Who Should Choose University Presidents? The #OpenBrockU Campaign
Our colleagues at the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA) have launched a public campaign to have their next University President be chosen in an open search that would include public talks and opportunities for members of the university community to interact with short-listed candidates. While Deans and the Provost are still selected through open searches at Brock, plans are to hold a closed search for Brock's new president. In this discussion, BUFA President Linda Rose-Krasnor argues that the values of transparency, legitimacy, and accountability are all served by an open search, not least because universities are public institutions. These concerns are similar to those that have led YUFA to prioritize strengthening collegial governance -- including open searches for Deans, University Librarian, VP Academic (Provost), and VP Research and Innovation -- in the 2015 Bargaining Round. To view BUFA's petition for an open presidential search, see here.