THE ST. CLAIR COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLGY

MINUTES

of the

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

HELD ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 2002

In the Board Room, South Campus, 2000 Talbot Rd., Windsor, Ontario at 6:30 PM.

	PRESENT:
			Ms. K. Bevan
			Mr. L. Browning			
			Mr. R. Feldmann
			Ms. D. Livneh
			Mr. J. Lucas
			Ms L. McGeachy Schultz, Vice-Chair
			Mr. R. Marentette
			Mr. R. Pollock, Chair
			Ms. V. Rivard Barker			
			Dr. J. Strasser, President
			Mr. M. Vourakes

Also Present:
Ms. Pauline Abbott, Support Staff Representative
Mr. L. Carlone, Finance Office
Mr. T. Davies, Coordinator, Animation Program
Ms. J. Duff, President, Thames Representative Council
Mr. G. Docherty, Vice President, Academic
Mr. D. France, Manager, Student Representative Council
Ms. P. France, Executive Administrator, President’s Office
Mr. R. Erwin, Administrative Staff Association Rep\
Ms. S. Garant, Secretary, Board of Governors 
Ms. J. Harris, Executive Director, Student Support Systems
Ms. A. Hetherington, Director, Marketing
Mr. L. Iversen, Faculty Representative
Ms. L. Logan, Vice President, Finance and Corporate Services
Mr. E. Maurice, Finance Office
Ms. K. Pitre, President, Student Representative Council
Ms. G. Sullens, Director, St. Clair College, Foundation
Mr. D. Watts, Faculty, Animation & Graphic Design Programs
Mr. E. Zanini, Observer, St. Clair College Alumni Association

ABSENT:	Ms. M. Bearfoot-Jones
		Mr. J. Belanger
		Mr. S. Funtig
		Ms. C. Pare
		Ms. P. Williams	

	A quorum of the Board of Governors being present, and the notice of meeting and the agenda having been duly sent to all Board members, the meeting was declared to regularly constituted.  A copy of the Notice of Meeting/Agenda is attached as Appendix A.  
	Mr. Richard Pollock chaired the meeting and Ms. Garant was the Recording Officer.
	The Chair then requested introductions of all present and the meeting began.
	Board Member, Mr. R. Marentette announced the upcoming visit of Mr. Robert Ellis to Windsor.  Mr. Ellis lost his son tragically, in an industrial accident, and will address area high school students on April 25th, 2002 at the Caboto Club in Windsor.  Mr. Marentette invited all present to attend and also felt St. Clair College students would be interested in hearing this compelling speech.
	
1.0	ADOPTION OF AGENDA AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARED.
	
	There were no declarations of conflict of interest.

The meeting was called to order and the agenda amended to include Ms. A. Hetherington under Item, 3.0, Constituent Reports.   

	RESOLVED THAT the agenda is adopted as amended.

2.0	APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 27, 2001.

RESOLVED THAT the Minutes of the November 27, 2001 Meeting of the Board of Governors of St. Clair College be  adopted as circulated.

3.0	CONSTITUENT REPORTS 

Ms. Hetherington was pleased to announce to the Board and all present that St. Clair College was the recipient of two Trillium Awards for excellence in marketing awarded at the College Committee for Advancement Conference in London on February 16th.   One award was for successful advertising (i.e. St. Clair’s Hockey Team) and the second for innovation for St. Clair’s promotional CD used for advertising and  recruitment. Ms. Hetherington had one of the awards on hand to show to those present.  The Chair congratulated those involved for a job well done!
Mr. L. Iversen noted that St. Clair College faculty continues to monitor the new secondary school curriculum to enable them to address future student needs.
Ms. K. Pitre presented a petition to be signed surrounding the need for proper signage at the Highway 3 entrance to the College property.  Once petitions are signed, Dr. John Strasser indicated that he would be presenting them to Minister Cunningham for Cabinet’s consideration.

4.0	POLICY DEVELOPMENT

4.1	Request for Program Reinstatement – Woodworking

Mr. G. Docherty presented to the Board that the previous Woodworking program had been suspended due to low enrolment, however, at this time local industry supports the reinstatement of this program.  He indicated that the cost to operate the program are inconsequential since we can use existing equipment and facilities which have been kept up to date and maintained with apprenticeship dollars.
A Board member questioned the targeted enrolment and Mr. Docherty indicated that 25 students was the projection.  And in response to another Member’s question about College liability and safety concerns, Mr. Docherty assured him that those concerns had been addressed.

