Darcey, at Dust My Broom has a link rich post sketching out the continuing meltdown at First Nations University. *
The latest casualty of First Nations University is none other than Tyrone Tootoosis of the Poundmaker Working Group. He was recently locked out of his office and has expressed in an email that he wasn’t surprised based upon the vindictiveness of some of the people who are now in charge.
What he doesn’t mention is size and nature of the board in charge of this mess.
Two of the three people who replaced the suspended staff appear to have no experience in university academic or administrative circles. They do seem to have strong connections to the current FSIN leadership.
Al Ducharme, who took over as administration vice-president, is described as a close friend of Grand Chief Alphonse Bird, while Florence Watson, the sister-in-law of Vice-chief Watson, was appointed director of finance.
The board’s actions, apparently done at the behest of the FSIN leadership, reflect a serious problem in governance, Stevenson said. The majority of the members of the university’s board of governors are political appointees, and appear more interested in building political bases than with the welfare of the university, he alleged.
The FNUC’s board of governors has more members- and political employees-than the boards governing Saskatchewan’s other two universities. Sixteen members are appointed by provincial tribal councils, the FSIN senate or the FSIN. Three are appointed by students. The federal and provincial governments, the universities of Regina and Saskatchewan and the FNUC faculty appoint one member each.
Just off-hand I read there was something like 31 board members.
Is it racist to notice that taxpayers are being cynically bilked?
EBD:
No, but it’s probably racist to assume that they are because of the nature of the university.
They’ve had their funding frozen, Peter.
Something tells me not to expect many Nobel laureates will graduate from this university.
As an employe of the place, it is quite sad the state we are in.
As an institution, we were growing rapidly and had the ability to hire some of the best faculty and administrators in North America. Most aboriginal. The Board seems to have taken on a hatred or bitterness towards these highly qualified people. If I ran a business and had the ability to attract some of the most highly skilled people to work for me, I would be exited about our potential.
We had some core funding increases coming based on increased attendance. Only university in Saskatchewan showing increases in students! Highly important for a group of people that stats have shown are in the greatest need of education.
Our international department brought between 2 and 5 million a year in federal grants. Highered Local First Nations Students to carry out the work, and then attempted to help other aboriginal people in regions of the world where executions are the means to quiet the aboriginal population. However, the board chair states other regions of the world are non of our convern. Thus robbing first nations students of international work, and the prestige and experience that comes from helping other regions of the world.
Funny things, the Vice-Cheif reports he wants more saskatchewan First Nation Employees, however 90% of the people they have let go are from Saskatchewan. The Board chair, Student Association President (Chair’s Nephew) and some former staff who did not meet minimum academic creditials ran a rally in Regian Building preaching hatred for people from other orgin’s or race. Human rights board in Saskatchewan has ignored it.
When the Province asked questions it was ignored. Indian and Northern Affairs is ignoring the situation and sending the dollars to support the situation. Most funding comes from these to gov’ts
Staff are threatened by appointees. Staff requests for information are ignored. Policies and procedures are ignored if it means appointees should not get SUV rentals (Not sure why you need a SUV in Regina, Pot holes are not that big),and hotel Rooms. Appointees’s assigned Feb 17th in Finance, HR and VP Admin really have little idea on what they are doing. Anyone who does know what they are doing and try to correct things get fired. Outside experts highered by the president Dr. Hampton to oversee the period have been let go. They seemed to be the only new people who know what needs to be done.
Friday the 29th is the next board meeting. We fully expect the board to bend over and let the Vice-Chief and the FSIN Chief complete the destruction of their insitution.
They had a shining star, that now has become a dung heap.
Thanks for posting that comment – you won’t read anything like that on the news.
“Scared” for a very good reason. This reeks of more Librano$$ scamming. Our tax dollars hard at work
It almost seems like once our money goes through the state it is infected in some way that causes everything it touches to be poisoned or corrupted.
It gives degrees in bead working and pipe smoking?
Wow, and I thought sociology, womens studies and afrocentric studies were wonky.
Curing ignorance thru information.
The bead work is part of a fine arts degree program teaching aboriginal fine arts such as bead work, painting, sculpture, weaving, etc. Very similar to what any other university teaches in Fine Arts. Just from a First Nations Arts perspective.
The Pipe ceremony is a event along similar lines to what Luther College and Campion College achieve with religous sermons daily. It is a spiritual event to find inspiration.
Smart people seek information and answers. Ignorant people ridicule.
This is an institution that the Province needs if it has any hope in increasing a work force interested in remaining in Saskatchewan. Our programs in health studies, business, and social work, will continue to help bring First Nations People to help solve the big issues facing Saskatchewan.
That is if the politicians let us use the funding for training.