U of C student 'embarrassed' by Enbridge controversy asks for president's resignation
Review and separate investigation launched into university's relationship with Enbridge
Professors and students are demanding answers from the University of Calgary about the post-secondary institution's relationship with the pipeline company Enbridge.
The U of C held a public town hall Wednesday afternoon to discuss the institution's finances and upcoming budget. Students raised several concerns, including the Enbridge controversy.
One student called on Cannon to resign after saying her actions, including her involvement with Enbridge, have "embarrassed" him as a student.
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"As a student, I believe that your actions have hurt the standing of this institution," said first-year student Frank Finley.
Cannon responded by saying she will not resign.
"The answer is no," she told the gathered crowd, adding she has confidence in the university's independent review into the U of C's relationship with Enbridge.
Emails obtained from a freedom of information request suggest there was corporate influence during an attempt to establish a new research centre at Haskayne School of Business.
Enbridge pledged $2.25 million over 10 years to establish the Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability. As U of C officials worked to create the centre, documents obtained by the CBC reveal the university accommodated the apparent public relations ambitions of the corporate patron.
Along the way, concerns about academic independence, the role of university research and the credibility of the researchers were dismissed.
Review launched
The university is bringing in Calgary lawyer and mediator Terrence McMahon to conduct a review. The investigation will specifically look at the creation and operation of the U of C's Enbridge Centre and determine whether there was any breach of university policies or procedures then in place. McMahon's report is expected to be completed by Dec. 14. The board of governors will review it and then release it to the public.
"What we've allowed Justice McMahon to do is be able to deal with anything that he finds necessary as part of his process," said Mark Starratt, a member of the university's board. "So once he has had the opportunity to review the documents that have been presented to him, he can choose what questions to ask and who he wants to ask those questions of."
- Read emails involving Elizabeth Cannon and the Enbridge Centre here
- University of Calgary, Enbridge deny interfering with academic freedom
Students and professors want a broad investigation that examines conflict of interest allegations against university president Elizabeth Cannon and board oversight of corporate gifts. They also want any findings from the investigation to be sent to the Office of the Ethics Commissioner for further review.
Following the CBC investigation, Cannon resigned as an independent director of the Enbridge Income Fund. The university president's compensation for that board position amounted to $130,500 in 2014. While Cannon faced criticism for having a potential conflict of interest, she had publicly disclosed the position and said she always speaks as a university president.
Bonnie DuPont, who was a member of the centre's board and currently chairs the U of C's board of governors, is a former Enbridge vice president.
CAUT investigation
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is launching its own investigation to examine alleged violations of academic freedom and conflict of interest at the university. CAUT decided to conduct its own examination in response to the CBC investigation into the relationship between the U of C and Enbridge.
"This case brings together a number of things. One is the allegation that the donor, in this case Enbridge, had inappropriate or undue influence over the centre," said David Robinson, CAUT's executive director, in an interview.
"Another issue is the potential conflict of interest when you have the university president and chair of the board that have financial ties to the donor, and then there is the allegations that faculty complaints about the direction of the centre and concerns about academic freedom were never followed up."
CAUT said it has received complaints from other professors at the U of C about academic freedom. CAUT said it will investigate to see if there is substance to those allegations.
Enbridge said it values academic independence and didn't attempt to influence the centre's operations or staffing choices.
According to the U of C, no academics ever made formal complaints about their academic freedom being infringed upon. The university's president said the institution's credibility and reputation are not at risk.
Last fall, Enbridge's name was taken off the centre. It is now just the Centre for Corporate Sustainability. The company dropped its funding to the school by $1 million and moved the money to a different university department.