The dispute between the Capilano Faculty Association and the Capilano University administration shows no sign of abatement on the eve of CapU's 2014 budget.
Hanging over the CapU board of governors meeting scheduled for Tuesday is a call from the faculty for president Kris Bulcroft to step down and a court ruling from last month that found the board was in violation of the University Act last year when it suspended several programs without having in place a suspension policy that had been made in consultation with the university's senate.
This year's budget calls for five per cent cost reductions in all departments and the suspension of a scuba diving course in Sechelt.
It's not clear whether the board can legally pass the budget without first passing a policy that addresses the programs cut last year.
"You could probably throw a bunch of lawyers into a room and none of them would agree on that," said Joanne Quirk, faculty association president. "My understanding from our lawyer is that yes, if they pass this budget without the policy, then they would
Quirk said the board should be prudent and delay passing the budget until an interim policy with input from the faculty can be developed.
"Stall. Let's hold off for a month. Let's take a closer look at this policy. We're really intelligent people and we can work really quickly and we can probably put a policy together that at least has some body and meaning to it," she said.
Quirk said there is hope, albeit very little, that last year's classes will be brought back.
"I want it to happen but if they get this policy in place and it meets the criteria of the University Act, then they've met the mandate of the judge," she said.
In a response to the court ruling and controversy, board chairwoman Jane Shackell released a statement this week.
"The board of governors appreciates the diligence of the administration, under the leadership of Dr. Kris Bulcroft, in ensuring that next steps regarding this judgment are thoughtfully explored," it read.
"Capilano University, like all post-secondary institutions across the country, is facing budget challenges. Cap faces an even greater test as the lowest funded university in the province with the lowest student fees. These realities require everyone in our campus community to consider their actions thoughtfully, and act in the long-term interests of the university as a whole."
