The Board of Governors held its third regular meeting of the academic year on January 29, 2016 at the Symons Campus in Peterborough.

President’s Remarks

Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University, opened the meeting by thanking student Board members Dorcas Mensah and Rathika Balthasar ‘08 for arranging lunch with student leaders at the Champlain College Living and Learning Commons. Members of the Board of Governors listened to a brief presentation by the president of the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) and student leaders from each of the colleges. The presentations were followed by questions by Board members to shed further light on matters of concern for students at Trent.

In his remarks, President Groarke highlighted Trent’s success in attracting the largest percentage increase in the province for applications in January 2016. He also underlined the good news that two more Trent alumni were recently named to the Order of Canada, Dr. Robert Campbell ’70 and Ms. Sampson ’87, in addition to Chancellor Don Tapscott’s upcoming appointment ceremony this month. A round of applause followed the announcement of Dr. Neil Emery’s appointment to a five-year term as vice-president Research and Innovation.

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Policy

The Board approved a new Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Policy, reaffirming the University’s commitment to establishing and maintaining an environment free from sexual violence. The policy and its related procedure and guidelines identify ways to prevent sexual violence, provide guidance on responding to incidents of sexual violence and information on options and resources for persons who have experienced sexual violence. Additional information may be found at trentu.ca/sexualviolence 

Revisions to Board Special Resolutions

The Board approved revisions to Special Resolutions dealing with Board composition arising from a governance review conducted in 2015.

Presentations to the Board

Additional presentations were made to the Board for information. Nona Robinson, associate vice-president students, and Stewart Engelberg, director of the Student Wellness Centre, provided an overview of student health and wellness needs and services on campus. Julie Davis, vice-president External Relations and Advancement, and Professor Michael Eamon provided an overview of Heritage Stewardship at the University.

Next Meeting

The Board will hold its next regular meeting on April 1, 2016 at the Trent University Durham Campus.