1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

General Role of the Board of Directors: 

• In all its actions, demonstrate commitment to the vision, mission, values and strategic plan of the U SPORTS;  
• Maintain authority over, and responsibility for, the systems and structures employed by U SPORTS to direct and manage its general operations;
  Approve strategies, plans, policies and procedures that guide U SPORTS and provide direction for management and all Committees;  
• Ensure that longer-term strategic plans and annual operating plans for U SPORTS are in place;  
• Ensure that there are sufficient and appropriate human and financial resources for U SPORTS to accomplish its work;  
• Fulfill all legal requirements that pertain to Directors and the Board;
  Remain attentive to the changing needs of U SPORTS' membership and key stakeholders; and  
• Operate as a unified corporate body, speaking with one voice through formal motions adopted at its meetings.  

Responsibilities of the Board of Directors: 

Accountability: 

• Ensures that U SPORTS operates in accordance with high ethical standards;
• Is accountable to U SPORTS membership and abides by its decisions and directives;
• Maintains the trust and support of U SPORTS membership;
• Ensures that U SPORTS operates within all applicable laws, rules and regulations;
• Ensures that the overall governance, organizational and staffing structure and policies facilitate the successful pursuit of U SPORTS strategic plan;
• Ensures that policies and procedures exist to: identify and monitor principal organizational risks; assess risks and determine what risks are acceptable to U SPORTS; and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to manage such risks; and
• Ensures effective reporting of U SPORTS activities to Members, stakeholders, funders and regulators on a timely and regular basis.

Selection, Support and Evaluation of Chief Executive Officer (CEO): 

• Appoints the Human Resources Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its human resources oversight responsibilities;
• Based upon recommendations of the Human Resources Committee, selects the CEO, determines the CEO's compensation, and sets out in clear terms the CEO's authority, responsibilities and accountability;
• Provides support to the CEO to enable him/her to carry out his/her responsibilities;
• Develops and employs effective procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of the CEO, and as required, for the CEO's termination;
• Oversees the conduct of a formal evaluation of the CEO on an annual basis, or as required.

Financial Oversight:

• Governs U SPORTS with a view to its long-term financial health by safeguarding U SPORTS assets and resources;
• ** Approves U SPORTS' audited year-end financial report, annual operating budget, and other financial reports as required **;
• Approves policies that implement sound financial controls for U SPORTS and ensures policy compliance by management and committees;
• Appoints the Finance Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities;
• Provides support to the CEO to ensure that he/she is able to carry out his/her responsibilities of financial analysis and effective utilization of U SPORTS' financial resources;
• Ensures that an effective relationship is maintained between U SPORTS and all funding agencies and financial partners; and
• Approves major financial decisions and actions.

Board Governance:

• Governs in accordance with U SPORTS' Articles of Continuance, Bylaws, this Policy and any other applicable governance policies of U SPORTS;
• Approves any changes to the Articles or Bylaws for subsequent ratification by the membership;
• Appoints the Governance Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its governance oversight responsibilities;
• Approves other U SPORTS policies, including those pertaining to relationships with Member institutions, Regional Associations and participants in U SPORTS activities;
• Determines the policies, procedures and norms governing Board meetings;
  Appoints those persons authorized to sign all contracts, documents, cheques or like instruments;
• Appoints from among its membership a Chair, Treasurer and Secretary on an annual basis, immediately following the Annual Meeting;
• Where appropriate and permitted by the Articles and the Bylaws, appoints one additional Director to hold office until the close of the next Annual Meeting of Members;
• Assesses the performance of the Board and its Directors on an annual basis; and
  Develops and delivers an orientation and training program for new Directors.

External Relations: 

• Approves policies regarding the conduct of relationships with external agencies, corporate partners and stakeholders;
• Approves policies regarding the protection and enhancement of U SPORTS' image and reputation;
• Approves appointments and/or nominations of U SPORTS representatives to external bodies; including the FISU General Assembly, and
• Approves the selection of U SPORTS representatives to attend national and international events and competitions external to the U SPORTS.

