PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINARS

SATURDAY, JUNE 12

PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINARS                                                                                               

Please register separately for these seminars on the CAUBO conference registration form.

Pre-conference sessions will be held at Delta St. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre.

Faculty and School Administrators’ Seminar
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.            Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.            Seminar
Salon G, Delta St. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre

New this year, CAUBO will be hosting the Faculty and School Administrators’ Seminar. The seminar will offer sessions on improving communications, leadership and training and budget issues. The day will wrap up with a roundtable session which will allow participants to exchange information on important issues and to plan for the future.

On the Bridge:  The Role, Responsibilities and Challenges of Academic Administrators in a University Environment
Sheila Devine, Education & Policy Officer, Office of the General Counsel, Memorial University of Newfoundland

The primary role of the academic administrator is to facilitate and support the work of the academic head (head, dean, director) within the framework of the university’s mission, strategic framework, policies and procedures.  In performing their duties academic administrators act as managers, advisors, facilitators and mediators in a changing and challenging environment.  “On the bridge”, faculty and school administrators can walk a narrow plank between respecting and supporting the institution’s administrative framework and the advancement of the priorities and needs of the faculty.  Weather conditions “on the bridge” can be stormy and slippery and the handrail may be weak. 

This interactive pre-conference workshop will examine the roles and responsibilities of faculty and school administrators and the challenges that they face on a daily basis.  In particular, it will examine the academic value systems, communications and culture in the university and examine strategies for dealing with issues that require the faculty and school administrator to be “a bridge” between the academic culture and the administrative culture.  A case study will be examined.

Leadership and Training of Departmental Chairs
Tammy Brimner, Executive Director, Faculty Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia

Mary Lou Davies, Executive Assistant, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Public Affairs, Carleton University
Carol Down, Director of Administration, Don Wright Faculty of Music, The University of Western Ontario

Department chairs and heads play critical roles in the management and leadership of academic units of universities.  For that reason, universities are developing programs to provide individuals in these positions with some basic management tools and techniques to carry out their functions as well as an understanding of their leadership role in contributing more effectively to the development and advancement of their units’ goals and objectives.  Three universities will describe their leadership and training programs for departmental chairs, how they were developed, their experience, and the benefits and challenges encountered along the way with a view to helping other universities think about their own academic leadership needs.

Exploring the Critical Partnership Between Faculties (Colleges) and Central Finance Departments
Laura Kennedy, Associate Vice-President, Financial Services Division, University of Saskatchewan

In our environment characterized by increasing complexity of operations, escalating demands for accountability and resource challenges, it is imperative that the unique, yet symbiotic roles of administrative staff in faculties and central administration be understood.  Although stewardship of financial resources is everyone’s business, with all faculties and staff on campus playing a part,  central finance units acknowledge that it’s not a faculty/college’s only business.  The central financial services department plays a lead role, but needs to balance the traditional control function with the need to provide customer service.  Finding the right balance is fundamental to efficiently carrying out mandated responsibilities, while maintaining collaborative working relationships. 

In this session, Laura Kennedy will provide her perspective on: the importance of the collaborative relationship; approaches to facilitate and promote a collaborative working relationship; and, thoughts on measuring success.  Topics covered will include: establishing the governance framework; resource allocation establishing annual budgets & accommodating resource adjustments; financial policies designed to provide incentives; processes for monitoring and control; and provision of tools/resources.

The day will conclude with a moderated roundtable discussion.

Environmental Health and Safety Seminar
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.            Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.            Seminar
Salon E, Delta St. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre

The Business of Environmental Health & Safety in the University Setting
Robert Emery, Vice-President, Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Associate Professor of Occupational Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health

Robert Emery will facilitate a full day workshop which will address the following:

1. Understanding Universities and the Needs of Universities and Faculty;
2. 50 Things Every University EH&S Person Should Know (As a basis for improved levels of customer service and departmental image. This includes everything from institutional descriptors to responding to air quality complaints);
3. EH&S Measures and Metrics that Matter (for communicating performance and supporting resource requirements);
4. EH&S’ Role in the Loss Control Aspects of Risk Management (i.e. the overview of risk management and insurance profession from a health and safety perspective);
5. The Art and Science of "Selling" Your Safety Program; and
6. The Compelling Display of Health & Safety Data to Achieve Desired Decision Making (i.e. the basic tenants of effective data displays with before and after “makeover” case studies).

