UNBC Senate Critical of Moore Appointment as Chancellor and Nomination Process
The controversy continues over the appointment of former Conservative MP James Moore as chancellor at UNBC.
At its regular meeting on December 9, the UNBC Senate passed a motion directing the President of the university, Dan Weeks, to inform the Board of Governors that in the Senate’s view, the Board failed to consult effectively and sufficiently regarding the appointment of Moore as chancellor as required under the provincial University Act.
After extensive discussion, the UNBC Senate, which is composed of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community representatives, passed the motion almost unanimously. President Dan Weeks asked each senator to present his or her views on the Moore appointment, which most did.
A number of senators and members of the audience criticized the appointment of Moore himself, citing the former MP as a “poor choice” noting his support for government policies which did not reflect the values and principles of the university.
Several senators pointed out that their opposition was not motivated by political partisanship in that they would oppose any nominee who held such views no matter which party he or she supported.
The nomination process was also called into question.The formal nomination process took place from mid-December 2014 to mid-January 2015. During that time, Moore was still an MP in the federal parliament and sitting MPs cannot be nominated. Senators asked just how and when his nomination took place.
UNBC president Weeks told the group information on the timing and process would be provided to senators at a later date as privacy and freedom of information concerns had to be addressed.
As the discussion neared an end, one senator noted the Board’s decision to nominate Moore should not be taken as final, and that, in public life, there are many examples of individuals doing the right thing and stepping down in the face of widespread opposition.
The next step will be for the President of UNBC to take the Senate motion, as well as the concerns expressed at the meeting, to the Board of Governors.
Comments
THE WHINERS HAVE MADE THEIR CASE VERY CLEAR….THEY OPPOSE THE NOMINATION OF MOORE BECAUSE HE HAPPENS TO HAVE A CONSERVATIVE PHILOSOPHY.
WERE HE A LIBERAL OR SOCIALIST….WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.
notsofast- inside of whining in large case, simply provide us all with a good reason on why Moore should be the next chancellor of UNBC. I bet you are unable.
He was ineligible at the time of the appointment but he’s unqualified regardless of what time it is . The only reason he was appointed was because of his political stripe . It is shameful that the BoG would politicize the process . Who made the appointment ? That’s the $320+ K question ??????
UNBC because of this irrational debate has turned into a sad money sucking joke.
Why would any semi public body make such a questionable, controversial choice when there are many other choices that would not attract this kind of controversy. Those in charge of the appointment need to resign ~ their whole process is flawed. It appears their main motivation was political and this is precisely what you do NOT want at a university. Totally ill thought out.
The onus is, in my opinion, on the appointed person to carefully evaluate the whole situation. Can he ever have a harmonious and worthwhile relationship with those who oppose his appointment? The university has established values and goals. He demonstrated that during his political career he held views and supported a government whose priorities and active policies were contrary to those of the university.
If I were the appointee I would decline the appointment! Nothing is more important than harmony and cooperation in this case.
Yes, what a travesty to have a perfectly qualified individual take the job when he could have his pick of many other high-paying posts anywhere else in the world. It’s also a wonderful message to send to current students that they can graduate, achieve in one of the highest offices in the land, come back to the school as Chancellor and be bullied out by a bunch of tilty-headed ass-grabbers simply because of his or her political connections and thoughts.
Princegeorge you assume that he is as principled and morally mature as you or I . That in my humble opinion is an erroneous assumption .
What’s wrong with UNBC? Are they intolerant towards Conservatives? Are they “Conserva-phobic”? Do they not know that both MPs were elected Conservative? Do they not know that even though Steven Harper lost the election he still is a sitting member of Parliament and that his party even though they lost the election still garnered almost 32% of the vote and sit as the Official Opposition with almost 100 seats? The UNBC whiners are doing a disservice to the integrity of the University!
The UNBC whiners are doing a disservice to the integrity of the University .????? By pointing out that some in the BoG have no integrity ?
“Yes, what a travesty to have a perfectly qualified individual take the job when he could have his pick of many other high-paying posts anywhere else in the world”
You are shooting from the hip with little information, greenjerry.
Moore has a job in Vancouver with an international law firm. The position as a Chancellor does not come with a stipend other than out of pocket expense reimbursement.
Someone having an honorary position such as Chancellor at a university, be it ever so small and unknown in international circuits, should command higher compensation in a law firm that can include his CV on their staff list.
Cheetos, you are confusing the issues. It has nothing to do with which party he was with or is likely still a member of. It has to do with his support of several policies while he was a Minister of the Crown.
Your paranoia is showing!
Yes, his and the former government’s support for gay marriage, opposition to persecution of gays and religious minorities abroad, property rights, massive expansion of national parks and protected areas, rights for women on reserves, victims bill of rights, maternal health in the third world. compensation for thalidomide victims etc etc must be a real tough pill to swallow. He was a cabinet minister. It’s his job to support a team. This is a partisan witch hunt undertaken by people with nothing better to do.
gopg2015 – I’m not confusing the issues and I’m not paranoid. Excellent comment “greenjerry” :)
gopg2015 is cherrypicking his debate points.
