Surrey/North Delta News Leader Editorial
Wednesday, July 30, 1997
Page A10
The best and brightest minds in the world won't he coming to Surrey if two well-respected academic associations have their way.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C.(CUFA) are orchestrating a worldwide PR campaign to discourage university professors from accepting positions at the new Technical University.
It's not a "real" university, claims CAUT, because it will operate without an academic senate - a board that regulates program direction autonomously from a financial board which deals with issues such as budget, property management, tuition and personnel.
The provincial government created new legislation in order to build Tech B.C. CAUT says the law will limit academic freedom.
The way Bill 30 (the Technical University of B.C. Act) is written, all the decision-making will come from one government-appointed board. This could wreak havoc with programs - rendering them changeable and research - discouraging curiosity-inspired discoveries in favor of board-approved prospects.
In other words, the setup dangerously marries education to private industry.
CAUT and CUFA fear much more than Nike ads on the gym floor.
The omnipotent board, not necessarily consisting of education experts, could tailor research towards business interests rather than society's needs. Teachers' hands could be tied by profit-minded corporations. Students could be primed for employers' desires rather than their own best interests.
Education Minister Paul Ramsey responds that Tech B.C. indeed has a "unique" relationship with business. The university, he says, will "encourage partnerships with public and private sector employees."
He goes on to say that Tech B.C. degrees will be regarded as credible, and the university's credentials will be recognized internationally.
The blacklist campaign will throw a shadow on that claim. Newspapers, radio stations and newsletters that reach professors around the globe will debunk Tech B.C.
This is not what Surrey needed - more perceived red-neckery from the outside world.
As Canada's fastest growing city, it seems we still have to devote undue time and attention to damage control - disputing the latest pit bull and pick-up truck harangue as we carry on.
We've made national headlines before. The last city council was renowned for its bickering; councillors' antics regularly drew more attention than the issues they were "debating."
But with education touted as the country's edge on global economy, this current bad-mouth campaign is the last thing we need.
Inexcusably, the government saw this bombshell coming for months and chose to ignore it. CUFA executive director Robert Clift says his organization has been alerting the government of its concerns since September, 1995.
Local MLAs have instead spent time arguing over location (Cloverdale vs. Whalley) when this more fundamental flaw lay festering.
Sadly, the government's handling of this issue is set to make U. the butt of yet another Surrey joke.