Archived News Releases

Province Introduces New Legislation that would Expand Mandate of Red River College, Ensure Appropriate Financial Oversight

New, proposed legislation tabled today would provide Red River College with its own enabling act and ensure appropriate spending and financial oversight at the college, Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum announced today.

“Red River College is an essential part of our plan to grow the economy and create opportunities for young people to get the skills they need to get a good job here in Manitoba,” said Minister Allum.  “The proposed new Red River College act would strengthen the college’s financial oversight and governance so it can continue to meet the needs of students and industry, and remain an important part of Manitoba’s strong post-secondary education system.”

The minister said key points of the proposed legislation would include:

• new and amended provisions on board governance that would strengthen and clarify the mandate, duties and composition of the board;
• new financial provisions that would provide clear and direct language on oversight of financial matters including borrowing, investing and internal control policies;
• expansion of the role of the board’s audit committee that would include oversight of the development of internal control policies and procedures including the review and evaluation of these policies; and
• new ministerial powers that would set fiscal accountability and transparency guidelines in consultation with the board to ensure high-quality, sustainable programming and services.

This stand-alone legislation would build on the Colleges Act by introducing important measures that will allow Red River College to continue to fulfil its mandate, the minister added.

“RRC is pleased that this legislation addresses the concerns of financial oversight and governance while also recognizing the important role the college plays in contributing to the well-being of the province,” said Lloyd Schreyer, chair, board of governors, Red River College.  “The college is a leader in post-secondary education in Manitoba and we look forward to continuing to meet the needs of students, industry and all our funders and stakeholders.”

The proposed legislation stems in part from a provincial review released earlier this year that examined financial and human resource practices at the college.  The report made 45 recommendations, which RRC accepted, to improve policies and procedures to ensure appropriate spending and financial oversight at RRC.