NO.5 BY MARTIN HUNT Recently, there has been a certain amount of turmoil within the College. Respected people have been fired. Other respected people have quit. The Faculty Association has passed a resolution of censure against the President. Even the support staff has felt compelled to write a letter of criticism to the Board. The Board refuses to receive these protests, claiming that the Faculty has no business censuring the President for doing something that is his prerogative. The issue, it seems to me, is not whether the President has the right to fire people who work under him. It is clear that he has that legal power. The issue is that he has done what he has done in such a way as to cause the College community to mistrust him. From the outside, his actions appear to be wrong, and he doesn’t care enough about how we feel to correct the impression. In fact, he’s cynical about our reaction. In talks with both the Student Society and the Faculty Association he has said that he expected that we would be upset but that we’d soon forget about it. He thinks that we have such a short attention span that he needn’t worry about what we think. Mr. Barkley has been here only a short while - less time than I have. In that time he has not addressed the College community as a leader. He’s not displayed his’ vision of the purpose of an Art College - how it serves the larger community that supports it. He has not indi- cated how he thinks the College should serve the community of students within it. Instead, he’s acted like a boss. Rather than act as a source of inspiration, he’s chosen to be a source of unquestionable dictates. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a string of actions that have been imposed on us without consulta- tion or explanation. Perhaps you remember the $50.00 “studio fee” that was charged a year and a half ago when we returned one September. The fee had nothing to do with studios (many students in fact had their real studio fees raised as well); it was just money that went into the College’s general revenues. This little deception was so blatant that many of us wondered whether the President had his head screwed on tight. Later that fall, the Administration suddenly reduced access to the College by announcing a long closure over Christmas. At the same time, there was a move to closé the College at 11:00 pm each night. Stu- dents heard about the proposed early closing by the grapevine. Luckily, we found out before the change was implemented and the proposal was met by such a strong protest from the students that the President was forced to backtrack. 1989 The opening of the School Store is another example. The College needed a store. The President used the opening of the store as an opportunity to raise the price of supplies that had previously been sold at cost by 25% or more. For example, a sheet of paper that had cost $1.50 from my TA cost $1.96 from the School Store. A square foot of lino that was supplied at no charge now costs over $3.00. Basically, the President used the creation of the Store as an opportunity to drag yet more money from student pockets. Staff relations under Mr. Barkley have not been good. New TA’s have been dangled for years on short term contracts rather than hired outright. Last fall, the support staff came very close to going on strike, after many months of negotiation. The most recent case was ‘in the Computer department where the technician, Ron Barron was not working for the month of January due to Administration bungling. The recent case of the teacher accused of racism is another example of Mr. Barkley’s disregard for the College community. Not only did he reject the mecha- nism that would have involved the Faculty Association in the matter, he acted on evidence that was too weak to stand up to independent scrutiny. Two students involved in the matter ended up feeling used as political footballs in the struggle between the President and the Faculty. The recent dismissal of Tom Kowall and Doug Weir is the most recent in a long chain of events that make us wonder just what Mr. Barkley is up to. To fire them so suddenly, in the middle of the school year, with all the disruption that that entails, implies that something was seriously wrong. If we hadn’t known Tom and Doug so well, we might have assumed that they had failed badly, or were crooks, or worse. As it is, the problem is seen to be in the President. It is no wonder that we have little confidence in him. The President has become a man embattled, rarely seen around the College, relying on legal authority rather than the appearance of justice to enforce his wishes. The situation is such that his recent trip, made for genuine personal reasons, was initially interpreted by many people as a Machiavellian move; designed to defuse the protest that was shaping up for February 22. Mr. Barkley is seen by many as an autocrat. We don’t need an autocrat here, we need a leader we can respect. We need someone who we can trust to be sympathetic to our needs as artists and students. We don’t need a man who hypocritically talks of the College as a “family” but actually tries to run it as if it were a commercial corporation. 2 (oniidence in the President The recent firing of Tom and Doug is the clearest example yet of his disconnection from the College community. Their ouster sent a shock through the whole College, precisely because it was so unexpected, and seemed so unjust. Ifthe President didn’t care to be | seen to be fair to them, what other shocks could we expect from him? His blanket refusal to discuss the issue only reinforced the impression that he couldn’t in fact justify his action to the rest of the College. Many see his refusal to be accountable to the College Community as being a frightening portent for the future. Before Alan Barkley came here to be our President, he had been an administrator at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. -In the time before he left there, NASCAD suffered a strike that left bitter feelings even years after. Is this what’s in store for us here? I believe that the College is a Community and that both the President and the Board of Directors must see themselves as accountable to that Community. They have a leadership role. We need a President and Board in order to relate to the government