The acting president of the University of Saskatchewan is responding to an open letter voicing concern about recent turmoil on campus and the university’s TransformUS restructuring plan.
The letter to Gordon Barnhart from the group calling itself DefendUS was signed by more than 800 students, staff and alumni. It asks that the university’s board of governors reject the TransformUS report and halt the cost-cutting process.
It also requests consultation about major decisions, more collegial communication and better transparency when it comes to budgets.
Barnhart said the university's board met to discuss budget cutbacks and the events that saw provost Brett Fairbairn resign and eventually led to the firing of president Ilene Busch-Vishniac.
He said although the board is looking at the university's financial sustainability, it wants to shift the focus from finances to the strengths of the institution.
"I think the top four priorities (of the DefendUS letter) are just fine and clearly those are the issues that are top of their mind,” Barnhart said. “As I say in regard to a deadline, we will try to do it as quickly as possible but we don’t want -- and I don’t think they want us -- to be making decisions that would be speedy and hasty that then would turn out to be perhaps wrong decisions later.
“We will be very careful and very thorough. The other thing they are emphasizing is that we make sure that there are consultations, and we will make sure that there is consultations."
Barnhart also confirmed that Prof. Robert Buckingham will not be reinstated as the dean of the School Public Health following his recent firing and rehiring after speaking out against the cuts.
- with Canadian Press files
