The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada has restored the First Nations University of Canada to full membership.

“AUCC is satisfied that First Nations University of Canada and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) have made sufficient advances in resolving governance issues at the university since the institution was placed on probationary status by the AUCC board in April 2007,” AUCC said in a prepared statement after the association board met April 1 to discuss FNUniv’s membership.

CAUT president Greg Allain said the AUCC decision is a major disappointment. “We are deeply dismayed AUCC chose not to uphold its own commitment to autonomous university governance,” Allain said. “The decision to restore full membership to the First Nations University of Canada does a disservice to Aboriginal post-secondary education.”

AUCC put FNUniv on probation, following two years of questions and concerns precipitated by FSIN vice-chief Morley Watson. As chair of the university’s board of governors, Watson intervened in the management of the university, resulting in the resignation or dismissal of its president, two vice-presidents, deans of its three campuses, more than a quarter of its faculty and numerous administrative staff.

In response to public pressure, FSIN appointed an all-chiefs task force to recommend how to ensure proper governance of the university. The task force report that was released in November 2005 called for significant change to the structure and operation of the university board.

Few of the report’s governance recommendations have been carried out and those that have are “largely cosmetic,” according to CAUT.

“It is a great disappointment that FSIN failed to implement the recommendations of its own task force to restore proper university governance,” said CAUT executive director James Turk. “We’re saddened AUCC deems the First Nations University unworthy to be held to the same standard as Canada’s other universities.”

With membership in AUCC restored, Turk says he fears FNUniv will have little incentive to remedy its problems.

At CAUT’s council meeting last November, delegates from universities and colleges across Canada voted that CAUT officials should meet with the FNUniv president and board chair to discuss concerns over governance, academic freedom and the failure to implement the academic staff’s collective agreement. There has been no reply to CAUT’s requests for a meeting.

At its May meeting, CAUT council will consider a motion censuring FNUniv.

“Our desire is to see First Nations University return to its former traditions where institutional autonomy, academic freedom and respect for its faculty, its staff and its communities were priorities,” said Turk. “Although it may be easier to remain silent about what is happening (at FNUniv), we have too high a regard for the ideals of those that built the university to do so.”