Proposed changes to the University of New Brunswick Act are sweeping and will radically alter the face of Canada’s oldest English-language university, while granting unpre­cedented powers to the institution’s board of governors, according to critics.

The act, that both incorporates the university and defines its compo­si­tion and powers, has been under scrutiny since early 2013 by a committee struck for that purpose.

But members of the committee worked in secrecy until recently, and the release in September of a 150-page document containing the proposed changes has stunned the university community, which has been given just six weeks to respond.

“It’s pretty horrifying,” said Miriam Jones, president of the Asso­ciation of University of New Brunswick Teachers. “Simply put, it’s a massive power grab by the board. Any government oversight will be removed, and even the senates on UNB’s two campuses could be abolished.”

Both senates have voted overwhelmingly to ask for more time to analyse and respond to the complicated draft of changes, which also includes many pages of by-laws referenced in the main document.

Jones said she is concerned that portions of the act dealing with collegial governance, and linked to the collective agreement, would be removed from the body of the main statute, where they are protected, and incorporated in the by-laws, which can be changed at the discretion of the board.

The changes amount to a “radical disenfranchisement of faculty, against long-standing practice at Canadian universities,” said a message posted on the faculty associ­ation’s web site last month. “The… revisions have deleted all significant public accountability so that, if enacted, UNB would be run like a private, for-profit corporation instead of a public resource and service.”

The changes also come at a time when trust in the senior administration and board are at an all-time low, Jones said, following on January’s strike and lockout — firsts in the university’s history — and subsequent votes of non-confidence in the academic leadership.

Provincial government representatives have reminded that in addition to internal consultation on proposed changes, “significant” external consultation is also required when amending public legislation.

The amendments must be passed by the province’s legislative assembly before becoming law.

In October Jones wrote UNB president Eddy Campbell calling for more time for community-wide consultation but has not had a response.

“We trust the consultation process will be genuine and that all alternate proposals will be considered,” said the letter.