Public Interest Committee

Public Interest Committee (PIC) members advise College Council regarding its duty to serve and protect the public interest in carrying out the College’s objects, or purposes. PIC members — who are appointed by the Ministry of Education — are representatives of the public and are not members of Council.

The committee met once in 2017, and reported on its activities at the March 2–3, 2017, Council meeting. In the absence of new appointed committee members to fill vacancies, the committee was unable to meet again in 2018 due to a lack of quorum.

Under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the committee is required to develop a work plan identifying its priorities, proposed projects and activities during the term of Council. It may request information from Council to develop, modify or implement its work plan or to provide advice to Council.

In 2017, the committee reported to Council on items reviewed in accordance with its work plan. It learned more about the public appointment process and qualification assessment of appointees to Council. The committee received updates on the status of recommendations previously made to Council with respect to ordering medical assessments, issuing reprimands, incompetence research and the publication of decisions on Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII). It also received information about the results of the public awareness survey conducted in the fall of 2016. As part of its ongoing updates on transparency initiatives undertaken by Ontario regulated health colleges, the committee received information on amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act. The amendments increased both the amount of information contained in, and accessibility to, the health colleges’ public registers.

• Eugenia Duodo
  (from September 8, 2017)
• Brian Evoy (Chair) (from June 6, 2017)
• Bill Kirkwood (Chair)
  (until March 3, 2017)
• Jacques Lupien (until August 2, 2017)