Minutes of Council Meetings

Minutes of the Council Meeting of the Ontario College of Teachers Held via Videoconference on June 16, 2022

Present: Diana Miles (Chair); Chantal Bélisle, OCT (Interim Registrar); Abena Buahene; Jonathan Davey; Peter Dinsdale; Douglas Gosse, OCT; Elaine Lajeunesse; Martine Lewis, OCT; Jonathan Rose; Imran Syed, OCT; Maria Vasanelli, OCT; Tammy Webster, OCT; Valerie Williamson, OCT

Guests: Chris Cowley, Ontario Teachers’ Federation; Diane Del Monte, KPMG; Christine Forsyth, Chair of the Registration Appeals Committee; Anne Resnick, Chair of the Investigation Committee

Staff: Jason Bennett; Linda Lacroix, OCT; Demetra Saldaris, OCT; Fred Towers; Linda Zaks-Walker, OCT; Rima Zamat; Kim Bauer (Recorder)

1. Call to Order/Welcome

The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and welcomed all those present.

2. Agenda

It was moved by Jonathan Davey, seconded by Peter Dinsdale, and

CARRIED,

That the Agenda for the June 16, 2022 Council meeting be approved.

Preparation time of one half-day was confirmed.

3. Conflict of Interest

No conflicts were declared.

4. Public Presentation (Timed Item: 9:10 a.m.)

Chris Cowley, President of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, made a presentation to Council and responded to questions. The presentation addressed the role of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and federation/affiliate perspectives on the College’s mandate.

5. Minutes

5.1 Meeting, March 24, 2022

It was moved by Douglas Gosse, seconded by Elaine Lajeunesse, and

CARRIED,

That the Minutes of the March 24, 2022 meeting of Council be approved.

5.2 Special In Camera Meeting, March 24, 2022

The Chair confirmed that the minutes of the in camera meeting were not shared with the public but could be approved in open forum if no discussion was required.

It was moved by Valerie Williamson, seconded by Imran Syed, and

CARRIED,

That the Minutes of the March 24, 2022 Special In Camera Meeting of Council be approved.

6. Chair, Registrar and Financial Reports

6.1 Chair’s Report

The Chair of Council presented her report and noted that the College was continuing to work alongside stakeholders to streamline processes and address the issue of service delays.

6.2 Registrar’s Report

The Interim Registrar presented her report, highlighting a number of areas. She and members of the College’s Senior Leadership Team responded to questions.

6.3 Financial Report

The quarterly financial report to March 31, 2022 was received. The Interim Registrar and the Interim Director of Finance, Fred Towers, responded to questions.

7. Subcommittee Reports

7.1 Audit and Finance Subcommittee

Jonathan Davey, Chair of the Audit and Finance Subcommittee, presented the subcommittee’s report to Council for the March 24-June 16, 2022 period. He noted that the work of the subcommittee had included:

• receiving a presentation from KPMG on the 2021 audit results, with expenditures slightly exceeding revenue;
• discussing the appointment of auditors for 2023 onward that will require development of a request for proposal at a future meeting;
• reviewing a preliminary 2023 budget proposal that included presentations by department directors; and
• receiving a presentation from Lee & Associates on real estate options for 101 Bloor Street that will be reviewed at a future meeting when additional information is available before being brought forward to Council for consideration.

7.1.1 Presentation of Audited Financial Statements

Diane Del Monte, KPMG, presented the audit findings report for the 2021 fiscal year. She confirmed that the audited financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the College as at December 31, 2021, and its results of operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. She also noted that full co-operation was received from College management.

It was moved by Abena Buahene, seconded by Tammy Webster, and

CARRIED,

That the 2021 Audited Financial Statements of the Ontario College of Teachers be accepted.

7.1.2 Appointment of Auditors

Council moved in camera briefly to discuss the appointment of auditors for the College. The Chair noted that Council was moving in camera to allow Council members an opportunity to ask questions related to fees and service deliverables outside of a public forum. It was agreed that a further discussion regarding the use of in camera sessions would be required.

Returning from the in camera discussion, the Chair reported that the Interim Director of Finance had reported on the history of the College’s work with the current auditors and, as mentioned by the Chair of the Audit and Finance Subcommittee, that the College would be conducting a full request for proposal process for the 2023 fiscal year.

It was moved by Jonathan Davey, seconded by Valerie Williamson, and

CARRIED,

That KPMG be appointed as auditors of the Ontario College of Teachers for the 2022 fiscal year.

8. Committee Reports

8.1 Investigation Committee Report

The Chair welcomed Anne Resnick, Chair of the Investigation Committee and invited her to present the committee’s annual report.

The Chair of the Investigation Committee reviewed her report, noting that the committee had only had four months of panel experience under the new governance structure and that additional details about the work of the committee were available within the Registrar’s Report. A question and answer session followed.

8.2 Registration Appeals Committee Report

The Chair welcomed Christine Forsyth, Chair of the Registration Appeals Committee and invited her to present the committee’s annual report.

The Chair of the Registration Appeals Committee presented her report, which included an overview of the work of the committee, and responded to questions.

The Chair thanked the Chairs of the Investigation and Registration Appeals committees for their presentations.

9. New Business

9.1 Cyclical Review of Strategic Priorities

The Interim Director of Corporate and Council Services reviewed a proposal for Council to schedule a two-day strategic planning retreat in 2023 to review the College’s mission, vision, values and strategic priorities.

The Chair noted that the proposal was approved by consensus, with the exact dates to be determined by management in the coming weeks.

9.2 Proposed Regulatory Amendments re Authority to Review Additional Qualification Programs

Demetra Saldaris, Director of Standards of Practice and Accreditation, reviewed the proposed regulatory amendments and associated appendix. She noted that the proposed amendments had been approved by both the Accreditation Committee and the Standards of Practice and Education Committee.

It was moved by Maria Vasanelli, seconded by Valerie Williamson, and

CARRIED,

That Council recommend that the Accreditation Regulation (O. Reg. 347/02) and the General Regulation (O. Reg. 563/21) be amended to transfer the authority to review and determine if existing Additional Qualification programs continue to qualify for accreditation, from the Accreditation Committee to the Standards of Practice and Education Committee, as set out in Appendix A.

10. Correspondence

Correspondence to the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education, and to the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development was provided for information.

11. Council Training and Development

11.1 Labour Market for Teachers

The Interim Registrar and the Interim Director of Corporate and Council Services made a presentation on the labour market for teachers, based on the results of the 2021 Transition to Teaching Report. The Interim Registrar noted that the full report was available on the College website.

Following a question and answer session, the Interim Registrar confirmed that the presentation would be posted to the website and made available in English and in French for Council member use.

12. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.