of the Board’s response to all the submissions it received in April. I encourage you to participate when called upon for input by the Board.
If you have any comments, please send them to [email protected].
Sincerely,
Mark Mac Lean,
President
