FNUC decision coming soon

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Party government will make a decision in a matter of days whether to pull funding from controversy-plagued First Nations University of Canada (FNUC), Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris said Thursday.

At stake is an estimated $4 million to $5 million in provincial funding for the institution for the next school year.

Norris, speaking to reporters in the morning, said he had met with the board of governors of the University of Regina and contingency plans are in place to ensure FNUC students are not disrupted and can continue their studies.

A lawsuit filed by the former chief financial officer of the university, Murray Westerlund, alleges he was fired after presenting documents to FNUC’s audit committee outlining alleged misuse of funds and inappropriate expense claims.

As well, Norris said the government is particularly concerned that a report on governance at FNUC won’t be delivered this month and has been pushed back to mid-February. The university has faced repeated calls since 2004 for a smaller, less political board of governors.

The timetable of the report means it won’t be put before the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) legislative assembly next week.

“It would be accurate to say there is significant jeopardy regarding public funding for First Nations University,” said Norris.

“The risk is that these deliberations on governance spill into the next academic year. And so what we’ve said is, look, this is not acceptable. We need this report, we need to hear from the FSIN and other stakeholders about governance reform,” he added.

A spokesperson for FNUC said the university would not respond today as Norris had not yet spoken to university officials directly.

Meanwhile, the executive of FNUC’s student association is calling for the immediate suspension of university president Charles Pratt, vice-president Al Ducharme, board chair Chief Clarence Bellegarde, as well as any others implicated in the documents submitted by Westerlund.

Internal memos by Westerlund obtained by The StarPhoenix and other media outlets last week outlined many examples of inappropriate and questionable spending. They included hundreds of thousands of dollars in payouts in lieu of annual leave to top officials, contrary to university policy. There were questions about trips to Las Vegas, Hawaii and Montreal. Staff who “absconded” with university funds were re-hired and allowed to repeat their pattern.

“We’re calling them out. It’s affecting us. It’s affecting the faculty. They have to be suspended,” said FNUC Students’ Association vice-president Cadmus Delorme.

Delorme and other student representatives met with Norris Thursday evening in Regina.

Delorme said students support Norris’ tough stance 100 per cent. He said the students love FNUC, but the turmoil has many of them wondering if they’d be better off if the University of Regina took control.

“There’s too much politics here. We believe in Indian education, but we don’t see any action,” Delorme said.

Norris is scheduled to meet with FSIN Chief Guy Lonechild today, Delorme said. The students are expected to meet with FNUC board members and administration today as well.

Delorme added he has high expectations about the report on governance, by American academic Manley Begay.

According to a memo released by the university Thursday, a draft copy of that report has been completed and given to the university elders. The final report will be delivered to the FNUC board on Feb. 18.

The board of governors has appointed an outside auditor — the accounting firm Meyers, Norris and Penny — to proceed with an external review. According to a memo released by the university Thursday, the review “will focus on the university’s policies regarding three key areas: Annual leave, professional development and travel.”

Norris also spoke with federal Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Minister Chuck Strahl Thursday morning. He said there was shared concern between the two levels of governments, but could not say whether the federal government is contemplating cutting funding.

A message left at Strahl’s Ottawa office was not returned. An INAC spokesperson in Regina, Rod Desnomie, said no decision has been made on federal dollars. Annualized federal funding for the current academic year is $7.3 million but $1.2 million has been withheld pending the delivery of two reports, including the report on governance.

The province is also holding back about $675,000 from this year’s allocation that won’t flow until the allegations of financial impropriety are addressed, said Norris.

First Nations University was created by an act of the legislative assembly of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, which also oversees the institution. It is affiliated with the University of Regina and has campuses in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

The FSIN did not respond to messages left seeking comment.

jwood@sp.canwest.com