Cuba Conference
Overview
Join us May 2-4, 2024 in London, Ontario for exciting education and networking opportunities!
This year’s conference theme – Leadership. Strategic Thinking. Impact. – is reflective of the kinds of conversations held and decisions made in our Board rooms across the country.
In addition to a great program, conference participants will be treated to a reception on Western’s beautiful campus the evening of May 2, 2024 and a Gala dinner the evening of May 3, 2024.
The Canadian University Boards Association (CUBA) exists to improve the governance of Canadian universities. It serves as a means of mobilizing the leadership of university boards to support and develop policies and programs that enhance the ability of boards to discharge their fiduciary duties and to be accountable for the overall direction of their universities.
Questions? Please contact us at cuba2024@uwo.ca.
Register by April 15, 2024
Early bird registration rates in effect until April 3, 2024.
Register HereProgram
May 2, 2024 | Professional Development Day - for University Governance Professionals
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The Professional Development Day is hosted by:
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6:45 to 7:30 a.m. |
Morning Activity: Origami |
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7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Registration Desk Open |
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7:30 to 8:30 a.m. |
Breakfast |
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8:30 a.m. |
Land Acknowledgement and Welcome
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8:45 a.m. |
Opening Keynote: The Future of Canadian Higher Education
Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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9:30 a.m. |
Shared Governance - Dream or Possibility?
Does the predominate bi-cameral governance structure of universities work? Is it capable of adaptation to true shared governance, where boards and senate collaborate and align on advancing the academic mission of a university and solving modern challenges. What inhibits effective governance in the bi-cameral model, and how can we develop the model to improve organizational decision-making. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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10:30 a.m. |
Break |
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11:00 a.m. |
Board and Senate Committees - Optimizing Structure and Function
Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Lunch Location: RBC Place, 1st floor foyer |
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1:00 p.m. |
Six Best Practices in 60 Minutes Governance Professionals Panel – to be followed by Q&A and group contributions. This promises to be a fast paced interactive session. Four university governance experts will offer their best advice for getting past the road blocks that get in the way of successful governance. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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2:15 p.m. |
Break |
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2:30 p.m. |
Governance Dilemmas This interactive facilitated session will focus on difficult and unexpected issues confronting governance professionals, in and outside of meetings. Through a series of questions, participants will deliberate on options and discuss possible actions to avert a governance dilemma. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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4:00 p.m. |
Closing Remarks Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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5:00 p.m. |
Shuttles to Welcome Reception - Meet in Hotel Lobby |
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5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. |
Welcome Reception - University Hill, Western University |
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6:45 - 7:00 p.m. |
Shuttles back to Hotel |
May 3, 2024 | Conference Agenda
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6:45 to 7:30 a.m. |
Morning Activity: Tai Chi Location: Double Tree by Hilton, 3rd floor, Queen Victoria Room |
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7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Registration Desk Open Location: RBC Place, 1st floor foyer |
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7:30 to 8:30 a.m. |
Breakfast Location: RBC Place, 1st floor foyer |
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8:30 a.m. |
Land Acknowledgement and Welcoming Remarks
Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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8:45 to 10:00 a.m. |
Leadership Today’s Landscape: Current Issues Facing Higher Education
Moderator: Amy Bryson, University Secretary, Western University Our morning begins with a moderated panel conversation with three university Presidents from across Canada to hear about their views on the key challenges facing universities today and how, in their leadership role, the university is responding to those challenges. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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10:00 a.m. |
Break |
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10:15 to 11:45 a.m. |
Impact Climate Change/Sustainability: How are Universities Responding?
