Maclean's Article
August 11, 1997
Page 48
In the eyes of many scholars, the university senate is a cornerstone of academic freedom. Composed of faculty, students and administrators, it makes critical decisions about pedagogical direction, free from the more bottom-line concerns of the board of governors. So when the B.C. government passed a bill last month to establish the new Technical University of British Columbia--also known as "Tech B.C."--academics cried foul. The reason: the new school, to be based in Surrey, will have no senate, but instead will be run solely by a board of governors. Last week, the Canadian Association of University Teachers called for a worldwide boycott of the institution, with CAUT president Bill Bruneau insisting that it poses a threat to the principal of "free and independent research." But while Bruneau says CAUT hopes to "make first-rate people think twice" before studying or teaching at Tech B.C., the university's interim board chairman, Ron Dickson, predicts otherwise. "We're looking for people with new and innovative ways of doing things," says Dickson--especially in high-technology and science. "These people put less weight on traditional issues."