2. BOARD MEETINGS

Meeting Procedures:

• The Board will meet a minimum of four times per year, two meetings of which will be in-person, and further meetings may be conducted by telephone conference;
• The Board will determine its meeting schedule through the development of an annual Board calendar;
• The agenda for the Board meetings will be set by the Chair in consultation with the CEO and, if necessary, other Directors;
• Documents related to agenda items will be delivered to the Directors at least seven days in advance of the Board meeting by the CEO or designated staff member;
• All reports to the Board will be in written form and will contain background information and a description of the issues for discussion;
• The rules of procedure for meetings will be Robert’s Rules of Order;
• The meetings will be chaired by the Chair of the Board. In the Chair’s absence, the Directors will select another Officer (excluding the CEO) to chair the meeting; and
• In chairing the meetings, the Chair will guide the discussion so that it proceeds in an orderly and efficient fashion, ensure that all views are heard, that the Board reaches decisions, and that the will of the majority prevails.

Conduct at Board Meetings:

Each Director will:

• Attend Board meetings regularly and participate fully in Board deliberations;
• Conduct himself/herself in Board meetings with a view to furthering the general interests of U SPORTS and not the interests of individual and group stakeholders;
• Respect confidentiality of Board business and Board deliberations;
• Support the majority decisions of the Board and speak with a unified voice about these decisions to the membership, stakeholder, partners and the wider community;
• Conduct himself/herself in Board meetings in a manner exhibiting courtesy, goodwill, objectivity, frankness, openness to new ideas, constructiveness, independent-mindedness, restraint, effective communication, willingness to compromise, and respect for others;
• Ensure that the discussion of business occurs at the Board table and not outside the Board room between meetings;
• Each Director will adhere to U SPORTS' policies as they relate to conflict of interest at Board meetings;
• Each Director will notify the Chair and CEO in advance of a Board meeting if he or she is unable to attend.

3. OFFICERS

Role and Responsibilities of the Chair:

• Keeps the Board focused on advancing the vision, mission and strategic plan of U SPORTS;
  Ensures the Board develops strategies, plans and policies to guide U SPORTS;
• Ensures that the Board attends to its internal governance functions, including those relating to the orientation of new Board members and to the Board's evaluation of its own performance;
• Ensures the relationship between the Board and CEO remains positive, constructive and professional at all times;
• Plays a leading role in communicating externally the vision, mission and values of U SPORTS, and information about U SPORTS' activities that is consistent with the views of the Board of Directors;
• Represents the collective will of the Board in communicating with the CEO;
  Serves as ex-officio member of all U SPORTS Standing Committees;
• Prepares, with the CEO, the agenda and related documents for meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Members, and ensures such meetings are conducted in accordance with the Articles, Bylaws, the provisions of this Policy and any other applicable policies; and
• Chairs meetings of the Board and of the Members.

Role and Responsibilities of the Secretary:

The Secretary will be responsible for ensuring the documentation of all amendments to the Articles and Bylaws, ensuring that all official documents and records are properly kept, ensuring that minutes of all meetings of the Directors and Members are properly kept and maintained, ensuring due notice is given to all Members of meetings of the Members, and performing such other duties as may from time to time be delegated by the Board of Directors or the Chair of the Board.

Role and Responsibilities of the Treasurer:

The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing relevant financial matters of U SPORTS', leading the activities of the Finance Committee, ensuring that proper accounting records as required by legislation are maintained, ensuring the deposit of all monies received in U SPORTS' bank account, ensuring the appropriate disbursement of funds, ensuring the Board is provided with a timely account of financial transactions and the financial position of U SPORTS', and performing such other related responsibilities and duties as may be directed from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chair of the Board.

Dr. Joanne MacLean is the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Fraser Valley. She began her term of office as UFV President on May 1, 2018 and is the first female to hold the position. Over the course of her 35-year career, she has held positions as Professor, Coach, Athletic Director, Academic Department Chair, and Dean.

Prior to joining UFV in 2012 as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. MacLean held appointments at the University of Windsor and Brock University in Southern Ontario. She received a PhD from Ohio State University where she studied human resource management in sport and recreation, and administration in higher education. She holds a bachelor and a master degree both in physical education from the University of New Brunswick in her hometown of Fredericton.

