Hit the road jack The Gazette Editorial Board on the elections committee decision. >> Pg. 7
thegazette
TODAY high 5 low -7
Learning new things since 1906
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015
WESTERN UNIVERSITY • CANADA’S ONLY DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906
TOMORROW high 7 low -5 VOLUME 108, ISSUE 85
Professors resign in protest from Huron principal reappointment committee Kevin Hurren NEWS EDITOR-AT-LARGE @KevinAtGazette
P
rofessors on the reappointment committee at Huron University College have identified what they believe are troubling factors in the process to appoint the Huron principal. Two have resigned from the reappointment committee in protest, frustrated by a process they say is deeply flawed. David Conter, a Huron philosophy professor who used to sit on the committee, said he was unable to address serious concerns about the current principal’s performance despite his best efforts. “It seemed to me that I was never going to get the opportunity to raise the issues which I thought were relevant at the committee,” said Conter, referring to information he had concerning the principal’s performance. The contract of the current Huron principal, Stephen McClatchie, who has been in the role since 2011, expires in early 2016. The college’s executive board must make a decision whether to reappoint McClatchie or open the position to other applicants. They created a reappointment committee at the beginning of the school year to make a recommendation on what the best course of action would be. The committee, comprised of 10 representatives from various campus groups, is tasked to meet throughout the year and review the options, ultimately making a recommendation to the executive board by the end of April. According to the two Huron professors who left the committee, the process, however, has been compromised. Conter and James Crimmins, a professor of political science, have both resigned as representatives for Huron’s faculty of arts and social science on the reappointment committee. As of November 2014, the faculty of arts and social science contains 43 of 50 full-time professors and 1,152 of 1,205 students at Huron. Conter, who has worked at Huron for 31 years, felt the discussions taking place in committee
meetings were being restricted by the chair, Jeff Aarssen. He described Aarssen’s refusal to receive this information as “vigorous,” saying that he would “stuff” the agenda and only allow the committee to review specific documents or topics at the meetings. “At the very first meeting there was an assumption at some parts of the table that [McClatchie] would just be reappointed without re-advertising. Aarssen plainly had a very clear direction of what the committee was going to do and what it was not going to do,” he said. Aarsen responded that his job is to ensure the flow of information is appropriate and fair in order to make a sound recommendation to the executive board. “My job is really just to chair the meetings – making sure the flow of information is appropriate, managing discussions and making sure everything is done in a fair and objective manner,” said Aarssen. Conter, however, believes that Aarssen is purposefully redirecting the reappointment committee’s attention due to a personal relationship with McClatchie. But Aarssen considers such an allegation to be “defamatory and slanderous.” “My involvement with Stephen McClatchie is solely as a volunteer of Huron University College as an executive board member. My purpose as an executive board member and chair of the [reappointment] committee has always been to work in the best interest of Huron University College,” he said. Crimmins, who also resigned from the committee, did so for reasons regarding his ability to represent the arts and social science faculty. According to Huron’s policy on academic administration, representatives on the committee are expected to “informally” poll their constituents. In line with this, both Conter and Crimmins – as representatives of their faculty – collected feedback from colleagues regarding experiences with the current principal.
>> see REAPPOINTMENT pg.3
10
Mike Laine • GAZETTE
TICKETS $20.00 AT THE DOOR, ONLINE AT WESTERNUSC.CA OR WESTERN CONNECTIONS