Affiliation Proposal News
04.12.2021
The HUCSC shares with the Huron student body a letter of support from the Huron University College Faculty Association, expressing respect for the HUCSC’s advocacy work and stating that HUCFA shares many of the HUCSC’s concerns regarding Huron Administration’s recent autonomy proposal. The HUCSC appreciates and shares in HUCFA’s commitment to mutually supportive relationships between students and faculty.
Following the unanimous vote of elected student representatives at an HUCSC General Assembly meeting on March 28th, 2021, the HUCSC is announcing our stance and releasing the following statement in opposition to Huron’s proposal to seek independence from Western University.
In its current form, HUCSC believes Huron’s proposal has not been shown to be in the best interests of students or the institution. Utilizing the data collected and relayed within our full report, the HUCSC outlines three recommendations. Without substantive engagement and convincing evidence with respect to the concerns and recommendations raised in our report, and in line with the March 28th HUCSC General Assembly vote, the HUCSC will not consider supporting the proposal. We, therefore, call on Senior Administration at Huron to:
1. Publish a clear and procedural framework to outline the substantive goals of the Consultation Process, the manner in which concerns and support from key stakeholders will be recorded, and how those findings will be relayed to the Board.
2. Take all feasible steps to properly inform students and the Huron community about the details of the Proposal including both its positive and negative impacts. This would entail, at minimum, a document that outlines, step-by-step, each aspect of the Proposal and the reasoning behind it.
3. Take all feasible steps to actively consult students, as opposed to waiting for individual students to initiate contact. This will include, but is not limited to, delaying the Board of Governors’ vote on the proposal, at minimum, until students are in-person and have a legitimate, face-to-face opportunity to give feedback.
Q: What are HUCSC’s concerns with the Proposal?
A: The HUCSC believes that the consultation process has failed to properly inform or consult students, that the proposal has not been shown to be in the best interests of students and the institution, and that adequate justification has not been provided for the immediacy of the proposal. For details on this, please refer to our full report.
Q: Why did the HUCSC produce a report?
A: The public release of our report is a demonstration of our value of transparency; as articulated in the HUCSC’s Strategic Plan, it is a priority for our organization to “communicate about how we are engaging in advocacy-related issues to our fellow students, especially when issues are important to students or pose significant challenges to their lives.”
Q: How can I get in contact with the HUCSC to share my thoughts and voice?
A: You can reach out anytime to info@myhuron.ca, and you can book a meeting with Ziyana Kotadia, the HUCSC President here or reach her at president@myhuron.ca. You can also contact your elected General Assembly members here.
The HUCSC is committed to advocating on your behalf. We understand the student body has questions, concerns, and feedback about this announcement. Please submit these questions to us through our anonymous feedback form below. Submissions to the form will be used to inform advocacy work.
Additional Resources
Huron’s Statement Page and FAQ
February General Assembly, including presentation & discussion regarding the Affiliation Proposal with President Craig.
February Town Hall With The Administration Recording
Western Gazette Articles, click corresponding date to read:
02.16.2021 “Huron Plans to End Formal Affiliation with Western to Establish Independent Institution”
02.19.2021 “Huron President Says College Hopes to Remain a Western Affiliate After Split”
03.02.2021 “Huron Appoints New Board of Governors as Vote Approaches to Split From Western”
03.03.2021 “Huron’s Plan To Split From Western, Explained”
03.04.2021 “Huron Students Confused With Affiliate’s Plan to Split From Western”
03.11.2021 “Shepard Says Huron’s Split Would ‘Profoundly Change’ its Relationship to Western”
03.12.2021 “Letter to the Editor: Huron, do you know what divorce is?”
03.14.2021 “Editorial: Huron split is not in the best interest of students”
03.29.2021 ”Huron Students’ Council Condemns College’s Proposed Split From Western”
03.30.2021 “Should Huron drop the Western University name? Students don't think so, at least not yet”
03.31.2021 “Huron students push back on breakaway from Western University”
04.07.2021 “What Huron Hopes to Renegotiate in their Agreement with Western”