A Cautionary Tale: Lessons from Thompson Rivers University

By Tracy Whalen, UWFA Secretary

It’s a cautionary tale for those of us who decide to teach a course with someone outside the bargaining unit—-in this case, a university president. A few weeks ago at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, professors Rachel Nash and Mark Wallin showed up for their first class of English 116, which they were teaching with TRU President Kathleen Scherf. They anticipated the media blitz which accompanied it—-reporters and cameras and questions in the classroom on the first day—-because the class was seen as a “rarity” (to quote a local publication). What they did not expect, however, is that they would ultimately be responsible for the course themselves. The TRU collective agreement prohibited Scherf from teaching at all; further, the other two professors were not notified about the status of the course until the day Scherf actually stepped foot in the classroom and was then pulled. The course was to have been primarily the president’s, with Nash and Wallin teaching smaller seminars. Right now, the two professors are quickly working to pull the much-publicized course together, taking what they can from Scherf’s notes and adjusting their schedules to accommodate new lecture times.

The tale does not end there, however. Not even a week after this drama, the TRU community received a memo which conveyed surprising news: Scherf was fired by the board of governors. She had arrived to great fanfare only one year before, and while the specific reasons for her dismissal have not been made public, Ron Olynyk, who chairs the board, said that they lacked confidence in her leadership skills and judgement. (Some media sources reassured readers that it was not because she was flamboyant, was known for using the word “dude,” and had streaks in her hair. Whew.) Newspapers like The Montreal Gazette, The Vancouver Province, and Kamloops this Week have all commented on the generous severance package Scherf has been awarded. As president, she would have received an annual salary of $225,000. With the dismissal she has been granted a full year’s sabbatical along with severance pay, a package that totals $268,750 (over $40,000 more than she would have made as president). A quick look at university president severance packages reveals that expensive leave-taking is not unusual.

A last note: Unlike Scherf, our president here at the University of Winnipeg is allowed to teach in a faculty position (and does, in fact, teach Canadian Foreign Policy). So we’re safe, union-wise, should we decide to team-teach with Lloyd Axworthy.