Controversies First Nations University of Canada

1 controversies

1.1 professional standing
1.2 financial support
1.3 staff problems

controversies
professional standing

in may 2007, university put on probation aucc, following controversy in february 2005 in university fired number of staff members. association demanded university establish full independence federation of saskatchewan indian nations within year. university complied aucc directives, , reinstated in april 2008.

in november 2008, canadian association of university teachers voted unanimously censure fnuniv , asked members not accept jobs, honours or awards @ university. changes made relating academic freedom, governance , political autonomy reported reason censure vote. censure lifted in april 2010 after university made significant governance changes.

financial support

in october 2008, government of saskatchewan gave university $1.6 million relieve chronic budget deficit. money given cover salaries of faculty , operating expenses. $400,000 spent on review of university s long-term operations.

in february 2009, provincial government withheld $200,000 of funding. lack of progress in solving institution s problems cited reason. march 18, enough progress had been made government release half frozen funds.

in june 2009, federal government withheld $2.4 million in funding, saying wanted see changes @ institution before money handed over. university officials responded accusing federal , provincial governments of being uncooperative , unnecessarily negative in attempts address alleged governance problems. on february 3, 2010, provincial government of saskatchewan officially suspended funding fnuniv effective april 1, 2010. next day, fnuniv s board of governors dissolved. on february 8, 2010, canadian federal government announced cease funding university, effective march 31, 2010. however, on march 23, 2010, province of saskatchewan restored funding. in june 2010, federal government announced provision of $4 million of support in response changes in governance underway; however, these funds administered on behalf of fnuniv university of regina.

staff problems

in january 2009, shauneen pete dismissed position vice-president of academics university administration said internal personnel matter. on january 13, fnuc students association organized rally in protest.

two former employees of institution, janet lee kurtz , wesley robert stevenson, charged defrauding university of amounts of $21,000 , $15,000 respectively. both pleaded guilty, ordered make full restitution, , agreed perform community service.

in december 2009 university s chief financial officer, murray westerlund, left position. westerlund said fired, fnuniv s then-president, charles pratt, said departure mutually agreed upon. fnuniv officials missed series of deadlines file various reports, led federal government withhold $1.8 million in funding.

in january 2010, documents november 2009 surfaced showed westerlund had raised concerns inappropriate spending. westerlund filed wrongful dismissal lawsuit against university on december 17, 2009. suit claims marginalized , fired writing documents criticized spending practices of university officials. provincial minister of advanced education, rob norris, called emergency meeting university of regina s board of governors discuss financial situation @ fnuniv. after meeting on january 27, norris hinted provincial government may cut off funding institution.

in march 2010, discovered $400,000 of fnuniv s scholarship fund had been spent on general operations. fund had dwindled $390,000 in spring 2009 $15,000 in february 2010.

on march 19, 2010, charles pratt terminated interim board of governors, cause, president of fnuniv; had been suspended pay. allan ducharme, former vice-president of administration, fired on same day. dr. shauneen pete, had formerly been dismissed leadership post @ fnuniv, appointed president in april 2010 six-month term.

in august 2012, charles pratt , allan ducharme reached out-of-court settlement , first nations university issued statement part of settlement, stated in part neither mr. pratt nor mr. ducharme found in dereliction of respective duties nor guilty of financial impropriety .