Education
UPDATED: South Slave-area leaders lecture Aurora College over alleged centralization conspiracy
Thebacha Leadership Council calls on College Board of Governors and GNWT to 'publicly commit to protect meaningful leadership roles' in Fort Smith and Inuvik
The Thebacha Leadership Council has accused the GNWT and Aurora College Board of Governors of quietly moving to “weaken” smaller campuses in advance of the proposed transformation into a polytechnic university.
Town of Fort Smith Mayor Dana Fergusson wrote a letter on behalf of the Leadership Council, which also includes: Fort Smith Metis Council President Allan Heron, Salt River First Nation Chief Toni Heron; and Chief Lorraine Macdonald of the Tthebatthı Dënésułıné Nation (formerly known as Smith’s Landing First Nation).
Aurora College’s Thebacha Campus. (Photo: Aurora College)
“I call on the Aurora College Board of Governors and the Government of the Northwest Territories to publicly commit to protecting meaningful leadership roles in Fort Smith and Inuvik,” stated Fergusson in Monday night letter.
“I call on them to involve local communities in real decision-making — not token consultation. And I call on Northerners to stand with us in demanding an institution that stays true to its purpose: serving all regions, not just the capital.”
Fergusson continued, alleging that, “Behind closed doors, decisions are being made that steadily move leadership and administrative power away from the very communities that built this institution.
“The trend toward centralizing Aurora College’s senior leadership and decision-making in Yellowknife threatens to weaken Fort Smith and Inuvik — the two original campuses that have nurtured Northern talent for decades.”
As previously reported, the College has been in a years-long internal re-organization, emerging with a tri-cameral governance model and a longer arm’s-length away from the GNWT. It’s part of that evolution into a polytechnic.
A board of governors works alongside an academic council and an Indigenous knowledge holders council to make decisions and recommendations on strategic direction, academics, and research.
That new governance model prioritizes appointing board members based on specific competencies, rather than solely on representation from specific regions. Some of those talents could include: experience on a board; leadership of a large organization; or facilities management.
A minimum five of 14 board seats will be for Indigenous residents of the NWT.
On Tuesday morning, CKLB asked for comment from Aurora College and was sent a statement attributed to Kenny Ruptash, board chair:
“Aurora College values the Thebacha Leadership Council’s commitment to Northern education and agrees that local voices matter. The Board of Governors’ top priority is the success and well-being of our students and staff and all our decisions are grounded in that principle, including those on leadership, programs, and institutional growth.”
Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland let the Cabinet Communications office speak for her.
A Tuesday afternoon statement read, in part: “Operational decisions at Aurora College are made by its Board of Governors, in accordance with the Aurora College Act. The College operates at arm’s length from the Government of the Northwest Territories and is responsible for determining its internal operations.
“The GNWT remains committed to supporting the successful transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university that serves the interests of residents in all regions of the Northwest Territories.”
