Over the past six months, concerned alumni at SFU have voiced concerns about the very quick and quiet dissolution of the SFU Alumni Association and a resulting serious conflict of interest regarding Board of Governors appointments. Many alumni were unaware that dissolution was even being considered and the rationale and consequences of this decision were not widely shared with the SFU Community. The decision happened very quickly in a hastily called and lightly attended February Meeting. One consequence of the dissolution is that the University Chancellor and 2 additional members of the Board of Governors are no longer nominated by an independent organization (the SFUAA) but are now nominated by an SFU office under the direct authority of the University President.
We encourage all SFU alumni to add their voices to the petition below, asking the Lieutenant Governor of BC to investigate the situation and to put remedial measures in place.
Fore more information, you can contact us by email at info@sfualumni.ca.
Petition Text
Hon. Janet Austin
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Your honour,
We the undersigned have grave concerns with respect to Simon Fraser University’s move to replace its arms-length alumni association (The SFU Alumni Association, or SFUAA) with an Alumni Council appointed by and advisory to the University President. We are particularly troubled to learn that with this change, the University Chancellor and 2 additional members of the Board of Governors are no longer nominated by an independent organization (the SFUAA) but are now nominated by an SFU office under the direct authority of the University President.
BC’s University Act provides the legislative basis for Board of Governors appointments, and includes the following provisions:
11 (1)There must be a chancellor of each university, who is to be appointed by the board on nomination by the alumni association and after consultation with the senate or, in the case of the University of British Columbia, after consultation with the council.
19 (1) (d) 8 persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, 2 of whom are to be appointed from among persons nominated by the alumni association
The above provisions of the Act are designed to ensure the independence of members of the Board of Governors from the University administration. SFU’s actions have undermined this independence by granting a Council appointed by and advisory to the President the power to nominate three members of the Board, including the Chancellor. This constitutes a serious threat to the long-established governance practices of the University and to the integrity of the Act itself.
Background Summary:
In February, 2023, the Alumni Association of Simon Fraser University met to officially dissolve itself and become instead an Alumni Council, the key difference being that the Alumni Association (AA) as an independent entity would become a committee of the University, managed by and under the authority of the University.
In its notice of motion, the AA cited “operational and administrative inefficiencies in the operation of the Association as a legal entity separate and distinct from SFU,” but indicated, too, that the decision, though technically voluntarily, was made under duress and at the behest of the SFU administration. In the words of the SFUAA Directors, if alumni did not agree to voluntarily dissolve, the AA “will no longer have the administrative and operational support previously provided to it by SFU, nor will it be recognized as SFU’s alumni association for purposes of the University Act. It is also likely that SFU would proceed with the formation of the Alumni Council regardless of the continued existence of the Association.”
According to BC’s University Act, which governs administration of public universities in this province, the Alumni Association has the responsibility and authority to nominate the Chancellor of the University as well as two additional Board of Governors members. As an independent entity, arms length from the University and responsive not to SFU’s administration but to the alumni, this role has significant meaning legally and practically, helping to ensure that SFU’s Board of Governors is responsive to the community as a whole rather than to the administration of the University. With this move, however, that independence has been eliminated. Three Board of Governors appointments, including the Chancellor, are no longer nominated by an independent body, but instead by a committee (or “Council”) appointed by and answerable to the President and senior administration of SFU.
The emerging evidence that the dissolution of the SFUAA was not self-determined but came about as a result of administrative pressure is concerning. And the governance implications are critical for all members of the community, eroding the perceived if not real independence of the Board of Governors.
We the undersigned call upon the Lieutenant Governor to conduct an investigation into Simon Fraser University’s handling of the Alumni Association dissolution and Alumni Council formation, considering conflicts of interest and perceived conflicts of interest, implications for the independence and perceived independence of the Board of Governors, and implications for the requirements of the University Act.
We further call upon the Lieutenant Governor to implement both interim and long-term measures to ensure that no administrator or office of the University is or could be perceived to be in any way involved in the appointment of any member of the Board of Governors.
