We reported yesterday that Camosun College president Kathryn Laurin will be leaving her position as of September 1, 2014. She was leaving to pursue other opportunities, according to an internal document that was sent by Camosun to its staff, but an article published on the Times Colonist website today quoted Laurin as saying she is “surprised by the termination of my contract and that the news has been released while I am away out of the country.”
Camosun vice president of communications, advancement and planning Joan Yates says that Laurin was notified of the termination of her contract on June 20. (Laurin, who is on vacation right now, did not reply to an email requesting information before this story went to press.)
“Certainly, Kathryn was notified and also played a role in the message that went to the college community and was consulted on that and was told prior to its release,” says Yates.
Yates says that the circumstances surrounding the termination of the contract are “a private issue between [Camosun’s] Board of Governors and the staffperson” and the college will not discuss them.
“As to the circumstances of it, I think people can and will speculate, but the key point is she’s not coming back. That’s the key piece. That’s what the college community should be focusing on.”
Yates says that there is no ill will and that everyone at Camosun wishes Laurin the best.
“I think that’s a genuine feeling expressed throughout the organization, and I think that’s probably where we want to leave it.”
Tony Nelson, vice president of CUPE Local 2081, says that the union is “quite surprised” that the termination is coming so soon after the renewal of Laurin’s contract. He also expresses concern about the circumstances that may have led to her termination.
“We have a lack of any quantitative information,” says Nelson, “but from what I understand and know, Kathryn was quite a vocal critic of the government’s ESL funding cuts as well as our funding cuts overall. If that had anything to do with her being let go, this sounds a very clear warning shot to any and all presidents across postsecondary education here in BC: you can advocate, but don’t advocate too hard. I worry about those things, because a president is supposed to advocate for its institution’s funding. Whether the government likes to hear that message or not, it needs to be said.”
The story is similar to what is happening at Douglas College, where president Scott McAlpine left suddenly last month. Douglas also said that their president was leaving “to pursue other opportunities,” according to The Royal City Record.
“I have to draw the parallels,” Nelson says about the situations at Camosun and Douglas. “Douglas were quite vocal in their stance on those ESL cuts and the state of funding in BC overall.”
Minister of advanced education Amrik Virk declined to comment on the Camosun and Douglas situations, with a spokesperson for the minister saying that this is between the boards of governors and the colleges and the ministry is not involved.
Laurin’s termination also comes with a financial cost, says Nelson.
“Now the college is on the hook for all or a certain percentage of her salary,” he says. “Where’s that money going to come from? We’re told there’s no money. Where is that money going to come from?”
More to come as the story develops.
from the people I’ve talked too, and according to the new releases, she knew well before she went on yet another “vacation”
she was a manipulative and divisive “leader” and the organization will be better off without her fear based “leadership”
Really, firing a key figure abruptly and over email, when she’s on vacation? Stay classy, Camosun.
Exactly. It of COURSE was timed to be when she was traveling and hard to reach. And unable to trump up any reasons, they fired without cause, which means severance. Contrary to the first comment, Ms. Laurin was well-liked by those who had the university’s best interests at heart, she was a fearLESS fighter for Camosun and it’s a pretty dire sign for the future that the Board has played this political game. Anyone with two minutes experience with university politics can see exactly what was going on here, derisive comments about “vacations” (um, what?) to the contrary. Because people don’t take vacations in the summer, so that must be part of her maniacal leadership style.