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Constitution

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Ontario Council for University Lifelong Learning (OCULL). As an affiliate of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), OCULL reports through the Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents (OCAV).

Article II: Aims and Objectives

The aim of the Council shall be to provide a forum for university personnel associated with degree and non-degree university continuing and professional education programs whereby the basic functions and responsibilities of university continuing and professional may be promoted and acted upon.

The Council shall:

  1. Promote the provision of university continuing and professional education as a

leading source of lifelong learning opportunities in Ontario;

2. Strategically represent and advocate lifelong learning on behalf of university

continuing and professional education in Ontario;

3. Partner with government and other system stakeholders towards identifying and

advancing lifelong learning interests shared with members;

4.Improve Ontario lifelong learning systems' capacity through members'

collaboration and exchange of information, ideas and opportunities; and,

5. Encourage and stimulate professional development and excellence among its

members; especially to advance the efforts and outcomes for diversity, equity

and inclusion; reconciliation; and decolonization.

Article III: Membership

Membership shall be open to university personnel associated with distance education or continuing education, or extension, or adult education or summer school, or part-time studies in the institutions whose Executive Heads are members of the Council of Ontario Universities.

Article IV: Voting

On matters of business calling for official action by the Council, each member institution has one vote. This vote will be vested in the head (dean or director) of the university's central distance education or continuing education, or lifelong learning unit, or such other person as delegated by her/him to vote on her/his behalf.

Article V: Officers

The officers of the Council shall be the Past President, President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chair of the Distance and Online Learning Community of Practice. The officers shall be elected annually. The President's elected term of office may be renewed once.

Article VI: Committees

  1. There shall be an Executive Committee comprising the officers of the Council, two members elected from the Council, the CAUCE Executive Member for Central Canada (ex-officio, voting), a CNIE Representative from an Ontario institution whose executive head is a member of COU (ex-officio, voting) and the MTCU Liaison (ex-officio, non-voting).
  2. The Council in session or the Executive Committee shall invite other ex-officio Executive Committee members as may be deemed necessary for effectively carrying out the objectives of the Council. Voting rights of such ex-officio members will be determined at such time.
  3. There shall be a Nominations Committee comprised of the immediate past-president, who shall be chair, and the two other most recent past-presidents, or others as assigned by the Executive Committee.
  4. There shall be a Distance and Online Learning Community of Practice comprising of one voting representative designated by each member university that chooses to participate. Institutions with separate administrative jurisdiction for non-degree and degree distance education may, upon approval by the Council, be exempted from the one representative rule. A Chair and secretary shall be elected biannually from among the membership of the Distance and Online Learning Community of Practice.
  5. The Council in session or the Executive Committee shall establish or abolish such standing or Ad Hoc Committees as may be deemed necessary for effectively carrying out the objectives of the Council.

Article VII: Duties of the Distance and Online Learning Community of Practice

The Distance and Online Learning Community of Practice shall support the aims and objectives of the Council, as stated in Article II, with special emphasis on distance education research, programs and advocacy among and by Ontario Universities. It shall do this through performing the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Liaison with outside agencies concerning matters relating directly to distance education;
  • Negotiations for outside funding for research, subject to the constraints of the Constitution and policies of the Council, as they may be established from time to time.

Article VIII: Meetings

There shall be at least one meeting each year, the time and place of which shall be established by the Council in session.

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the construction of the agenda of such meetings and shall issue an invitation to OCAV and COU Secretariat staff to attend for those portions of the agenda that would be of interest to them.

Article IX: Relations to Council of Ontario Universities

The Council shall report periodically upon request to the Council of Ontario Universities through OCAV, with respect to those interests and functions that fall within the activities of the Council of Ontario Universities.

Original constitution November 1994.
Revised by OCULL and approved by OCAV, October 17, 2008.