KPU board of governors discuss FOI requests, approve policy revisions

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s board of governors (BOG) received a presentation on B.C.’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Policy Act (FOIPPA) and KPU’s obligations with the legislation during a meeting on Nov. 26.

KPU Information Access and Privacy Manager Shelly Kean said the act aims to make public bodies more accountable and protect personal information in their custody.

“KPU holds a large number and variety of records … and any of them could be subject to an FOI request. This includes closed or in-camera meeting minutes. It also includes records about KPU business on personal devices,” Kean said. “Whether a record is released in whole or in part depends on whether there’s a provision in the act that either requires or permits KPU to withhold or to redact the record.”

Kean said most FOI requests KPU receives are “own-records requests,” meaning a student or current or former employee is asking for files about themselves.

“I do find that there’s becoming more of a trend [where] people seem to be a little bit more litigious these days, and along with requests for records, they’re often accompanied by complaints about perceived wrongdoing,” she said.

“So the FOI requests become quite a bit more complicated to manage because we’re actually trying to manage it in the context of a complaint potentially being filed.”

Kean added KPU has also received FOI requests on how the university “has engaged the services of third parties,” how it spends money, and the communications or actions relating to issues of interest in the media.

The board also approved revisions to Bylaw No. 4 Fees, which included reducing domestic tuition fees from $410.07 to $219.79 per credit for the human resources management (HRMT) post-baccalaureate diploma program. HRMT has experienced declining enrolment in recent years, according to the meeting’s agenda.

“At the same time, the program is undergoing a lot of curriculum change, so it’s going to be shortened from 42 credits to 33 credits,” Associate Vice-President Planning and Accountability Lori McElroy said.

“The combined tuition reduction and the credit reduction is going to amount to a 61-per-cent reduction in the cost to students taking this program.”

The board also heard about curriculum changes to the diploma. Unlike Douglas College, whose HRMT post-baccalaureate diploma is the most comparable to KPU’s, there won’t be undergraduate courses offered in the program.

“We are actually creating tailored courses for the mid-career professional — that’s the target market here,” Interim Melville School of Business Dean Alia Somji said. “Our program is expected to be offered in the evening hours, between 6:00 to 9:00 pm. We’re also looking at the inter-session models, so you can get that immersive experience.”

The board approved revisions to the GV4 Signing and Spending Authority Procedure and Schedule A, effective Dec. 1. GV4 establishes a framework for the BOG to execute financial and legal commitments on behalf of KPU.

“The key changes were specifically addressing the board authority thresholds, increasing that limit from $200,000 to $2 million,” Associate Vice-President Finance Carole Laplante said.

“The procedure now also includes Schedule A, which references other relevant policies and procedures that govern the certain specific aspects of the signing authority for specific items, such as research, and different items throughout the organization.”

Laplante added Schedule A includes clearer direction on who has the ability to approve transactions, and the procedure outlines the difference between a signing authority and spending authority.

The board also received information on proposed revisions to Policy and Procedure SR10 International Travel and Security, which is expected to be approved on March 31, 2026. The updates will involve broadening its coverage to include all international travel taken by students and employees, such as for field schools, exchanges, and research collaborations.

“The intent is to strengthen KPU’s travel authorization process and ensure standards for risk assessment, insurance coverage, and emergency preparedness while ensuring consistency, accountability, and institutional compliance across all areas of the University,” the meeting’s agenda read.

President Bruce Choy said KPU secured a $250,000 donation from the Chan Sisters Foundation to support research in the traditional Chinese medicine program.

The BOG approved an amendment to Policy and Procedure: RS1 Research Involving Humans, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The policy had a major revision to align with the Canadian government’s latest Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS): Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, which is from 2022. 

Key updates to the KPU policy include adding a principle supporting Indigenous research, integration of generative artificial intelligence and human genomics considerations, and further clarity on roles across the university, researchers, and the Research Ethics Board.

The board also approved tracked changes to the board governance manual to ensure it contains up-to-date information in sections including the president position description.

The next BOG meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28 at 5:00 pm at the KPU Tech campus in Cloverdale. To learn more, visit www.kpu.ca/governors.