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Consultation: By-Law Amendment to Governance Structure

Posted: March 31, 2023

Publié le 31 March 2023

CDO is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to by-law 1, which would allow the College to modernize its governance structure.
 

The College of Dietitians of Ontario is undertaking a consultation of the public to obtain your feedback on proposed changes to By-Law 1, regarding governance structure and rationale table. 

Single Electoral District
It’s the College’s intent to create a Board of Directors from a single, Ontario-wide electoral district rather than the existing model with seven geographical districts. Eliminating multiple, geography-based districts from the elections process will reinforce the public-serving role of the Board and will avoid the perception that professional members of the Board represent the profession.

Elimination of Nominators for Electoral Candidates
In the spirit of governance modernization, CDO proposes an end to the requirement for registrants to be nominated by six dietitians to be eligible for elections.

Competency and Attribute Framework
To keep with best practices in regulation, CDO proposes the adoption of a framework which outlines the knowledge, skills, experience, and attributes as an eligibility requirement for prospective Board directors. This will provide a basis for future Board appointments that ensure a diverse mix of individuals with complementary competencies and attributes. The Governance Committee would serve as a screening committee to determine which candidates meet the competency and attribute profile.

Board Composition
CDO proposes restructuring the Board from eight to six elected directors by the year 2025. This would create greater parity with appointed public members to the Board, giving an equal balance and aligning the College to regulatory best practices.

Inclusive Terminology
To further CDO’s work in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDB-I), by-law 1 has been updated with inclusive language. References to gendered pronouns (e.g. “his” or “her”), have been replaced with the singular “they.” The use of the singular "they" in lieu of gendered pronouns like "he" or "she" recognizes and respects non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals.

Cooling-off Period for Oncoming Board Directors
To reduce the likelihood of a conflict of interest during the electoral phase, CDO proposes a cooling-off period from one year to three years, as it related to the eligibility of criteria for electoral candidates. This criterion would impact registrants who have held leadership, employment or contractual roles with an association or organization that furthers the interest of dietitians. This aligns with the cooling-off period for Board directors and Committee members who reach their term-limits and governance best practices.
 
CONSULTATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
 
If you have any questions related to the consultation or the proposed regulation amendments, please contact: governance@collegeofdietitians.org.