Report from the President - May 2009
Report from the President and Executive Director - February 2009
Report from the President - November 2008
Report from the President - September 2008
Report from the President - February 2008
Report from the President - November 2007
There were a number of important activities during the year
Approval and action on the ad hoc committee report
The report of the ad hoc committee on the mandate and personnel needs of the Federation was approved and put into action.
An Executive Assistant was hired in August 2005. Unfortunately, our first Executive Assistant left prior to Christmas when her husband
was transferred out of the province. We then proceeded to hire our current Executive Assistant, Marie-Josée Lanteigne.
The Collective Bargaining Committee was also established and had its first meeting in February, shortly after the agreement was reached
at UNB. All six member associations sent representatives. In the upcoming year, five of the six member associations will be moving
towards collective bargaining, since contracts end on June 30, 2007, for the constituents of the Université de Moncton, for Saint Thomas,
and for Mount Allison.
Formal meetings
As President, I attended a number of formal meetings, usually accompanied by the Executive Director.
2006
The budget consultations of Minister J. Volpé, in Dieppe, on February 21, gave us an opportunity to recommend to the minister that amounts for the
universities be increased, following the Premier’s announcement of his "5 in 5 priorities", where PSE is the first of the five priorities.
Shortly after the budget consultation meetings, at the end of February, I attended the Council of the Federation special meeting on Postsecondary
Education in Ottawa as the Federation’s representative. We were invited by the Premier to attend. Also in attendance were three of the four university
presidents (Mount Allison sent a dean). Although attendance was limited, we managed to also have the Executive Director attend.
Six of the provincial premiers were present, led by Premiers Charest and McGuinty. Premier Lord was present. There were around 300-400 participants in
the meeting. The only faculty representatives seemed to be representatives of provincial federations and the CAUT. The CAUT Bulletin reports on the meeting.
Breakout groups were formed to discuss issues around postsecondary education. I ended up in a breakout group with Jim Turk (CAUT) and Claire Morris (AUCC),
and various representatives of university administrations, college administrations, students and the private sector. I was named rapporteur of our group
and got to address the entire assembly (for two minutes). My report of our breakout group’s views recommended a PSE dedicated transfer, $4.9B immediately,
provincial accountability to be achieved through a new PSE federal-provincial agreement to be worked out by the CMEC, and the establishment of a lead
federal minister for PSE (but not a federal ministry of education).
Premier Charest told me later he liked my report.
Desmond and I had the opportunity of talking to Premier Lord, and we spent a lot of time with the new minister of Postsecondary Education and Training,
Jody Carr. The Executive Director pointed out to the minister that with the new 5 in 5 priorities enunciated by the Premier, of which PSE was the first,
it might be useful to ask for more money right away. We also got to talk to the Deputy Minister Rachel Barr and the ADM for PSE.
2005
In October 2005, we attended the MPHEC meeting in Truro.
Later in October 2005, we attended the Premier’s Forum on Postsecondary Education. I had attended the earlier Premier’s Forum in April 2005,
which dealt with all levels of education. At that earlier meeting, the university administrations sent their presidents. At the October meeting,
they sent vice presidents (it must be admitted that many of the presidents were out of the province at that time). Both Desmond and I managed
to speak, and the Premier was clearly impressed with a comment that Desmond made.
One issue that came up at the Premier’s Forum was the establishment of a Commission on University Education.
I attended the CAUT Council in November, along with the Executive Director and the Past President (other members of the Executive and the Board
attended as representatives of their faculty associations). As usual, we attended the Provincials’ meeting and the Francophone meeting at Council,
and we had the FNBFA lunch at the favourite restaurant of the members.
NB Government - Commission on Universities
An issue that came up in the Premier’s Forum on PSE in October was the intention of the government to set up a Commission on Universities. The Premier
announced at that time that the commission would be set up in the spring. Student representatives at the Forum said that student representation on the
Commission was essential, and the Premier seemed to agree.
Earlier this month, the Executive Director and I attended an event at Mount Allison featuring the Premier and the Minister. We had a long discussion
with the Minister, pointing out the need for faculty representation on the Commission. The Minister indicated that the Premier’s intention was to set
up the Commission late this month. The new Budget contains $800,000 for the Commission in the upcoming year, and the Minister indicated the Commission
should probably report in 18 months.
Richard Hudson
President
FNBFA/FAPPUNB