Sask. gov't should restore FNUC funds: teachers

The provincial government must reverse its decision to cut millions of dollars in funding to First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) now that long overdue reforms are underway, says the head of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

“The province has accomplished its goal,” said CAUT executive director James Turk.

“It would be destructive not to restore funding.”

CAUT could also remove the “censure” it imposed on FNUC in 2008, which has essentially urged its 65,000 professors and teachers to boycott the school, said Turk.

In a letter sent during weekend to Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris and obtained by The StarPhoenix, Turk said he was “greatly heartened” by recent developments around FNUC.

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) chiefs, who oversee FNUC, voted Thursday in favour of long-promised reforms. FNUC’s board of governors was dissolved, at least two of the senior administrators allegedly involved in questionable financial dealings were placed on leave and recommendations of the 2005 FSIN task force will be implemented.

All of this came one day after Norris announced the provincial government would no longer provide more than $5 million a year in funding to FNUC — nearly 20 per cent of the school’s budget.

Turk said the FSIN is making all of the changes requested by CAUT, the provincial government, FNUC students and others. He applauded Norris for applying pressure on FNUC and the FSIN, but said restoring funding is now the right thing to do.

“As (CAUT’s) intention in censuring the university, like yours to cut off funding, was not to destroy the institution but to bring about serious reform, we were greatly heartened by Thursday’s decision of the FSIN Legislative Assembly. We hope you were as well,” wrote Turk in the letter to Norris.

“We urge the Government of Saskatchewan to now indicate that it will restore funding to (FNUC), once it satisfies itself that the FSIN is serious about implementing the long overdue changes. To continue to withhold funding in the face of the FSIN finally doing the right thing would be a disservice to the students of (FNUC), its faculty and staff, and, most importantly, the people of Saskatchewan.”

As for the CAUT censure, it was imposed only “as a last resort,” Turk wrote. FNUC is the only Canadian university to be placed under censure in 30 years.

It was imposed after more than a year of warning and attempts to work with previous leaders failed. The former FSIN leadership made only “minor and cosmetic changes.” That changed under newly elected Chief Guy Lonechild and the chiefs who voted for the reforms at last week’s assembly, Turk said.

“For the first time in almost five years, it appears that the First Nations University can get back on its pre-2005 path to becoming one of the top Indigenous post-secondary institutions in North America,” Turk wrote.

“Just as we helped stop (FNUC) from continuing down a wrong path, we now have a responsibility to help it more forward appropriately.”

In an interview Sunday, Turk said the CAUT executive “certainly would recommend lifting censure” to delegates at the CAUT convention in April if the current direction continues.

“We need to move on,” Turk said.

CAUT represents 65,000 faculty through 122 college and university associations across Canada.