Evidence of meeting #4 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was students.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
They're not mutually exclusive, no; they're closely related to each other.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
I just wanted to bring that up. I've spent enough time in several universities across the country to focus on the whole area of academic freedom issues. I'm going to drill down just a little bit more on that issue.
Can you elaborate specifically on what some of those limits turned out to be? How were they manifest, from the perspective of the teacher in the classroom or what have you?
4:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
The concerns we had were not so much at the level of the teacher in the classroom. But when the initial problems happened in 2005 and the university's computer was seized—copies of the hard drive—it had all the faculty and student records, faculty research materials, things that were the intellectual property of faculty. When that was seized, we saw it as a very serious matter.
As I think Professor Lundy indicated, at the classroom level the faculty worked very hard to sustain, and I think were successful in sustaining, a good learning experience for the students. It was more at an institutional level that the issues we were dealing with existed, rather than in the classroom.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
Beyond censure and boycott, what steps were taken to resolve the particular concern you had—if any were?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
It's almost hard to enumerate all the things we've done over the last five years. It started with a meeting I had in early April 2005, a public meeting for the board, the faculty, and the students of the university in the atrium of First Nations University, where we articulated our concerns. It was simulcast to the three campuses. We had a series of additional meetings and in November 2005 we had a symposium at First Nations University to which we brought principally first nations academic staff from across the country to address these issues. There's been a whole series... We did everything we humanly knew to do to try to get these things changed.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
That the other stakeholders did as much as they could, so that you could feel satisfied taking this position that you currently have taken?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
We're completely satisfied that the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the First Nations University, and the University of Regina have addressed our concerns fully.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
And your confidence is that there would never be limits placed on academia again, particularly in the example that you gave?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
We certainly don't expect that there would be. If there were to be, then we would be back.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
Are there safeguards in the agreement that was signed 20 minutes ago, for example?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
Well, there are safeguards—
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
Do you know whether they're in that memorandum of understanding?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
No. There are safeguards in the collective agreement that the faculty have with the university. There was a governance structure that didn't respect some of those undertakings.
We have academic freedom issues going on with about 30 universities across the country currently, so I can't say that it will never happen. All I can say is that they put in place a structure that we feel is reasonable and gives as much assurance as can be given.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
Is your association a party to this memorandum of understanding that she's talking about?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
No, we're not.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
Would you even have had access to that document for your consideration?
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
No, not normally.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Okay.
Thank you, Mr. Rickford.
Now we'll go to Ms. Crowder, for five minutes.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Due to the miracles of modern technology, some of us have a copy of the memorandum of understanding, which is signed by the province and which does commit to $5-plus million. It does outline the reorganization and administration of the First Nations University during the interim period, the administration, the financial accounting—
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
