19 (a)(iv)(B)
(2015-04)
April 1, 2015
Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino
President
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 2W1
Dear President Vaccarino:
I am writing to you with regards to the CAUT report into the Ontario Veterinary College. As
you know, CAUT established an ad hoc committee of inquiry in 2012 to examine allegations
related to workload, finances, collegiality, and academic freedom at OVC. The committee
released its report in September, 2013, and provided twenty-one recommendations to deal
with the serious problems it uncovered in the College.
Following the release of the report, a notice of motion to censure the University of Guelph
Administration, unless action was taken to resolve the matters in the OVC, was presented to
the Council of CAUT in May, 2014. At our Fall 2014 Council, it was reported that
negotiations between CAUT, the University of Guelph Faculty Association, and the
Administration to implement the report’s recommendations were progressing. Given this,
Council decided to defer consideration of censure until the Spring 2015 meeting.
However, I have been informed that attempts to resolve the matters at the OVC have
stalled.
For instance, I am aware that the University notified UGFA last December that it was
initiating a layoff of two veterinarians who work in the Large Animal medicine unit of the
OVC Health Sciences Centre. While the Administration claimed that a serious decline in
caseload for Large Animal medicine had precipitated the decision, it appears there was no
prior consultation with UGFA members on the caseload and service issues underlying the
layoff actions, or on OVC budget matters generally.
This lack of consultation runs directly contrary to recommendation A5 in the CAUT report:
“An action plan to address the budgetary matters should be developed jointly by the OVC
community, including OVC faculty and senior administration.” I am concerned that the layoff
process demonstrates that there has been little progress made on issues of workload and
working conditions in the OVC that were highlighted by the CAUT investigation.
Similarly, I understand that there has been no progress made in addressing the
recommendations for a full audit of OVC finances. The UGFA has informed me that it made
several requests for information to the University about the OVC finances, but that it is
concerned about the completeness and accuracy of the information provided. I believe it is
incumbent upon the Administration to provide full financial transparency and openness on
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April 1, 2015
budget matters. This, you will recall, was the basis of many of the problems in OVC and
addressed in recommendations A1 to A4 in the CAUT report.
I will need to report on these developments to CAUT Council at the end of April at which
time delegates will debate a motion to censure the University of Guelph Administration. As
you know, censure is a rarely used sanction that is applied only when a university or college
administration acts in a manner that threatens academic freedom and tenure, undermines
collegial governance, disregards negotiated agreements, refuses to bargain in good faith, or
takes other actions that are contrary to interests of academic staff or compromise the
quality and integrity of post-secondary education. Censure means that CAUT will ask its
members and the international academic community not to accept appointments at a
censured institution; not to accept invitations to speak or participate in academic
conferences there; and not to accept any distinction or honour that may be offered by that
institution.
I sincerely hope that we can resolve the issues related to the OVC before the imposition of
censure. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
David Robinson
Executive Director
/mmp
cc:
Kelly Meckling, President, UGFA
Susan Hubers, Executive Officer, UGFA
Len Findlay, Chair, CAUT Academic and Freedom Committee
Robin Vose, President, CAUT