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Alumni Charter

MOHAWK COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION COUNCIL - CHARTER - PRIMARY ROLE

Every member of the Mohawk College Alumni Association Council shall: 

• Act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of Mohawk College and the Mohawk College Alumni Association; 
• Exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise as a member of the Association and the Council; 
• Be accountable to the President of Mohawk College or their designate and the Manager, Alumni Relations as the designated College staff member responsible for the operations of the Association and the Council

In the case of a conflict between this Charter and the Mohawk College Alumni Association Constitution, the lattershall take precedence.

MEMBERS’ ADVISORY ROLES AND DUTIES

Members of the Mohawk College Alumni Association Council shall advise the President of Mohawk College or their designate and the Manager, Alumni Relations as follows:

1. Financial Budgeting, Reporting and Disclosure:  The Council will collaborate with the Manager, Alumni Relations, to ensure that the Alumni Relations Department has developed a budget within acceptable accounting guidelines, has accurately and fairly represented all revenues and expenditures, avoids a deficit, and transparently appropriates any surplus.
2. Strategic Planning: The Council, in conjunction with the Manager, Alumni Relations, will develop an annual business plan and strategy that defines priorities within each fiscal year.  The Council will subsequently monitor the implementation of the business plan and strategy at each Council meeting, and measure the progress.  The business plan and strategy shall include: 
   a. Long term goals and objectives that reflect the Council’s competitive advantage and stakeholder needs; 
   b. The identification of business activities within which the goals and objectives will be achieved within that fiscal year; and 
   c. Revisions as needed during the course of the fiscal year. 
3. Human Resources:  The Council shall strive to ensure that its members and the Manager, Alumni Relations are provided with adequate human resources to achieve implementation of the business plan and strategy, in part by ensuring that Mohawk College provides a comprehensive job description for the Manager, Alumni Relations and other Departmental employees.  The Council may also recommend to the President or their designate the discharge of the Manager, Alumni Relations, for inadequate competency or unethical behaviour.
4. Code of Conduct: The Council must also develop and monitor compliance with a written Code of Business Conduct applicable to Members and signed annually by each Member.  The Code of Business Conduct is intended to define standards and deter wrongdoing, and, while waivers of compliance may be granted by the Council, the Code shall also address: 
   a. Conflicts of interest; 
   b. Protection and proper use and deployment of Mohawk College Alumni Association assets and opportunities; 
   c. Fair and ethical dealings with Council Members, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders; 
   d. Compliance with all federal, provincial and municipal  laws, rules and regulations; 
   e. Reporting of any illegal or unethical behaviour.
5. Communications:  The Council shall adopt an external communications policy in consultation with Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology, and monitor its implementation on a regular basis.
6. Governance:  The Council shall gain and maintain reasonable assurance that the Council’s composition, structures and practices comply with the Constitution, and enable the Council to discharge its roles and duties in a highly effective manner. In particular, the Council shall gain and maintain reasonable assurance that: 
   a. All external Alumni Council Regular, Associate or Honourary Members are independent, meaning that a Member has no relationship with Mohawk College which, in the view of Council, could reasonably be expected to interfere with the exercise of judgment; 
   b. The Chair of the Council shall be an independent, external alumni Regular member, or citizen appointee member, and not an appointee of Mohawk College; 
   c. A majority of every Council meetings shall consist of independent Regular Members; 
   d. The Council possesses the competencies and skills required to enable the discharge of roles and duties in a professional manner; 
   e. The Council, as a whole, may choose to meet in camera with or without the President or their designate, and/or the Manager, Alumni Relations. 
   f. The Council will develop a professional approach to corporate governance, including a set of principles and guidelines for itself; 
   g. The Council Shall take responsibility for identifying the criteria and skills that would make individuals
7. Governance Culture: The Council must use its best efforts to establish and sustain amongst all members a culture which incorporates the following values, and convictions: 
   a. Mohawk College Alumni Association is the catalyst for a life long relationship between Mohawk College and its Alumni 
   b. the conviction that members owe each other their best efforts in carrying out their duties and exercising their authority; 
   c. contributing objective views on critical issues; 
   d. recognizing the importance of solidarity (“the council speaks only with one voice”) when decisions are taken; 
   e. committing to exercising the Council’s duties only in the interests of MCAAC and free of personal objectives; 
   f. exercising business judgment in decision making objectively after exercising appropriate due diligence;
   g. openly engaging constructive dialogue to diligently expose moral as well as financial risks, liabilities and opportunities; and insisting on the highest level of honesty and integrity in all actions of the Council, Manager and employees of the Alumni Relations Department ; and 
   h. holding each other responsible for fostering a council environment that: 
       i)  invites and respects differing points of view 
       ii) deals rigorously with alternatives, and 
       iii) demands compelling rationales for choices; 
   i. practicing personally, and within the Council, the accountabilities that are demanded of employees; 
   j. encouraging and fostering conditions which build and enhance trust and respect amongst all of the members; and 
   k. acceptance of the Council’s accountability for its performance.
   

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