Fears for the independence of Canadian universities have been heightened by the involvement of a provincial government minister in the search for a new university president. Joan Burke, the Newfoundland and Labrador education minister, has admitted interviewing and black-balling two candidates for the presidency of Memorial University in St. John’s, the province’s capital.
Ms. Burke’s role in vetting the candidates, who were shortlisted by an 18-strong university panel, has prompted a former provincial education minister to demand her resignation. Chris Decker, who is also a former chair of the university’s board of regents, says Ms. Burke had damaged Memorial’s reputation. “For some minister who’s so blown up with her own… self-importance that she thinks she can usurp the role of a procedure that has been in place for many, many years, it’s totally disgraceful,” says Decker.
The incident caused a row that has rumbled for several weeks. Memorial’s board of regents has issued a statement expressing “concern for the autonomy of the university”. David Robinson, assistant executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, says his group had asked to meet the prime minister to discuss the concern. He says the incident could not only damage Memorial’s reputation and make it harder to fill the vacant position, it could set a dangerous precedent if it is unchallenged. “Who wants to be the president if they have to look over their back all the time?” he asks.
Ms. Burke, meanwhile has denied any improper conduct. She told the CBC: “In legislation, the appointment of the president… has to be sanctioned by the cabinet — and therefore we are part of the process.”
The furore follows several other troubling incidents. Earlier this year the government of British Columbia circulated a “letter of expectations” in which it spelt out its priorities to institutions hoping for more funding. The Confederation of University Faculty Associations called the letter an unprecedented intrusion into the governance of public universities.
In another episode, First Nations University in Saskatchewan was put on probation by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada amid fears that its governance structure left it susceptible to influence by the Federation of Saskatchewan First Nations, an advocacy group representing native communities. The stand-off ended when the vice-chief of education of the federation resigned from the university’s board.
(Excerpted and adapted from Times Higher Education Supplement)