RESOLVED THAT the Woodworking Program be reinstated as part of the St. Clair College curriculum.

5.0	MONITORING REPORTS 

5.1	Financial Statements for the nine months ended December 31st, 2001.

Ms. L. Logan indicated to the Board that the bottom line from December 31st has changed significantly, based on revenue receipts of up to $6.3M received as of January 10th, 2002 .  This amount equates to approximately 57.2% of the operational budges.   Also in relation to Contract Training dollars, the revenue stated was below the amount recorded as of this date and they are back in line with their projected earnings.
One Board member question the cost of the FCEM in relation to
Budget and Ms. Logan noted those monies are acquired through capital funds and are not included in operational costs.

RESOLVED THAT the Financial Statements for the nine-month period ended December 31st, 2001 be accepted for information.

5.2	Animation Programs

Dr. Strasser addressed the Board noting that since it’s launch in September 2000, the Animation Program has proven to be a quality program and has exceeded revenue expectations and still has room to grow.  He then invited Mr. G. Docherty to comment and Mr. Docherty added that we have no graduates from the program as yet to supply placement data, however, in terms  of  the program’s KPI’s, all responses have been positive.   Program Chair, Mr. R. Erwin introduced the program’s coordinator, Mr. T Davies and professor Mr. D. Watts who invited questions from Board members.  They also indicated that to date the College has received approximately 248 applications for Fall 2002’s Animation program.
The Chair indicated that perhaps Board members could, in the absence of Mr. S. Funtig, who requested that this item be brought to the Board for discussion, address some of the issues of concern that he stated originally.  With this, Ms. D. Livneh asked where graduates will find work and is the job market for this program local or outside the Windsor area.  Mr. Erwin pointed out that on page three of the attached report, local companies are seeking out our graduates and are anxious to bring them on board.  Such companies as Ross Roy, McGill Multi-Media, and Tall Tree Studio were just a few examples sited.  Skills acquired in the program are certainly portable and meaningful employment can also be sought outside the Windsor area.  Students can also pursue careers as freelance designers.
Board members were then assured that the program is in line with the College’s strategic directions with the focus on excellence.
The Chair thanked Mr. Davies and Mr. Watts for attendance and availability to respond to questions at which point they left the meeting.

RESOLVED THAT the Board accept the Information Report – Status of Animation Programs, for information.

5.3	HUMAN RESOURCE POSITION ANALYSIS

Ms. Lynn Logan stated that according to the HR Requirement Report it would be appear that there will be a potential 50% loss of staff due to retirement by the year 2006, when in fact, the St. Clair College position analysis indicates that though that number may hold true for staff eligible to retire, the likelihood of actual retirees would fall to 32%.  Also, in the event that there could possibly be 173 new hires in this four-year time frame, she has assured the Board that our Human Resource area is equipped to handle the recruitment requirements.  She also expressed that there are no indicators of an insufficient labor pool to draw from, when addressing future staffing issues, such as the double cohort.
Ms. McGeachy Schultz asked for a breakdown of staffing requirements between Windsor and Thames campuses.  She also had concerns surrounding the role of the Board in exploring options or strategies to assist administration in areas such as promotional advertising of the College and what we have to offer to entice new staff and present a positive cultural environment.  Ms. McGeachy Schultz felt that the Board would best serve the college with an active approach, rather than a re-active approach to any identifiable problems. 
Ms. Logan reiterated that the stats provided by the CAAT pension plan were only provided recently, however, college faculty and administration are working jointly to measure the impact of reductions in staff and double cohort on St. Clair College.  She also assured the Board that the comparison data of Windsor/Thames be provided at a future meeting.
Mr. L. Browning suggested perhaps the double cohort issue may not levy the same impact on St. Clair College as other colleges in the system since our students tend to be mature students rather than direct applicants from the high school system.
Mr. Docherty added that 50% of St. Clair’s students arrive after being out of school for approximately one year, having worked or perhaps explored other educational alternatives.  Students are also coming back with PLA’s (prior learning assessment), which allows them to fast track our programs and graduate in a compressed time frame.  According to Mr. Docherty, students now take a more dynamic approach to their educational pursuits.  His response to the question regarding the college’s status on the double cohort, was to wait until the end of May, after students have selected their courses, to get a better grasp of their future paths.
Mr. R. Feldmann raised a concern around applied degrees and how prepared St. Clair College will be in matching appropriate skills sets for instructors of those degree programs.  Dr. Strasser addressed his concern by saying that Mr. M. Vourakes and Mr. G. Docherty are working jointly to ensure those standards are in place and also stated that ministry approval will only be granted if the quality review board standards are satisfied.
Mr. R. Marentette asked administration if and how the college was poised to respond to possible layoffs in the automotive industry.  Based on industry cut backs and downsizing to meet changing market demands, his concern that perhaps areas such as retraining, skills upgrading should be prepared for an increase in returning students.  Mr. Docherty responded that the staff and faculty are currently conducting meetings with the apprenticeship branch and CAW representatives to be ready to cope with that scenario if and when it arises.

