The Chancellor is the titular head of the University and confers all degrees. The Chancellor is also a member of the Board of Governors and the Senate.  A position profile for the role of Chancellor can be found by following the link on the right-hand side of this page.

In accordance with The University of Manitoba Act, the Chancellor is elected by the Committee of Election for a three-year term.  There is no limit on the number of terms a person may serve as Chancellor.  Chancellor Harvey Secter’s first term as Chancellor concludes on May 31, 2013.  Chancellor Secter is eligible for re-election and has indicated his willingness to let his name stand for re-election.

The Committee of Election is comprised of all of the voting members of the Board of Governors and the Senate.  The Chair of the Board of Governors is the presiding officer.  The University Secretary is the secretary.  The sole function of the Committee of Election is to elect a Chancellor.

To facilitate the election of a Chancellor, the Board of Governors and the Senate approved a Policy on the Election of the Chancellor, which was approved in 2011. This Policy provides for a Chancellor Search Committee to solicit and review nominations and recommend a candidate for Chancellor to the Committee of Election for approval.  The Chancellor Search Committee is comprised of:

• The Chair of the Board of Governors (as Chair);
• The President;
• Three members of Senate who are not students, elected by Senate;
• Two students, one undergraduate and one graduate, elected by Senate;
• Two members of the University of Manitoba Alumni Association, nominated by the Alumni Association; and
• The University Secretary, as secretary (non-voting).

Date of the Election

The meeting of the Committee of Election and the election of the Chancellor shall be held at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 in the Senate Chamber, Room E3-262 Engineering and Information Technology Complex.

Nominations

Nominations for the office of Chancellor shall open on April 1, 2013 and shall close at 4:00 p.m. on April 29, 2013.

Nominations may be made by:

a) Members and assessors of the Board of Governors and the Senate;
b) Students;
c) Academic staff;
d) Support staff; and
e) Alumni.

In addition, nominations may be made by the Chancellor Search Committee.

Nominations must be made on the prescribed form which is available at http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/forms. Nomination forms must be signed by any five persons eligible to nominate. 

All nomination forms must be received in the Office of the University Secretary, Room 312 Administration Building, no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 29, 2013.  Any questions regarding the nomination process may be directed to Mr. Jeff Leclerc, University Secretary, by phone (204-474-6167) or by email (jeff_leclerc@umanitoba.ca).

Nomination forms must be accompanied by the curriculum vitae of the person nominated as well as a short (two pages or fewer) biographical sketch of the nominee which will be provided to the Committee of Election.

Nominations from the floor on the date of the meeting of the Committee of Election shall not be permitted.

Eligibility

A member of the academic or administrative staff of any university or college, or the governing body of any University other than the University of Manitoba is not eligible to be Chancellor.

Review Process

Following the close of nominations, the Chancellor Search Committee shall meet to review the nominations for the office of Chancellor and to assess the suitability of the nominees against the description of the role of the Chancellor as outlined in the Chancellor Bylaw.  As part of the Chancellor Search Committee’s review, the Committee may elect to obtain or ask nominators to obtain supplemental information about the nominees or meet with individual nominees to discuss the nature of the position, and obtain additional information directly from the nominees.

Following this review, the Chancellor Search Committee shall prepare a report to the Committee of Election.  This report shall include the number of nominations received for Chancellor and the one recommended candidate for election as Chancellor along with supporting documentation.  Prior to making this report, the Chancellor Search Committee shall ensure the willingness of the recommended candidate to serve as Chancellor.

Meeting of the Committee of Election

A meeting of the Committee of Election shall be called on a minimum of 14 days' notice.

The meeting shall be held in a closed and confidential meeting of members of the Committee of Election, with the understanding that assessors to the Board and Senate may be present, but shall not vote.

The election of the Chancellor shall be by secret ballot following the presentation of the report of the Chancellor Search Committee.  The Chair of the Committee of Election shall cast a ballot in a sealed envelope, only to be opened and counted in the event of a tie. The University Secretary shall act as Chief Returning Officer, and shall appoint others to assist in the conduct of the election.

To be elected Chancellor, the recommended candidate must receive support form a majority of those members present and voting.

Announcement

The results of the election shall be released publicly by the Chair of the Committee of Election once the nominee ahs been notified.  Members of the Committee are requested to keep the information confidential until the formal announcement has been made.