Executive Steering Committee Terms of Reference

Purpose

Help IT leadership across UBC maximise institutional value from IT investments and practices.

Objectives

Determine policies and principles for IT services across all of UBC, e.g.:

  • discuss and endorse common practices in IT management and solutions of institutional value
  • support development of Board policies, procedures and guidelines with respect to IT

Set priorities for IT activities across all of UBC in line with UBC's strategic needs, e.g.:

  • interpret UBC's strategic Commitments for IT leadership across UBC
  • prioritise options for the IT community to develop shared solutions

Directly oversee investment decisions out of institutional IT projects fund, e.g.:

  • support the creation of a fund for institutional IT projects not supported by other governance committees
  • set priorities and approve dollar commitment to project work of institutional value

Support IT principles among university leadership and our general community.

Discussion Inputs

  • Teaching and research IT needs as expressed by the academic community
  • Administrative IT needs as expressed by the non-academic community
  • Institutional policies and strategic directions
  • Technology opportunities and risks as expressed by the CIO and other members of the IT community
  • Proposed IT policies, strategies and high-level architectural directions
  • Discussion and information topics brought forward by other Steering Committees and Advisory Groups within UBC’s IT Governance framework

Discussion Outcomes

  • Strategic direction for institutional IT policies, service delivery methods, technology solutions and investments
  • Strategic priorities for the use of IT funding
  • Recommendations concerning significant, institution-wide risks and issues associated with IT

Committee Chair

The University Registrar chairs the Executive Steering Committee. The role of the Chair is to:

  • Schedule the meetings
  • Set the meeting agendas
  • Lead the meetings
  • Ensure meetings are minuted and minutes are circulated promptly
  • Ensure that agreed follow-up actions as documented in the meeting minutes are completed

Procedures

  • The Executive Steering Committee will meet at a minimum three times a year
  • A minimum attendance of two out of four permanent members and two Deans/Principals constitutes a quorum
  • One vote per committee member; proxies are not permitted
  • Urgent consultations and decisions may be requests for extraordinary needs through email circulation at the discretion of the Chair.