RESOLVED THAT the Human Resources Requirement	
				Report be accepted for information.

At this time Mr. L. Browning asked that this report be tabled for a future “in-camera” committee meeting for further discussion.

RESOLVED THAT  the Human Resource Requirement Report be tabled for the next Committee of the Whole Meeting.

5.4	UPDATE ON DONATIONS – FCEM & OTHER

Dr. Strasser was pleased to announce that the number of partners 
attending his bi-weekly breakfast meetings with industry continues to grow.  As a result, one of our industry partners has responded by contributing free lubricants used in our shop programs resulting in saving costs around those programs.  Dr. Strasser then noted that Ms. G. Sullens, would be reported on behalf of Mr. F. Sorrell and the St. Clair College Foundation an update of pledges.
	Ms. Sullens expressed to the Board that equipment pledges are  more difficult to quantify than are cash pledges.  With that she noted that currently there is in excess of $1.5M on the table in the way of equipment pledges.  Also, she informed the Board of $27M in cash donations to date.

RESOLVED THAT  the letter to the Board providing them an update on pledges to FCEM be accepted for information.

	5.5	REPORT ON USE OF THE DEFIBRILLATOR
			
		Ms. L. Logan announced to the Board that a purchase requisition has been processed and a new defibrillator should be on the college premises within the next few weeks.  The appropriate staff training will be provided for it’s use and it will be located in the Health Center, off the main lobby.
	 Ms. Logan also mentioned that the college is proceeding with
reviewing other public sector agencies and how they have dealt with issues of implementation and liability surrounding defibrillators. 

			RESOLVED THAT the report on the use of the 	
			defibrillator be accepted for information.

5.6	      REPORT ON TIMING OF FIRE DRILLS

Ms. L. Logan stated that the College Fire Safety Plan will
be completed with  Phase 1 of the Plan by mid March.  A fire drill  will take place some time in April.

RESOLVED THAT the Report on the Timing of Fire Drills be accepted for information.
			
5.7	 	THAMES LEASING UPDATE 

Dr. Strasser invited Ms. T. McFarlane to speak to this.
Ms. McFarlane expressed the need for the College to continue to pursue a multi-use recreational facility for Thames Campus and with the support of the amalgamated Municipality of Chatham and the surrounding community and industry partners, a facility can be built with minimal cost to the College can be achieved.
Further, she stated that in order to attract students to Thames programs,  they must be prepared to provide on-site athletic facilities, especially for those programs currently being offered that have a physical fitness component to the curriculum.  To date, the College has had to lease space at outside facilities in order to satisfy that component.  She asked the Board to support efforts to participate at the table of discussions with the Chatham/Kent Administration to proceed with development of a master plan for this facility.
One Board member voiced a concern that we get involved with yet another plan for such a complex and the plan not being followed through, however, Ms. McFarlane indicated that at this time the first part of this action was to have the ideas in place by April 2002.
Ms. McFarlane stated that it was priority for Thames Campus to have a gymnatory for its students to aid in attracting students and help with retention of current students.  Various Board Members shared their willingness to support such a venture in principle to make Thames a viable part of the Chatham/Kent community and allow its students the benefit of the total college experience.  Dr. Strasser wanted to go “on record” as saying to future principle partners in this endeavor to proceed with a gymnatory and residence complex for Thames Campus and that any hurdles or obstacles encountered would be dealt with as they occur.

	RECOMMENDED THAT:
First:    	The Board accept the Report on the Thames Leasing Update for information.
Second:	The Board support the College’s Administration in participating in the planning and discussion with Chatham/Kent partners in establishing a multi-use recreational facility.

5.8	IT STRATEGY (for discussion on March 26th, 2002)

Dr. Strasser asked that Board Members review the IT Executive Summary document for future discussion.
Ms. D. Livneh suggested that the discussion be at the Committee of the Whole in order to ensure keeping within the College’s long-term goals and strategies.  When she questioned administration regarding the IT Strategy being in keeping with College focus on excellence and assurance was given by Ms. P. France, that in fact it definitely was in keeping with those values.

