McMaster's Board of Governors met on Thursday, April 28 in the Council Room of Gilmour Hall. The following are some of the items addressed at this meeting.

Sustainable Building Policy

The Board of Governors approved a Sustainable Building Policy, ensuring the University is on the leading edge of sustainable building development throughout Ontario universities.

The policy ensures McMaster provides leadership in the conservation, protection, improvement and sustainability of the environment. It will accomplish this in several ways, including promoting sustainable building principles and benefits, and implementing these principles in all new and existing buildings to achieve measurable life cycle cost savings.

Stay tuned to an upcoming Daily News article for more information about this new policy.

Arts Quad Podium

A deck remediation project for the Arts Quad podium was also approved. It is anticipated the project will be completed in four phases, starting with work in the north-east area of the quadrant, near the School of Business. The project will be completed over a number of years and funds have been set aside to complete the first phase, projected to cost an estimated $750,000. More information about this project will be posted on the Daily News in the near future.

Tuition fees approved

The Board of Governors approved the 2005-06 Undergraduate and Graduate Tuition Fee Schedule, the 2005-06 Miscellaneous Fees Schedule with the exception of the Convocation Fee, and the 2005-06 Centre for Continuing Education Fee Schedule.

All domestic tuition fees, both regulated and unregulated have been frozen by Government legislation for the 2005-06 academic year. Undergraduate international fees also have been frozen, with the exception of the Faculty of Engineering, where fees will increase 6 per cent.

Supplementary fees were also approved, with the exception of a proposed $35 Convocation Fee. The fee was questioned by several Board members. According to Fred Hall, the new fee was added as a result of increasing costs in operating and maintaining convocation ceremonies.

Shano Mohan, 2004-05 MSU president, said he is concerned with the message it sends. “We're continually trying to foster a sense of pride and encourage students to return to the University,” he said, “I'm worried that this will leave them jaded. I don't think this is a message the University wants to send out to students who are graduating.”

Ancillary budgets approved

The 2005-06 ancillary budgets and fee increases for Hospitality Services, Housing and Conference Service and the Off-Campus Resource Centre (OCRC), has been approved.

There will not be any food price increases for 2005-06 except in the franchise operations and prepared food supplied by off-campus vendors. The cost of residence meal plans includes a $40 overhead change. The residence meal plan will increase by $50. On average, residence room fees will increase 6 per cent, depending on the type of room. For the OFRC, its budget currently receives no operating funds from the University as it is solely dependant on landlord listing fees, which remain at the set level of $30 and $15 for 28-day renewals and are competitive with other advertising media and reflect local market conditions.

Vice-president University Advancement reappointed

The Board of Governors has approved the reappointment of Roger Trull, as vice-president university advancement, effective July 1, 2005.

In the fall of 2004, a committee was struck to review his position. In February and March 2005 the committee reviewed letters of assessment about Trull, from internal and external colleagues, and peers in the profession of advancement and development. A sub-committee interviewed staff who report directly to Trull and their comments were considered during the review.

“Mr. Trull has worked tirelessly in his commitment to advancement and alumni development, and to McMaster University,” said President Peter George. “He has become an innovative leader in his profession, a strong liaison with the community and an important member of the senior management team at the University.”

Trull leads McMaster's University Advancement operation, which includes a staff of 75 and a $5.2-million budget.

Other appointments

Other appointments approved by the Board include: Andrew Hrymak as director of the School for Engineering Practice for a five-year term; John Brash as director of biomedical engineering to a three-year term; Mehran Anvari as director of the McMaster Institute for Surgical Invention, Innovation and Education to a five-year term; Samir Ziada, reappointed program director of the Bachelor of Technology Program for a three-year term; John Medcoff, as director of the Engineering and Management Program for a three-year term; Peter Sutherland, as director of the Arts and Science Program, for a five-year term; Mark Vorobej, as acting director of the Centre for Peace Studies from March 1-June 30, 2005; Kenneth Coley, as chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering for a five-year term; Trevor Chamberlain, renewed as acting chair in the finance and business economics area, for six months; Gordon Irons, reappointed DOFASCO Chair in Ferrous Metallurgy, for a second five-year term; John MacGregor, reappointed DOFASCO Chair in Process Automation and Information Technology for a four-year term; Paul Whelan, appointed the David Braley and Nancy Gordon Chair in Urology for a five-year term; Mary Law, reappointed the John and Margaret Lillie Chair in Childhood Disability Research for five years; William Kenneth Evans, appointed in the Department of Medicine as professor with CAWAR; promoted to professor are Ivan Bruha, Patricia Chow-Fraser, Jean-Pierre Gabardo, William Farmer, Erik Sorenson, Susan Inglis and Robert O'Brien; Greg Preachey, as assistant dean, Continuing Health Sciences Education Program, for a five-year term.

Phase two of renovations commences

Phase two of the Burke Sciences Building and General Sciences Building renovations will commence at a total cost of $15 million.

McMaster received $8.8 million from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to cover deferred maintenance costs. The funding will be directed to the second phase of the Burke Sciences project. Completion of the project will provide the necessary renovations for the first and second floors of the GSB.

In February 2005, the entire project was approved at a cost of $30 million.

Teaching assistants collective agreement confirmed

The Board of Governors confirmed the ratification of a collective agreement between McMaster and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3906, Unit 1, Teaching Assistants. The contract is for the period of Jan. 1, 2005 5o Aug. 31, 2006. Negotiations were scheduled in the fall and early winter and on Feb. 24, 2005, a tentative agreement was reached with the University's Bargaining Team for a 20-month agreement.

Spousal hiring policy approved

A policy statement on spousal hiring procedures for teaching staff was approved. The policy was created following a review of hiring policies at McMaster and spousal-hiring statements at other universities, as well as discussion with representatives of Human Resources Services.

The policy was established to allow the University to compete effectively in the recruitment and retention of faculty. According to the Committee on Appointments, it can be advantageous to be able to find a suitable position for the candidate's spouse, depending on the particular situation and quality of each candidate and can vary case-to-case. For more information about the policy, click here.

Revised departmental review procedures

A revised procedure for University Reviews of Departments, Schools and Major Instructional Programs has been approved. The changes were made so that formal departmental reviews are conducted at appropriate intervals. As a result, reviews will now be conducted at the same time as new department chairs are selected.

While deans will be responsible for management reviews, a Committee on Departmental Reviews has been struck to ensure reviews are conducted as appropriate and are properly reported to the University Planning Committee and ultimately, Senate and the Board of Governors.