SMUFU members vote overwhelmingly in support of a No Confidence motion

Members of the Saint Mary’s University Faculty Union (SMUFU) have voted overwhelmingly to support a non-confidence motion in the President and the Chair of the SMU Board of Governors. The members voted on the motion on Monday, and the union says that 91.1 per cent support the motion.

“SMUFU has made multiple requests to the administration for basic information about the

financial condition of the university, but they have refused to be accountable and transparent

about the true financial picture at Saint Mary’s,” said SMUFU President Cathy Conrad. “After

exhausting all other options, that’s why we undertook a vote of non-confidence.”

In a release to the media, SMUFU contends that financial mismanagement has resulted in debt, budget cuts, the suspension of the

University’s student employment program, and reductions in scholarships.

The union says they hired external financial experts who concluded the University’s deficit is the

result of:

• mismanagement of enrollment projections,

• increased spending on administrative salaries, and

• increased spending on external relations and capital projects.

In a statement to CityNews, an SMU spokesperson said the school has assured the union that it plans to work collectively to take action to place the university on a course for sustainability.

SMUFU said they will hold a rally on Thursday, Apr. 11 from 1-2 p.m. at the corner of Inglis St. and Tower Rd.