Board of Directors

Governance

The Board of Directors of The Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University Inc. is comprised of six student directors, four non-student directors, and the three members of the AMS Executive. In addition to these thirteen voting members, the AMS General Manager sits on the board but does not have a vote. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Board are elected by the voting members of the Board at an organizational meeting that occurs annually. The Chair of the Board sits on AMS Assembly in an ex-officio capacity and serves as a liaison between the corporation’s Board and its shareholders. The Chair of the Board can be reached at .

FAQ

What does the Board of Directors do?

The Board of Directors fulfills three distinct roles within the organization of the Alma Mater Society; strategic guidance, financial accountability, and human resources support. In the strategic guidance role, the Board provides oversight of the business planning process, ensuring that the organization is adhering to its long-term business and financial objectives. The financial role of the Board is fulfilled by monitoring the fiscal management of the Society and ensuring its sustained financial viability. To this end, the Board approves all corporate and office budgets as well as capital expenditures. Finally, the role of the Board concerning human resources is derived from the board’s exclusive jurisdiction over all AMS policy concerning personnel that receive remuneration for the involvement with the Society.

When does the Board of Directors form?

For students, all AMS members are eligible to become members on the board. Applications will become available each February, and interviews will generally take place in March. You will then be voted in by the incoming stakeholders. The election for Chair and Vice-Chair takes place in April. The next application period will be February 2023.

For alumni and community directors, applications will come out in September (for November ratification) and February (for April ratification) on a rolling basis, differentiating year to year. The next application period will be February 2023.

Committees of the Board

a. Each year, the board strikes down committees to provide recommendations pertaining to each area of specialization. These committees do not just include board members, but also permanent staff and student staff in order to make the strongest recommendations. They are as follows:

Strategy

The Strategic Planning Committee shall develop short-term and long-term recommendations for all AMS programs and services and submit them to Board as they are completed.

Audit

The Audit Committee shall make recommendations to the Board on matters related to the independent external audit process, including recommending the appointment, and assessing the performance of, the external auditor.

Investment

The Investment Committee is responsible for the oversight and performance review of the AMS Investment Advisors and the AMS’ investment funds. The Committee will also make recommendations to the Board on matters relating to the AMS Investment Policy, contained in Board Policy.

Finance and Risk

The Finance and Risk Committee will make recommendations to Board on matters related to the Corporation’s financial management and reporting, including enterprise risk management, and will monitor the internal processes and controls of the Corporation.

Governance

The Governance Committee shall work to ensure the effective functioning of the Board and AMS corporate governance.

Personnel

The Personnel Committee is responsible for the oversight, review, and establishment of policy and remuneration pertaining to all student and permanent staff and volunteers of the AMS.

Where does the Board of Directors meet?

a. The Board of Directors meets monthly in the boardroom of the AMS offices, usually with a virtual option. These meetings are close to the public, but reports are generated monthly at AMS Assembly on what is happening at the board level.

b. Members are encouraged to attend the Corporate Special General Meeting in the fall, and the Corporate General Meeting in the winter semester to learn about the committees and audit. These will take place on December 1st, 2022 at 5:00pm and April 6th, 2023 at 5:00pm, respectively.

Why is there a Board of Directors?

The Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University Inc. is a not-for-profit entity created by the Society for the purpose of ensuring its continuing financial viability by overseeing the management of its services and associated financial affairs. The Corporation is bound to its by-laws and its corporate philosophy is derivative of the Mission and Operating statements of the Society as set out in the AMS Constitution. As such, the AMS is required to have a Board of Directors to guide the strategic direction and long-term viability of the corporation.

Statement of Values

The Corporation is a not-for-profit entity created by the Society to ensure its continuing financial viability by overseeing the management of its services and associated financial affairs. The Corporation is bound by the By-laws and its corporate philosophy is derivative of, and consistent with, the Mission and Operating statements of the Society as set out in the AMS Constitution. In serving AMS members, the Corporation shall remain a risk-conscious organization but be willing to embrace growth and innovation.

The Corporation shall normally not undertake any venture for purely financial reasons regardless of the future promise of economic gain. However, any service/activity that the Corporation does decide to undertake shall be designed to be self-sufficient in the long run.

The Corporation shall facilitate and sustain an annual strategic planning process, at all levels, in support of both short- and long-term strategic initiatives. In addition to providing wage-based service staff positions for students simply wanting employment, the Corporation shall seek to support the Society’s broader objectives through the provisioning of a high quality, relevant range of student funded services, that provide a wide range of employment opportunities designed to provide meaningful out-of-classroom learning and skill acquisition experiences for students.