Premier offered to get involved in presidential process, MUN says

Controversy swirled at Memorial University Wednesday after the board of regents made a statement about the school's presidential hiring controversy, and a member of the board submitted her resignation. 

The board's statement, which differs from Premier Danny Williams's account of events, says Williams "didn't impose himself into the search for a new president," but that he "indicated to the chairman of the board of regents that, if the university felt it would be helpful, the premier, if asked, would be willing to meet prospective candidates to promote the province, to emphasize the importance of Memorial to the province and to confirm the government's strong commitment to university education in Newfoundland and Labrador."

Williams said publicly Tuesday that Gil Dalton, chair of the board, had asked him to speak with the candidates for the school's top job, but he was unavailable and deferred the responsibility to Education Minister Joan Burke.

The board said in the press release the deferral to Burke did happen, and up until that point, the board did not consider any of William's actions as inappropriate.

The statement says,"The board feels that there was no inappropriate interference by government or attempt to influence the work of the search committee until government informed the board that the candidates were unacceptable prior to a formal recommendation of a preferred candidate being made."

Burke admitted last week that she had personally interviewed two of the candidates selected by the search committee and rejected both of them, telling the committee to continue its work.

It was a move that the national academic community called "unprecedented," and Burke and Williams came under fire for getting involved in the university's hiring process.

Board member resigns

Deanne Fleet, an elected alumni board of regents member, announced her resignation in a press release Wednesday, saying she could not support the statement issued by the board of regents.

"The statement is in error when it contends that the premier's involvement was supported by the board of regents. While there may have been some informal discussion among some regents, the issue of the premier's involvement in the selection process was never on the agenda of a meeting of the board nor was it ever voted on by the board," Fleet said.

"To contend that the board of regents formally approved, endorsed or supported the premier's involvement is not correct. In fact, the recollection of several regents is that the chair brought the issue of the government's involvement to the attention of the board only after the minister of education had interviewed two candidates and the chair had been advised that the candidates were not acceptable," she continued.

Deanne Fleet works as a reporter with CBC in St. John's.

The board said in its statement  that it is concerned for the autonomy of the university. The board also said it supports the current acting president, Eddy Campbell, for the president's position.

Campbell announced on Aug. 1 that he was withdrawing his name from the running.