Being a UWSA director

UWSA organizational structure

The work of the UWSA falls into two categories, which we refer to as governance and operations.

The Board of Directors is focused on governance: it's responsible for long-term planning, overseeing the big picture, and ensuring the sustainability of the association. It delegates responsibility for UWSA operations to the president.

Operations Team

The UWSA president leads the Operations Team in doing the day-to-day work of the Association: delivering programming and services to members and advocating on behalf of staff.

This team includes three full-time UWSA employees—the staff advocacy officer, communications officer, and membership and volunteer coordinator—as well as the president-elect and past president.

On this page

Overview of the director role

The Board of Directors provides governance, financial, and long-term strategic oversight for the Association. All UWSA members are eligible for election to the board for three-year terms.*

The Board only has power when it meets collectively, which means a lot of meetings. Directors are expected to:

  • prepare for all meetings by reviewing past meeting notes, considering the topic at hand, and establishing a perspective on the topic;
  • attend at least 75% of Board and assigned committee meetings;
  • actively participate in all meetings and bring your best ideas to the table; and
  • participate in training and development activities organized by the board.

The Board meets virtually from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month. Directors must be available for these meetings.

*Directors end their terms early for all kinds of reasons; don't let being on a shorter contract stop you from running! 

Legal obligations of directors

Directors and officers have specific obligations under the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA). Directors are essentially legally responsible for the association's financial stability and all of its operations, even though they don't participate in day-to-day operations directly. 

Notably, the board’s obligations are not to members directly, but to the association itself as a corporate entity: its financial situation, its legal obligations, its reputation, and its continued existence. Directors always have to do what’s best for the association. Sometimes the best interests of the association might conflict with the interests of members, or your own, and directors need to put the association first.

In legal terms, this responsibility to the association is called “fiduciary duty.”

Directors’ fiduciary duty includes:

  • Duty of care – This requires directors to attend meetings, prepare to make informed decisions, and participate honestly.
  • Duty of loyalty – This refers to putting the association’s interests first, avoiding conflicts of interest, and maintaining confidentiality.
  • Duty of obedience – This is about following laws, by-laws, and policy.

UWSA provides directors and officers liability insurance to protect individuals from legal action resulting from their work on behalf of the association.

Board responsibilities

The contributions and responsibilities of the board include:

  • Establishing the strategic priorities for UWSA and monitoring achievement of the strategic plan
  • Ensuring alignment with the organization’s by-laws, policies, and legislative requirements
  • Providing a communication link between directors and UWSA’s membership
  • Establishing governing policies
  • Providing financial and risk oversight
  • Ensuring that UWSA has adequate revenues to accomplish its strategic priorities
  • Establishing, monitoring and evaluating an annual board work plan

Individual director responsibilities

Some of the expectations and responsibilities of individual directors are to:

  • Take leadership roles and special assignments willingly with the best interests of UWSA in mind
  • Serve on at least one committee as assigned by the board
  • Understand and follow UWSA by-laws, policies, and procedures
  • Ensure that meeting materials are reviewed in advance in order to participate fully in discussions and decisions
  • Exercise the utmost good faith in all dealings with and for UWSA
  • Suggest suitable nominees for board membership
  • Ask timely and substantive questions
  • Suggest agenda items to address UWSA related governance issues as appropriate 
  • Serve UWSA as a whole rather than any specific individual or community
  • Declare any real or perceived conflict of interest

Officer roles

Directors fill the roles of four officers of the corporation: chair, vice chair, secretary, and treasurer.

  • The chair is responsible for running board and member meetings, acting as an official spokesperson, and addressing individual director performance when required.
  • The vice chair fills in for the chair in their absence or inability to serve. If the office of chair becomes vacant (e.g., the chair resigns), the vice chair automatically assumes that office.
  • The secretary is responsible for ensuring that the minutes and other documents of the corporation are maintained and that the agenda and supporting materials are sent to the board of directors in advance of each meeting.
  • The treasurer is responsible for ensuring that annual budgets are prepared, that accurate financial records of UWSA are maintained, and sharing financial reports at board meetings and annual meetings.

Standing committees

The board of directors populate two standing committees, the Finance Committee and the Governance and Nominations Committee, which support the function of the board. All directors are expecting to serve on at least one of these committees.

  • The Finance Committee oversees the financial health of the UWSA by ensuring that appropriate controls and accountabilities exist with respect to finance and areas of material risk. It monitors and reviews the financial statements, variances, and statistical information on a quarterly and annual basis.
  • The Governance and Nominations Committee's purpose is to establish, monitor, and evaluate Board development and processes, and recruit new Board and Board Committee members

Benefits of being a director

Some of the benefits of serving as a director include:

  • Training in governance principles
  • Participating in UWSA strategic planning activities
  • Developing working relationships with colleagues from across campus, including senior members of University leadership
  • Becoming a more effective meeting organizer and participant

Time commitment and release time

As outlined in the University Service Guideline, the University grants release time to UWSA Members erving the UWSA as a director. Over the course of their term, directors can expect to spend the full release time.

  • Directors receive one day a month to attend to UWSA business
  • Directors appointed by the UWSA board to serve in the officer role of secretary or treasurer receive two days a month to attend to UWSA business

The supervisor of each UWSA member elected to the board receives a letter informing them of the appointment and the release time granted by the University.

The estimates below include meeting time, and do not include preparation time that is required for full active participation in meetings. Directors who take on additional committee work can expect to spend additional time outside of work hours.

UWSA meetings

  • UWSA board meetings: two hours every three weeks
  • UWSA annual meeting: one hour every year
  • UWSA special meetings: rarely called
  • Area Representatives meetings: one hour every month (recommended)

UWSA committees

Directors have the opportunity to participate in UWSA committees based on availability, interest, and skillset.

UW-level committees

Directors may also serve as UWSA representatives on university-wide committees that shape staff working conditions and compensation:

Skills for success

These are skills that have proven valuable. It is not an exhaustive list, and there are other skills that would support success. And possession of all these attributes is not a requirement; candidates with a subset of these skills are encouraged to put their name forward.

  • Openness to learn and develop new skills
  • Commitment to do your best and act with integrity
  • Willingness to actively engage in the collaborative work of the board and committees
  • A desire to advocate for staff interests in the areas of working conditions, compensation, benefits, and organizational policies
  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Collaborating in a diverse, hybrid team
  • An interest in contributing to the strategic direction of the UWSA
  • Awareness (or willingness to build awareness) of UW policies impacting staff

Valuable experience

The UWSA values experience as a member of an equity-seeking group, particularly candidates who are racialized, Indigenous, persons with a disability, and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities who can apply this experience to advocating for others.

Experience with organizational governance and not-for-profit boards can be helpful, but is by no means required. This is an opportunity to learn and training in this area is provided!

Officer roles

Certain skills can be quite useful for officer roles (secretary, treasurer, chair) but are not required for directors in general. 

  • Document management 
  • Budgeting, Excel, estimating
  • Setting agendas and chairing meetings
  • Keeping track of multiple issues and tasks