In August, I blogged about controversy surrounding Concordia University’s Board of Governors. A report co-authored by Bernard J. Shapiro (Canada’s first Ethics Commissioner) had concluded that an unofficial, inner circle of board members had been micromanaging some of the university’s day-to-day operations, and undermining the president. This had apparently prompted the resignation of the previous two presidents before the midway points of their respective terms in office. It had also caused a public-relations disaster and “culture of contempt” on campus. The report in question had recommended, among other things, that the board be reduced in size from 40 to 25 members.

Last week, Concordia’s Board of Governors voted by secret ballot to indeed reduce the size of the board from 40 to 25, but with an important twist: it decided to reduce the number of undergraduate students on the board from four to one, something the Shapiro Report had not recommended.

It goes without saying that reducing undergraduate representation from four to one is very much out of proportion with the rest of the board’s size reduction, and this has left some students outraged.

Concordia’s Board of Governors had an opportunity to demonstrate to the university community that it was going to right a wrong, and work towards tidying its image. Instead, it kicked undergraduate students in the teeth…via secret ballot.

This article was first posted on The Progressive Economics Forum.