https://www.change.org/p/athabasca-university-oppose-direct-political-interference-in-universities
I, like many staff and students, have been deeply shaken and outraged by recent events at Athabasca University. This is a petition by me and Simon Buckingham Shum, of the University of Technology Sydney, Australia to protest the blatant interference by the Albertan government in the affairs of AU over the past year, that culminated in the firing of its president, Professor Peter Scott, without reason or notice. Even prior to this, the actions of the Albertan government had been described by Glen Jones (Professor of Higher Education, University of Toronto) as: “the most egregious political interference in a public university in Canada in more than 100 years” This was an assault on our university, an assault on the very notion of a public university, and it sets a disturbing precedent that cannot stand unopposed.
We invite you to view this brief summary, and consider signing this petition to signal your concern. Please feel more than free to pass this on to anyone and everyone – it is an international petition that has already been signed by many, both within and beyond the AU community.
Originally posted at: https://landing.athabascau.ca/bookmarks/view/17102318/petition-%C2%B7-athabasca-university-oppose-direct-political-interference-in-universities-%C2%B7-changeorg
why did the government intervene?
Most likely to secure votes for the upcoming election from people in rural Alberta, though the extremity of the government’s behaviour, going far beyond what original petitioners from Athabasca asked for or wanted, suggests that more may have been much more at stake for someone in or close to the government. I strongly suspect corruption at the highest levels, though it could just be childish bullying or revenge by a minister who was seen by the press and public to have lost face. Either way, it is awful.