Watson Responds To McLeod’s Scathing Critique
Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 14:03
The chair of the First Nations University of Canada is not impressed with remarks made earlier this week by a former university professor.
In an open letter to Morley Watson, Dr. Neal McLeod stated Watson had profoundly damaged the school and that he had no faith in Watson’s leadership.
McLeod also accused the university of only selectively implementing recommendations from a task force report into the troubled institution — especially the recommendation calling for the de-politicizing of the FNUC board.
But Watson says McLeod is being “hypocritical” by calling for things that are in conflict with each other. Specifically, Watson takes issue with McLeod’s call for better leadership from Watson, while at the same time demanding less political interference.
Watson also says the university has the right to choose which recommendations its feels will be the best fit.
McLeod is now at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and is considered a rising star in the academic field.
A national accreditation body has appointed a committee to review the FNUC’s operations, beginning this fall.