Ample time will be provided for questions and discussions as well as the sharing and review of templates. This session will be of great value not only to EH&S managers, but also financial, human resources and facilities management administrators.

Planet Blue: A Cross-Functional Initiative to Institutionalize Energy Conservation at the University of Michigan
Kris Kolevar, Project Manager, Planet Blue Teams, Environmental & Energy Initiative, Plant Operations, University of Michigan
Mary Beth Stuenkel, Manager of Groupware Services for IT Central Services, University of Michigan

As organizations endeavour to contain the rising costs of energy and to reduce the size of their carbon footprint, several strategic challenges need to be addressed. At the University of Michigan, the Planet Blue program was initiated as a cross-functional approach to energy conservation; it combines building system upgrades and re-commissioning, green IT practices as well as behaviour modification methods aimed at all levels of building occupants.

A recent survey of UM faculty, staff and students revealed that while a high percentage would be willing to adopt energy conservation behaviours and to sacrifice comfort, a perception existed that the university was not sufficiently committed to the mission of energy conservation. This negatively influenced occupants' readiness to adopt certain behaviours. Planet Blue was initiated as part of a six point Energy and Environment Initiative to demonstrate the University's commitment to energy conservation; it provides a comprehensive portfolio of programs, information and tools that will institutionalize energy conservation processes and behaviour throughout the campus. The presenter will discuss Planet Blue, its programs, and tools for various building constituents, and innovative approaches for actively engaging with building occupants to implant energy conservation best practices, and institutionalize these for the long term. 

Peeling Back the Layers on P3 Deals: What it Means to Hand Over your Building to a Facility Management Company for a 30 Year Term
Michel Theriault, Principal Strategic Advisor, Facility, Property and Asset Management Consulting

P3s are long-term arrangements with comprehensive responsibilities for the design, build, finance and management of the facility, including complete lifecycle replacement over the term. This commitment requires a complex contract, specifications and governance. The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) phase encompasses the majority of the term and has a significant impact on the total cost and the operational success of the facility. Among other things, the principles of a P3’s are performance based, not specification based. This means the operations specifications don’t provide detailed tasks and procedures; they provide a framework and performance objectives along with penalties.

What would this mean to you? This session will explore the following issues related to the O&M phase from an insider’s perspective: a review of the concept and issues around P3’s; a discussion of contractual and specifications framework; a review of operations specifications and related performance requirements; a look at risks and benefits; explore the rights and responsibilities of you and the P3 consortium; and will outline the processes use to get there and to manage the contract for 30 years.

An Innovative Response to a Space Issue at the University of Toronto with Broader Implications Relative to Space Management and Flexible Work Arrangements
Ron Swail, Assistant Vice-President, Facilities & Services, University of Toronto

Faced with expropriation from its home of over 40 years, Facilities and Services/Real Estate Operations knew that the move to a new work space would be challenging.  A substantially smaller space, a commitment to a sustainable work environment and staff concerns about the erosion of their workspace autonomy and privacy were just a few of the “rocks” that needed to be navigated in the new environment. This presentation will cover all aspects of the relocation of the work space including a review of the existing situation and challenges and an outline of the steps taken to meet these challenges and create new opportunities.  Through communications and consultations, collaborative spaces were introduced, as well as a Virtual Workers’ Program. The presenter will also address the effectiveness of the move, the employee survey results and the broader impact on the institution.

Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP) Update
Tim Stupich, Manager, Science Policy, Industry Canada

Tim Stupich will provide an update on the implementation of the Government of Canada’s Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a $2 billion economic stimulus measure announced in the 2009 federal Budget.  The program is supporting more than 500 infrastructure enhancement projects at universities and colleges across Canada.  Mr. Stupich will outline the key characteristics and objectives of the program, provide an overview of approved projects and their expenditures, review the roles of the players involved in delivering the program and discuss the upcoming challenges and opportunities.  He will also be available for questions following the presentation.

The day will also include an update from the Facilities Management Committee, a report on current activities and a proposal for facilities portfolio management.

