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Robert Kitchin / Things
A controversial restructuring of the University of Victoria will end on September 14 after a widespread reaction from staff and students.
A controversial restructuring at the University of Victoria was scrapped after backlash from staff and students, with some university council members saying it was just one of a list of bad decisions by the senior leadership team.
The Whiria Project aimed to centralize decision-making and bring financial decisions to the highest echelons of the university, replacing university schools with ‘affinity groups’.
Staff and students raised concerns about the project, including timing, given the pressure the university faces as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
While consultation on the project will continue until Sept. 14, Chancellor Grant Guilford announced at a college council meeting Monday that he would not advance beyond that stage.
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“We will not go to phase two of the project.”
Some board members said the project was just one of a series of controversial decisions by the senior leadership team.
Councilor Brigitte Bönisch-Brednich, who is also director of the School of Social and Cultural Studies, said the way decisions were made at the university was putting the institution’s brand at risk.
The project seemed like a takeover.
“There is a risk that academic and professional staff lose their power.”
The project provided “little” attention to students and did not pay attention to the well-being of staff.
It was not the first time the university had made unilateral decisions, he said, citing the rebranding as an example.
“It is time to take a closer look at this trajectory. The Council must do and ensure that these patterns do not continue. “
His speech was greeted with cheers.
Councilman Hugo Lawrence, a senior in Victoria, said the project had caused mistrust and anxiety among the university community.
“Going forward, we need all decision making to take the community into account.”
Union Tertiary Education Branch Co-Chair Dougal McNeill said there was a lack of trust in the senior leadership team and the chancellor needed to work to rebuild it.
A first step would be to scrap the project entirely now, rather than continue the consultation process until September 14.
“Why are you doing phase one when you are not going to do phase two?”
He also wanted the university to acknowledge the pain and damage caused by the project.
Staff wanted to focus on teaching and caring for students, especially given the disruption caused by the coronavirus lockdown.
