Action Plan IMPACT: UPEI Governance 101

The following article was also distributed by email to faculty, staff, and students on January 23, 2026.

Did you know that:

• UPEI is instituted under the University Act, a legislative act of the Province of Prince Edward Island that was first passed in 1969 (and amended in 1998 and 2004)?
• UPEI has a bi-cameral structure, which means the University has two governing bodies: the Board of Governors and the Senate?
• the majority of Board of Governors members are volunteers?

These questions all relate to governance at UPEI.  

“Governance refers to the system of rules, processes, and practices by which institutions and organizations are managed and controlled. It encompasses the principles and mechanisms that guide how organizations operate and make decisions.” (Institute on Governance)  

Governance—also the framework for authority and management—defines who makes decisions, how they are made, and who is held accountable, ensuring actions align with goals, ethics, and stakeholder interests and are shared in a transparent manner.

The University of Prince Edward Island Review, the report by Rubin Thomlinson, commented on UPEI’s governance practices, especially regarding decision-making. This resulted in a commitment in the UPEI Action Plan to “Obtain a review on Board governance.” 

Cheryl Foy (pictured above), a recognized thought leader in university governance best practices, conducted the governance review for UPEI. She says, “Effective governance is now more important than ever to ensure that universities preserve the autonomy fundamental to the important role they play in our society.”

External review of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Board Governance

As noted in the report, the review is anchored in governance best practices as they apply within the Canadian university context and was designed to model, reflect, and reinforce collegial processes and practices. The Board of Governors committed to making the changes necessary to achieve the objectives of the review and rebuild a foundation of sound and effective governance for UPEI, prioritizing actions to improve oversight and accountability—but how does this translate in tangible, visible ways?

One of the overarching goals of the governance review was to increase the accessibility of the Board and the transparency of its processes. This is reflected in the supporting activity in the Action Plan, “Make the Board recruitment process for UPEI Board appointments more transparent by making it public, and publicizing the opportunity.”   

To accomplish this:  

• A skills matrix for competencies and representation was developed aimed to increase diversity and ensure a balanced representation of skills, expertise, experience, demographics in the composition of the Board.
• A new dedicated board recruitment web page was added to upei.ca, providing opportunities for members of the public to express interest in serving on the Board.
• A communications plan, that includes publicity and advertising, was developed to be initiated when board vacancies occur.  

In a future Action Plan IMPACT story, we will delve into other concrete ways that we are strengthening governance at UPEI.

We will be telling the stories of important progress on the UPEI Action Plan on a regular basis, under the “Action Plan IMPACT” banner. Articles will share how the Action Plan implementation activities are being operationalized, becoming entrenched in our culture and living on long past the plan—making real IMPACT. To submit your own Action Plan IMPACT story, contact communications@upei.ca.