Finance Seminar
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.            Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.            Seminar
Salon A, Delta St. John's Hotel and Conference Centre

Reframing the Berkeley Budget – Tips and Techniques
Teresa A. Costantinidis, Assistant Vice-Chancellor – Budget, Budget and Resource Planning, University of California, Berkeley

Executive leadership at the University of California, Berkeley recognized the importance of developing an overall strategic financial plan that considers all sources and uses of funds when making resource allocation decisions. Learn about the specific steps Berkeley leaders took to change the campus' incremental budgeting approach into a more robust financial all-funds resource strategy. In this session you will explore practices that align resource allocations with strategic objectives, learn how to migrate from an ineffective incremental budgeting model and hear about the challenges faced by campus leaders, and the current status of the change effort.

PCI Compliance
Stacey Farkas, Supervisor, Financial Reporting, Financial Services, McMaster University
Nancy Gray, Director of Finance, Financial Services, McMaster University

The payment card industry has established rigorous industry standards for the processing of purchase transactions electronically.  The acceptance of debit and credit payment cards provides a convenient way to process sale transactions.  It is critical that the process for accepting, processing and storing information related to card transactions be secure to protect the privacy of personal information and safeguard card users bank accounts and other assets.  Find out how McMaster’s Finance team has worked with IT and other University stakeholders to develop a policy and process to achieve the University’s requirements for security.

The Changing Role of the CFO Follow-up: Mastering Finance in Government Survey
Jean-Francois Nadeau, Manager, Strategy and Operations, Deloitte
Charles Perron, Partner, Deloitte

As a follow up to last year’s presentation on the Changing Role of the CFO, the presentation will summarize the results of the Mastering Finance in Government survey completed by a number of Canadian universities. The results will provide a good indication as to the areas of improvement that your organization could focus on to further enhance financial management. The aggregated results will also provide indications as to the key financial management improvement areas across universities in Canada.  Several benchmarked areas will be covered by the participant profiles including certification of financial statement controls, risk management, forecast preparation, business analysis, and performance management.

The Heightened Accountability of Research
Christine Charbonneau, Director of Finance, Financial Monitoring, Canada Foundation for Innovation
Additional speakers to be announced

Accounting Standards Update for Universities and Colleges
Martin Coutts, Associate Vice-President, Finance & Supply Management Services, University of Alberta

This session will provide an update on future financial reporting directions for universities and colleges in Canada. The primary focus will be a presentation and discussion of next steps following the Joint Invitation to Comment (ITC) on ‘Financial Reporting by Not-for-Profit Organizations’, issued in January 2009 by the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) and the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB).  Based on the extensive feedback received, the ITC, the AcSB and PSAB plan to release an Exposure Draft for public comment in the first half of 2010. This draft proposes the possible financial reporting options for NPOs.  An important consideration in the discussion and evaluation of the different reporting options is whether an NPO is considered part of the public or private sector.  This distinction is crucial for universities and colleges across Canada because different provincial jurisdictions have different views on whether universities and colleges operate within or outside the public sector (i.e. the government reporting entity).This session will be of great interest to all those financial officers involved in accounting and financial reporting, as crucial questions are being asked and issues raised about how accounting standards will deal with the special needs of NPOs in general and universities and colleges in particular.

The day will conclude with a moderated roundtable discussion.

An Interactive Workshop on Web 2.0 HR Communications

Beyond the Firewall: Social Media in the Workplace
Brian Baker, Vice-President, New Media and Creative Services Group, Aon Consulting
Diane McElroy, Senior Vice-President, Communication Practice, Aon Consulting

Four generations of employees now comprise the workforce, each with different needs and preferences.  HR professionals need to look beyond the traditional “catch all” forms of communications to more innovative and personalized forms, to reach everyone from the most tech-savvy user to the individual who prefers a hard-copy newsletter. In this session, delegates will be asked to challenge the traditional ways of communication and explore the realm of Web 2.0, more commonly known as Social Media.   The workshop will include Web 2.0 Media Basics, the results of a Web 2.0 Survey of 8,000 employees and case studies of organizations that have used web 2.0 for HR communications.  The case studies will touch on issues such as employee readiness for Web 2.0, the results, impact on employee engagement and financial implications.  Delegates will be introduced to a planning process and will explore the development of a Social Media strategy for their own workplaces.

