Professional Development Day

Process-Driven Change: Renaming of a University

Katherine Greflund
Assistant Director, University Relations
Toronto Metropolitan University

Rachel DiSaia
Associate Director, Next Chapter Implementation and Coordination
Toronto Metropolitan University

In response to calls to change the university name, a presidential Task Force was established to explore broader commemoration practices by the university. The exploration of history as well as community perspectives and aspirations resulted in 22 recommendations, including the recommendation to rename the institution. Both the Task Force and the subsequent renaming committee were high-profile initiatives with unprecedented community engagement. Value-driven principles guided the development of a transparent project framework that was consultative, educational, and responsive to community needs. This session provides an overview of how the work was approached and structured and focuses on the strategic communications plan that kept community members engaged and prepared various stakeholders for the rollout of the new name.

How an Equity Lens Can Impact Policy Development

Andrea Marlowe
Human Rights Policy Advisor
Thames Valley District School Board

Across sectors, organizational policies and procedures can be effective tools for creating fair processes, and for identifying, pursuing, and measuring equity-focused goals. They can be designed to remove barriers and mitigate bias in decision-making to ensure equitable access and opportunity. Existing policies must be scrutinized to ensure they do not unintentionally create disadvantage or disproportionality for certain individuals or groups. This session will identify approaches, strategies, and processes for applying an equity lens to policy and procedure development and review.

Andrea’s presentation will be followed by a moderated panel discussion with the morning’s presenters.

Strategies and Tactics to Manage Information for University Governance

Ellie Kim, Director
ARMA International

Jay Jorgenson
Information and Records Management, University of Alberta

University governance teams are constantly flooded with information. Despite tight resources, teams are expected to fully grasp record control, responding to compliance requirements while achieving fast information retrieval. This session introduces records management to support board success and how you can kickstart the program from the ground up. We will also discuss information governance as a strategic, multi-disciplinary approach that will help elevate university governance. Participants will also have time to discuss current