Faculty union holds vote of no confidence in Dal president, others

Dalhousie University’s faculty union is holding a vote of no confidence in the school’s president, two former provosts and the chair of the board of governors.

The anonymous vote opens today for the nearly 1,000 full-time professors, librarians, counsellors and instructors who make up the Dalhousie Faculty Association. Voting results will be revealed on Sept. 22.

The vote evaluates the work of the three positions from July 2024 to June 2026. During that period, Kim Brooks served as Dal’s president, Marty Leonard and Wanda Costen each served different terms as provost and vice-president academic, and Cheryl Fraser served as chair of the board of governors. 

Brooks and Fraser still hold their roles at Dalhousie; Costen and Brooks mutually agreed for the provost to end her term in July. 

A vote of no confidence is a non-binding motion used to show a group’s lack of trust in leadership. 

David Westwood, the president-elect of the DFA, says the vote focuses on key events during that period, including the hiring freeze, the lockout, the bilateral agreement with the provincial government and Dal’s fracking development deal with the province

He says the vote is meant to show the union’s frustrations with Dal administration, not to call for resignations. 

“It’s a message to [Dal’s] leadership,” he says. “It doesn’t actually compel any action.” 

Brooks’s office did not respond to a request for comment from the Dalhousie Gazette.

“Discussions around non-confidence can understandably create concern and frustration amongst our community,” said Janet Bryson, Dal’s director of communications in an emailed statement to the Dalhousie Gazette on Sept. 14.

“Rebuilding relationships is important work that takes time. Dalhousie continues to engage with the Dalhousie Faculty Association to better understand their concerns.”