Sustainability has been part of university curricula for decades. Yet as global citizens, we are still facing considerable challenges in some basic aspects of sustainability - biodiversity, oceans, plastics, pesticides etc. - and of course the global existential threat of climate change. Universities have responded in many ways, often honing the brightest minds to understand the scale and scope of environmental threats, yet 35 years after the seminal Our Common Future Report, most trends are negative. Is this time to rethink the fundamental role of universities as solution providers versus problem researchers? What are the implications for teaching, university governance, and most importantly, the outward facing role of academic institutions as social or policy actors? Dr. Lourie will discuss his thoughts based on thirty odd years as an environmental problem solver, policy convenor, writer, and institution builder, working with nearly a dozen universities in Canada and abroad. Andie Albert, will share her experiences as a student and member of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation to express what students are expecting of their universities. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Lunch Location: RBC Place, 1st floor foyer |
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1:00 to 2:15 p.m. |
Strategic Thinking Indigenous Approaches to Governance: What Can We Learn that Could Influence Governance in Universities Today?
The Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action released in 2015 has created significant interest in questions of Indigenization and Decolonization in Canadian Universities. This presentation will cover how we might take up Indigenous philosophies about relationships to think through pressing leadership and governance challenges. Inherent in this learning is how to create forms of reciprocity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. An understanding of reciprocity will set the stage to show how Indigenous understandings of relationships can be used to think about consensus, disagreement and goal setting. The presentation will close with suggestions on how to take the responsibility for embracing the contested nature of reconciliation within University contexts today. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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2:15 p.m. |
Break |
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2:30 to 3:45 p.m. |
Strategic Thinking Bots and Bureaucracy: Navigating the AI Landscape in Higher Education Today Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F
Mark will delve into the dynamic world of Artificial Intelligence, exploring its broad trends and current state, with a special focus on applications in university governance. Geared towards those working in university governance, he will provide an overview of AI's transformative potential, highlighting practical applications that enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and foster a culture of innovation in the academic realm. Join us for an engaging session that will equip you with the strategic insights necessary to begin to navigate and harness AI's burgeoning role in university governance. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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3:45 p.m. |
Closing Remarks Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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5:15 p.m. |
Shuttles to Gala Event - Meet in Hotel Lobby |
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5:45 to 8:30 p.m. |
Gala Event - Ivey Business School, Western University |
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8:30 p.m. |
Shuttles back to Hotel |
May 4, 2024 | Conference Agenda
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6:45 to 7:30 a.m. |
Morning Activity: Yoga Location: Double Tree by Hilton, 3rd floor, Queen Victoria Room |
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7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
Conference Registration Desk Open Location: RBC Place, 1st floor foyer |
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7:30 to 8:30 a.m. |
Breakfast Location: RBC Place, 1st floor foyer |
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8:30 a.m. |
Land Acknowledgement and Invitation to CUBA 2025 Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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8:45 to 9:45 a.m. |
Lightning Talks Interested in sharing ideas, stories, or highlights from your board and/or governance experiences? Participate in the CUBA Conference 2024 Lightning Talks! Lightning Talks are composed of a series of short presentations (5-7 minutes). They are designed to learn about the work of colleagues with similar focus and interests, and provide an opportunity to interact with the CUBA community on a variety of topics. Go to Lightning Talks to learn more. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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9:45 to 11:00 a.m. |
Leadership Closing Keynote: Hope Circuits in Governance: Re-wiring Universities for Human Flourishing at the Systems Level