Leading to a Healthy Workplace
E. Kevin Kelloway, Director, CN Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Saint Mary’s University

Sufficient data has now been accumulated to support the unambiguous conclusion that organizational leaders play a critical role in creating the healthy workplace.  At least two key aspects of leadership are evident.  First, organizational leaders are the "root cause" of many organizational conditions (both positive and negative).  Second, leaders' interactions with others exert a dramatic influence in the organization. This presentation will begin with an interactive exercise designed to focus our attention on the behaviors comprising effective leadership. The literature linking leadership to healthy workplace outcomes will be reviewed and practical strategies that leaders can enact to create a healthy workplace in their own organizations will be discussed.

Leadership Learning Transfer – From Classroom to Workplace
Travor Brown, Professor, Labour Relations & Human Resources Management, Faculty of Business Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Current demographic changes have resulted in a shortage of leadership talent in the industrial world. As result, the need to develop competent leaders is paramount.  Yet, we know that in some cases leadership training fails to deliver as trainees can return to the workplace without any increase in leadership skills.  This highly interactive session will examine interventions that have been designed to increase the usage of leadership skills learned in training sessions back at the workplace.  Lessons learned from both public sector, and university-specific, interventions will be shared and discussed.

Internal Audit Seminar
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.            Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.            Seminar
Brownsale Room, Delta St. John's Hotel and Conference Centre

We all know that “It doesn't work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps”.  To generate value for our universities we must continue to “rock” our Internal Audit worlds.  A solid risk assessment is an excellent foundation for what we do but are we adapting our approach, our skills, our tools and how we communicate to effectively meet our stakeholder needs?  This year’s pre-conference session will focus on how we might change our ways to address the emerging risks in our universities.

Gain Insight on Stakeholders’ Perspectives Regarding the Future of Internal Audit
Cheryl Whitten, Senior Manager, Specialist Advisory Services, Governance, Risk and Compliance, Grant Thornton

Cheryl Whitten of Grant Thornton LLP and former President of the Newfoundland Chapter of the IIA will cover the changing expectations of Internal Audit’s stakeholders and what that means in terms of our roles, relationships and competencies.

Enhance your Understanding of how to Leverage Technology to Improve Service Delivery
Speaker to be announced, Enterprise Risk group, Deloitte

This session will discuss ways in which computer assisted audit techniques (CAATs) can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Internal Audit. In addition to providing a demonstration of ACL, one of the most common generalized audit software products in use, Deloitte will explore how data analytics can be used to help address some of the key issues that the internal audit function is facing in higher education. Data Analytics may be your way to “Rock the Common!”

Critically Assess your Communication Process
David A. Richards Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), former President of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and member of The IIA International Board of Directors

Communication is an essential component of internal audit effectiveness because of its impact on the overall image of the department.  Communication is all encompassing.   Each time you communicate, the timing, method, style and forum you choose will significantly impact your intended result.

Dave will provide a framework for assessing internal audit communication processes with key stakeholders and guide us through the development of a communication plan to address the gaps while ensuring on-going quality.

This two hour, hands on session, will provide an opportunity for the participant to discuss the attributes of effective internal audit communication, work through a sample assessment framework, provide reaction to examples of communication, and take away the basis of a plan to proceed with a self-assessment of internal audit communications. 

Improve your Understanding of how Fraud Can Occur in your University and the Potential Impact it Can Have
Internal Audit Sub-Committee

To round out the day, we will review and discuss the results of the first Internal Audit Sub-Committee national survey on fraud in the Canadian university environment. This will be a great opportunity to learn from the collective experiences of our member universities.  The survey results will provide valuable benchmarking data that will help each of us identify and assess fraud risks and develop our response to these risks at our own universities.

Leading Procurement Practices in Higher Education – How do you Measure Up?
Richard R. Young, Professor of Supply Chain Management, Business School of Administration, Pennsylvania State University
Speaker to be announced, Performance Management and Supply Chain Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Procurement professionals know that they support and assist their respective universities in achieving their mission.  But, how do they know?  Can they demonstrate it? Lead author of the 2007 IBM Center for The Business of Government report on “Benchmarking Procurement Practices in Higher Education”, Dr. Richard R. Young, will review how universities in the US are integrating leading procurement practices in their environment.  This will include a review of practices such as spend analysis, engagement in strategic supplier relationships, cross-functional collaboration, e-procurement, organizational structure, comprehensive purchasing policies, and performance management.  A case will also be made that just as the performance of suppliers must be measured, so must that of procurement services.   Dr. Young will challenge the delegates to consider how they might more effectively integrate such practices in their own operations.  

