The Board of Regents shall appoint a Human Relations Committee in accordance with the following terms:

 A. COMPOSITION

The Committee shall comprise:

1. Three (3) members from the Board of Regents to be appointed by the Chair of the Board who shall designate one (1) member to be Chair and one (1) member to be Vice-Chair.

2. The Chair of the University Pensions Committee.

3. The Chair of the University Benefits Committee.

4. The following ex-officio members:
i. The Chair of the Board of Regents;
ii. The President and Vice-Chancellor; and,
iii. The Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

5. The following non-voting, ex-officio members:
i. The other Vice-Presidents;
ii. The Executive Director of the Board of Regents.

6. The General Counsel who shall be invited to attend all meetings of the Committee in a non-voting capacity to provide advice to the Committee related to its business.

7. The Secretary to the Board of Regents who shall serve as non-voting secretary of the committee.

Other individuals may be invited by the Committee Chair to attend meetings in a non-voting capacity as necessary.

The appointed members shall serve two years.

B. QUORUM

Quorum shall be a majority of voting members.

C. OBJECTIVES

1. To provide advice to the Board on matters pertaining to the terms and conditions of employment of University employees.

2. To provide oversight of appointments in accordance with applicable sections of The Memorial University Act.

3. To provide oversight of labour relations matters.

4. To provide oversight of employee benefits plans and the pension plan in accordance with the Memorial University Pensions Act.

5. To ensure appropriate policies and programs are in place to attract and retain the best people to work for Memorial University.

D. RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To recommend to the Board, the appointment of Associate Vice-Presidents, Deans, permanent and interim appointments to senior administrative positions which report to both the President and Chair of the Board (or Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee in the case of the University Auditor) in Group A and permanent appointments to senior administrative positions listed in Group B:

Group A
Executive Director of the Office of the Board of Regents
General Counsel
University Auditor

Group B
University Registrar
Director of Human Resources
Chief Risk Officer
Chief Information Officer

Responsibility for interim appointments for the positions listed in Group B have been delegated to the President.

2. To receive and transmit to the Board for information a report of all decisions made by delegated authority.

3. To receive and transmit to the Board for information an annual report.

4. To review and recommend to the Board, as appropriate, policies governing labour relations matters which arise between the Board of Regents, as represented by the Administration of the University, and the bargaining agents, representing unionized employees.

5. To receive appropriate reports concerning the status of any negotiations, grievances, and arbitrations and to provide periodic reports to the Board of Regents concerning such matters.

6. To review and recommend to the Board long-term strategy in respect of collective bargaining matters and, particularly, to develop for recommendation to the Board parameters within which collective bargaining should occur.

7. To advise on such action as may be necessary when labour disruptions are either imminent or have occurred and to provide reports and recommendations to the Board at the earliest possible time.

8. To make such further reports and recommendations as are necessary to the Board for information or approval, as appropriate.

9. To recommend to the Board new policies or changes in existing policies that relate to human resources and workplace matters.

10. To assume such other responsibilities as may be delegated by the Board.

11. The President will file on a regular basis a report to the Human Relations Committee outlining actions taken under delegated authority.

E. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

1. The Board of Regents has delegated to the President, the authority to make the following academic appointments:
a) Tenured, tenure-track, term and teaching term
b) Professional Librarians
c) Academic Staff Member – Cooperative or Field Education (ASM-CFE)
d) Academic Administrators including: Associate University Librarians, Vice-Dean, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, Heads of Departments, Library Division Heads and Division Heads at Grenfell Campus.
e) Other appointments of a non-stipendiary nature. These appointments include: honorary research professor, adjunct, professional associate, clinical, and cross.

2. The Board of Regents has delegated to the President, the authority to make the following appointments:
a)  Directors, Chairs and Coordinators of various academic programs.

3. The Board has delegated to the President, the authority to make appointments to unit head positions reporting to a Vice-President or the President other than those listed in Clause D.1 above.

4. The Board of Regents has delegated to the President, the authority to make the following decisions:
a) All promotions to the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor. 
b) All confirmations of provisional academic appointments.
c) All promotions of Professional Librarians.
d) All confirmations for provisional Librarian appointments.
e) All leaves from normal duties including sabbatical leave, administrative leave, special leave with or without pay, assisted leave and political leave or to approve such other special arrangements as may require release from normal duties.

5. The Board has delegated to the President, the authority to make appointments of Associate Vice-Presidents, Deans whom will hold interim, acting, and pro tempore positions for terms that are not greater than 12 months and within the approved salary scale. Additionally, the Board delegates to the President the authority to extend such appointments for a period of not greater than 6 months.

Last approved by the Board of Regents:  July 7, 2022