Vancouver Island University president resigns under pressure from students and faculty
Deborah Saucier's last day on the job will be April 4
The president of Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo is stepping down after weeks of students and faculty demanding her resignation.
Deborah Saucier's departure was announced Thursday afternoon, effective April 4.
She has been in the position for six years.
In a statement, the university credited her with "several significant institutional milestones, including the implementation of VIU's first Strategic Plan and guiding the institution through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic" and commended her for "continued growth and innovation."
But behind the scenes, both students and faculty had become increasingly critical of her decision-making.
On March 6, the VIU Faculty Association said 86 per cent of its members had voted non-confidence in Saucier, and on March 5, the students' union issued an open letter calling for her resignation.
In its statement, the students' union accused Saucier of financial mismanagement, draining cuts to student services and a lack of transparency and accountability.
Among the decisions cited by Saucier's critics were the complete elimination of the school's music program, the cancellation of a new child-care centre on campus and reductions to hours at the campus library.
A university spokesperson said Saucier would not be available to respond to the concerns.
Leah Vaisanen, the Indigenous student representative for the VIU Students' Union, said the concerns surrounding Saucier and the university's executive team had been piling up until it seemed like there was no way to move forward.
"It wasn't just one issue; it was a pattern of top-down decisions and a lack of accountability," she told CBC's On the Island guest host, Kathryn Marlow.
"There was a clear disconnect between leadership and the VIU community."
A mixed legacy
When she first arrived at the university, Saucier was touted as the university's first female president and first president to identify as Métis.
An accomplished neuroscientist, she came to the school after a two-year term as president of Edmonton's MacEwan University and, prior to that, was provost and vice-president, academic, at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa, Ont.
Gara Pruesse, the president of the VIU Faculty Association, said she had been a "good ambassador" for the school and she had contributed to a "positive legacy," but she didn't see a way forward for her anymore.
She said everyone who voted for Saucier's resignation had their own reasons, but a common theme was "decisions being made that are not supported by evidence."
"That has been going on for three years, and that's been contributing to why we no longer believe the president has been making decisions that align with our mission," she said.
She said a major issue among faculty was layoffs that have been ramped up since the reduction in the number of international students coming to the province due to legislation from the B.C. and federal governments.
She said that while enrolment numbers are down, the numbers provided by the administration to justify cuts did not match what her members were seeing.
Vaisanen also cited concerns about increases in security spending following pro-Palestine demonstrations on the university campus, which came at the same time other programs were being cut.
She said she hoped the resignation would be a "turning point" in relations between the university and its member groups, with an opportunity to reset and move things forward.
The university said it is appointing VIU's chief financial officer , Emily Huner, as acting president and that the search is underway for a permanent successor.
With files from On The Island and CHEK News