Dr. Maclean is the author of two books, and over 70 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. Her research interests include human resources and performance management, sport governance, and the Canadian sport system. She was named a Research Fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management in 2009.

Geoff Phillips began his appointment as McGill’s Executive Director, Athletics and Recreation in December 2020.

Fluently bilingual, Phillips is a native of Gaspé, Que., and currently resides in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. Most recently serving as the Director of Sport Programs for Athletics and Recreation, Phillips is a McGill alumnus twice over, having earned both a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's degree in sports psychology at the University. 
 
Phillips began his career in Athletics &Recreation  as an assistant manager in both, the Campus Recreation and Varsity Sports offices, before rising to the position of Assistant Director, where he remained until taking on his most recent role in 2016.  
 
Having played varsity hockey for McGill during his undergraduate studies, Phillips also served as head coach of the women's hockey program between 1990 and 1994. He was named the Quebec conference coach of the year in 1992.  
 
In addition to sitting on numerous advisory committees at McGill, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) and U SPORTS, Phillips served as technical manager for the U SPORTS mission staff at the 2015 FISU World University Summer Games in South Korea. 

John Olfert has been with True North Sports + Entertainment since 2001, serving a variety of capacities during the development and opening of the MTS Centre (2004) and MTS Iceplex (2010), acquisition of the Winnipeg Jets NHL franchise (2011), and overseeing the financial and administrative operations of True North’s properties and teams (Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose). John served as True North’s Chief Financial Officer from 2002 until 2014, when he transitioned into the broader role of Chief Operating Officer. This past summer, John was named President & COO and will also serve as alternate governor for the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club.

John is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg, and has a CPA, CGA designation. Prior to joining True North, he began his career at Investors Group before working 5 years for Winnipeg-based not-for-profits, and three years with a venture capital firm before being seconded to and eventually joining True North.

To satisfy entrepreneurial tendencies, John has supported and assisted a number of notfor-profits and startups, including serving as board chair of Emotion Media Inc (operating as Fannex Live).

In the community, he is currently an active member on the True North Youth Foundation board (and its predecessor Manitoba Moose Yearling Foundation) since 2005, and recently concluded a 6-year term with Volleyball Manitoba, serving as Treasurer and most recently as President/Chairman. In addition, he has had the privilege of coaching a host of school and club teams for the past 12 years, and serving the broader community in a variety of volunteer capacities.

John and his wife Brenda are life-long Manitobans and reside just outside Winnipeg, raising their four children.

Christine Stapleton, a proven leader in athletics at both the university and national sport level, has over than 30 years of experience in university sports, serving as an administrator, coach, and competing as a student-athlete.

Stapleton earned an Honours in Human Movement degree from Laurentian University in 1991, and is a certified NCCP Level 4 Coach and Master Coach facilitator.

Prior to moving into an administrative role, Stapleton had a successful run as coach of the University of Regina's women's basketball program from 1993-2002, winning three conference coach of the year awards, U SPORTS Coach of the Year in 1996 and 3M Canadian High Performance Coach of the Year in 2001. She also guided the team to three consecutive conference championships from 1999-2001 and five straight appearances in the U SPORTS Final Eight, winning a national championship in 2001.

Stapleton also served Canada Basketball in various capacities from 1998 to 2009, including as an age group national team head coach and as National Development Coach.

From 2015-2017, Stapleton was the Director of Athletics at the University of Calgary, leading all elements of strategic planning and program development, as well as the day-to-day operations of the Dinos program. Prior to this, she served as Associate Director – Athletics at the University of Waterloo.

Stapleton has been Western University's Director of Sport and Recreation Services since 2017, and she was also elected to the board of U SPORTS, the national governing body for University Sport in Canada in mid-2019.

Dr. Steven Murphy joined the university as its fourth President and Vice‐Chancellor on March 1, 2018.

Dr. Murphy is renowned for his organizational and human behaviour expertise across business and industry. As Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, Dr. Murphy transformed the school’s brand, established novel interdisciplinary programs and fostered innovative and entrepreneurial co‐op opportunities for students. Previously, he spent more than a decade in progressive academic leadership roles at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, as Associate Dean, Research and External. He holds an esteemed record of academic achievement awards for his work examining the role of emotions in strategic decision‐making, leadership and boards, as well as his insightful approach to student‐driven teaching.