Governance is an old idea with fresh urgency. Governance is often invisible, overlooked, and taken for granted – until it stops working. In times of stability, governance is a nice thing to have in the background. In times of high institutional trust, the rules are regarded as a benevolent guide, just as often indulged as overlooked, sometimes unevenly applied or bypassed in favour of expediency. Over time, however, inconsistencies accumulate and compound until a crisis exposes the slow, longer-term erosion of an institution’s underpinnings. The integrity of governance systems is tested in times of crisis. Shakespeare is fascinated with bad governance – and not just in his indictment that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark." King Lear, reflecting on his own failed governing, exclaims, “Oh I have taken too little care of this.” Amidst a storm, dispossessed of his land and soon to be dispossessed of his wits, he has a moment of revelation: neglecting good governance has left his people in a state of “houseless poverty” and led to “houseless heads and unfed sides.” Impoverishment. Dislocation. Scarcity. This – Shakespeare warns us – is what happens when we ignore governance. As we imagine a new paradigm, governance is at the heart of any paradigmatic shift. Indeed, it is at the governance level where we can identify the tension that is both driving the change and inviting us to imagine new paradigms – or as Audre Lorde calls them, “extrapolations and recognitions” from older ideas – of being interconnected within a complex system. It is here where the intentional design of our organizational architecture – the blueprint that comprises our systems – enables us to re-wire for hope and human flourishing. The seismic shift is already underway. If we are going to have any hope of shaping the paradigm, our best chance lies in governance. Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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11:00 a.m. |
Break |
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11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. |
CUBA Annual General Meeting Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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12:20 p.m. |
Closing Remarks Location: RBC Place, 1st Floor Salons D/E/F |
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12:00 p.m. |
Box Lunch |
Lightning Talks
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Interested in sharing ideas, stories, or highlights from your board and/or governance experiences? Participate in the CUBA Conference 2024 Lightning Talks! Lightning Talks are composed of a series of short presentations (5-7 minutes). They are designed to learn about the work of colleagues with similar focus and interests, and provide an opportunity to interact with the CUBA community on a variety of topics. As a participant in the CUBA Lightning Talks, we invite you to share your new initiatives, changes you’ve made, results of research and/or environmental scans, challenging questions you’re working to answer, or other topics that will be of interest to our community. To indicate your interest, please submit the following information in a Word document to CUBA2024@uwo.ca by Sunday, March 24:
All submissions will be reviewed and feedback provided. If more submissions are received than the time available, those most closely aligned with the conference theme, “Leadership. Strategic Thinking. Impact.” will be selected. Presentation Guidelines:
Timeline:
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Presenters
Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, Senior Research Fellow (Maple League of Universities), Full Professor (Department of English)
Dr. Jessica Riddell is a Full Professor of Early Modern Literature in the English Department at Bishop’s University (Quebec, Canada). She holds the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence at Bishop’s University; in this capacity, she focuses on systems-change in higher education that fosters human flourishing; in her research, teaching, leadership, and administration, she participates in a wide range of conversations at the national and international levels about how universities fulfil the social contract to a broader society.
An award-winning educator and scholar, she has published on Shakespeare, institutional culture change, inter-institutional collaborations, experiential learning, and inclusive high impact practices. Her recent book, with collaborators Dr. Lisa Dickson and Dr. Shannon Murray, is called Shakespeare's Guide to Life, Hope, and Learning (University of Toronto Press, 2023) and was nominated for the Gordon Book Prize. Her newest book, Hope Circuits: Rewiring Universities and other Systems for Human Flourishing, is forthcoming with McGill-Queen’s University Press in early 2024.
Dr. Riddell was awarded the William and Nancy Turner Award for Teaching Excellence (2011-2012) at Bishop’s University, received the 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2015, was the recipient of a D2L Innovation Award for Teaching and Learning in 2022, and won the inaugural awards from Forces Avenir (Quebec) for Most Engaged Faculty/Staff Member in 2022.
She has received research funding from SSHRC, ECQ (Entente Canada et Quebec), and STLHE (Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education), and was awarded funding for innovation from the McConnell Foundation, The Jarislowsky Foundation, CEWIL (Canadian Experiential Work-Integrated Learning), Business Higher Education Round Table (BHER), and other funding sources.
Jessica Riddell has a robust leadership portfolio in higher education and serves on several boards, including the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), the Research Advisory Board for Future Skills Centre, and has served on the 3M National Fellows Council and as VP Canada for International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. At Bishop’s she currently sits on the Board of Governors and at Senate as a Humanities senator.
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer,
Western University
Mark is the Chief AI Officer at Western University and a full professor in the Department of Computer Science with cross-appointments in five other departments, The Rotman Institute of Philosophy, and The Western Institute for Neuroscience. He is also a faculty affiliate of Toronto's Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
Mark has previously served as the Vice-President (Research) at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research(CIFAR), and Chief Digital Information Officer, Special Advisor to the President, and Associate Vice-President (Research) at Western.
