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In January 2009 the entire university chaplaincy team resigned in protest in response to actions taken by University President David Perrin. Here are copies of their resignation letters:
Resignation letter of Fr. James Link, CR
Here is a memo dated the next day from President David Perrin that frames Fr. Link's departure as a "retirement."
And here is another memo from President Perrin in which he attributes Fr. Link's retirement to "health reasons."
Resignation letter of Melinda Szilva
Here is a memo from President Perrin announcing Melinda Szilva's resignation.
And here is a memo from President David Perrin congratulating Melinda Szilva on her new job.
Resignation letter of Carol Persins
Professor Steve Furino also resigned as a result of actions taken by President Perrin. Here is a copy of a letter sent by Dr. Furino to Dorothee Retterath, Chair of the Board of Governors.
Memos
On 24 January 2009, Maureen O'Donoghue Rich, Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors sent a memo to the Steering Committee of St. Jerome's College Council. In it, she warned that Council had "encroached" beyond its mandate when it asked that exit interviews be conducted with the recently departed members of the chaplaincy team. Here is her memo.
One day earlier, on 23 January 2009, the Executive Committee of the Board wrote to all members of College Council. In this memo, the members of the Executive affirmed their support for David Perrin and noted that:
"Recent events at College Council relayed in the draft Minutes of January 8, 2009, as well as in prior Minutes, clearly demonstrate an encroachment beyond College Council's mandate. The proposed initiatives detailed in the most recent motions place College Council's actions in conflict with the St. Jerome's University founding Statute and Bylaws. As a result the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of St. Jerome's University instructs the President and the Vice-President to not attend meetings of College Council until further notice."
Here is the faculty response to the Executive memos of 23 and 24 January 2009.
Dismayed by the Executive Committee of the Board's disregard for Board-approved policy and the academic freedom of the members of the College Council Steering Commttee, the Faculty Association called for a vote of non-confidence in the President, David Perrin. Here is the motion of non-confidence.
Here is the 10 February 2009 Media Release from the St. Jerome's faculty addressing its vote of non-confidence in President Perrin.
And here is a link to the University of Waterloo's Policy 50. Section 5 (Removal of the Office Holder Before Expiration of Term) stipulates that the President of the University may only be removed from office for cause. It stipulates that "Causes for removal include negligence, incompetence, unprofessional conduct, and inability to maintain the confidence of the University community.
Because the Faculty Association saw the decisions of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors as a curtailment of academic freedom and an attack on the principle of collegial governance as well as a naked violation of SJU Board-approved policy, faculty members began to consider unionization. If the Senior Administration, with the Board's approval, could so wantonly disregard Board policy and established procedures, how could faculty then trust senior administrators to honour a Memorandum of Understanding, a document that works as a sort of "gentleman's agreement," but that has no real basis in law?
Only at this time, that is in February 2009, did faculty consider forming a union.
Here is a message dated 13 February 2009 from David DeVidi, President of the Faculty Association at the University of Waterloo (FAUW). It concerns the SJU faculty's vote of non-confidence in President Perrin.
On 30 March 2009, President David Perrin sent a memo to the faculty of the university advising them that:
"In my view, unionization can be contrary to the principles of the collegial relationship the University has enjoyed with its academic staff - we do not believe that an adversarial system with its threat of strikes or lockouts contributes to a positive collegial environment."
Click here to read the full memo which outlines David Perrin's views on unionization.
Here is the faculty response to President Perrin's views on unionization. This letter spells out the Catholic view of labour unions and defends Catholic workers' rights to form them.