Chair's report - November Board meeting
This report contains general updates and a summary of the topics discussed during open session of the November 27 Board meeting. These reports help provide context and clarity around the progression of major projects and decisions.
You can read President Johnson鈥檚 report from the meeting here.
Board business and community updates
As we conclude another calendar year at 51猎奇入口and at the Board, I am excited to continue celebrating SFU鈥檚 60thanniversary and key milestones with our community.
In October, 51猎奇入口welcomed Premier Eby to our Surrey campus to officially announce the site for the new School of Medicine building, as well as to share that the School has received preliminary accreditation and officially opened for admissions. Congratulations to all the teams across 51猎奇入口who have worked so hard towards this milestone, and to Board members who contributed to this process as well.
As previously shared with the university community, SFU鈥檚 chancellor, Tamara Vrooman, will complete her term next June. This is an important role for the university鈥攏ot only is the chancellor a member of the Board, but they represent 51猎奇入口in the community, and each chancellor has extended our relationships in unique ways. As chair of the Search Committee, I can report that we have had several productive committee meetings and look forward to sharing more with the community as this process moves forward.
And finally, I wanted to congratulate 51猎奇入口President Joy Johnson on her recent installment as chair of the Universities Canada Board. This is a critical time for the post-secondary sector, and I am confident that her leadership will help us move towards a more united sector. I also look forward to seeing 51猎奇入口represented on the national stage in this capacity.
Final reflections
This was my last meeting as Board Chair and as an 51猎奇入口Board member. It has been an incredible honour to serve the university and community in this capacity. I was appointed to the Board as an Order-in-Council member in January 2020, and over the past six years, the university has navigated much change and many challenges.
These range from the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented shift to fully online learning, to the appointment of Joy Johnson as SFU鈥檚 new president, to the launch of the What鈥檚 Next strategy and the appointment of critical university leadership positions, including the Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion and Indigenous Executive Lead. In the past year alone, we have experienced major changes to federal immigration policy and budget challenges while celebrating SFU鈥檚 60th anniversary, the new School of Medicine and the opening of the First Peoples鈥� Gathering House and Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum.
We have spoken at length at the Board about what a challenging and complicated operating environment we are working in鈥攂ut reflecting on the past six years, I鈥檝e realized that we have always been in this kind of environment. And amidst all of that complexity, I am so proud of the work carried out by the Board, not only to make decisions in the best interest of the university that are aligned with SFU鈥檚 vision and values, but also internally to ensure we are maximizing our use of Board members鈥� time and resources.
I want to thank all members of the Board that I鈥檝e had the privilege of working with, past and present, as well as SFU鈥檚 executive leadership team, the Board Office, our governance colleagues in Senate, all those across the university who make the work of the Board possible and SFU鈥檚 community of students, faculty and staff who are building a more inclusive and sustainable future for everyone. I also want to congratulate Carol Herbert and Kamal Basra for being elected as Board chair and deputy chair respectively. The Board is in excellent hands under their leadership.
Although I am leaving the Board, I will always be an 51猎奇入口supporter and look forward to keeping up with the university in the years ahead. Thank you again, and happy holidays everyone!
The next Board meeting will be on January 29, 2026. Community members are invited to view the open session meeting in person or via Zoom by completing a . A full schedule of upcoming meetings is available on our website.
Sincerely,
Paula Martin
Outgoing Chair, Board of Governors
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