Council Highlights September 29, 2021 (Meeting #25 )
Posted On: October 14, 2021
The Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario met on Wednesday September 29, 2021 from 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Five of the eight elected professional members and five of the six public members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council were present. Also in attendance was Dr. Danielle O’Connor, ND, Chair of the Registration Committee and General Legal Council Rebecca Durcan of the law firm Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc. The agenda and supporting materials for the meeting were released via the College’s website on September 22, 2021 and remain available.
In addition to its regular routine business and receipt of reports from each of the Chair and Chief Executive Officer, as well as the Report on Finances at the end of the first quarter, the Council considered a number of important matters, the highlights of which are provided below.
Process for the CEO’s Annual Performance and Compensation Review – Having successfully completed its first cycle in the new process, the Council considered and approved minor changes to the process itself and forms associated with the review. This process is set out in policy under GP19-CEO Annual Performance & Compensation Review.
Council & Committee Training Program – The new process for training all Council and Committee members concluded in mid-September. Based on that new process, the Council considered and approved a formal policy that sets out the requirements of the program and that the program be completed by all new Committee and Council members. This process is set out in policy under GP30-Council and Committee Training Program.
Qualifying Program – The Council considered a new Qualifying Program that would require all individuals, interested in being nominated for election to the Council or being appointed to any committee, first complete this program which will orient them to the duties and responsibilities of these positions and the processes and timing involved. It is intended to ensure that anyone stepping forward is aware of the work that will be required of them. This process is set out in policy under GP31-Qualifying Program.
Language Proficiency Policy – The Council considered and accepted recommendations from the Registration Committee for amendments to the Language Proficiency Policy which is an element of the Registration Program Policies. Amendments were required due to changes in external organizations available to provide language assessment. The amended policy is available on the College’s Website.
Prescribing & Therapeutics Program and Examination Policy – The Council also considered and accepted recommendations from the Registration Committee to the Prescribing & Therapeutics Program and Examination Policy. The changes relate to the criteria for approving prescribing and therapeutic courses, extending exam eligibility to include graduates of a CNME-accredited program who are actively completing entry-to-practise requirements for registration with the College, adding criteria to deem when a Registrant has met the program criteria and amending definitions and terms in accordance with the Council earlier Governance Report. The amended policy is available on the College’s Website.
Council Education – As a part of the College and its Council’s commitment to good governance, the Council conducted three educational exercises. The first was a presentation to review the Council’s Governance model from Dr. Brenda Lessard-Rhead, ND (Inactive), Chair of the Governance Policy Review Committee. The second and third were program briefings made by Jeremy Quesnelle, Deputy Chief Executive Officer about the Quality Assurance Program and Standards Program. Program briefings are provided for informational purposes to ensure the Council is fully aware of the complex programs operated by the regulatory body.
Readers who have questions are invited to contact the College by e-mail at general@collegeofnaturopaths.on.ca.
Andrew Parr, CAE
Chief Executive Officer
October 1, 2021
[1] This is the 25th meeting of the Council dating back to its first meeting held following proclamation of the Naturopathy Act, 2007 on July 1, 2015.
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