Aurora College has announced the appointment of a 30-person academic council designed to safeguard the NWT’s institution’s academic quality and standards.
The academic council completes – for now – the second part of Aurora College’s three-body problem: filling the three different groups that will form its new governance structure.
Eventually, the council is intended to become a senate once the college has transformed itself into a polytechnic university, which the college has said will happen by 2025.
A board of governors was installed last year. Prior to that, the college had been under the auspices of a GNWT-appointed administrator.
The governors are responsible for the long-term vision of the college. The board will “play an intermediary role” between the education minister and the institution, the GNWT has said in the past, as the college moves away from direct government control to an arm’s-length model.
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The academic council will look after programming at the college and then at the university. A third body, the Indigenous knowledge-holders’ council, will “promote policies and operational decisions that foster the success of Indigenous students and staff.”
Of the 30 people on the academic council, 27 have a vote and three don’t.
Inaugural members of the academic council are as follows. Spellings and titles are as provided by the college.
Appointed automatically because of the position they hold
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- Jeff O’Keefe, Vice President, Education and Training – Chair
- Ken Latour, Interim Vice President, Community and Extensions – Vice Chair
- Jessi Johnson, Registrar
Faculty representatives
- Dave Porter, School of Developmental Studies
- Axelle Kearnan, School of Health and Human Services
- Jabin Carrasco, School of Education
- Sarah Rosolen, Aurora Research Institute
- Greta Sittichinli, Aurora Campus
- Tammy Soanes-White, School of Business and Leadership
- Alexandra Hook, Thebacha Campus
- Adam Smith, Community Learning Centres
- Bernie Minute, School of Trades, Apprenticeship and Industrial Training
- Linh Nguyen, School of Arts and Science
- Brittany Rhodes, School of Developmental Studies
- Shannon Mychael, School of Health and Human Services
- Elizabeth Kiy, Yellowknife North Slave Campus
- Melanie Adams, Member at Large
Staff representatives
- Ryanna Bourke, Thebacha Campus, South Slave Research Centre, South Slave and Dehcho regions
- Layla Charlo, Yellowknife North Slave Campus, North Slave Research Centre, North Slave region
- Celina Jerome, Aurora Campus, Western Arctic Research Centre, Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions
President’s appointments: voting
- Duane MacDonald, School of Trades, Apprenticeship and Industrial Training
- Joel McAlister, Aurora Research Institute
- Kerry Lynn Durnford, Strategic Enrolment Management
- Renee Closs, School of Education
President’s appointments: non-voting
- Celestine Starling, CFO, Director of Finance
- Nora Houlahan, Assistant Vice President, Education and Training
- one position unfilled
Student representatives (terms expire in June)
- Lyndie Bourque, Thebacha Campus
- Ashley Williams, Yellowknife North Slave Campus
- Salieu Jalloh, Aurora Campus
The council will meet monthly between September and June each year, Aurora College said.
Approximately a third of council members’ terms will expire each year, meaning its composition should gradually shift over time to “ensure continuity and stability,” the college added.