He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Human Resource Management, a Master in Management Studies (with Distinction) in the Management of Technology and completed his Doctorate in Management, Organizational Behaviour, at Carleton University.

Dr. Murphy currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Research Council of Canada; as the co-Chair of eCampus Ontario; as Chair of Council of Ontario Universities Audit and Budget Committee; as Vice-Chair of Ontario University Athletics; and as a member of Universities Canada Education Committee.

Graham Carr is President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University.

Graham’s previous leadership positions at Concordia include Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs; Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies; and Dean of Graduate Studies.

Born in Quebec, Graham earned his PhD from the University of Maine and is a Professor in the Department of History. His research focuses on North American cultural history, in particular cultural diplomacy and the Cold War.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Centraide (United Way) of Greater Montreal. He previously served on the Leadership Council for Digital Infrastructure, as President of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, as Chair of the Canada-US Fulbright selection committee, and on the National Capital Commission’s Advisory Committee for Communications, Marketing and Programming.

Dr. Peter J. Ricketts was appointed Acadia’s 16th President and Vice-Chancellor in April 2017, beginning his six-year term in July 2017. Born in Harrogate, Yorkshire and raised in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, Dr. Ricketts earned his BA (Honours) degree in Geography at the University of Nottingham in 1974 and his PhD from the University of Southampton in 1982. He is internationally-recognized for his expertise in coastal zones and ocean management.

Dr. Ricketts’ appointment at Acadia brings him back to Nova Scotia, where he began his full-time academic career as an Assistant Professor of Geography at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax in 1979. Previously, Dr. Ricketts served as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Carleton University in Ottawa from 2009 to 2017, where he was also Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. He has extensive experience as a senior university administrator, having also served as Vice-President (Academic and Research) at Nipissing University, in North Bay, ON (2006-2009); Vice-President, Academic  and then President of Okanagan University College (2000-2005) in Kelowna, BC; Dean of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University (1995-2000) in Halifax, NS, and the first Director of Research at Saint Mary’s University (1989-1994). Ricketts served two terms as President (1998-99 and 1999-2000) and one term as Vice-President (1997-1998) of the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies.

Dave Crook’s career in university sport spans more than four decades in development, coaching and administration.

Dave began his time at the University of Winnipeg as a basketball scout with the Wesmen men in 1978 and two years later joined the staff as an assistant coach. He parlayed that experience into head-coaching roles at Mount Allison in 1984, Lethbridge in 1989 and back to his roots with the Wesmen in 2001.

In that span he also had coaching roles with the Canada Basketball national program from 1996 to 2005, which included two World University Games as a coach.

In 2015, he was named athletic director of Wesmen Athletics and in 2022 named president of Canada West.

Arsenault has more than two decades of executive leadership experience, most recently serving the last 13 years as the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. He previously held the role of Executive Director with the New Brunswick Golf Association for seven years. His experience includes working as a Development Coordinator with Hockey Canada's Atlantic Centre of Excellence and the technical director with the Saskatchewan Hockey Association.

A graduate of the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Physical Education (Concentration: Sport Administration), Arsenault was bestowed the Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal for the highest-Grade Point Average among graduating students before completing a Master of Arts, Sport Administration from the University of Ottawa.

While at Mount Allison, he spearheaded the development of a Mounties Strategic Plan, which has served as the framework for so many positive milestones and the development of sports, fitness, and recreation activities. Mounties athletic programs have developed and have had many successes in conference play during Pierre’s tenure and enjoyed increased profile and success in the region and at the national level. In 2013 Mount Allison hosted the national football semi-final, the Uteck Bowl, on campus for the first time in school history. He also played a leadership role in the construction of Alumni Field, undertook a rebrand of Mounties athletics, and brought ‘Mountie Pride’ to life.  

Arsenault is also familiar with the key issues facing university sport in Canada as a past member of the U SPORTS Board of Directors (2018-2020) and was vice-chair during his 2^nd year on the board. He was President of Atlantic University Sport (AUS) from 2018 to 2020 and has served on numerous conference and national committees.