Latest news with #PeterMcInnis
CBC
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Academic leaders condemn Nova Scotia bill as threat to university autonomy
New legislation affecting post-secondary institutions in Nova Scotia drew the ire of members of the Canadian Association of University Teachers at a meeting this weekend in Ottawa. An Act Respecting Advanced Education and Research received royal assent on March 26. The bill came after a report from the auditor general called for more transparency and accountability at universities. A news release from the province said it was designed to "strengthen post-secondary institution financial accountability, sustainability and alignment with government priorities." The legislation allows the province to restructure universities, appoint up to 50 per cent of their boards, and align academic research with government priorities. Delegates at the meeting in Ottawa voted unanimously to condemn the bill, citing concerns that the legislation could serve as a model for similar efforts in other provinces. Peter McInnis, the association's president, said from Ottawa that condemnation of the bill was an unusual step for the association, but not without precedent. He called it a rehash of a bill from 2015, but considers it more dangerous because it no longer requires universities to be in crisis before government intervention. "There was no obvious need for this," McInnis said. He said members of the association see the new bill as an encroachment on academic freedom. He said the association will be looking at legal options and charter implications, but understands those avenues could take years. Cathy Conrad is president of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union, which proposed the motion. She said requiring more transparency and accountability from universities is a good aspect of the legislation. But other elements that have nothing to do with the auditor general's report have been introduced, she said. "They were able to then cloak, under the guise of being more fiscally responsible and transparent, the sorts of things like attaching their operating grants to government priorities," Conrad said. "There's no room for politicians to be dictating what the population should be receiving in terms of their education." Conrad emphasized that universities are already publicly accountable, governed by boards with representatives from various sectors, including government. CBC has asked the province for a response to the vote.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Faculty members, students pan Houston government's university restructuring plans
Faculty members and students are concerned changes being proposed by the Houston government could have severe consequences for Nova Scotia's 10 universities. Six of the seven people who appeared Tuesday before the Nova Scotia legislature's new public bills committee worried the changes proposed in Bill 12 would give the province too much control over what universities teach and what research they do. The proposed law would give the province — a key funding partner — greater control over university governance, the power to force universities deemed to be in financial trouble to come up with a revitalization plan, and the option of withholding funding if it were not happy with those plans. Peter McInnis, the president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, which represents 75,000 members across Canada, warned committee members the process could result in fundamental changes. "Revitalization sounds perhaps innocuous or anodyne," McInnis said. "Like a trip to a day spa. But in reality, this revitalization could be severe for several reasons, including closing or amalgamating programs or the abrogation of existing collective agreements." McInnis said the Nova Scotia government was granting itself "unique" powers over universities. "This is a power accorded to no other province and would force universities to restructure according to government directions," he said. Cathy Conrad, president of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union, said the proposal was already creating turmoil within her university. "Just yesterday, I was in a meeting with senior administrators at my university who have put pause on operations that are critical to engaging with equity, diversity and inclusion on our board and on search committees for senior academic members," Conrad told the committee. "Because in their opinion, we can't talk about anything until we see what's happening with Bill 12, because it's going to turn us upside down and inside out." Darryl Whetter, speaking on behalf of the association of university professors and librarians at Université Sainte Anne, called the bill an attempt "to create Soviet-style political control of research and teaching." Student leaders also sounded the alarm, suggesting provisions in the bill giving cabinet greater control over research grants were an attack on academic freedom, a concept Dalhousie University student Maren Mealy called "a cornerstone of higher education." "The bill gives the minister of advanced education the sole power to set provincial research priorities, requiring Research Nova Scotia to align its work with those priorities or risk losing funding," said Mealy. "This risks stifling academic freedom and devaluing research that doesn't align with whatever the government decides are its interests." Nova Scotia's auditor general recently issued a report critical of the lack of control over public funding to universities. A former senior bureaucrat was the lone voice Tuesday in support of the government's attempt to gain greater control over the money it gives universities. Former deputy minister Rick Williams told the committee of his frustrations dealing with the universities during his time in the senior government post between 2009 and 2013. "One issue that took a lot of my time over the four years was the state of the university system," said Williams. "As in 2010, we today confront a difficult reality — every one of our universities is too big to fail in its local community. "I support the government's intention to improve accountability and exercise more direct influence over decision-making in individual schools." But rather than current plans, Williams urged the government to establish a "planning process" similar to the 2014 Ivany commission on revitalizing Nova Scotia's economy. The aim would be to develop "a shared vision for a financially sustainable higher education system."
