Brown-John: Has UWindsor let the community down?

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By: Lloyd Brown-John

I had a wonderful 38 years as a University of Windsor professor. I was mandatorily retired at age 65, and I confess — initially I missed the place.

I receive a pension as a U of W retiree. In the 19 years since retirement I’ve had virtually no contact with the University of Windsor.

Furthermore, due to diminished night vision we decided to cease attending University Players performances. We did sponsor a theatre seat and had intended to sponsor a second.

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I am proud of my years at the University of Windsor and what many of us achieved building the university’s reputation. While I bear a ‘professor emeritus’ title I’m not entirely certain what the designation means and certainly there are no privileges attached to it.

In retirement I have found I’ve been able to launch and develop ElderCollege, now in its fourteenth year. ElderCollege is supported by Canterbury College at the University of Windsor. Other than location, ElderCollege has no linkage to the university.

I am proud of ElderCollege and I retain a certain pride in my career affiliation with the University of Windsor. I retain membership in the Windsor University Retirees Association.

The University of Windsor exists by virtue of a 1962-63 provincial statute, An Act to Incorporate The University of Windsor. UWindsor is governed by two distinct and detached bodies. The most important from the academic perspective is the university senate, a body of persons elected from among faculty and students and chaired by the university president.

The senate is responsible for all matters related to courses, departments, faculties, promotion and tenure. It should have had a role in the decision to shut down the University Players as an academic program function.

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The second body is the board of governors. The university president is an ex-officio member of the board. In theory, it represents the public — perhaps even the taxpayers who ultimately are the main source of funding for the university.

While members of the senate are largely elected to their positions from within the university, members of the board emerge from the community. Many have ties to the university as former graduates. Some are political appointees announced via Orders in Council by Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor.

Ostensibly, board members represent taxpayers’ interests, holding responsibility for income, revenue and investment management.

In light of several unusual recent UWindsor decisions and public announcements and national embarrassments, now may be an occasion for the board — often most noted for its obscurity — to assess performances of senior university administrators.

The announcement of the demise of the University Players came from the university’s public affairs & communications office. The president remained discretely shadowed. When university administration finally oozed forth an explanation for destroying the University Players theatre program, it was proffered by a chap named Robert Aguirre, who reports to the president.

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For the past year, Aguirre has been the university’s chief academic leader as provost and vice-president, academic. Apparently, he provides direction and vision for academic planning and administration. Sort of a hyphen between what academic output is delivered by the university and administering that academic product.

The bottom line is the board should have been involved in both the decision to kill the University Players and whatever unusual agreement was concocted with protesting pro-Palestinian students.

A former prominent board member commented to me that, with the current representatives, the president can effectively ignore the board of governors. That is unacceptable.

The other major related issue is the lack of accountability of the board and its members to the taxpaying public. We taxpayers are uncertain as to selection and appointment and thus entirely in the dark in respect to board accountability.

Ironically, as the University Players dies, at Stratford Festival — where many UWindsor drama grads have thrived — there is a delightful play this season: “Something Rotten.”

I highly recommend UWindsor board members and assorted administration staff attend the play.

Lloyd Brown-John is a University of Windsor professor emeritus of political science and director of Canterbury ElderCollege. He can be reached at lbj@uwindsor.ca.

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