Thebacha Leadership Council calls on Aurora College to protect regional campuses

Fort Smith, N.W.T., leaders say the move toward a more centralized college is being done behind closed doors.

They are calling on Aurora College and the territorial government to stop centralizing leadership and programming in Yellowknife, saying the shift is weakening the college's deep roots in the North.

In a news release issued Monday, the Thebacha Leadership Council (TLC) stated that it wants to see the community involved in meaningful decision-making, not just "token consultation" as recent decisions are "steadily [moving] leadership and administrative power away" from Fort Smith and Inuvik.

Formerly called the Adult Vocational Training Centre, the Fort Smith location was the first to open in 1968, followed by the Inuvik campus and then the Yellowknife campus.

"Aurora College was built in the North, for the North. Its roots run deep in our communities," the TLC statement said. "But today, that legacy is at risk."

The statement is signed by Fort Smith Mayor Dana Fergusson, Salt River First Nation Chief Toni Heron, Tthebatthi Denesuline Nation Chief Lorraine Macdonald, and Fort Smith Métis Council President Allan Heron, who make up the TLC.

In an interview with the CBC News, Fergusson said the council is alarmed by vacancies and programs being cut, and long-standing positions going unfilled at the Fort Smith campus. She said it feels like the college is "slowly chipping away" at the regional campuses.

Fergusson, who is also an alumna of Aurora College, said the push toward more online programming is especially troubling in the North, where unreliable internet and limited bandwidth are still common.

With online options already available through schools like the University of Alberta and Athabasca University, Fergusson also doubts Aurora College would be a top choice for students, especially when in-person programs offer students the opportunity to build a sense of community.

"When you're not getting those connections with people and making those relationships with people," she said. "You're taking away from the education process."

Fergusson also raised concerns about the economic ripple effects of centralization. Fort Smith has already lost jobs due to the closure of the men's correctional facility, and the potential loss of more Aurora College positions would be a significant blow to the small community.

"It has such huge, significant impacts. That's a family, that's someone who has a home here," she said. "Do you want to move here? Not if the [message] is all the jobs are being removed."

Fergusson also said that concentrating leadership and programming in Yellowknife doesn't make financial sense. She says office spaces are being rented in Yellowknife while existing space available at both the Fort Smith and Inuvik campuses sits empty.

CBC News requested an interview with Aurora College representatives.

That request was denied, but an emailed statement was sent on behalf of Kenny Ruptash, chair of the Aurora College Board of Governors.

The statement didn't address the specific complaints in the news release but said "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."