Program

Governance at the leading edge

The conference program addressed pivotal issues such as Canadian universities’ participation on the world stage, governance of cyber-security and privacy, debate and dissent on campus, and governing in the time of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Full conference program

*Please note that the professional development day is open to board professional staff only.

Two outstanding keynote addresses opened the conference:

Canadian Universities on the Global Stage

Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge

Looking from outside our borders, how are Canadian universities perceived? What are the global opportunities present in a world of anxiety and wall-building? How can those opportunities best be seized?  What are the risks and benefits of greater global engagement?

The Board’s Role in the Governance of Privacy

Jennifer Stoddart, former Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Universities are places where a multitude of human activities take place, in addition to the traditional tasks of teaching, learning and research. The responsibility of Boards of Governors is to ensure not only that personal information is respected and appropriately used but also that privacy in its broader sense is a key value throughout university activities and within the various populations associated with the institution. Privacy related issues can reflect negatively on centres of higher learning that have failed to adapt to current social and technological realities.