Office of the University Secretary

Jeff Leclerc, B.Ed., M.Ed., C.Dir.

Secretary of the University of Manitoba

Jeff Leclerc, University Secretary, University of Manitoba
Jeff Leclerc, B.Ed., M.Ed., C.Dir. — Photo by Mike Latschislaw

The Position

The University Secretary is the senior governance officer of the university and a member of the senior administration who provides leadership, guidance and counsel with respect to governance procedure and process, university policy and the effective operation of governance bodies and related administrative functions of the University.

The University Secretary is the executive head of the Office of the University Secretary (the Office) and is responsible for ensuring effective administration and management of the operations and processes necessary to the successful functioning of the university's bicameral system of governance involving the Board of Governors, the Senate and their various committees consistent with the University of Manitoba Act and best governance practices pertinent to the University sector.

The University Secretary works closely with the Chair of the Board of Governors, the Chair of Senate, the President, senior administration, and committee chairs, to provide guidance and direction with regard to jurisdiction, authority, strategy, policy, procedure and process. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring there is effective liaison among the decision-making bodies and senior university officers. The Secretary is responsible to the entire university community for the provision of timely, accurate, and objective information, advice, interpretation and application of policy.

The University Secretary serves as a member of the President's Executive Team and works collaboratively with the President and Vice-Presidents in support of their mandates. The Secretary serves as steward of good governance practices and provides linkages between the Board, the Senate, the administration, and the broader university community.

Reporting & Accountability

On a functional basis, the Secretary is accountable to the Chair of the Board, and to the President, as Chair of Senate. The Secretary reports administratively to the President. The President leads the performance evaluation of the Secretary, with the involvement of the Board Chair. The relationship of the Secretary to the President and Chair is predominantly collaborative. The Secretary is expected to exercise leadership and take initiative within the broad university context, on the President's Executive Team, at the Senate and Board levels and in directing the work of the Office. The Secretary carries out duties and responsibilities independently and with minimal supervision. Supervision is on an informal basis, while collaboration is regular, and often involves matters of a highly sensitive nature.

The Secretary plays a leadership role and takes initiative on a university-wide basis to ensure the effective operation of the major governance bodies and processes, and to achieve outcomes which are aligned with the mission, priorities and needs of the university. The Secretary provides strategic and policy guidance and direction to governance bodies and senior managers and directs the work of the Office.

Environment & Context of the Position

The University of Manitoba has a bicameral governance structure in which the Board of Governors and the Senate share decision making powers and authority within broad parameters and principles as provided for in the University of Manitoba Act. Collegiality is a core principle underpinning decision making processes at the university. The University Secretary must fully understand the legislative context, and perform responsibilities with respect and sensitivity for the particular environment and culture of the university.

The Board of Governors is the corporate governing body of the university, with extensive powers and duties as set out in the University of Manitoba Act and whose members are drawn from within and outside the university.

The Senate is the academic governing body of the university with general powers and duties over the academic affairs of the university as defined by the Act, whose members consist of faculty, staff, students and administrators drawn from constituencies across the university.

The Board has five major standing and four awards committees and the Senate, twenty-one. The major due-diligence is carried out at the committee level. The Office is responsible for the support and guidance of these committees and plays a coordinating and integrating role among the committees, between the committees and the Board or Senate, and between the Senate and Board. The Secretary carries out orientation and on-going educational activities for Board members and Senators, and organizes Board retreats.

The University Secretariat is a unique organizational unit within the university with a comprehensive mandate for, inter alia, governing bodies and processes, strategic advice to the President, Chair of the Board and members of the university community, policy, procedural and regulatory matters, student appeals, ceremonial and awards processes, organizing and supporting search and review committees for the Chancellor, President and university-wide elections.

This mandate requires the Secretary and Office staff to have intensive involvement in a broad spectrum of university operations across the boundaries of stand-alone organizational units. The work of the Office has university-wide implications and consequences extending to departments, academic faculties, individual faculty and staff members, students and senior administrators. The University Secretary is a unique senior administrative position in both its scope and impact.

The Secretary has broad latitude for independent action and decision-making in accordance with general direction, principles and guidelines, and subject to review by the President and/or Board Chair. The Secretary must make timely, tactful, culturally and politically sensitive executive decisions and judgments in complex and diverse contexts, and determine appropriate actions and set these in motion. The decisions and actions of the Secretary usually will have university-wide effects and consequences.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

While the Secretary regularly consults and collaborates with the President and Chair of the Board, she/he has primary responsibility for the outcomes of the major governance processes of the university, has a pivotal impact on the conduct of these processes and the end results, and discharges the functions of the position with a significant measure of autonomy and independence.

As a member of the President's Executive team, the Secretary is expected to participate fully in the deliberations of the Team, offering guidance and advice on matters of strategic significance and administrative import and related governance implications, and to follow through on matters and decisions requiring consideration by governance bodies or related follow-up action.

The University Secretary has responsibility to provide strategic and operational counsel and advice to the President, Vice-Presidents and Board Chair on a broad range of high level administrative and governance matters relating to the strategic direction as well as day-to-day functioning of the university. The Secretary is responsible for advising the Chair of the Board and President in his capacity as Chair of Senate regarding governance matters and for proactively identifying issues that merit awareness and attention by governance bodies.

The University Secretary is a knowledgeable and authoritative expert, and source of information and guidance to the university community, about:

  • legislation related to the Board, the Senate, and to the University, such as The University of Manitoba Act, The Advanced Education Administration Act and The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;

  • university policy, procedure, regulations, processes and practices, Board and Senate records, including their interpretation, application and implementation in particular sectors and circumstances;

  • governance best practices relevant to the university and not-for-profit sector.

