[CANUFNET] Suspension of Fleming College courses related to Urban Forestry, will this impact our Urban Forests

Thu May 2 21:25:29 EDT 2024

Hello Peter,

Top down doesn’t happen. Vice-principal or vice-rector of academic studies and some deans of other budget competing programs vote at special assembly. Deans directly involved with the almost irreconcilable choice or result are informed and they must prepare for the worst, with vice deans, research staff, department directors, professors and student associations. Try to find ways to save what they feel is worth their certified accredited curricula, then they go back to the top several times and are held responsible for misconduct of professoral affairs and student affairs in their faculty. This is a somewhat large spectrum I can only refer to from my past experiences up and until 2014. Nevertheless, fifteen years of severe cuts, lost funding, lost endowment return, 2002 technology crash, 2008 commercial papers, no return on financial portfolios and endowment funds pay outs where the beginning of the millennia political, professional, educational, downfall. Soft science they say doesn’t pay !!!!

I strongly believe that the economics of all sciences,  is what will make industry perform and vision should be wide as a cone vision with focus of course, but not only hard science.

EE
elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca<mailto:elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca>

Le 2 mai 2024 à 08:12, Peter Wynnyczuk <peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca<mailto:peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca>> a écrit :

Hi Elaine,

Thank you for the additional information.

I sense administration is carte blanche trying to get Doug Ford, leader of the Conservative Party in Ontario,  attention respecting the chronic under funding according to the Colleges and Universities who have set up overseas contacts for student induction to make up for the shortfall in funding over the last decade or so. Along with all the other additional hiring of staff/costs of integration and society norms exposure for the foreign students to acclimatize them to Canada.

 And the Federal Government due to he significant reduction of student applications in Canada due to he the "affordable housing crisis".

Unfortunately it seems the future of many environmental causes in Canada and abroad are now in question as other institutions I sense would not implement new courses to make up for those lost ones for at least 12 to 18 months, even with out any feasibility studies.

The voting structure may  have be challenged by either board members were not advised om the seriousness  or they recused themselves from this action. I have not heard of the Board resigning over this decision.

 I guess it is time to get the Board members names and emails for follow-up on how they came to this wide ranging and impacting decision?

Unfortunately in my experience the bean counters seem to run the academic world now, at the cost to society in the long term.

Thoughts?

Sincerely,

Peter

------ Original Message ------
From: elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca<mailto:elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca>
To: peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca<mailto:peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, May 1st 2024, 21:04
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Suspension of Fleming College courses related to Urban Forestry, will this impact our Urban Forests
Hello Peter,

From what is available on the news, it seems there were some members excluded from the board, all colleges and universities must have all, at the same timely meeting, representatives including one or more voted professor casting for the programs and representatives of or more student association representing different programs. Otherwise the vote of any committee can be nulled.

Something very loyal to Roberts Rule/ governance/ equity / ethics and protocoles must be made receivable by all nominated groups on that board. My knowledge maybe questioned, many points are ethically questionnable on behalf of Governors. The Board cannot rule without consent of all representatives in a same time and place.

Best to all.

EE
elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca<mailto:elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca>

Le 30 avr. 2024 à 15:48, Peter Wynnyczuk <peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca<mailto:peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca>> a écrit :

Hi Elaine,

Thank you for adding clarity  to the private partnerships and academic institutions roles. Based on the correspondence provided, it is not clear on who decided these private partnerships longer exist?

As "Urban Forestry" is in my opinion, a bit out of the mainstream for serious corporate funding in our Canadian Academic world, speaking of my Ontario experience. The suspension of the Fleming courses may have less of a private funding impact, as I am not aware of any long term projects.

I sense in the next week or so, there will be more discussions and direction by the College.

I guess we can do our part as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Peter

------ Original Message ------
From: elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca<mailto:elaine.ethier at umontreal.ca>
To: canufnet at list.web.net<mailto:canufnet at list.web.net> Cc: peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca<mailto:peter.wynnyczuk at sympatico.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, April 30th 2024, 11:22
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Suspension of Fleming College courses related to Urban Forestry, will this impact our Urban Forests
Hello,

Private partnership may come from corporations, associations, foundations or individual donors for research grants, research contracts or endowment funds for observatories, laboratories and chairs. Terms are often associated for renewal of funding intentions. Thus 5 years. When and if endowment funds were capitalized by the college, the the initial intention for allowing endowment must be protected during the life of donors. They must be informed, they must all agree for their funds to be transfers elsewhere in line as much as possible with the initial protocol.