cc. Hon. David Eby, Premier
Hon. Selena Robinson, Minister of Advanced Education and Training
Signed:
| Name | Association with SFU (check all that apply) |
| Sarah Bull | Alumni |
| Jennefer Laidley | Alumni, Former BoG member |
| Marika Albert | Alumni |
| Melissa Roth | Alumni |
| Sean O’Brien | Alumni |
| Haida Antolick | Alumni |
| Robert Clift, BSc 1995 | Alumni, Former President Simon Fraser Student Society |
| Micaela Green | Alumni |
| Dr Kasim Husain | Alumni |
| Matthew Risling | Alumni |
| Matthew Rohweder | Alumni |
| Alison McDonald | Alumni |
| Kevin Partridge | Alumni |
| Derek Sahota | Alumni |
| Charles Menzies | Alumni |
| Lucia Lorenzi | Alumni |
| Steven Gin | Alumni |
| Wendy Thompson | Alumni |
| Jes Battis | Alumni |
| Sheena Jary | Alumni |
| Myka Tucker-Abramson | Alumni |
| Corbett Gilderlseve | Alumni |
| J Ireland | Community Member |
| Boni Datema | Alumni |
| Wei Chun Kua | Alumni |
| Lillian Deeb | Alumni |
| Erin Keating | Alumni |
| Joey Hansen | Alumni |
| Amal Vincent | Alumni |
| Alessandra Capperdoni | Alumni, Faculty |
| David Huxtable | Alumni |
| Kandice Sharren | Alumni |
| Alois Sieben | Alumni |
| Caelie Frampton | Alumni |
| Rahil Adeli | Alumni |
| Chantelle Spicer | Alumni, Community Member |
| Nina Smart | Faculty |
| Mark Leier | Alumni, Faculty |
| Sharon Luk | Faculty, Canada Research Chair |
| Irene M. Gordon | Alumni, Faculty, Former Senator |
| Chelsea Rosenthal | Faculty |
| Brian Green | Alumni, Community Member |
| Erika Plettner | Alumni, Faculty |
| Lucas Herrenbrueck | Faculty |
| Janice Regan | Faculty |
| Jennifer Scott | Alumni |
| Geoffrey Poitras | Faculty |
| Gary Chan | Alumni |
| Ronda Arab | Faculty |
| Yildiz Atasoy | Faculty |
| Rosemary Collard | Faculty |
| Megan Adam | Alumni, Student |
| Alexander Grammatikos | Alumni |
| Julian Christians | Alumni, Faculty |
| Sarah Creel | Alumni |
| Sam Bradd | Alumni |
| Weldon Cowan | Community Member |
| Baharak Yousefi | Alumni, Faculty |
| Jenna Thomson | Faculty |
| Rachel Altman | Faculty |
| Tony Power | Alumni, Faculty |
| David Green | Alumni |
| Laila Ferreira | Alumni |
| Melanie Jeffs | Alumni |
| Fiona Brady Lenfesty | Alumni, Staff |
| Bernhard Riecke | Faculty |
| Jamie clayton | Alumni |
| Jamie McCartney | Alumni |
| Dan Bradford | Alumni |
| Ted Rowbottom | Alumni |
| James Puffer | Alumni |
| Bill Burton | Alumni |
| Mason Glover | Alumni, Community Member |
| DG Evans | Community Member |
| Frank Roberto | Alumni |
| Jeremy Mulliss | Alumni |
| Brian Shantz | Alumni |
| Bubba Montabello | Alumni |
| Kenneth | Alumni |
| Kristian Lawrence | Alumni |
| Sean March | Community Member |
| Michael Sjoerdsma | Alumni, Faculty |
| Mackenzie Buchanan | Alumni, Community Member |
| Nakul Verma | Alumni |
| Alia Zaver | Alumni |
| Andrew Marshall | Alumni |
| Conrad Deugau | Alumni |
| Chris Blackman | Alumni |
| Doug Hoiles | Alumni |
| Deborah Shannon | Alumni |
| Matt Esaw | Alumni |
| Ron Fichtner | Former Deputy Chair, Board of Governors, SFU, and Chair, Admin and Finance Committee |
| Dr Michael Pauls | Alumni |
| Nicolas Fillion | Faculty |
| Thomas Basso | Alumni |
| Carmen Bott | Alumni, Faculty |
| Jasmine Nicholsfigueiredo | Alumni |
| Paul Pakulak | Alumni |
| Marcus Paiero | Alumni |
| Clea Moray | Alumni |
| Greg edgelow | Alumni |
| Stephane Tanguay | Staff, Student |
| Karen smith | Alumni |
| Simon Morris | Alumni |
| Douglas Correa | Alumni |
| Brian | Alumni |
| Matthew Edwards | Alumni |
| Taira Birnie | Alumni |
| Loren Poole Snydwr | Alumni |
| Todd Kozinka | Alumni |
| Craig Norris | Alumni |
| Loris DePaoli | Alumni |
| Ralph Ball | Community Member |
