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TOWN HALL BOYCOTT
Pleased be advised that at Brock University Faculty Association's executive meeting of February 5, 2010 the executive committee voted to request that faculty boycott the February 17th Town Hall meeting.
The executive made this decision because we believe that the Town Hall meetings have not provided for a full sharing of information. The transparency claimed by the administration has not been in evidence at these meetings but rather were a one way dissemination of information designed to convince the university community that decisions concerning the university's budget by the Board of Trustees and Senior Administration were made in the university's best interest. There appears to be little consideration of the impact of these decisions on our faculty, staff, students and programs.
The university community as a whole has had little choice as to how our revenue is being allocated yet we have had to participate in a process we believe harmful to our students and to the reputation of Brock University. No real choices have been provided, response to questions has been inadequate and the opportunity for questioning has been very limited.
We believe the Town Hall meeting is part of a strategy to convince all of us of the absolute necessity of rescission without a full explanation of how we got into this position in the first place. In fact we have been provided with limited information on Brock's financial situation as well as limited alternatives designed to improve that situation.
In October Members of the Board of Trustees received a report entitled "Budget Deficit Communications Plan" that states that the board should use the following strategy in communicating its budgetary direction:
"Successfully communicate to every individual and stakeholder group in the Brock Community that this must be a collaborative, inclusive, transparent process of open consultation and dialogue to tackle what will be a difficult task."
It is BUFA's position that the Town Hall meetings are just a part of this plan designed to make it appear that full consultation and transparency has taken place when, in fact, it hasn't.
The BUFA executive welcomes the opportunity to be involved in a full discussion of the financial issues facing Brock University but it hopes to do so when all financial information and alternatives are on the table. To this end all union and non-union members affected by budget decisions will be invited to a meeting in the near future to openly discuss financial information and concerns related to the university budget. |
