Dear members of the McGill Community,
It is our pleasure to provide you with an update on the recent activities of McGill鈥檚 Board of Governors. You can learn more about the Board鈥檚 mandate and membership on its 听
McGill University鈥檚 Board of Governors held a special closed meeting on November 10, 2023. We would like to share with you the meeting鈥檚 important discussions, decisions, and developments.听
Thank you for your interest in the work of the Board of Governors. If you have any questions, ideas, or comments, please write mcgill.principal [at] mcgill.ca.听听
Sincerely,
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Deep Saini, Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Maryse Bertrand, Chair, McGill Board of Governors听
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Principal鈥檚 Remarks
Principal Saini provided an update on the climate on McGill鈥檚 campuses in light of the ongoing situation in the Middle East, reiterating the University鈥檚 multiple calls for respectful discourse and compassion under the current circumstances. He further emphasized the University鈥檚 commitment to the safety and wellbeing of every member of the McGill community, while underscoring that acts of harassment or intimidation, or threats of violence on our campuses will not be tolerated.听听
The Principal also provided an update on McGill鈥檚 ongoing response to the Government of Quebec鈥檚 revised tuition measures that would affect the University鈥檚 student enrollment and financing. On November 6, Principal Saini, along with President Graham Carr (Concordia University) and Principal S茅bastien Lebel-Grenier (Bishop鈥檚 University), met with Premier Fran莽ois Legault and the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale D茅ry, to discuss further the adverse effects of the proposed tuition measures.听听
At this meeting, a joint proposal by the three universities was presented, which outlined an initiative to help non-francophone students from outside the province integrate linguistically and culturally into the Quebec workforce and society. The leaders of the three universities also advocated for maintaining the current tuition for Canadian students from outside Quebec, as well as to work with other Quebec universities to find alternative ways to balance university financing with regard to international student tuition. The Government committed to reflecting on the proposal and to communicating accordingly in due course.听听
While McGill continues to work with the government to reach a more favorable alternative, the Principal emphasized the need to shift the focus to the longer-term and to begin exploring avenues for the University to diversify its sources of revenue and assets, thus making it more financially resilient in the face of potential future challenges.
Approval Item
On a motion duly proposed and seconded, the Board of Governors authorized the Principal to explore, in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Governors, all avenues necessary to maintain the University鈥檚 standards of excellence in support of its mission, and to report back to the Board of Governors in due course with any suggestion or proposal.
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