Indigenous Engagement Committee

I'm now a member of the newly created indigenous engagement committee as a vice-chair. The aboriginal committee has not been set up as a standing committee, but rather as a subsidiary committee reporting to the People, Community, International (PCI) standing committee. Given the importance of the work of this new committee it may have been better to link directly to the board without passing through a standing committee. That said, it is a major step forward for this board.

Other changes of note: one of the student governors has been appointed as a standing committee chair (placing them onto the executive committee) and another as the vice chair of a standing committee. Only faculty chairing a committee is the UBC-O rep.

Open Letter to Colleagues: UBCFA Executive Elections

Dear Colleagues,

I think that it is important that our faculty association is represented by voices who can represent the totality of our membership, not a small segment of it.  

I have had many occasions to work with Bronwen and Alan over the course of my career at UBC – I have every confidence in them that they represent our best options at this moment in time for our association.  Along with Mark McLean [read Mark's excellent summary of issues and rationale for this vote], whom I respect deeply, I too offer my personal endorsement of Bronwen [candidate statement]  and Alan [candidate statement] for president and vice-president of our association.

If I have learned one thing over the past year serving as a faculty representative on the UBC Board of Governors it is that we need a strong active and effective faculty association willing to stand up and represent our membership. Bronwen and Alan are well placed to step up on our behalf.

We have an important choice this election.  We can vote for a narrowly focussed single issue group or we can select colleagues who will be considerate of issues and concerns from across the membership. I'm voting for colleagues that I consider will consider all views and fairly uphold the mandate of our faculty association: to fairly represent and speak for all of us as faculty.

Irrespective of my perspective on who one might wish to vote for, it is important that as many of us as possible do in fact vote. If you have already voted – thank you!  If not, please do not hesitate, exercise your vote and participate in shaping the leadership of our faculty association so that we can be assured it will represent all of us, not a small segment with a narrow agenda.

Yours,

Charles Menzies


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Comment received from Peter Wylie, candidate for VP of the faculty association send via email, March 26, 2018, 12:26 AM.

Hi Charles:

 Thanks for your message, very helpful. Somewhat smug and arrogant also, and a nice put-down to us here at little “small segment” and narrow-minded UBC Zero backwater with our (by obvious corollary to “small segment”) “narrow agenda.” Of course you need Vancouver members only to “represent the totality of our membership” and “willing to stand up and represent our membership.” Quite obviously, we need to be assured that “the leadership of our faculty association…will represent all of us, not a small segment with a narrow agenda” so quite obviously, that leadership cannot include UBC Okanagan members. Well said.  Of course logically “narrow agenda” does not follow from “small segment” and my agenda, to overturn the existing power structures in the UBCFA, is of course not “narrow.” But whatever, keep on with your logical fallacies and enjoy the tea and bikkies at the BOG. 

Peter

Calling Upon UBC's Board of Governors to Issue Statement: Justice for Colton Bushie

Update: February 18, 2018.

UBC's Board of Governors voted to endorse and support President Ono's statement at the start of the Thursday, February 15th Board meeting.


Update: Feb. 13, 2018. 6:36pm.

UBC's President, Dr. Santa Ono issues a statement on behalf of UBCs community.

Thank you for your leadership Dr. Ono!

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Dear Stuart,

In the wake of the call by hundred of Indigenous faculty members and allies across the country for our Universities to reaffirm their support of implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action I would ask the indulgence of the chair to entertain a motion to make a public statement of support for the family of Colton Bushie and to publicly reaffirm our commitment to implementing the TRC call to action. See here: statement.  

As arguably the leading post secondary institution in BC, if not Canada, I would suggest we have a moral obligation to take a leadership role in this matter.  I have taken the liberty to draft a statement, but I leave it to your good offices to find the wording that is most comfortable to you and fitting to our university, but offer the following for your consideration.

Proposed wording of statement to endorse.

The University of British Columbia extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Colten Boushie. In this moment of collective national self-reflection on the implications of Canada’s settler heritage, The University of British Columbia recognizes our need to support of Indigenous students, faculty, and staff.

We reaffirm our commitment to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and by so doing commit to: supporting Indigenous peoples during and beyond this time of deep pain, grief, and rage; taking actions to enhance institutional accountability towards Indigenous peoples and communities, and; supporting anti-oppressive education.

With warm regards,

Charles Menzies