An open letter to the board of governors at Capilano University:
I just returned from the University of Alberta in Edmonton where faculty from across Canada and England gathered for a weeklong conference to address the erosion of academic freedom, free speech and democracy.
Many topics were discussed, including the importance of open forums during search processes for top university positions.
This had long been the tradition at Canadian universities and continues at some, primarily in eastern Canada. The practice of open searches has been discouraged by the professional agencies that co-ordinate searches (often referred to as head-hunters) which have vested interests in avoiding open forums to provide an advantage for their own stable of candidates.
This conflict often works to the advantage of careerist administrators with top-down styles of governance, while open forums where all stakeholders have an equal opportunity to engage in the selection process provide an advantage for applicants who hold the faculty, student and community interests at heart.
Suggestions that the candidate’s current employment may be jeopardized by open discussions are false – that compromise should not be accepted.
I urge you to launch this new era for Capilano University with a transparent and open public process where all stakeholders can participate in forums with the short-listed presidential candidates.
Holding the best process to find the best leader is paramount for the future of our institution.
George Rammell, former Capilano University instructor
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