| Russell Jenkins | Alumni, Charter student |
| Karl Jovanovic | Alumni |
| Beth Claridge-Jones | Alumni |
| Andrew Pauls | Alumni |
| Mike Rende | Alumni |
| Nicolas Schmitt | Faculty |
| Jake Levinson | Faculty |
| Brian Grant | Alumni |
| Giulio Caravatta | Alumni |
| Derek Hansen | Former staff |
| James Gardner | Alumni |
| Leon Medema | Alumni |
| Mylee Ross | Alumni |
| Tiernan Docherty | Alumni |
| Joyce Lyn Scott nee Paterson | Alumni |
| Adele Perry, alumni | Alumni |
| Chris Beaton | Alumni |
| Lois Turner | Community Member |
| Patrick Wayne | Alumni |
| Trish Everett | SFSS staff |
| Wendy Loken Thornton | Faculty |
| Allen Thornton | Faculty |
| Mark Ruby | Alumni, Staff, Faculty |
| Anita Welke | Alumni |
| Sue Logan | Alumni, Staff |
| Seamus Grayer | Alumni, Staff |
| Rebecca J. Cobb | Alumni, Faculty |
| Michelle Laviolette | Alumni, Parent of current student |
| Alex Strachan | Alumni |
| Charles fortier | Alumni |
| Ian Cook | Alumni |
| Giovanni HoSang | Alumni |
| Garrett Peck | Alumni |
| Samir Gandesha | Alumni, Faculty |
| Chris Tolbert | Alumni |
| Tavleen Purewal | Alumni |
| Kas Pavanantharajah | Alumni, Community Member |
| Jessica Stanley, PhD | Alumni, Former SFSS Representative |
| Laura MacKay | Alumni, Staff |
| Monica Standell | Alumni |
| Reo Audette | Alumni, Staff |
| Riley Kearns | Community Member |
| Cathy Turk | Alumni |
| Amanda Marchand | Alumni |
| Doug Davies | Alumni |
| Kelly Slade-Kerr | Alumni |
| Vanessa Craig | Alumni |
| Andréa Coutu | Alumni |
| Shoni Field | Alumni |
| Laura Scott | Alumni |
| Sophia Kreuzkamp | Alumni |
| Burtt Fidler | Alumni |
| Dave Crossley | Alumni, Former Student Governor & Senator |
| Jennifer Koopman | Alumni |
| Penelope Koopman | Alumni |
| Ray Koopman | Faculty |
| Allan Rienstra | Alumni, Student |
| Harveer Ladhar | Alumni, Alumni, Former Director on Alumni Association Board |
| Satveer Ladhar | Alumni |
| Nancy Nordstrand | Alumni |
| Michael Sheppard | Alumni |
| Geoffrey rosen | Alumni |
| Linda Hof | Staff, Community Member |
| Ginny Hasselfield | Alumni |
| Christine Hearn | Alumni, former BoG member, former member Alumni Association Board |
| Tarja Yrjola | Alumni |
| Lawrence Dill | Faculty |
| Meguido Zola | Retired Faculty |
| Kirsten Nowak | Alumni |
| Steve Kloster | Alumni |
| Karl Siegler | Alumni, Charter student; 1993 Outstanding Alumni Award, Arts & Cultural Achievement |
| Beverley Davino | Staff |
| SF Clements | Alumni, Staff |
| SJ Clements | Alumni |
| Ron Long | Staff |
| Roger Blackman | Faculty |
| (Mele) Kauʻi Keliipio | Alumni, Student |
| Robert Woodbury | Faculty |
| Robert Muir | Alumni, Faculty |
| Walter Piovesan | Alumni, Faculty |
| DD Kugler | Faculty |
| Daniel McDonald | Professor Emeritus Faculty of Business |
| Jeff Rudd | Alumni, retired staff |
| Brian Hayden, FRSC | Alumni, Fellow, Royal Society of Canada |
| Parveen Bawa | Faculty |
| Bruce Brandhorst | Faculty, Retired |
| Meguido Zola | Faculty (retired) |
| Marjorie Griffin Cohen | Community Member, Professor Emeritus |
| Marsha Larkin | Alumni |
| Jamie Scott | Faculty |
| Gary Mauser | Faculty |
| Stella Atkins | Alumni, Faculty, Emerita faculty |
| Tyler Petersen | Alumni |
| Neil Remington Abramson | Faculty, Former Senator, former three time SFUFA president |
| Daryl Crozier | Faculty |
| Cher Hill | Alumni, Faculty |
| Jonathan Sheppard | Alumni |
| Camilla Dietrich | Alumni, past faculty (sessional instructor for 8 years) |
| E. Michael Coles (1967-2002) | Alumni |
| Dr. Deborah Osborne | Alumni |
| James Warren Felter | Alumni, Staff, Faculty, Donner |
| Dolores Clavero | Faculty, Retired |
| Frances Bickerstaff | Alumni |
