Athabasca Governors Reaffirm Commitment to Presidential Search Process

May 10, 2013

EDMONTON - Today, the Board of Governors of Athabasca University (the Board) respectfully notified the Athabasca University Faculty Association (AUFA) that they would not accept their May 8th recommendation to appoint a faculty member nominated by the AUFA as interim president of the institution. The Board is presently in the process of recruiting a replacement for current president Dr. Frits Pannekoek, who announced in March 2013 that he would be retiring.

“A major duty for the governing boards of Alberta’s publicly-funded post-secondary institutions is to select and oversee the president,” explained Board of Governors Chair Barry Walker. “We cannot, and should not, delegate that responsibility to an organization that has no legislated public or ministerial accountability.”

Through motions at their May 1st meeting, the Board resolved to continue with the current presidential selection process; expressed support for senior administration until a new president is selected and other vacant senior executive positions are filled; and encouraged staff and administration to work collectively for the betterment of current and prospective students.

 

The institution has also been preparing for a planning and visioning retreat with all the current Board members, senior administration and the school’s deans to set out a strategic direction for the institution and address governance issues.

“The Board has already initiated a process to plan the next strategic direction for the future of Athabasca University,” said Walker. “This is a moment of transition and we are focused on positioning this institution to meet the needs of the next generation of learners.”

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For more information, contact:

Barry Walker
Chair, Athabasca University Board of Governors
780 675-6271 (office)
780 689-1515 (cell)
boardchair@athabascau.ca

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Updated August 21, 2012