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Friends of NSCAD is hosting a rally to #FireTheNSCADBoard and #ReinstateAoife! This event is open to everyone– students, alumni, faculty, family, friends and all community members. Please come out and show your support!
This action will be held in protest of NSCAD’s Board of Governors whose irresponsible leadership and lack of oversight have steered the University into further uncertainty during an unprecedented global pandemic.
We are calling on the Board of Governors to:
– Reinstate Dr. Aoife Mac Namara as NSCAD university president
– Commit to further transparency in the appointment processes for Board of Governors members
– Step down from their positions on the Board of Governors
– Formally respond to all 7 demands issued by SUNSCAD June 24, 2020
We are calling on the provincial Government to:
– Remove all current Governors in Council and Stakeholder Governors
– Intervene and put a stop to the irresponsible and ill-considered actions of the NSCAD Board by mediating the escalating divide between the NSCAD Board and the NSCAD community
– Establish clear protocols for transparency and accountability in NSCAD governance
On June 24th the Student Union of NSCAD (SUNSCAD) submitted an open letter with 7 demands to the NSCAD Board of Governors, including:
– Need for Board of Governors membership to include 1/3 Black, Indigenous, +/ People of Colour (BIPOC)
– Need for Board of Governors membership to include ¼ arts community members
– Calls for increased transparency
– Calls for anti-racist education and training for Board members
– Consideration of the plausibility of tuition waivers for Black and Indigenous students until 2025.
Three days after this open letter was sent, NSCAD’s Board announced the termination of Dr. Aoife Mac Namara, the first NSCAD President to openly address racism and white supremacy within the institution, and a commitment to address it. The Board offered no justification for such an extreme action, citing only “personnel” matters.
These issues are compounded by conflicts of interest within the Board of Governors over the fate of the historic Granville campus. Proposed real estate deals could see Granville block sold prior to the redevelopment of the Cogswell interchange–undercutting the value of NSCAD’s assets and potentially leaving our University in a costly long-term lease situation.
It is clear that this Board of Governors is not acting in the interest of sustaining our institution. Since the end of June, NSCAD’s community has registered outrage at this crisis in governance. A staggering 95.6% of NSCAD’s faculty voted no confidence in the Board and over 5,000 people signed onto the petition to fire the NSCAD Board and reinstate Dr. Aoife Mac Namara. All we’ve seen is the NSCAD Board close ranks and continue to ignore students, faculty, staff and the national and international arts community. So far the provincial Government has been unwilling to intervene in order to mediate this crisis at our public institution.
Attendees are encouraged to bring signs.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Wheelchair accessible. Note: portions of the ground is made of cobblestone.
Juice boxes and water will be available but limited – please bring your own if you can!
Sanitizer and gloves will be provided – please bring your own if you have them!
Please note: We will not have an interpreter at the event
COVID-19 MEASURES:
In order to support the safety of organizers and attendees, all attending the event must:
Stay 2 metres away from other people as much as possible, unless in a close social bubble of up to 10
Wear a mask covering the nose and mouth
Sanitize hands often
Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow
Bring water to stay hydrated
!Refrain from attending in-person events if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms!
