Committees at Work
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee conducts the business of the College between Council meetings.
The committee is composed of the Chair and Vice-Chair of Council as well as the chairs of the Accreditation, Discipline, Finance, Fitness to Practise, Investigation, Registration Appeals, and Standards of Practice and Education committees. It must include a minimum of two publicly appointed members of Council. The committee meets, at minimum, four times each year.
The Executive Committee has the authority to make an interim order directing the Registrar to suspend a Certificate of Qualification and Registration if it is of the opinion that the actions or conduct of the member exposes — or is likely to expose — students to harm or injury. The committee may also direct the Discipline or Fitness to Practise committees to hold a hearing and determine an allegation without involving the Investigation Committee. During 2015, the committee referred one case to the Fitness to Practise Committee.
The Registrar may request the approval of the Executive Committee to appoint a College investigator to a matter. During 2015, the committee approved one such request from the Registrar. This process is normally required when the College is unable to obtain access to information or evidence on a voluntary basis.
Under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Registrar may also request the approval of the Executive Committee to initiate an investigation against a member of the College based on “reasonable and probable grounds” for professional misconduct, incapacity or incompetence. No such requests for approval were received in 2015.
Under the streamlined appointment process approved by Council in 2014, the Executive Committee made several appointments to fill statutory, standing, regulatory and special committee vacancies as they occurred throughout 2015.
In May, the Executive Committee approved a corporate policy on scholarship donations and reviewed plans for the launch of the College professional advisory, Duty to Report. The committee also approved the continuation of the pilot program for public presentations at Council meetings to June 2017 to allow additional opportunities for participation.
In October 2015, the committee received a presentation from the Chair of the Public Interest Committee that provided a review of that committee’s mandate and current workplan. The committee also confirmed the appointed Council member participant on the Steering Committee, and considered the duties and compensation available to committee chairs.
The Executive Committee administers the College’s Scholarship Program, which includes three available scholarships or awards:
- the Ontario College of Teachers Primary/Junior or Junior/Intermediate Scholarship
- the Ontario College of Teachers Intermediate/Senior Scholarship and
- the Joseph W. Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education, named in honour of the College’s second registrar.
For 2015-2016, the committee selected:
- Emily Rebecca Runstedler as the recipient of the Joseph W. Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education
- Alexis Katrina de la Torre as the recipient of the Ontario College of Teachers Primary/Junior or Junior/Intermediate Scholarship
- Nadine Phyllis Wyczolkowski as the recipient of the Ontario College of Teachers Intermediate/Senior Scholarship.
Council presented these candidates with their awards at its December meeting.