The Secretary has responsibility to identify and advise on policy needs both in terms of revisions to existing and creation of new policy, procedure and regulations, and assisting with the drafting of such as requested.

The University Secretary works closely with the Board of Governors, the Senate and their committees, and directs the complex administrative processes to ensure good governance practices and outcomes in a collegial environment. She/he acts as a liaison among the Board of Governors, the Senate, the administration, faculty, students and other constituent parts of the University. She/he anticipates substantive and procedural difficulties that may occur and recommends ways to avoid or mitigate them.

The University Secretary ensures the smooth functioning of the Board of Governors and the Senate. The Office provides guidance and administrative assistance to the Board, the Senate, and their ad hoc and standing committees. This includes organization, preparation, and distribution of agendas and supporting documentation, writing reports and minutes of meetings, providing procedural advice during meetings, and disseminating policy and information to the Board, Senate, and the University community.

The University Secretary and Secretariat staff provide continuity to the Board, Senate, and committees by providing historical information and interpretations of policies and practices. Such advice, especially to committee chairs, frequently relates to the procedures established by the Board or Senate, or those which are implicit in the committee structure.

The University Secretary has numerous interactions with individual members of the academic and administrative community and is relied upon as a problem-solver and a confidential advisor.

The University Secretary plays an important role in consultation around consistent university policies and procedures, remaining knowledgeable and well-informed of policies, procedures, processes and practices, and providing input and assessment relevant to proposals as they proceed through the university's decision-making process.

The University Secretary undertakes, as is deemed necessary, reviews of the Board and Senate and their committees, and, if necessary, recommends changes to improve the efficacy of governance at the University. Maintaining the confidence and trust of the University of Manitoba community is key to the University Secretary's success.

The Secretary is responsible for organizing orientation and on-going learning for new Board members, Senators, and from time to time, Board retreats, in consultation with Board and Senate leadership. The University Secretary also offers educational sessions to members of the community on university governance.

The University Secretary is responsible for drafting the official minutes, university governing documents and other public and confidential documentation of the Board and the Senate, and for ensuring that the Office is an effective and accessible resource for the university community for information on all matters within the jurisdiction of Board and Senate.

The Secretary is responsible for maintaining the official records of the Board, the Senate and the Office and providing information in the context of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The University Secretary is also an impartial officer responsible for university-level student appeals. In this regard and with assistance of staff in the Office of the University Secretary, the University Secretary advises students, faculty/school representatives, senior administrators, the Director of Student Advocacy, and legal counsel, on matters relating to academic and disciplinary appeals and prepares reports arising from appeals and disciplinary matters. The Secretary is responsible for determining along with the Vice-Provost (Students), on behalf of the Board, the disposition of appeals from undergraduate students on fee assessments in consultation with the Registrar.

As Secretary to the Board of Governors, the University Secretary organizes and supports Presidential Search and Review Committees, facilitating their work and serving as Secretary.

As Secretary to Senate, the University Secretary serves as Secretary to the Committee of Election and facilitates the election of the Chancellor and the work of the Chancellor Search Committee.

The University Secretary provides oversight in the implementation of several university-wide elections, including:

  1. Elections of faculty and student members to Senate.

  2. Election of members to Senate committees.

  3. Election of Senate members to the Board of Governors.

  4. Election of graduates as members of the Board of Governors.

  5. Election of the support staff assessor to the Board.


The University Secretary, as head of an administrative unit, is responsible for leading the Office of the University Secretary, including long-term planning and budget submissions. The Secretary is responsible for the internal management functions of the Office, such as providing direction to staff, hiring and discipline, setting objectives and priorities, evaluating performance and ensuring systems and standards are in place to facilitate the work of the governing bodies and maintain institutional knowledge and memory. The annual operating budget of the Office is approximately $750,000, and the staff complement includes six full-time individuals, including the Secretary.

The Secretary assists the Chancellor, including advising on questions which are raised with the Chancellor from within and outside the university, ensuring the Chancellor's administrative needs are met, and, as Secretary to Convocation, assisting the Chancellor in fulfilling the ceremonial obligations of the role.

Members of the staff of the Office assist the University Secretary in carrying out his/her responsibilities.

Major Challenges & Performance Parameters

The position demands professional expertise in university governance and administration, specialized and broad knowledge of organizational structure and functioning of the academic, administrative and student service sectors of the university, and the governing legislation, policy, procedures, regulations and practices which underpin university operations.

A vital challenge is to establish networks of contacts throughout the university community, and build trusting, harmonious, and constructive relationships with the individual members of the Board and Senate, the President, Vice-Presidents, Deans, other senior administrators, faculty, staff, student government and students.

The Secretary must earn and maintain the trust, respect, confidence and cooperation of individuals throughout the university.

The Secretary routinely deals with one-off and complex situations and issues of university governance and administration where required actions and outcomes/results are not pre­ determined, and which require accurate analysis, risk assessment, evaluation of relevant cultural and political factors, knowledge and interpretation of policy and procedure, creative and innovative problem solving and the exercise of flexible and sound judgement.

The Secretary must be politically astute, able to recognize political interests at play in a particular issue, and function in a politically charged environment with objectivity, sensitivity, discretion and seasoned judgment.

A major challenge is to ensure that, despite the high volume and wide variety of specific functions and responsibilities, many of which will be active concurrently, accuracy is achieved, no details are overlooked, and no things are left undone that ought to be done.

The Secretary will be required to synthesize complex information in a precise manner and convey it accurately both verbally and in writing. The Secretary must be able to act professionally and work effectively under pressure, manage time and meet critical deadlines and ensure that confidentiality is strictly maintained.