and other Colleges. Every community needs people who can look at the big picture. In a free country those leaders must be ac- countable to the people they seek to lead. If leaders don’t see themselves as accountable, then they are dictators. It looks to me as though Alan Barkley is being a dictator. It is the duty of members of a free community to not tolerate dictators and make them change or get rid of them. So what should we do? The immediate thing is to attend the Board meeting on Wednesday March 1 at noon. The President will be there and he should see that we still aren’t happy with his actions. He and we have stepped onto a slippery slope that can easily lead to a series of escalating confrontations. That slope leads to events and passions that can only disrupt our main purpose here at the College. How can we step back? The first thing will be for the President to re-. establish the Community’s trust in him. He can do this by explaining his recent actions and persuading us that his motivations are ones that we can support. Then he should continue by discussing what he thinks the College sould be and can become. Again he should be concerned that the Community understand and support his vision. Quite frankly, I think that if the President cannot gain our support by open and honest discussion and persuasion, then he should go away. PHOTOCOPIES OF DOCUMENTS EXCHANGED BY FACULTY AND THE ADMINISTRATION February 10, 1989 Aian Barkley President Fetruary 13, 1989 Mr. Geoff Rees, President, Faculty Association, Emily Carr College of Art Emily Carr College of Art and Design Vancouver, B.C. Dear Alan: Following the dismissal of Tom Kowall, the Director of Student Services and Doug Weir, the Facilities Manager, the Faculty Association of this College passed the following motion on February 8, 1989: "The Faculty Association of the Emily Carr College of Art and Design believes the management philosophy and style demonstrated by the President, Alan Barkley, has been detrimental to the creative atmosphere of the College we, the Faculty, are committed to maintain. Therefore we resolve: To censure the President, Alan Barkley, as the expression of this belief." The Association has noted -that censure means "to find fault and criticize." In a further motion by the Association: "We invite the President, Alan Barkley-to declare Wednesday, February 22, 1989 as a study day for the College to participate in a forum entitled "How can the President and the College community restore a positive and a creative environment." Participants to include members of the Administration, the Board of Trustees, the Support Staff (VMREU), Students and Faculty .' The format for this forum to be determined by 4 working group from the above mentioned. Our hope is to move quickly from the negative effects of these recent events to a constructive association between yourself and the College. Yours truly, ‘ Be ML Geoff VA / Nab President, ECC. Faculty Association GR:dj Chair and Trustees of ECCAD ccs Faculty, ECCAD BS President, Student Society, ECCAD President, VMREU/ECCAD 1399 Johnston Street, Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3R9 Telephone (604) 687-2345 and Design, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3RQ9 Dear Mr. Rees: Having been the recipient of several missives and your recent letter, | feel some comments from your Board Chairman are in order. The Board of Trustees is, by legislative statute, solely responsible for the administration of the College and the determination of the administrative complement. These decisions are not the prerogative of the Faculty Association. The Board will not entertain motions about matters that are not the legitimate issues of the Faculty Association. The College is not adrift, in danger of collision nor is its creativity at risk, as you seem to allege. We are set on a course that will ensure that the institution is best prepared for the future with an administration appropriate to the task. The Board has every confidence in the President and the direction Emily Carr College has taken since his arrival. Neither the Board nor the College's senior administration is insensitive to the feelings expressed by individuals in the College. These decisions were not taken in ignorance of those feelings nor in a cavalier fashion. The individuals involved have been treated fairly and in accordance with the guidelines agreed to between the College and Administrators themselves. Deliberations upon difficult and sometimes personally painful matters are part of my job as Board Chairman and part of the responsibilities of Board members and senior administration. The College has much work before us and plans to develop on many fronts. Board meetings will continue on a monthly basis to ensure appropriate decisions are made on a timely basis. That is our respon- sibility. Classes must continue to be taught and students to be assisted in their creative and intellectual growth. That is your responsibility. Together we can ensure that Emily Carr College fulfills its promise. Yours sincerely, Loire © Bao - Patricia E. Bovey, Chairman, Board of Trustees PEB:km cc: Board of Trustees Faculty Members ‘ Staff and Administration S VOL.4 NO.5 1989 Contidence in the President BY MARTIN HUNT Recently, there has been a certain amount of turmoil within the College. Respected people have been fired. Other respected refies to receive these protests, claiming thatthe Faculty hes no business cenvuriog the resident for ding something that inhi prerogative, “The love, seems to mote tot whether the President ha the right to fre people who work under him. Teis clear that ho hes that legal power. Te issue {nthat he has done whet he has dose i eh a way fo Gqute the Cole community to msi him, From {he outside, his actions appear tobe wrong and he Alocsn't care enough about how we fel to comect the impression. In fac, he's cyaieal about our reaction. In talks with both dhe Student Society and the Facty “Association he has sid that he expected that we would bo upect but that wed soon forget about i. He thinks {hat we have such'a shor attention span that he needa’. ory about what we think “fe Berkley has been here only a short while - ess time then T have. I tha time ho has not addressed the College commonity aa loader, He's nt displayed hi Vision of the