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University sector concerned about Houston government's 'short-sighted' education bill
As the Nova Scotia government positions itself to take greater control over the province's 10 universities, some within the university community say the potential changes are "short-sighted" and part of "anti-democratic," "Trump-style politics" in the province. Last week, the Progressive Conservatives introduced a bill that would link the university's funding decisions to the government's social and economic priorities. Bill 12 would allow the minister of advanced education to appoint up to half of the members of the university's board of governors, and force a university into a revitalization plan. The legislation also would allow the Nova Scotia Community College to grant degrees. CBC News contacted all 10 universities in Nova Scotia requesting an interview, but none put someone forward. Spokespeople for some schools said they are still assessing the bill and it is too soon to comment, while others did not respond. The president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Peter McInnis, said the tabling of the legislation blindsided administrators, including presidents, who were not warned of or consulted on the bill. "It's a little bit of a, you know, unexpected surprise and not a pleasant one," he said in an interview with CBC News. "This seems to be picking up some of the more unsavoury trends across the country.… It seems to be part of a certain amount of anti-democratic legislation." On Thursday, Advanced Education Minister Brendan Maguire said the province isn't asking universities to eliminate programs. "One of the things that we said in the last bilateral agreement was we wanted more seats for health-care professions because we are in desperate need for health-care workers and we wanted them filled at 97 per cent and they were incentivized to do it," Maguire said. "But in no circumstances will we be asking them to eliminate programs. Listen, they're their own entity. What we want to do is just work with them to make sure that they're filling what we need here in Nova Scotia." Linking funding to government priorities McInnis, who teaches in the history department at St. Francis Xavier University, said tying funding to government interests is "a short-sighted approach" because "political priorities may shift with the wind." He gave the example of the University of Calgary, which at one time increased its focus on the oil and gas sector, but when that declined, enrolment dropped. "So it was very difficult to forecast what's going to be valuable." Peter McInnis is the president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. He's also a professor at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. (Canadian Association of University Teachers) Cathy Conrad, the president of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union, is a professor in the geography and environmental studies department. She said she has worked for 25 years to oversee the development of climate change programs at SMU, and worries about the impact of the legislation on her field of study, and others that may not align with government priorities. "If environmental stewardship is not a priority of this government … then what does that mean for programs that are based on evidence and need and social justice? Does that mean that these programs will no longer have funding and instead we should be focusing our priorities on extractive economic priorities related to mining and fracking?" Cathy Conrad is a professor of geography and environmental studies, and the president of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union. (Andrew Lam/CBC) Conrad and McInnis worry that if the government wants universities to focus on applied research or studies that help fill labour market needs and have a more immediate return on investment, that could affect funding for the arts and humanities. Conrad said humanities are not always appreciated, but she said a well-rounded, expansive understanding of our world is crucial to respond to, for instance, U.S. President Donald Trump's threats related to Canada becoming a 51st state. "If we don't understand our history and the philosophy and the psychology and the sociology of how it is historically — and actually relatively recent history — we don't know how to move and navigate ourselves into this new world that we're finding ourselves in very quickly." Conrad said the bill itself "feels and reads very much like Trump-style politics, which is really troubling." Board of governors appointees Both McInnis and Conrad said they are also concerned about the possibility of the government appointing up to half the members of university boards of governors. Boards are responsible for making decisions about budgets, capital projects, new faculties or faculty reductions, and are also effectively the boss of the university president. If 50 per cent of members were appointed by the government, it would "tip the balance" to approving what politicians want, McInnis said. Maguire said he won't be picking board members. He said the province will collaborate with universities to find the right people for the job. McInnis said while administrators and board members at universities come and go, it's the faculty members who are in their profession for decades, and who bring their expertise to