Ataloss says “Princegeorge you assume that he is as principled and morally mature as you or I” Tell us more about your imaginary solar system?
“It’s his job to support a team”
Too many people confuse the role of a cabinet. They are not cheerleaders who support a dictator. Their role is to bring different points of view to the table for discussion and debate. A strong cabinet minister can sway others in a debate.
They are not a football team. There is no team involved. They are not yes people.
We saw what happened when they become that. They fall!!! and they fell badly!!
It looks like they are trying to regroup now, because if they were to continue like that, they will lose the next election as well.
UNBC’s BoG and Senate are now scrambling to find to way to dump James Moore. They will also cover their own butts and say that no one was at fault for this public relations disaster.
UNBC will never admit that someone in authority has made a mistake.
“Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.” —Industry Minister James Moore
Dr. Everett Piper, President
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
This past week, I actually had a student come forward after a university chapel service and complain because he felt “victimized” by a sermon on the topic of 1 Corinthians 13. It appears this young scholar felt offended because a homily on love made him feel bad for not showing love. In his mind, the speaker was wrong for making him, and his peers, feel uncomfortable.
I’m not making this up. Our culture has actually taught our kids to be this self-absorbed and narcissistic. Any time their feelings are hurt, they are the victims. Anyone who dares challenge them and, thus, makes them “feel bad” about themselves, is a “hater,” a “bigot,” an “oppressor,” and a “victimizer.”
I have a message for this young man and all others who care to listen. That feeling of discomfort you have after listening to a sermon is called a conscience. An altar call is supposed to make you feel bad. It is supposed to make you feel guilty. The goal of many a good sermon is to get you to confess your sins—not coddle you in your selfishness. The primary objective of the Church and the Christian faith is your confession, not your self-actualization.
So here’s my advice:
If you want the chaplain to tell you you’re a victim rather than tell you that you need virtue, this may not be the university you’re looking for. If you want to complain about a sermon that makes you feel less than loving for not showing love, this might be the wrong place.
If you’re more interested in playing the “hater” card than you are in confessing your own hate; if you want to arrogantly lecture, rather than humbly learn; if you don’t want to feel guilt in your soul when you are guilty of sin; if you want to be enabled rather than confronted, there are many universities across the land (in Missouri and elsewhere) that will give you exactly what you want, but Oklahoma Wesleyan isn’t one of them.
At OKWU, we teach you to be selfless rather than self-centered. We are more interested in you practicing personal forgiveness than political revenge. We want you to model interpersonal reconciliation rather than foment personal conflict. We believe the content of your character is more important than the color of your skin. We don’t believe that you have been victimized every time you feel guilty and we don’t issue “trigger warnings” before altar calls.
Oklahoma Wesleyan is not a “safe place”, but rather, a place to learn: to learn that life isn’t about you, but about others; that the bad feeling you have while listening to a sermon is called guilt; that the way to address it is to repent of everything that’s wrong with you rather than blame others for everything that’s wrong with them. This is a place where you will quickly learn that you need to grow up.
This is not a day care. This is a university.
Except at UNBC one has to follow the liberal left indoctrination, or else.
seamutt: the liberals have been just sworn in to office last month, wtf is you deal dude?
Are you so afraid of free thinking that all you can do is slag people who do not think as you?
Speak to the merits of your position, not to your opinion of those that use a different or (a) thought process.
Give it up Loki he is clearly not operating with a full deck .
Can’t agree that being in favour of a cleaner environment (water, air, soil) should be ridiculed as a “left liberal indoctrination.” In other words Conservatives would never be in favour of a cleaner environment lest they be accused of having become victims of “left liberal indoctrination?
…..and the debate goes on and on!
All of the Op250 experts putting forth their expert opinions, some thinking that they are somehow much more “holier than thou”, thou being the rest of us.
I suspect that those suffering the greatest feeling of discomfort, shock, outrage and/or dismay over this appointment represent as usual, the very vocal MINORITY!
I also suspect that the vast majority of people in Prince George couldn’t care less about this whole situation!
As I said in an earlier post shortly after this announcement, all of this is “much ado about nothing”!
I find it amusing that the holier than thou leftists will scream for equality, scream for freedom, scream for rights, scream for the right for everyone to have their own opinions and beliefs……….except when all of this runs counter to their opinion and what they believe!
“You have the right to your own opinion, except when it runs counter to mine”!!
So true, Hart Guy. And look at how they always twist the facts. Prince George, for instance, above:- “Can’t agree that being in favour of a cleaner environment (water, air, soil) should be ridiculed as a “left liberal indoctrination.”, as if being against further TAXES collected in the NAME of ensuring a “cleaner environment” was the same as being against having one.
Or this one, from gopg2015:- “Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.” —Industry Minister James Moore. IS IT? What is the context from which that attributed quote of Moore’s has been taken? Seems to me there’s quite a difference between someone in government trying their best to ensure conditions enable those who have children of their own are able to feed them, themselves, versus someone in government doing the actual feeding. The former involves personal responsibility for one’s actions, which is a necessary attachment to that quality we call ‘freedom’. The latter is an abdication of personal responsibility in favour of an abstraction we call ‘the State’. Which will be the ruination of any society.
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