University Policies Update: April 2026
In late April 2026, the Senior Management Policy Committee (SMPC) met to approve the External Legal Advice and Charges Policy and the Ethical Conduct for Research with Indigenous Peoples and Communities Policy. Read below a summary of these policies.
1. External Legal Advice and Charges Policy
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that external legal services are sought only where appropriate, to provide for a uniform budgetary treatment of legal expenses and to ensure the University receives the best value for the services provided. The policy applies to all external legal services required by the University and it does not apply to charges arising from retaining third-party investigation services.
Key Changes to the External Legal Advice and Charges Policy include:
- Reaffirmation of the Office of University Legal Services’ exclusive authority to retain and manage external legal counsel on behalf of the University, except in limited emergency circumstances.
- Enhanced oversight by University Legal Services of the selection, instruction, performance management and billing of external legal counsel.
- A revised framework for allocating external legal costs, providing greater clarity regarding when costs will be funded centrally and when they will be charged to individual units.
- Clear criteria for distinguishing institution-wide legal matters from unit-specific matters. Legal costs will generally be funded centrally where matters involve university-wide risk, governance, regulatory compliance, systemic exposure, or litigation affecting the institution as a whole. Costs will generally be charged to a specific unit where matters arise primarily from that unit’s operations and do not present broader institutional risk.
- Greater alignment with other university policies through the clarification of exclusions, including third-party investigation services.
2. Ethical Conduct for Research with Indigenous Peoples and Communities
The Ethical Conduct for Research with Indigenous Peoples and Communities establishes the Indigenous Research Ethics Board (IREB) Policy which provides a dedicated ethics review process for research involving Indigenous Peoples, communities, languages, lands, waters, territories, cultures and knowledges. Developed in response to Call to Action 37 of Carleton University’s Kinàmàgawin Report, the policy formalizes the role of the IREB in promoting ethical, respectful and reciprocal research relationships with Indigenous communities.
The policy applies to research conducted by Carleton faculty members, graduate students and research associates and aligns with the Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP®) principles, the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS 2) and other university research ethics requirements. The IREB provides guidance and review to help ensure research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities is conducted in a manner that respects Indigenous rights, knowledge systems and self-determination while supporting meaningful community benefit.
3. Flexible Work Arrangements Policy
The Flexible Work Arrangements Policy establishes a framework for considering and managing flexible work arrangements for administrative employees at Carleton University. The policy recognizes that workplace flexibility can support employee well-being, work-life balance, recruitment and retention while ensuring that the university’s operational requirements, service delivery expectations and academic mission continue to be met.
The policy applies to continuing and term administrative employees, including unionized and non-unionized staff, and outlines the processes, roles and responsibilities associated with requesting, approving and managing flexible work arrangements. It provides guidance on flexible hours, hybrid remote work and full remote work arrangements, while affirming that all requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis in consideration of operational needs, the nature of the work and departmental requirements.
After consulting with key stakeholders at the University, some minor language changes to the policy are being recommended to provide better clarification and assist in policy application. These changes relate to:
- Having to work on campus during a regular remote day (Page 5)
- Scheduling appointments on remote days (Page 5)
- Clarification on office furniture (Page 6)
- Accommodations vs Flexible Work (Page 6)
- Clarity around work outside of Ontario (Page 7)
For additional clarification, it is also proposed that the Jira FWA Request Form be altered to ask if the request is being made for accommodation purposes. If so, then the staff member will be referred to Human Resources to discuss the accommodation process.
FWA Policy information sessions for managers and staff will be available the week of June 15th and 22nd. To register please visit Welcome to Learning and Professional Development – Learning and Professional Development