benefit the university boards. "[Boards] need to be advised and how best to do that from the people that are on the ground actually teaching the courses and doing the research." McInnis added that if it's accountability the government wants, that already exists through a peer-review system for funding decisions at universities. Merger worries As part of the bill, universities deemed to be in financial trouble could be mandated to undergo a "revitalization plan." The government could withhold funding from those institutions until they've created an acceptable plan charting a way forward. McInnis said he worries it could mean the government is considering merging universities, which he said would detract from how schools serve their communities. David Westwood, president-elect of the Dalhousie Faculty Association, expressed alarm over the bill, writing in a statement that universities are "already crumbling" as the result of inadequate public funding. "Increasingly, public funds to PSE [post-secondary education] come with strings attached, as provincial governments attempt to steer institutions to meet their own mandate and priorities through threats to withhold or even reduce core funding," wrote Westwood, a professor of kinesiology. "Public institutions are being gutted or eliminated in real time, and democratic values are under threat as power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few." Provincial funding for Dalhousie, he noted, has fallen to below 50 per cent of the university's operating budget, with the rest coming mainly from tuition fees. "One can scarcely consider Dalhousie to be a public institution any longer," he said. Advanced Education Minister Brendan Maguire told CBC News on Thursday said he has no desire to merge universities. (CBC) Maguire said he has no desire to merge universities in Nova Scotia. "What we want to do is make sure that they are viable and sustainable for the long term … And one of the things that we want to put in place is just, you know, like warnings. So we know in advance if they're going down a path of insolvency," Maguire said. Maguire said there are some universities that are facing financial troubles and the province wants to ensure there are "stopgaps" before it gets worse. "If they're going down a path of potential insolvency or they're going down a path of great debt, we can work with them with the tools they need to make sure that they're sustainable. This is all it's about. We don't want any of our universities to go away. In fact, we want them to grow," he said. Auditor general's report coming soon The province's auditor general's office is finalizing its report on whether the Department of Advanced Education is effectively monitoring and holding universities to account for public funds. That report is scheduled to be released on March 4. Universities in the province receive $380 million a year in operational funding, plus $43 million for specific programming. MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
University sector concerned about Houston government's 'short-sighted' education bill
As the Nova Scotia government positions itself to take greater control over the province's 10 universities, some within the university community say the potential changes are "short-sighted" and part of "anti-democratic," "Trump-style politics" in the province. Last week, the Progressive Conservatives introduced a bill that would link the university's funding decisions to the government's social and economic priorities. Bill 12 would allow the minister of advanced education to appoint up to half of the members of the university's board of governors, and force a university into a revitalization plan. The legislation also would allow the Nova Scotia Community College to grant degrees. CBC News contacted all 10 universities in Nova Scotia requesting an interview, but none put someone forward. Spokespeople for some schools said they are still assessing the bill and it is too soon to comment, while others did not respond. The president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Peter McInnis, said the tabling of the legislation blindsided administrators, including presidents, who were not warned of or consulted on the bill. "It's a little bit of a, you know, unexpected surprise and not a pleasant one," he said in an interview with CBC News. "This seems to be picking up some of the more unsavoury trends across the country.… It seems to be part of a certain amount of anti-democratic legislation." On Thursday, Advanced Education Minister Brendan Maguire said the province isn't asking universities to eliminate programs. "One of the things that we said in the last bilateral agreement was we wanted more seats for health-care professions because we are in desperate need for health-care workers and we wanted them filled at 97 per cent and they were incentivized to do it," Maguire said. "But in no circumstances will we be asking them to eliminate programs. Listen, they're their own entity. What we want to do is just work with them to make sure that they're filling what we need here in Nova Scotia." Linking funding to government priorities McInnis, who teaches in the history department at St. Francis Xavier University, said tying funding to government interests is "a short-sighted approach" because "political priorities may shift with the wind." He gave the example of the University of Calgary, which