The Secretariat is McGill University's governance office responsible for the Board of Governors, the Senate and their committees. The Secretariat is also:
- an impartial office responsible for University-wide elections, dispute resolution for academic staff (grievances, appeals), dispute resolution for students (grievances, appeals), administration of the tenure process, administration of the process relating to promotion to full professor, senior advisory committees (search committees for deans, vice-principals, provosts, principals, chancellors);
- responsible for access to documents requests (under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information);
- administration of the process relating to the University Safe Disclosure Policy ("Whistle Blowing Policy");
- corporate head office for the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning and McGill University, and the University's governance office responsible for the Board of Governors, Senate and their committees;
- headquarters for ceremonial matters and protocols, including the McGill coat of arms and "signature", letters of credence, the University seal and permission to use the University coat of arms and signature;
- responsible for oversight regarding the corporate information assets of the institution and the reporting channel for the McGill University Archives.