Created 8 October 2020 12:10

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release October 8, 2020  –  The Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia (CUFA BC) is thrilled to announce the release of our white paper on university governance Recalibrating University Governance: Restoring Collegial Engagement in Decision Making.

“It’s critical for faculty to have a strong role in university governance,” says President Daniel Laitsch, an Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University. “It’s also important for us to ask ourselves if current governance structures are working in the public interest or if there needs to be adjustments.”

“Faculty members bring a wealth of expertise to our institutions and yet university governance frequently silences faculty voices,” say Executive Director Annabree Fairweather. “We believe it is possible to restore governance to a more democratic and collegial state, one that enshrines public accountability and transparency.”

As their provincial voice, CUFA BC is committed to promoting an authentic model of collegial governance that ensures our members are able to contribute meaningfully to the important work of senates and boards of governors, ensure transparent and accountable decision making, and protect the interests of the BC residents.

Among other recommendations, we call on the Province to repeal the Royal Roads University Act and place RRU into the University Act. Further, policy must ensure that faculty represent a majority on senate and senate committees; that senate maintains primary responsibility for all academic decisions, including budgets; and that the composition of boards of governors are recalibrated to increase faculty representation and support for faculty input.

We anticipate incorporating this white paper into our advocacy work with government, stakeholders in advanced education, and university administrators. For further information or comment please contact CUFA BC Executive Director Annabree Fairweather at 604-367-5856 or [email protected].

CUFA BC represents over 5,500 faculty members, professional librarians, lecturers, instructors, and other academics at the five research-intensive universities in British Columbia, which include University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, Royal Roads University and University of Northern British Columbia.

CUFA BC has existed for fifty years and works closely with the member Faculty Associations at each institution. Our purposes are to support high-quality post-secondary education and research in British Columbia and to advocate for the interests of our members.

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE – CUFA BC White Paper University Governance
DIRECT DOWNLOAD – CUFA BC White Paper University Governance