500 signatures reached
To: Carleton University Board of Governors
Letter in Support of Dr.Gorelick (Carleton University)
We the undersigned want to express our support for Dr. Root Gorelick. As reported initially in the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has unanimously passed a motion to begin a censure investigation against Carleton University for its disregard for the democratic functioning of the institution through its revised Statement of General Duties, Fiduciary Responsibilities, and Conflict of Interest. This statement would demand an unprecedented level of secrecy from a democratically elected faculty representative on the Board of Governors, and would force Dr. Gorelick to sign away his academic freedom.
Dr. Gorelick’s fiduciary duty is to the whole university community. We support Dr. Gorelick for encouraging openness, transparency and good governance through blogging about open sessions of the board since 2013.
We are disappointed by the misleading statements Carleton has made in response to our concerns about academic freedom and accountable governance. It has been especially troubling to observe Carleton’s attack on the integrity of Dr. Gorelick. His actions have reflected his commitment to core principles at the heart of the university. As a public institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in the public interest, Carleton is obligated not only to foster openness and public debate, but to recognize its accountability to the broader public it serves. Secrecy and gag-orders are incompatible with Carleton’s institutional mission.
We stand with the Carleton University Academic Staff Association, and with academic staff across the country, as represented by the Canadian Association of University Teachers, in our opposition to the way Dr. Gorelick has been treated, and in our commitment to defend academic freedom, transparency and good governance at Carleton University.
Why is this important?
On Saturday November 28th the delegates at the 79th CAUT Council meeting unanimously passed a motion condemning Carleton University for its disregard for democratic and transparent functioning of the University, and referred the matter to their Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee.
This motion was motivated by the decision of Carleton University to have the members of the Carleton University Board of Governors sign a newly revised Statement of General Duties, Fiduciary Responsibilities, and Conflict of Interest. The revised statement imposed additional restrictions on a member’s ability to speak publicly about board meetings.
In order to encourage transparency and good governance, CUASA member Dr. Root Gorelick, who is one of 2 elected faculty representatives on the Carleton University Board of Governors, has blogged regularly about open meetings of the Board since 2013. Under the revised statement, Dr. Gorelick is prohibited from continuing to blog about anything discussed by the Board of Governors. As a result, he has refused to sign the revised statement and is facing the threat of removal from the Board of Governors.
Ottawa Citizen article: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/canadian-university-professors-condemn-carleton-university-board-for-gag-order
Motion: http://blog.cuasa.ca/caut-council-motion/