Should the college have such donors for specific use of yielded dollars in the fields that we are concerned about, the the college must be absolutely transparent, reveal to all research beneficiaries and/or recipients and donors where the funds are going, why, when, how and for what.

One question comes to mind, what will happen to teaching and support staff, research reports, private or public?
 The are answers the institution charity patent must be ready to clarify and report otherwise it can loose its patent. Considering the number of programs at stake, the could be large amounts of donations to manage on a donor priority. Donors have the absolute right to transfer left over sums of past donations to or for purposes in line with their initial intent. The related committees and port folio management must take action, vote and also respect the donors original purpose for granting. Get their permission to use the investment in a different protocole or refund the donor. What about awards and scholarships in the fields we are concerned ? Are there some at that college in programs we are interested in ?

Elaine Ethier

Consultante
Milieu de vie - foresterie urbaine

Le 29 avr. 2024 à 16:19, Peter Wynnyczuk via CANUFNET <canufnet at list.web.net<mailto:canufnet at list.web.net>> a écrit :

 Hi Philip,

The gist of the correspondence I saw is:

  *   international students caps by the federal government,
  *   one I am not clear on ,"elimination of educational private partnerships",  was this mandated to be dissolved by  level of government?
  *    program reviews were accelerated and in review of the Government of Ontario direction, keeping courses/programs "that they will support as well as consider labour market demand, regional needs and demographics".
  *   all current courses are to be completed with their current enrollments
  *   other factors, not in the correspondence are likely reduced enrollment in these now suspended programs.

I sense this now requires the Arboricultural/Urban Forestry industry to step up and voice their concerns to the College. There is an online petition as noted elsewhere.

This may be a start, by the petition. but timely correspondence from all Urban Forestry/Arboriculture/Landscaping/Architects/Planners/Lawyers/Engineers with their  related associations and councils could be critical to the discussion noting the number of participants in our industry, the breadth and scope of the players involved and future expectations of attrition and expected participants, along with the current gaps

As mentioned earlier as more attention is being paid by municipalities to the Urban Forest by Polices and Bylaws we need competent and qualified participants to carry the torch for the discussion on trees

Hope this helps.

Peter

------ Original Message ------
From: canufnet at list.web.net<mailto:canufnet at list.web.net>
To: canufnet at list.web.net<mailto:canufnet at list.web.net> Cc: pwassenaer1022 at rogers.com<mailto:pwassenaer1022 at rogers.com>
Sent: Monday, April 29th 2024, 10:30
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Suspension of Fleming College courses related to Urban Forestry, will this impact our Urban Forests

Peter,

When were the courses suspended and why?

Philip van Wassenaer, B.SC., MFC
1331 Northaven Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada, L5G 4E8
Tel: (905) 274-1022
Cell: (647) 221 3046
Fax: (905) 274 2170

On Monday, April 29, 2024 at 10:00:27 a.m. EDT, Peter Wynnyczuk via CANUFNET <canufnet at list.web.net<mailto:canufnet at list.web.net>> wrote:

Good evening,

Very recently Fleming College has suspended the courses listed below.

Do you think this will have a negative impact on Arboriculture and Urban Forestry in Canada?

As many municipalities have and are seeking greater canopy cover targets through tree policies and  Bylaws, can this further weaken the voice for the trees?

I was fortunate be involved in Urban forestry in the GTHA for over 45 years in various capacities and able to present a course on Urban Forestry in the Municipal Context for 10 years until April 2023 at Fleming College and am concerned we have lost significant opportunities for engaging students in our industry to help with succession and future leaders in the Urban forest.

Please let me know if you have any concerns on the impacts related to our environment by the loss of these courses and enrollment benefiting our green industry.

There may be a need to create support for reinstatement of the  Urban Forestry courses

Sincerely,

Peter Wynnyczuk

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