RESOLVED THAT the IT Strategy Report be tabled to March 26th, 2002 for discussion.

6.0	 INFORMATION REPORTS

6.1	Sector Highlights
Dr. Strasser announced that it was encouraging to see Board members attend College functions and encouraged everyone to continue in that vane by supporting the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams.
The Men’s Team was scheduled to play Wednesday, February 27th at Home and the Women on Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 1:00 P.M.
The Men’s Hockey Team is scheduled to play on Saturday, March 02, 2002.   
Dr. Strasser pointed out that the combined season for all three teams stands at: 31 Wins,  3 Losses and 1 Tie!!! 
Ms. J. Harris announced to the Board that there will be a Varsity Hockey Fundraiser on March 22nd, 2002, in the Hangar at St. Clair College.
Tickets:	$20.00
Reception:	6:00 P.M.
Dinner:	7:00 P.M.	

	Ms. Lynn Logan extracted information from her previously shown slide presentation outlining the 2002/03 budget.  The Canadian Job Strategies component of the budget, she indicated, was based on training activities surrounding both Industrial General Machinist and Industrial Maintenance Mechanic programs.  There is also a focus on Contract Training initiatives, ancillary revenues, one-time projects and various miscellaneous items as appear in her budget report.
	The shortfalls now occur, according to Ms. Logan because of the current funding mechanism, which,  for 2003 is based on the declining enrollment of the past three years (1998-2001).  The challenge is to maintain a high quality level with increased enrollments projected with minimal funding.  She noted that the College System has been witness to funding erosion over the course of the last ten years.  She has met with provincial colleagues to explore ways to affect changes to the existing mechanism, however, her fear is that the Ministry will institute a new mechanism and ask the colleges to adapt to it.  There is a $350M maintenance liability associated with the IT Strategy and preparation for the Double Cohort.
The first round of sector budget deliberations proceeded with no KPI distribution amounts stated and information that the 2% operating grant increase based on last year’s announcement and a possible increase of 2% in tuition fees with which to work.
Board member, R. Marentette noted that tuition increases of 500% have occurred over the last ten years.  His concerns were that students were being priced out of education.   Also, he expressed his fear that the focus on college’s being accessible was no longer the case and students were exiting post-secondary educational institutions with enormous debt loads.  Because of these debts of between 40 and $50,000.00 graduates are forced to take jobs out of their fields to pay back the debt and put their chosen careers “on hold.”   He hates to think of where we will be in 2012.  Mr. Marentette did not feel that tuition increases were the answers to the funding problems and that further increases would not be acceptable.
Discussion ensued with the focus on addressing new strategies, perhaps lobbying, in order to increase revenue.  Also, a continued thrust by the college Foundation in seeking out private and corporate  donations were other avenues mentioned to investigate.
A motion was made to  table this discussion to the next in-camera session of the Board, prior to the March 26th,  2002, Full Board Meeting.
	Another Board member raised a concern that the Federal Government was looking to institute a $400.00 fee for apprenticeship students.
         	Ms. J. Harris stated that Federal funding has dropped significantly, from $17M to $7M.  Currently she indicated, the apprenticeship allocation is at $70,000 from the Federal Government.
	Ms. McGeachy Schultz pointed out that, in recruiting, having established corporate partnerships could only be an advantage and make the college more attractive to both new students and staff.
Mr. R. Feldmann asked administration to come back
to the next committee meeting of the Board prepared to tackle      the following issues surrounding budget.
•	Implications of a freeze on college tuition
•	Review existing Board Policy regarding setting tuition fees
•	Impact on the College’s Strategic Goals
•	Impact of increases in enrolment on current resources
•	Human resource requirements impact
•	Impact of the Double Cohort question asked by Member, Ms. K. Bevan.   

RESOLVED THAT issues impacting on the 2002/03 Budget Process be addressed at next Committee of the Whole Meeting, prior to Tuesday, March 26th Full Board Meeting.

7.0		DATE OF NEXT MEETING
	
	The next meeting of the Full Board will be on Tuesday, March 26th, 2002

POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR MARCH 26, 2002

1.	Strategic Partnership Criteria
2.	Huron Lodge
3.	IT Strategy
4.	Student Retention
5.	Innovation & Business Development – New Activities Development Process