Students Hold Demontration At FNUC

Students Hold Demontration At FNUC

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 15:31

 

 

The First Nations University of Canada campus in Regina was the scene of a student protest over the noon hour today.

 

The students’ association is upset with the recent dismissal of the school’s academic vice-president, Dr. Shauneen Pete — as well as the departure of roughly 60 faculty and staff members over the last four years.

 

The association held a peaceful demonstration in the university’s student common area.

 

Officials with the Canadian Association of University Teachers attended the protest, and spoke about how their group’s censure of the FNUC can be lifted.

 

CAUT executive director James Turk and president Penni Stewart were accompanied by University of Regina Faculty Association Chair Katherine Robinson.

 

In November, CAUT’s governing council voted to censure the school for what the association says is the university’s “ongoing failure to resolve the serious problems with the governance of the university”.

 

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations is being asked to step away from the FNUC altogether.

 

Turk says the reason why his group censured the school was because of its ties to the FSIN.

 

He believes that is clearly causing problems and needs to change.

 

Turk notes the severing of ties between the FSIN and the FNUC was called for by an all-chiefs task force report compiled a few years ago.

 

He says a strategic review commissioned by the province also calls for it, as well.

 

Officials with the FNUC and FSIN have not been available for comment.