Board Governance Policies

5.1 Governance Process

A. Statement of Board Responsibility

Approved/revised: April 19, 2013

   POLICY

Under the College and Institute Act, all powers and duties are granted to boards as corporate bodies, rather than to individuals. Board members, individually, have no legal authority.  Each member does have a duty to be prepared for, to attend, and to participate fully in boardroom discussions, exercising his or her individual wisdom and judgement. 

The Role of the Board is to:

1.         Be the link to NVIT’s five founding bands and BC’s Aboriginal Communities. As NVIT is an Aboriginal public post-secondary institute with a mandate to serve the Province, Board members collectively hold NVIT in trust for British Columbia’s Aboriginal communities.  To fulfill this fiduciary responsibility, the Board must ensure that the institution is appropriately serving and morally accountable to NVIT’s diverse provincial Aboriginal community, within the resources available to it.

2.      Be Legally Accountable

         The Board also owes legal accountability to the Government of British Columbia through the Office of the Minister responsible for Advanced Education. As such, the Board is responsible for ensuring NVIT carries out its legal mandate; i.e., what the Institute is required to do and not do as per relevant legislation.

3.      Establish and Maintain Broad-Level Policies to Guide the Board and the Organization.

3.1    Ends: In the Policy Governance Model, Ends are the benefits the organization is to provide, for which recipients, at what costs.  NVIT specifies its “Ends” through its Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Directions statements. 

3.2    Executive Limitations: Constraints on the President’s authority that establish the boundaries of prudence, ethics and scope within which all executive activity and decisions must take place. 

3.3    Governance Process: The Board’s role, functioning, and self-monitoring.

3.4    Board-President Relationship: The President’s role, authority, and accountability.

4.      Monitor Organizational Performance

         Assurance of organizational performance on Ends and Executive Limitations through structured monitoring of the President’s achievements as outlined in policies on Board-President Relationship.

5.      Be Informed

         All Board members should familiarize themselves with the wider educational system and issues affecting post-secondary education in British Columbia.  They have a responsibility to be aware of community, provincial and national developments potentially affecting the Institute.

         Board members must ensure they have received and studied the information needed to make wise decisions so that NVIT can remain strong and able to adapt to the future.

6.      Influence Climate

         The Board plays a major role in setting the Institute’s tone and climate.

         A committed, positive and effective Board contributes to a healthy institution.

7.      Advocate on Behalf of NVIT

         The Board will advocate on behalf of NVIT and promote a positive image of the institution.