Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 74.59
Liaison Chris Adam
Submission Date Sept. 7, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Dawson College
PA-3: Participatory Governance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Chris Adam
Coordinator
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1

Do the institution’s students have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a student council)? :
Yes

Do the institution’s students have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which students are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
Students have their own union and have representatives on all major College committees (Board of Governors, Senate, and Sustainability Advisory Committee). Both the college Senate and Board have reserved places for student representatives. The Senate reserves four places for students; the board reserves two places for students. These representatives are elected at a yearly general meeting after school-wide election campaigns.

Do the institution’s staff members have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a staff council)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s non-supervisory staff members have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body?:
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which staff are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
Support staff unions, professional staff unions, faculty unions and managerial associations all place representatives on major governing committees (Board of Governors, Senate, Sustainability Advisory Committee). All sectors of the college are represented on the sustainability advisory committee and appointed by their respective dean or manager.

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have a representative body through which they can participate in governance (e.g. a faculty senate)?:
Yes

Do the institution’s teaching and research faculty have an elected representative on the institution’s highest governing body? :
Yes

If yes to either of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which teaching and research faculty are engaged in governance, including information to support each affirmative response above:
The Dawson Teacher's Union (DTU) places elected representatives on major governing committees (Board of Governors, Senate) and populates many other Dawson mandated committees.

Part 2

Does the institution have written policies and procedures to identify and engage external stakeholders (i.e. local residents) in land use planning, capital investment projects, and other institutional decisions that affect the community?:
Yes

A copy of the written policies and procedures:
Landscape_Plan_2017Heritage.pdf

The policies and procedures:
Part 2 - The Dawson College building and grounds, after community and expert consultation, was designated a Quebec Heritage Site in August 1977 under the provincial Cultural Heritage Act, and as such, can't change its building envelope or grounds. Changes to the appearance of the landscape is still governed by the heritage act to this day. This is done exclusively within the guidelines of the Ministry of Culture of Quebec. http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/p-9.002#se:9 (Specifically: DIVISION V - DECLARATION OF HERITAGE SITES BY THE GOVERNMENT; sections 59-67) Changes are submitted to a Heritage Committee of the Town of Westmount and/or the City of Montreal, as the border line of these two cities actually goes through the campus. A 2017 landscape plan as a part of a larger city "greening" project had publicly announced public consultation and Dawson neighbors could give their feedback. This was collected and the document attached titled Landscape Plan 2017/Heritage specifies the feedback given by the public about Dawson's landscape plans. The entire 29 page document is pending release permission by the City. Procedure: The notice must be published in the "Gazette officielle du Québec" and at least once in a newspaper in the place or region concerned and be requested by all the local municipalities, regional county municipalities and metropolitan communities and must include a consultation of the citizens and groups present in the community.

Does the institution have formal participatory or shared governance bodies through which community members representing the interests of the following stakeholder groups can regularly participate in institutional governance?:
Yes or No
Local government and/or educational organizations Yes
Private sector organizations Yes
Civil society (e.g. NGOs, NPOs) Yes

If yes to one or more of the above, provide:

A brief description of the bodies and mechanisms through which external stakeholders are engaged in institutional governance (including information about each stakeholder group selected above):
1. The Board of Governors is the highest authority in the College with respect to its governance. In accordance with the Colleges Act, the Board is composed of 19 members, 11 of whom are members representing constituent groups of the external community served by the College, and eight members who represent the College, comprised of students, faculty and staff, the Director General and the Academic Dean. The Board of Governors ensures that the College fulfills its legal mission and functions within the parameters set out by the Ministry of Education. The Board exercises its responsibilities through its decisions on policy, planning and direction, notably in the areas of institutional objectives and financial accountability. For example, in 2020, the seven member Board executive has a school commissioner (external organization) and a private company owner (enterprise representative) and a graduate business owner (technology sector) as members.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Dawson Senate: Under the authority of the Board of Governors, the College Senate advises the Board on matters concerning the programs of study dispensed by the College and the evaluation of learning achievement, including the procedures for the certification of studies. In addition to the Academic Dean, the Senate is composed of 34 members. Senate advises the Board on the academic implications of policies relating to the use of multimedia, computer and instructional technology services, the selection and availability of learning resources, educational and academic research, course scheduling, the academic calendar, and pedagogical projects with institutions outside Quebec. Senate meetings are held monthly during the academic year and are open to the Dawson community.

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