| Joan Foster | Faculty |
| Neville Lincoln | Faculty, Retired |
| Marcia Toms | Alumni, Faculty Associate |
| Nicole Read | Alumni |
| Erika Horwitz | Alumni |
| Sue Vlismas | Alumni |
| Fred Einstein | Faculty, emeritus |
| Judith Einstein | Faculty, emeritus |
| Heather Baitz | Alumni |
| Tom Grieve | Alumni, retired faculty |
| Scott Steel | Alumni |
| Carole Gerson | Alumni, Faculty |
| David Hall | Alumni |
| Antone Minard | Faculty, 2011–2022 |
| Joyce Babula | Alumni |
| Michael Iallonardo | Community Member |
| Lindsay Sawyer Fay | Community Member |
| Joanna Lord | |
| Stephanie Pettigrew | Alumni |
| Sandra Roy | Alumni |
| Darryl Boon | Community Member |
| Garth Yule | Alumni |
| Ann Chinnery | Faculty |
| Aguedo De La Cruz | Alumni, Staff |
| Raymond Camley | Community Member |
| Gayle Hurmuses | Community Member |
| John Maxwell | Alumni, Faculty |
| Laurel Nielsen | Concerned ex union activist |
| Calvin Smith | Alumni |
| Josephine Anthony | Alumni, Faculty |
| Jennifer L Wong | Alumni |
| Noël Patten-Lu | Alumni |
| Scott Lear | Alumni, Faculty |
| Maria Hamilton | Alumni, Staff |
| Christine Manzer | Retired staff |
| Scott Yano | Alumni, Staff, Faculty |
| Ainslie Mills | Alumni, Retired Staff |
| Lynn Newman | Alumni |
| Olivia Ingram | Alumni, Community Member |
| Chloe Riley | Alumni, Faculty |
| Mariposa Dumont | Alumni |
| Neal Adolph | Alumni |
| Penny Swanson | Alumni |
| Nuna Siyala | Student |
| Karen Dean | Community Member |
| Robert Hackett | Alumni, Faculty, Professor Emeritus |
| André Leblond | Alumni |
| Megan Sorenson | Faculty |
| Nigel Magdanz | Alumni |
| Kathryne Gravestock | Alumni, Staff, Student |
| Martha Espinoza | Alumni |
| Douglas A. Puffer | Retired Staff |
| Barbara Ringham | Retired Staff |
| Dr. John Black | Alumni |
| Betty | Alumni |
| Joel Johnston | Alumni |
| William Burton | Alumni, Student |
| Cédric Chen | Alumni |
| James Boyd, MBA, Retired SFU Treasurer | Staff |
| Mario Luongo | Alumni |
| Jay Prepchuk | Alumni |
| Phillip Dluhy | Alumni |
| Tim Smith | Alumni |
| EVELYN PALMER | Alumni, Faculty |
| Kumari Beck | Alumni, Faculty |
| Lindsay Hindle | Alumni |
| Dawn Smaill | Alumni, Staff |
| Barbara Diggins | Alumni, Staff |
| James McArthur | Alumni |
| Morgan Melone | Alumni, Staff |
| Frank Warren Burton | Faculty |
| Jean Koepke | Faculty |
| Jean Koepke | Faculty |
| Debra Castagner | Alumni, Staff |
| Marilyn NEYSA WIENS | Alumni |
| Jean Koepke | Faculty |
| Wendy Sjolin | Retiree |
| Jean Koepke | Faculty |
| Robert Koepke | Faculty, retired |
| Carmen Bott | Alumni, Faculty |
| Scott Vass | Alumni |
| Susan Nance | Alumni |
| Robert Allan | Alumni |
| Deborah Shannon | Alumni |
| Albert Chan | Alumni |
| David J Freeman | Faculty |
| Richard Frank | Alumni, Faculty |
| Alexandra Lysova | Faculty |
| Erin Barley | Alumni, Faculty |
| Dennis Sandgathe | Faculty |
| annie ross | Faculty |
| Yolanda Koscielski | Faculty |
| Carla Graebner | Faculty |
| Doug Allen | Alumni, Faculty |
| John Knowles | Alumni, Faculty |
| Michael Hart | Faculty, Community Member |
| Jeremy Beller | Postdoctoral fellow |
| James Dougal Fleming | Faculty |
| David Andolfatto | Alumni |
| Bradley Krause | Alumni |
| Peter Andolfatto | Alumni |
| Alexandra Lysova | Faculty |
| Rachel Altman | Faculty |
| Christian Guilbault | Faculty |
| Thomas Claydon | Faculty |
| S. Larry Colby | Alumni |
| REJEAN | Faculty |
| Jason Loeppky | Alumni |
| Barbara Sanders | Alumni, Faculty |
| David Freeman | Faculty |
| Victoria Claydon | Faculty |
| annie ross | Faculty |
| Scott Logie | Alumni |
| Scott Logie | Alumni |
| Andrew Barton | Alumni, Staff, Former BoG member (staff) |