At its meeting on June 20, 2025, Council made a motion for the College to pursue governance modernization strategies, including: updating governance language; reducing Council size; moving towards more equal public and professional representation on Council; introducing more separation between Council and Committees; establishing a competency-based model for Council and Committees; and adopting a hybrid election/appointment process for Council.
At its September 26, 2025 meeting, Council approved important updates to the College’s governance framework. These changes advance the College’s governance modernization, which supports more effective, transparent, and accountable decision-making in the public interest.
What By-laws Have Been Amended?
The following By-laws were updated as part of this governance modernization initiative:
- By-law 1 – Interpretation Provisions
Introduces clear and consistent governance terminology that better reflects the College’s role as a regulator. - By-law 5 – Selection of Committee Chairs and Members
Clarifies the separation of roles between the Board and Committees and introduces a competency-based appointment framework. - By-law 19 – Committee Appointments and Disqualification
Consolidates and formalizes appointment rules to support renewal and leadership development. - By-law 20 – Council Elections, Qualifications, and Terms of Office
Reduces the size of Council and introduces a hybrid election/appointment model so as to ensure a balanced set of competencies and perspectives on the Board. - By-law 21 – Committee Composition
Updates Committee structures to better reflect the new separation between Board and Committees.
What College Policies Have Been Updated?
To complement the by-law reforms, Council approved several policy changes:
- Policy II-9(i) reinstated to revive the Governance and Nominations Committee (formerly Nominations and Leadership Development Committee)
- Policy II-1(i) updated to refine the Executive Committee’s role in light of the GNC’s oversight and nominations functions
- New Policy I-16 created to clearly outline the responsibilities and expectations of Board Directors
- New Policy I-17 created to define the roles of Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs and support consistent leadership practices
Updating Governance Terminology
The College is updating governance terminology across its By-laws and supporting documents to better align with modern regulatory language.
Using terms that are widely understood in governance contexts strengthens clarity around the College’s role as a regulator — not a professional association — and helps members, applicants, and the public better understand how governance decisions are made. Below are a few examples of terminology updates:
| Previous Term | Updated Term |
| Council | Board |
| Council Member | Board Director |
| Council President | Board Chair |
| Council Vice-President | Board Vice-Chair |
| College members | Registrants |
| Elected Council Member | Elected Director |
| Academic Member | Academic Director |
| Public Council Member | Public Director |
What Will Change in the 2026 Elections to Council?
The first election using the new hybrid model will take place in 2026 and shall be called 2026 Board Elections. The timeline below outlines anticipated key milestones:
| Date/Period | Key Milestone |
| December 2025 | Board Elections application opens, election information released including competency profile and eligibility requirements |
| January 2026 | Election application period |
| February 2026 | Governance and Nominations Committee reviews applications and confirms slate of candidates |
| March 2026 | Province-wide voting for eligible registrants (elimination of district and title-based elections) |
| April 2026 | Announcement of successful candidates |
Members/registrants will be kept informed as implementation continues. In the meantime, more information, including copies of the recently amended By-laws, is available on the College’s website.