President & Vice-Chancellor,
University of Lethbridge
Dr. Digvir S. Jayas is the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. He is also Vice-President (Research and International) Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He was educated at the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India; the University of Manitoba; and the University of Saskatchewan. He completed a 11.75-year term as Vice-President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist.
Dr. Jayas is a former Tier I (Senior) Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems. He conducts research related to drying, handling, and storing of cereal grains, pulses, and oilseeds and digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the Agri-Food industry.
President & Vice-Chancellor,
Western University
Dr. Alan Shepard is Western’s eleventh President & Vice-Chancellor. A proponent of organic transformational change within public universities, Shepard has led teams creating several entrepreneurially focused incubators, university-to-industry partnerships, and other efforts to broaden the scope of undergraduate and graduate opportunities. Inspired by his own experience as a first-generation student, he is committed to an inclusive model of education and a multidisciplinary approach to research focused on the public good and solving global challenges.
Shepard’s senior leadership experience includes terms as provost at Ryerson University (now called Toronto Metropolitan University) and as president at Montreal’s Concordia University. He currently chairs the Council of Ontario Universities. He is a past chair of the Canadian Knowledge Resource Network, past vice-chair of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, and has served with numerous organizations devoted to the arts, health care, philanthropy, and business in Montreal, Toronto, London, and the USA.
Shepard has held fellowships in the humanities at the Folger Library and the University of Toronto. He studied at Cambridge as a visiting student, received a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and holds a doctorate from the University of Virginia. His research has focused on the relationships among spectacle, national security, history and rhetoric in early modern Europe; on the emergence of a culture of scientific discourse in the early modern world of belles-lettres; and on the challenges facing universities today.
President,
Ivey Foundation
Dr. Lourie is one of Canada’s most influential leaders and experts on climate change and the transition to a net-zero economy. Best known for his ability to rethink climate problems and develop solutions that benefit both the economy and the environment, he has been instrumental in creating more than a dozen organizations that play a critical role in Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy, including Canadian Climate Institute, the Institute for Sustainable Finance, Farmers for Climate Solutions, Efficiency Canada and The Transition Accelerator. His focus at Ivey Foundation is the Economy and Environment program, which provides funding to these net-zero focused organizations, among others. He also liaises with government, industry, ENGOs and the business community to ensure Canada achieves net-zero by 2050 while remaining economically competitive.
An engaging and lively spokesperson, Dr. Lourie has a unique ability to translate complex issues into timely and actionable information in both print and broadcast interviews alike and has been interviewed by most major Canadian news outlets. Dr. Lourie is also an experienced and in demand speaker, and has spoken at events such as Global Salmon Initiative’s COP26 Panel, The Trottier Symposium and the 2021 Calgary Climate Symposium, where he gave the keynote address.
In addition to his influential role in pushing Canada towards net-zero by 2050, Dr. Lourie also initiated the largest climate action in North America, the phasing out of coal in Ontario, and helped shepherd the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement and establish the Ontario Greenbelt. He is also the co-author of two books, Toxin Toxout and Slow Death By Rubber Duck, an international bestseller. Dr. Lourie holds a Ph.D examining the intersection of risk, science and policy.
Species at Risk Specialist & PhD Candidate,
University of Guelph
Following her passions and the guidance of her grandfather, Andie first earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from Redeemer University and then her Masters in Environment and Sustainability (MES) at Western University.
During her time at Western, Andie was appreciated by others in her program for sharing her experience and Indigenous perspectives on relationship to land, culture, storytelling, meaningful consultations, and healing.
Until most recently, Andie worked as her community’s Species at Risk Specialist, in the department of Treaties, Lands, and Environment at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. A highlight for her was working with spiny softshell turtles, which currently are listed as an endangered species in Canada. While she very much cherished this role, Andie is now pursuing her PhD at the University of Guelph in the School of Environmental Sciences where she will specialize in ecosystem science and biodiversity.
