Series S-021 - Committees of the Board

When it was formally established as a standing committee of the College Council in 1975, the primary function of the Finance Committee was to advise the Council and Administration on significant financial and business matters, present recommendations on the disposition of financial documents, and make recommendations on proposals related to major financial decisions. The Committee was also tasked with reviewing drafts of the College’s operating budget, capital needs and the capital budget, financial statements, and voucher lists.

In 1981, following the split between Douglas and Kwantlen, the Finance Committee (by then a committee of the College Board) amalgamated with other committees to become the Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee.

Established in April 1981 (with its initial meeting held the following month), the Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee was an amalgamation of three previous standing committees and drew its original terms of reference from each of those earlier groups. The Committee’s principle responsibilities fell within these three areas and included: (1) advising the College Board and administration on significant financial and business matters, reviewing draft budgets, and reviewing financial statements; (2) recommending policies related to building and site development, engaging with local governments and stakeholders, studying site proposals, and acting on behalf of the Board when initiating and planning with other agencies for jointly owned facilities; and (3) providing advice on personnel policies, reviewing specific personnel problems, examining proposals, and engaging in the negotiations with faculty and staff.

In October 1997, this Committee was replaced two committees: the Finance Committee (which addressed issues related to finance and facilities) and the Human Resources Committee (which addressed personnel issues).

When it was formally established as a standing committee of the College Council in 1975, the primary function of the Personnel Committee was to serve as advisor to the Council and administration on matters relating to personnel policies, making recommendations, and drafting reports. The Committee was also tasked with reviewing problems on specific personnel matters, examining proposals for the budget, and advising on negotiations with faculty, staff, and administrators.

In 1981, following the split between Douglas and Kwantlen, the Personnel Committee (by then a committee of the College Board) amalgamated with other committees to become the Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee.

Originally called the Curriculum Review Committee prior to being established as a standing committee of the College Council in 1975, the Program Development Committee’s primary function was to review program proposals and to present reports and recommendations to the Council (and later the Board). These reports and recommendations were related to new, revised, or discontinued programs; educational priorities; innovative systems of instructions; admission policies; and instructional requirements for planned physical facilities.

In October 1980, the Program Development Committee’s name and terms of reference were modified slightly. It became the Program Review & Development Committee.

Established in April 1981 (with its initial meeting held the following month), the Education and Services Committee was committee of the College Board. It was a new iteration of the Program Review & Development Committee, and it shared mostly identical terms of reference as its predecessor. These included reviewing proposals and presenting reports and recommendations to the College Board related to program development, educational priorities, new systems of instruction, admission policies, and financial matters impacting instructional activities.

By 1993, the Committee’s mandate had been updated to include reviewing proposals “on matters relating to instruction, College services, and College-community relationship and to present reports and recommendations to the College Board.” Public information and community development activities were added to the existing list of the Committee’s areas of focus.

In January 1996, the Education and Services Committee became the Education Committee.

Briefly called the Building and Sites Development Committee when it was first established as a standing committee of the College in early 1975, by May of that year the Committee’s name was changed to the Sites and Buildings Planning and Development Committee. (Prior to being formally designated a standing committee, it had also been called the Sites Committee.)

The Committee’s primary function was to study proposals and make recommendations to Council on topics pertaining to the development of buildings and sites. The Committee was tasked with initiating long-term planning for the provision of sites for future developments, to examine and recommend specific site acquisitions, to meet with municipal councils in the College region, to act on behalf of the Council with respect to jointly owned facilities, and to review and assess the suitability of project consultants.

In 1981, following the split between Douglas and Kwantlen, the Sites and Buildings Planning and Development Committee (by then a committee of the College Board) amalgamated with other committees to become the Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee.

In May 1977, an Ad Hoc Public Relations Committee was struck by the College Council to examine the need and means by which they could keep the broader community informed of the College, its development, and activities. In October of that year, a motion was carried to establish a Community Relations Committee as the fifth standing committee of the College Council.

The Community Relations Committee was tasked with upholding the “Council’s responsibility to keep the community informed and aware of the College and its development,” as well as develop publicity and public relations policies. The Committee engaged directly with community stakeholders through in-person meetings but also through indirect means such as press releases and newsletters. The Committee oversaw the work of the Public Information Office and its officer.

In 1981, following the split between Douglas and Kwantlen, the College Board reduced its number of standing committees. The Community Relations Committee was eliminated and not replaced by an equivalent committee until April 1984 when the Community Relations Development Committee was established.

In November 1990, the Community Relations Committee replaced the Community Relations Development Committee as one of the College Board’s three standing committees. This committee would put greater emphasis on increasing the College’s visibility in the community, taking proactive steps to engage with various off-campus constituencies and stakeholders. The Committee made policy recommendations to the Board, was involved in College advertising, and was responsible for “interpreting and communicating the College’s role, mandate and needs to the community decisions makers.”

By January 1992, the Committee once again changed, this time to the Community Relations/Board Development Committee.

The Community Relations Development Committee was established as a standing committee of the College Board in April 1984. Its purpose at that time was “to provide a focus for and an overview of policies and programs to enhance public information, community resource development and college-based community development activities.” Later that year, fundraising activities was added to the Committee’s terms of reference. The Committee also provided recommendations to the Board and served as a liaison with College administration regarding issues related to public relations.

In November 1990, the Committee’s name was changed back to the Community Relations Committee.

In January 1996, the Education Committee was established as the successor to the College Board’s Education & Services Committee. Initially it maintained many of the same responsibilities as in its previous iteration but with a new emphasis on providing a link between the College Board and the Education Council. By 1999, much of the Committee’s responsibilities were set out in the College and Institute Act, which had become legislation in 1996. The Committee endeavoured to clarify and foster the link between each of the College’s governing bodies, reviewing information and advice the Board received from the Education Council. The Committee also reviewed matters requiring joint approval of the Board and the Education Council, and it carried out any responsibilities delegated to it by the Board.

The Education Committee was discontinued in 2000 following a re-evaluation of the Board’s committee structure.

In 1965, the Coquitlam school district contacted the school districts of Maple Ridge, New Westminster and Burnaby to determine what interest there might be in a joint endeavor to establish a community college. On December 7, 1965 an agreement for a joint study was reached and each district was asked to appoint a trustee and its district superintendent of schools to a Regional College Steering Committee.

The Human Resources Committee was established in 1997 when the Finance, Facilities and Personnel Committee split into two separate entities. Its original mandate was to advise the College Board and administration on matters relating to personnel policies; to present recommendations, reports, and memoranda to the Board; to review recommendations related to specific personnel issues or initiatives; to examine proposals for budgeted and non-budgeted staff and faculty additions; and to advise on negotiations with faculty and staff.

In 2006, the Human Resources Committee's terms of reference were expanded to include greater detail related to negotiations advice. Additionally, the Committee was tasked with reviewing materials and recommendations related to the Professional Development Programs, the Health and Safety Committee, and excluded personnel.

As of 2022, the Human Resources Committee is the College Board's oldest standing committee. Its specific duties and responsibilities relate to executive appointments, compensation structure, succession planning and development, risk management, human resources, and more.

Established in January 1992, the College Board’s Community Relations/Board Development Committee retained many of its predecessor’s responsibilities related to community engagement, strategic planning related to advertising, and discussions of community relations issues. It also added two new clauses to its mandate: (1) to plan Board development activities and to recommend them to the College Board, and (2) to draft and recommend Board policies.

In September 2002, the Board voted to disband the Committee because issues related to planning and advocacy were by then being handled by the Executive Committee.