purpose ofan Art College how fe serves the Tanger community that support i He has nt ind. ated how he thinks the Clog should serve the community of students within e-Tnstend he's actod Hike ebooe. Rathor than act es «source ofingpiration, Ihe chosen tobe source af unquestionable dictates (Over the pet cnipa of youn we'vw eam a string of actions that have ben imposed onus without conga tion or explanation Perhaps you remember th $50.0 “studi feo" that was charged year and a half ago when we returned tne Soptember. The foo had nothing todo with studos ‘wel it wna nt money that went into the Caloges fencral rovenaen. This ie deception wes blest {tse many fue wondered whether the President had hishheed screwed on teh steal Rniaiatrtin wey reduced accent the College by announcing along closure over Christmas. At the same time, ther we Spove to dané the College a 11:00pm each agit, Ste {Ents hoard abst the proposed eary closing ty the frapevine. Lack, we fond ow before the change was {rplemenied and te proposal was met by such trong Proteat fom the sdenta thatthe Preidont was forced Dbecktrack ‘The opening of the School Store is another example, ‘The Colloge needed a store. The President used the pening ofthe stare as an opportunity ta rise the price ‘of supplies that had previously boon soldat cost by 25% ‘or more. For example, a sheot of paper that had coat {3.50 from my TA cost §1.96 from the School Store. A Square foot of lino that was supplied st no charge now ‘costs over $3.00, Basically, the President used the ereaton ofthe Store as an oportualty to drag yet more ‘money from student pockets. ‘Staff relations under Mr. Barkley have not been good. New TA's have been dangled for years on short {orm contracts rather than hired outright. Last fall, tho support staff came very close to going on strike, afer ‘many months of nogotiation. The most recent cate wa in the Computer department where the technician, Ron. Barron was not working for the month of January due ‘to Administration bungling, ‘The recent case ofthe teacher accused of racism is another example of Me. Barkley’ disregard forthe College community. Not only did he reject the meche- nism that would have involved the Faculty Association {n the matter, he acted on evidence that was too weak to stand up to independent scrutiny. Two students volved in the matter ended up feling used aa political footballs in the struggle between the President and the Faculty. "The recent dismissal of Tom Kowall and Doug Weir Js the most recent in a long chain of events that make us ‘wonder just what Mr. Barkley it up to. To fire them 0 Suddenly, in the middle ofthe school year, with all the disruption that that entails, implies that something was seriously wrong. If we hadn't known Tom and Doug so ‘well, we might have assimed that they had failed badly, Gr Were crooks, or worse. As itis, tho problem ie seen to Belin the President. Tes no wonder that wo hve ile confidence in him. ‘The Prosident hes become a man embattled, rarely seen around the Colloge, relying on legal authority rather than the appearance of justice to enforce hit reed an autocrat here, we need a leader we ean respect, ‘We need someone who we can trust to be sympathetic to cour needs as artists and students. We don't need a man ‘who hypocritically talks of the Caloge as “family” but Actually tries to run it as if it were a commercial Corporation ‘The recent fring of Tom and Doug is the clearest ‘example yet of his disconnection from the College community. Their ouster sent « shock through the ‘hole College, precisely because it was so unexpected, ‘and seemed so unjust. Ifthe President didnt care tobe ‘seen tobe fair to them, what other shocks could we expect from him? His blanket refusal to discuss the Issue only reinforced the impression that he couldnt in fact Justify his action to the rest ofthe Colloge. Many soo ‘his rofunal to be accountable tothe College Community ‘being a frightening portent for the future. ‘Before Alan Barkley came hore to be our President, the had been an administrator at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. In the timo bofore he let there, NASCAD suffered a strike that lft bitter feelings fven years after. Is this what's instore for us here? believe that the College is Community and that both the President and the Board of Directors must soe themselves es accountable to that Community. They hhave a leadership role. We ncod a President and Board {in order to relate to the government and other Colleges. Byery community needs people who can look atthe big picture. In a free country those leaders must be ac ountable tothe poople they sock to lead. If loaders don't fee themselves as accountable, then they are dictators. Te looks to me as though Alan Barkley is being a dictator. Tes the duty of members ofa free community tornot tolerate dictators and male them change or get 1d of them. ‘So what should we da? ‘The immediate thing isto ‘attend the Board meeting on Wednesday March 1 at ‘oon. The President willbe there and he should seo ‘that we still aren't happy with his actions. Hr and we have stopped onto a slippery slope that ‘an easily lead toa series of escalating confrontations. ‘That slope leads to events and passions that can only disrupt our main purpose here at the Colloge. How can we step back? ‘The first thing wll befor the President tore ‘establish the Community's trust in him. He can do this by explaining his recent actions and persuading us that Iie motivations are ones that we can support. ‘Then he should continue by discussing what he thinks the College sould be and ean become. Again he should be ‘concerned that the Community understand and support Ais vision (Quite frankly, I think that ifthe President cannot ‘gain our support by open and honest discussion and Persuasion, then he should go away. MINISTRAT} oe further action fy he ss fr te Couen cope ur toe 14 0 nove qichy fron the angatine fcecte of, tee recent ours onaiy wel YI Frerigent, ErcAD Faculty Antoctation anay hate and Trastees of IECAD eet Pacey, BAD Sresidene, Seudent Sectety, 2OCAD Presideae, WEU/ECCAD 127 oman Set, Grail ad Vasco, ith Cao Cama, VEN RD Teper (0) 4725 Emiy arr Coleg ot Art The Board of Tutte Op lagaatig taut, soe Mhntton ole cle Sree ee apnea ane t Ze irecuon Emily Carr Colege nas taxan since hs artn (axa fawn