at one time increased its focus on the oil and gas sector, but when that declined, enrolment dropped. "So it was very difficult to forecast what's going to be valuable." Cathy Conrad, the president of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union, is a professor in the geography and environmental studies department. She said she has worked for 25 years to oversee the development of climate change programs at SMU, and worries about the impact of the legislation on her field of study, and others that may not align with government priorities. "If environmental stewardship is not a priority of this government … then what does that mean for programs that are based on evidence and need and social justice? Does that mean that these programs will no longer have funding and instead we should be focusing our priorities on extractive economic priorities related to mining and fracking?" Conrad and McInnis worry that if the government wants universities to focus on applied research or studies that help fill labour market needs and have a more immediate return on investment, that could affect funding for the arts and humanities. Conrad said humanities are not always appreciated, but she said a well-rounded, expansive understanding of our world is crucial to respond to, for instance, U.S. President Donald Trump's threats related to Canada becoming a 51st state. "If we don't understand our history and the philosophy and the psychology and the sociology of how it is historically — and actually relatively recent history — we don't know how to move and navigate ourselves into this new world that we're finding ourselves in very quickly." Conrad said the bill itself "feels and reads very much like Trump-style politics, which is really troubling." Board of governors appointees Both McInnis and Conrad said they are also concerned about the possibility of the government appointing up to half the members of university boards of governors. Boards are responsible for making decisions about budgets, capital projects, new faculties or faculty reductions, and are also effectively the boss of the university president. If 50 per cent of members were appointed by the government, it would "tip the balance" to approving what politicians want, McInnis said. Maguire said he won't be picking board members. He said the province will collaborate with universities to find the right people for the job. McInnis said while administrators and board members at universities come and go, it's the faculty members who are in their profession for decades, and who bring their expertise to benefit the university boards. "[Boards] need to be advised and how best to do that from the people that are on the ground actually teaching the courses and doing the research." McInnis added that if it's accountability the government wants, that already exists through a peer-review system for funding decisions at universities. Merger worries As part of the bill, universities deemed to be in financial trouble could be mandated to undergo a "revitalization plan." The government could withhold funding from those institutions until they've created an acceptable plan charting a way forward. McInnis said he worries it could mean the government is considering merging universities, which he said would detract from how schools serve their communities. David Westwood, president-elect of the Dalhousie Faculty Association, expressed alarm over the bill, writing in a statement that universities are "already crumbling" as the result of inadequate public funding. "Increasingly, public funds to PSE [post-secondary education] come with strings attached, as provincial governments attempt to steer institutions to meet their own mandate and priorities through threats to withhold or even reduce core funding," wrote Westwood, a professor of kinesiology. "Public institutions are being gutted or eliminated in real time, and democratic values are under threat as power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few." Provincial funding for Dalhousie, he noted, has fallen to below 50 per cent of the university's operating budget, with the rest coming mainly from tuition fees. "One can scarcely consider Dalhousie to be a public institution any longer," he said. Maguire said he has no desire to merge universities in Nova Scotia. "What we want to do is make sure that they are viable and sustainable for the long term … And one of the things that we want to put in place is just, you know, like warnings. So we know in advance if they're going down a path of insolvency," Maguire said. Maguire said there are some universities that are facing financial troubles and the province wants to ensure there are "stopgaps" before it gets worse. "If they're going down a path of potential insolvency or they're going down a path of great debt, we can work with them with the tools they need to make sure that they're sustainable. This is all it's about. We don't want any of our universities to go away. In fact, we want them to grow," he said. Auditor general's report coming soon The province's auditor general's office is finalizing its report on whether the Department of Advanced Education is effectively monitoring and holding universities to account for public funds. That report is scheduled to be released on March 4. Universities in the province receive $380 million a year in operational funding, plus $43 million for specific programming.
