Retired Justice Terrence McMahon, Q.C. to conduct review of Centre for Corporate Sustainability

CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - November 18, 2015) - The University of Calgary's Board of Governors announced on November 6 that it had initiated an independent review of the Centre for Corporate Sustainability (formerly the Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability), from its creation to current operations. The Board committed to an open and transparent process, and the hiring of an external, third-party expert to conduct the review.

The Board of Governors delegated stewardship of the review to an Ad Hoc Committee of the Board, chaired by Mark Starratt, a member of the Board's Executive Committee. Others on the Committee are Board members Steve Allan, Rob Allen, Georgette Habib, Robert Thompson, and Michael Webster. The Committee has hired external legal counsel, set the Terms of Reference for the independent review, and selected the independent reviewer.

"I am extremely pleased that the Honourable Terrence McMahon, Q.C. has agreed to conduct this review," says Starratt. "Retired Justice McMahon is one of the most senior lawyers and mediators in Alberta. He was a respected Alberta justice for 20 years and had a long and distinguished professional career with the Calgary law firm of Atkinson McMahon. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1978 and, in 1992, a Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. Since his retirement from the Court of Queen's Bench in 2012, McMahon has served as Senior Counsel at Field Law in Calgary, where he is a much sought-after and respected mediator and arbitrator."

The Committee has set the Terms of Reference, which state that the purpose of the review is to examine the circumstances surrounding the creation and operation of the Centre and determine whether there was any breach of university policies or procedures then in place, or improper conduct in connection with the creation and operation of the Centre. The Terms of Reference also outline the questions to be answered by the review.

The Terms of Reference include privacy protection for those interviewed and direction for the independent reviewer to make every reasonable effort to provide his report to the Committee by December 14, 2015. The Committee will review the report and then present it to the Board of Governors. After the report has been considered by the Board, it will be released to the public in a timely manner.

"These Terms of Reference have been carefully developed by the Committee in order to provide a clear scope and methodology for the independent review," says Starratt. "While the Committee has been delegated accountability by the Board of Governors to steward the review, Committee members will not have access to collected documents or interview transcripts. The Committee is confident that the review will be truly independent from the Board of Governors, the university, and all parties involved."

In order to further ensure the independence of the reviewer, the Committee has hired external legal counsel, Phyllis Smith of Emery Jamieson LLP in Edmonton. Smith is advising the Committee on the process for the review, including the Terms of Reference, and has engaged the independent reviewer. All documents from, and requests to, the university from McMahon will go through Smith.

"The process to conduct this review is designed to maintain its independence and integrity," added Starratt. "It is extremely important to the Committee that this independent review be well managed, thorough and completed expeditiously."

Starratt will be available on main campus from noon - 1:00 p.m. today for media interviews. Please contact Media Relations for scheduling.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is making tremendous progress on its journey to become one of Canada's top five research universities, where research and innovative teaching go hand in hand, and where we fully engage the communities we both serve and lead. This strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by the university's Gaelic motto, which translates as 'I will lift up my eyes.'

For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. Stay up to date with University of Calgary news headlines on Twitter @UCalgary. For details on faculties and how to reach experts go to our media centre at ucalgary.ca/news/media.

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