| The Visitor, Canada's Governor General | close window |
The function of a "Visitor" is to exercise a right or duty of supervision in connection with an educational institution. The "visit" has ecclesiastical origins in the formal inspections by archbishops, bishops and archdeacons of parishes. The extension of this practice to educational institutions carries the duty to represent the founder and or the public or crown interest in the institution.
The Royal Charter of 1852 (under which McGill University operates) appointed the Governor General of Lower Canada as Visitor in place of the members of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning. Following Confederation in 1867, the office of Visitor was assumed by the Governor General of Canada, confirmed by the Secretary of State in 1879. Although the 1852 Charter established the Governor General as Visitor, the first Visitor, Sir Edmund Head, was not appointed until 1854. The 1852 Charter assigned the Visitor extensive powers including the nomination of members of the Board of Governors, removals from office, and the disallowance of appointments and University Statutes. The Visitor has to exercise these powers within 60 days of notification; silence is regarded as a confirmation. The Visitor’s powers were reduced by legislation in 1863, which made the Board of Governors self-perpetuating and responsible for University Statutes. The Visitor still retains the power to disallow Statutes, though this appears to never have been exercised. The Visitor is first in rank and preference at university ceremonies, as noted in the 1854 Statutes, and while the Visitor is on campus the Royal Standard is flown from the mast on the Arts Building. |
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