THE
STRATEGIC PLAN ON TRIAL: DIARY OF EVENTS
AT THE UFC, SENATE, AND AFC
UFC, November 17, 2005
The President and the Vice-President Academic met Acadia’s faculty at the University Faculty Council. The President stood and addressed the council. The Vice-President Academic sat at the front and responded to specific issues. The President said that she would take questions but wanted to address concerns in documents circulating on the Plan. The point, she said, was that the Plan was meant to give “direction, not directives.” In essence, the Plan was a marketing tool. She recognized that some of the language in the Plan was problematic and that language meant a lot to faculty; therefore, the language would be changed. Also, the President recognized that the Plan could be interpreted as infringing upon the Collective Agreement and this concern needed to be fixed. In response to questions, the President said that she believed the Plan represented views of the faculty, as well as other groups of the University community who were consulted. In response to a suggestion that a motion against the draft of the Plan be made to instruct the senators of the Faculty Council’s views, the President responded that this was not necessary as it was quite clear where the faculty stood.
Senate, November 21, 2005
At the Senate the President said that the process of hearing the concerns of faculty would continue and recognized the need to clarify language and differentiate Acadia University from other universities. The university had to define its niche without giving up its core strengths. The purpose of the Plan was not to force but to engage faculty who wished to be involved in the new initiatives. The President underlined that only the faculty and Senate had the power to shape curriculum. Ralph Nilson proposed that a Senate sub-committee be established and that this sub-committee would include a representative of each Faculty, with himself acting as head. There were, however, objections since notice of motion was not given and therefore a decision was postponed until the December meeting of the Senate. Possibly by the New Year a committee will be struck to work on a second draft of the Plan.
AFC, November 22, 2005
At the Arts Faculty Council the Vice-President Academic replied to questions on the future of the Plan by saying that the Board of Governors expected a final document in May. In the meantime, there will be dialogues and debates in various venues. When asked if the second draft would be submitted to the Council, the Vice-President Academic replied in the affirmative. Yes, he said, the Senate would also review the second draft. On questions as to where the request for a new Strategic Plan originated, the Vice-President Academic said that the Board of Governors had initiated the Plan in the fall of 2004, as it was hoped that a new administration could seize the day to redefine the University’s mission. The Vice-President Academic recognized that there were problems with the Plan, notably, that it failed to recognize Acadia’s strengths and trespassed on issues that properly belong in negotiations between the Board of Governors and the Faculty Association. However, he did not agree with the opinion that the Plan was too vague and sweeping, claiming that the purpose of the Plan was to set broad guidelines for future developments.
Jamie Whidden