The University of Winnipeg Amendment Act
Chamber
manitoba
Stage
Introduced
This bill reforms the University of Winnipeg's Board of Regents by reducing its size, adding transparency rules, and requiring conflict of interest policies.
Key Changes
- Reduces the Board of Regents from 36 to 21 members
- Requires at least two of the ten Lieutenant Governor in Council appointees to identify as Indigenous
- Limits consecutive board service to nine years, with a mandatory three-year break before re-appointment
- Requires board meetings to be open to the public, with in camera sessions allowed only by a two-thirds vote for specified categories
- Mandates a formal conflict of interest by-law, with disclosure and withdrawal requirements for board members
- Requires annual performance reviews of the university president, with the president excluded from related board discussions
Gotchas
- Current board members serving under the old rules will continue their existing terms under the old Act before the new rules apply, as of July 1, 2026
- The bill removes a previous exclusion that prevented support staff members from being counted toward board quorum, potentially broadening participation
- The requirement that two of ten Lieutenant Governor in Council appointees identify as Indigenous is a minimum, not a cap
- The board cannot delegate its authority to pass by-laws or perform duties specifically required to be done by by-law, limiting how much power it can hand off to committees or administrators
- The criteria guiding Lieutenant Governor in Council appointments — diversity and financial expertise — are listed as considerations, not strict requirements, leaving some discretion in practice
Who's Affected
- University of Winnipeg Board of Regents members
- University of Winnipeg president
- University of Winnipeg students and alumni
- Academic staff at the University of Winnipeg
- Indigenous communities with ties to the university
- General public seeking transparency in university governance
Vibes
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Gotchas
- Current board members serving under the old rules will continue their existing terms under the old Act before the new rules apply, as of July 1, 2026
- The bill removes a previous exclusion that prevented support staff members from being counted toward board quorum, potentially broadening participation
- The requirement that two of ten Lieutenant Governor in Council appointees identify as Indigenous is a minimum, not a cap
- The board cannot delegate its authority to pass by-laws or perform duties specifically required to be done by by-law, limiting how much power it can hand off to committees or administrators
- The criteria guiding Lieutenant Governor in Council appointments — diversity and financial expertise — are listed as considerations, not strict requirements, leaving some discretion in practice
Summary
This Manitoba bill amends The University of Winnipeg Act to make several governance changes to the university's Board of Regents. The most significant change is reducing the board's size from 36 members down to 21 members. The new board composition includes the chancellor, president, one alumnus, three academic staff senators, two students, three persons appointed by the general council, and ten persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council — at least two of whom must identify as Indigenous. The bill also introduces new rules to improve transparency and accountability. Board meetings must now be open to the public by default, with exceptions only for specific categories of matters approved by a two-thirds majority. Board members must follow a formal conflict of interest process, including disclosing conflicts, leaving the room, and not trying to influence decisions. These disclosures must be recorded and made publicly available. Additionally, the bill sets a nine-year maximum for consecutive board service, after which a member must wait three years before serving again. It also requires the board to conduct annual performance reviews of the university president and to exclude the president from meetings where their own performance, pay, or employment terms are being discussed. The changes come into force on July 1, 2026.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
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