Funding pulled for First Nations’ university

REGINA—Some say the federal government’s decision to pull funding from the First Nations University of Canada over ongoing concerns with finances and governance will be the “nail in the coffin” for the school.
Indian Affairs minister Chuck Strahl said yesterday his department won’t renew about $7.3 million to the Regina-based institution effective March 31.

“For some time now, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has worked with the First Nations University of Canada to help it address long-standing, systemic problems related to governance and financial management of the institution,” Strahl said in a news release.
“There have been repeated delays by the institution to take action on these matters,” he noted. “This situation can no longer continue.”
There have been allegations of financial mismanagement and political interference by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, which oversees the school.
The federation would not comment on Ottawa’s decision, but leader Guy Lonechild was meeting with students in Saskatoon yesterday afternoon.
Federation chiefs, in an effort to save the school and rebuild its tarnished reputation, voted last week to dissolve the board of governors and put the administration on leave.
Lonechild said an interim, non-political board made up of First Nations academic professionals will be put in place.
The move came after the Saskatchewan government cut $5.2 million in funding—roughly 20 percent of the university’s budget.
Ottawa’s contribution accounted for about 30 percent.
“It’s just appalling,” said Jim Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers.
“Doing this now will only seal the fate of the First Nations University at the very moment when the FSIN did the right thing,” he noted.
The aboriginal university opened in 2003 with the idea that education would be to the future of young aboriginal people what the buffalo was to past generations. But it has been under a cloud for virtually its entire existence.
Problems erupted in 2005 when a federation vice-chief, who was chairman of the board of governors, suspended several senior administrators, seized the university’s central computers, and copied the hard drive with all faculty and student records.
The federation set up an all-chiefs’ task force that recommended governance changes, but they were never made.
The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada put the school on probation in 2007.
That was lifted in 2008, but later that year the Canadian Association of University Teachers voted to censure the school for “its ongoing failure to resolve the serious problems with the governance of the university.”
A provincially-unded operational review in January, 2009 recommended a smaller, less-politicized board. No changes were made.
A wrongful dismissal suit recently filed by a former financial officer at the university alleges there were questionable travel expenses and paid vacation time.
A financial audit has been ordered and is to be completed by March.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers, which has been a vocal critic of the school’s situation, said the province’s decision to pull out its money was the catalyst needed for the Indian federation to dissolve the board and make changes, so Ottawa’s decision to also cut funding was bad timing.
“It’s just unbelievable,” said Turk. “It’s short-sighted. It’s destructive.
“Had [Strahl] taken some action earlier, it might have been very useful as a way of pushing the FSIN to do something like Saskatchewan did,” Turk added.
“But to do it now after they’ve made a firm commitment to fix the problems, it serves no useful purpose at all.”
Turk said the First Nations’ university is unique in aboriginal education and Ottawa’s move could be the “nail in the coffin” that shuts the school for good.
Saskatchewan Liberal leader Ryan Bater said both levels of government should have waited.
He told CTV News the timing of the provincial funding cut last week was insulting because the decision was made behind closed doors before the students had a chance to meet with the FSIN.
Bater said he does believe in greater accountability for the university, but funding decisions should have waited until two expected independent reports are released—both of which are due in a matter of weeks.
Saskatchewan Advanced Education minister Rob Norris said both levels of government have been patient, but there were few options left.
He couldn’t speculate yesterday about what might happen to the facility.