President & Vice-Chancellor,
Dalhousie University
Dr. Kim Brooks began her five-year term as Dalhousie's 13th President and Vice-Chancellor in August 2023, after serving as Acting Provost and Vice-President Academic. She previously served as Dean of the Schulich School of Law from 2010-15 and as Dean of the Faculty of Management from 2020-22.
A 3M Teaching Fellow, Dr. Brooks has held the H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation at McGill University and the Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law at Dalhousie in addition to academic appointments at Queen’s University and the University of British Columbia. Prior to entering the academy, she worked as a tax lawyer with Stikeman Elliott in their Toronto and London (UK) offices. Among her numerous board and professional roles, she has been Chair of the Halifax Public Libraries Board, President of the Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response, President of the Canadian Association of Law Teachers, and Chair of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund.
Dr. Brooks holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia, a LL.M. from York University, a LL.B. from UBC and a BA from the University of Toronto.
Director of Indigenous Governance and Partnership,
University of Alberta
Matthew Wildcat grew up in the community of Maskwacis and is a member of Ermineskin Cree Nation. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Native Studies at the University of Alberta. His current research, the Relational Governance Project, looks at how First Nations create forms of shared jurisdiction with each other. Wildcat is a research fellow with the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge and is a director of the Prairie Relationality Network.
Consultation Sessions with Cheryl Foy
Conference participants are invited to sign up for a complementary 30-minute session with governance specialist Cheryl Foy of Strategic Governance. These confidential consultation sessions may be used to discuss a current governance issue, challenge or question. Individuals or small groups of 2-3 people may attend each session.
Sessions will be offered over the 3 days of the conference. To guarantee your preferred time slot, be sure to email us today at cuba2024@uwo.ca.
Accommodations
Accommodations for the conference have been arranged at the DoubleTree by Hilton . The hotel is located in downtown London at 300 King Street.
Room Bookings
The conference rate deadline of April 9, 2024 is now passed. To book your room, please contact the hotel.
The DoubleTree by Hilton is conveniently located adjacent to RBC Place where the conference will be hosted. Conference participants will be able to use the enclosed pedestrian walkway connecting the two venues for easy access.
Parking for Hotel Guests
Self-parking is available adjacent to the hotel at a discounted rate of $5.00 per day.
Additional parking options may be found here: Parking Options Near RBC Place .
Travel to London
By Air:
The city of London is easily accessible through the London International Airport and/or the Pearson International in Toronto. Robert Q’s Airbus Inc. offers daily transportation between London and the Toronto airport.
Direct flights into London may be found at: flylondon.ca
Indirect flights through Toronto may be found through Air Canada.
By Car:
From Woodstock, Brantford, Hamilton-Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto and points east, follow Hwy. 401 west to London. Exit at Wellington St (#186). Turn right onto Wellington and follow into downtown London. Turn right onto King St.
From Chatham, Windsor and points Southwest: Follow Hwy. 401 east to London. Exit at Wellington St. and then follow the same directions as above.
From Stratford and points North: Follow either Hwy. 7, 23 or 4 to Elginfield, and then take Hwy. 4 (which turns into Richmond St.) directly into London. Turn left onto King St.
By Train:
The VIA Rail station is conveniently located on York St., only a few blocks from the Hilton Hotel.
London Restaurants And Attractions
Welcome to London, Ontario! We are at the heart of southwestern Ontario and enjoy a diverse culture and community that is a hub for higher education, medical research, technology, and manufacturing.
Restaurants
While we hope to keep you well nourished during the conference, some of you may want to venture out to explore some of the culinary delights that are within a short walking distance to the hotel. Below are some of our favourites:
Shopping
Time for shopping? We suggest a trip down Richmond Row or to any of the downtown businesses.
Participants at the Welcome Reception on May 2, 2024 will have the opportunity to enter their name into a draw for a $50.00 downtown gift card.
Other
If you are extending your visit before or after the conference, you may wish to visit London Tourism for information on things to do in London.
Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support and commitment to the 2024 CUBA/ACCAU Conference.
Title Sponsor:
