Governance Principles
MOHAWK COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION COUNCIL (MCAAC)
GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES
Our Definition of GovernanceAt Mohawk College Alumni Association Council we have adapted the definition
of governance which has been endorsed by the OECD - Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (April 1999).
Governance is the system by which organizations are directed and
controlled. The governance structure specifies the distribution of rights
and responsibilities among different participants in the organization, such
as, the Council, managers, members and other stakeholders, and spells
out the rules and procedures for advising on the organization’s affairs. By
doing this, it also provides the structure through which an organization’s
objectives are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and
monitoring performance.
Our Criteria for Establishing an Effective Governance Structure
Not all governance structures are created equal. And not just any governance
structure will do. The Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation (CCAF)
has developed a set of six principles that define an effective governance
structure. Those six principles (modified for our purposes) state that effective
‘governing bodies’ are those which:
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Are comprised of people with the necessary knowledge, ability and
commitment to fulfill their responsibilities. -
Understand their purpose and whose interests they represent.
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Understand the objectives and strategies of the MCAAC.
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Understand what constitutes reasonable information for good decisions and obtain it.
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Once informed, are prepared to act to ensure that the organization’s objectives are met and that performance criteria
have been satisfied. -
Fulfill their accountability obligations to those whose interests they
represent by reporting on their organization’s effectiveness.
As the MCAAC we also believe that a good governance structure is one in which the roles of the Alumni Relations Department , its Committees, its members and employees of the Alumni Relations Department have been both clearly defined in terms of both their responsibilities and their accountabilities and are well understood. With these principles in mind, we have designed the system of governance for MCAAC to include; The Constitution, Council Charter, Governance Principles, Council Job Descriptions and Nomination Process.
