GFC passes motion for Board of Governors to initiate independent review into May 9 student encampments
By Vama Saini, July 24 2024—
The General Faculties Council (GFC) has passed a motion for the Board of Governors to initiate an independent review into the administration’s actions during the May 9 student encampment. This step, taken during a special meeting on July 10, aims to address concerns over the administration’s handling of the incident.
This development follows President Dr. Ed McCauley’s rejection of a request to convene an additional GFC Executive Committee meeting to discuss the motion. Under section 7.1(b) of the GFC bylaws, supporters had to gather at least one-quarter of GFC members to call a special meeting, which they successfully achieved.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, Student Union (SU) President Ermia Rezaei-Afsah provided insights into the significance of this review and its implications for the campus community.
“It’s a step in the right direction. It’s an important victory because it shows that the faculty and various constituent groups believe an independent review is necessary,” Rezaei-Afsah said. “However, the fight isn’t over yet. We still have other demands, such as being included on the university’s crisis management team.”
The May 9 encampments and the decision to call the police by the administration have been a point of contention. The SU has been critical of the administration’s actions.
“The university’s decision to call the police was unprecedented and was done without exploring other avenues,” he said. “We need to see if there was a failure in leadership and if there are policies that need to be changed.”
During the special meeting, Rezaei-Afsah emphasized that the independent review is not about assigning guilt but about understanding the decision-making process and improving future responses.
“The purpose of this independent review is to gain clarity on what happened and how we can do better,” he explained. “It’s not about assuming wrongdoing but ensuring that if mistakes were made, they are addressed.”
Rezaei-Afsah also highlighted the importance of independence in the review.
“Ideally, the Board of Governors will form an ad hoc committee, and that committee finds legal counsel that is independent and isn’t relational to this context. This will ensure that the review is unbiased and comprehensive,” he said.
Looking ahead, the next steps involve awaiting the Board of Governors’ response, which is expected in their September meeting.
“This will either come to the Board of Governors in the September meeting or a special meeting of the Board of Governors. I don’t think a special meeting is going to be called, but I’ll be looking into that,” said Rezaei-Afsah.
Rezaei-Afsah remains hopeful but pragmatic about the investigation process.
“If the Board rejects the review or does a poor job with it, we will hold them accountable,” he said. “It’s crucial that this review is conducted to high standards, similar to other independent reviews conducted by universities like the University of Alberta.”
Rezaei-Afsah noted that the timing of the review might impact its effectiveness.
“It might be important to just let it happen in September when students are actually on campus because, if they reject it, or they do a really bad job of it, then we can keep them accountable,” he said. “It’s a little hard to do that over the summer if so many people are away.”
The SU President also stressed the need for ongoing dialogue and accountability.
“The review should address whether the university made reasonable efforts to de-escalate the situation and what criteria were used in their decision-making,” Rezaei-Afsah said. “We want to ensure that student voices are heard and respected in university governance.”
As the university community awaits further developments, the SU’s push for an independent review underscores a broader push for transparency and accountability within the institution.
“Our goal is to restore confidence in the administration and ensure that similar situations are handled more effectively in the future,” he said.
The university administration was contacted for a statement regarding this development but did not provide a response by the time of publication. However – according to a previous statement to the Gauntlet – there will be a third party review of the administration’s actions on May 9.