Senior consultants in Performance Management and Supply Chain Management of PricewaterhouseCoopers will join the session to speak to the Canadian experience with leading procurement practices, with a particular emphasis on the university sector. 

This interactive workshop will enable you to exchange ideas on leading procurement practices with your colleagues and other experts in the field as well as access practical guidelines to effect positive change within your organization.  Time will be reserved to review the results of the NPC National Procurement Benchmarking Survey and the development of the Phase II of the survey.

From the theoretical to the practical
Lisa Ross, Executive Director, Supply Chain Management, University of Calgary
Paul Dugal, Manager, Purchasing Services, University of Manitoba

University of Calgary and the University of Manitoba were both recently involved in PwC administrative reviews assisted by PWC which included that of procurement services.   Lisa Roth and Paul Dugal will outline some of the specific directional changes that were recommended for procurement policies and practices, their assessment of those changes, anticipated issues with implementation, and expectations for the future.

Roundtable Discussions – Hot Topics
Stephen Cook (moderator), Manager, Procurement and Contract Services, University of Waterloo

An entire session will be dedicated to discussing hot topics that delegates will have identified ahead of the pre-conference.  Delegates will also consider how to respond to “non-traditional spend” areas in which procurement services are increasingly being asked to exercise leadership and/or active roles.

Treasury and Investment Breakfast

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Salon C, Delta St. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre

Stu Budden Treasury and Investment Seminar
8:30 a.m. – 4:35 p.m.
Salon B, Delta St. John's Hotel and Conference Centre

Economic Outlook
Paul Ferley, Assistant Chief Economist, Economist, RBC Royal Bank

Managing Cash in a Low Interest Rate Environment
Sandy Archibald, Investment Advisor, RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
Jill Max, Vice-President and Manager Fixed Income, RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

In this record low interest rate environment, university treasurers are under pressure to boost yields to support operating budgets.  This session will explore short term investing strategies and review a number of financial instruments and examine what additional risks that may be assumed in the quest for additional yield.  Also, there will be a review of the practices and experiences of Canadian universities.

Banking Relationships for the Short and Long Term
Sophie Chauvin, Senior Manager & Team Lead, Business Development Cash Management, BMO Bank of Montreal
Michelle Slater, Marketing Manager, Business Financial Services, RBC Royal Bank
Speaker to be announced, TD Bank Financial Group

In managing the long-term while surviving the short-term, banking relationships play a critical role in a university’s growth and survival.  Given the recent orientation changes by the banks, is "How can the banks help/support the universities for the next ten years?" The breadth of topics will take the form of operational, consulting, finances and cash management needs that seek to match what the banks are envisioning in the future and how they are evaluating their universities portfolios. The benefits to the delegates attending would be the pro-active positioning of their treasury portfolio and financial operations accordingly. 

Endowment Distribution Strategies – Have they been Impacted by the Short Term Performanc?
Speaker to be announced, University of Alberta
Speaker to be announced, Queen’s University
Speaker to be announced, University of Victoria

Following the credit crisis and financial market meltdown in 2008/2009, many foundations and institutions found their reserves depleted and some endowed funds had fallen “underwater”.  Did universities change their endowment distribution strategies in light of short term performance?  For the universities that made changes, what were their short term and long term strategies – capital encroachment, donor top up, operating fund loans, reduction in spending rate, investment policy changes?   A year later, what is the status of those "underwater" endowments?  How have approaches to spending rates and rules changed from this experience?   Find out the results of our survey and hear a panel of your colleagues review some of the more innovative approaches.

CAUBO Endowment and Pension Investment Survey 2009 (Closed Session – University participants only)

Highlights of the endowment and pension survey will be presented.  The presentation will provide a high overview of both endowment and pension funds in the past year.  Attendees will be given the detailed summary to take back home for further analysis and discussion.