Annual Presidential Performance Review

Introduction

This policy describes how the Board carries out their responsibility to evaluate presidential performance throughout the President’s term of office.

Policy

It shall be the policy of the Board of Governors to review the performance of the President annually. In addition, the Board shall customarily conduct a comprehensive presidential performance review at five-year intervals.

The purpose of the annual review is to enable the President to strengthen his or her own performance, to allow the President and the Board to reset mutually agreeable goals, and to inform annual decisions on compensation adjustments and other terms of presidential employment.

The purpose of the comprehensive review is to examine the effectiveness of the relationship between the President and the Board in the discharge of their respective and collective governance responsibilities; to obtain feedback from key constituents on the progress of the President and the Board in achieving institutional priorities, to reaffirm the partnership between the President and the Board; and, as requested by the Board and the President, to consider consultant recommendations for improving both presidential and Board performance.

The review processes are not intended as a substitute for regular, ongoing communication about progress toward goals between the President and the Board.

Role and Responsibilities

Board Chair

Working closely with the President and Human Resources Committee, assume the lead for the performance review process

Human Resources Committee

• Working closely with the Board Chair, support and facilitate the ongoing management of the President’s annual performance and compensation review

Board of Governors

• Periodically review and, as necessary or desirable, revise this policy and its associated procedures in light of experienced gained, best practices, and legal developments as applicable.

Consequences for Noncompliance

Institutions confront increased competition for students and financial support, rising public expectations for educational quality and effectiveness, and significant constraints on increasing revenue from tuition. In this contemporary context, the performance review of the President will focus on the ability and capacity to enable the institution to adapt to a continually changing environment. Advancing across this more rigorous terrain, especially in the context of Aboriginal education, the President will need to lead change in innovative ways.

Consequences for noncompliance in the performance review process, may be an institution that does not stay ahead of a changing environment and result in substantive and lasting negative consequences for the future of the University.

Processes

The President’s stated objectives are forward-looking (at least 12 months). Each objective is accompanied by a standard against which achievement of the objective can be measured (“metrics”). The objective and the standards require advance approval by the Board.

In May/June the President reports final results on objectives for the current academic year to the Board. The Chair, working closely with the Human Resources Committee, invites written or oral submissions from the Board members concerning Presidential performance in the past year and potential objectives for the upcoming year.

In May/June the Board Chair, working closely with the Human Resources Committee, meets with the President to conduct the annual performance review and finalize objectives for the next year. The new objectives are, in turn, presented to the Board for their approval in June. The Board Chair prepares a report on the review which is presented to both the Board and the President which includes, based on performance, recommendations for annual compensation.

Every fourth year of the president’s employment the Board shall conduct a comprehensive review of the President’s performance with the assistance of at least one external advisor.