Academic leaders condemn Nova Scotia bill as threat to university autonomy
Legislation allows province to restructure universities, appoint up to 50% of their boards
New legislation affecting post-secondary institutions in Nova Scotia drew the ire of members of the Canadian Association of University Teachers at a meeting this weekend in Ottawa.
An Act Respecting Advanced Education and Research received royal assent on March 26. The bill came after a report from the auditor general called for more transparency and accountability at universities.
A news release from the province said it was designed to "strengthen post-secondary institution financial accountability, sustainability and alignment with government priorities."
The legislation allows the province to restructure universities, appoint up to 50 per cent of their boards, and align academic research with government priorities.
Delegates at the meeting in Ottawa voted unanimously to condemn the bill, citing concerns that the legislation could serve as a model for similar efforts in other provinces.
Peter McInnis, the association's president, said from Ottawa that condemnation of the bill was an unusual step for the association, but not without precedent.
He called it a rehash of a bill from 2015, but considers it more dangerous because it no longer requires universities to be in crisis before government intervention.
"There was no obvious need for this," McInnis said.
He said members of the association see the new bill as an encroachment on academic freedom.
He said the association will be looking at legal options and charter implications, but understands those avenues could take years.
Cathy Conrad is president of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union, which proposed the motion.
She said requiring more transparency and accountability from universities is a good aspect of the legislation. But other elements that have nothing to do with the auditor general's report have been introduced, she said.
"They were able to then cloak, under the guise of being more fiscally responsible and transparent, the sorts of things like attaching their operating grants to government priorities," Conrad said.
"There's no room for politicians to be dictating what the population should be receiving in terms of their education."
Conrad emphasized that universities are already publicly accountable, governed by boards with representatives from various sectors, including government.
CBC has asked the province for a response to the vote.