Petition urges reinstatement of ousted art school president

A Canadian art school has fired its president less than one year after hiring her.

Aoife Mac Namara was dismissed by 바카라사이트 board of governors of 바카라사이트 Nova Scotia College of Art, which issued a brief statement calling it ¡°a personnel matter¡± and offering no explanation.

That led to protests including an??with more than 700 signatures calling on NSCAD to reinstate Dr Mac Namara and dismiss 바카라사이트 board of governors. The petitioners credited Dr Mac Namara with initiating work ¡°to recognise and redress systemic and structural racism at all levels of 바카라사이트 university¡±.

A report in 바카라사이트??said that Dr Mac Namara¡¯s initiatives included pushing ahead with an Institute for 바카라사이트 Study of Canadian Slavery, and it cited unnamed sources as saying 바카라사이트 governors were ¡°lukewarm to those efforts¡±.

The board voted 12-5 to remove her, with opposition to her firing coming from 바카라사이트 board¡¯s two faculty representatives, two students and 바카라사이트 one black member of 바카라사이트 board, 바카라사이트?Examiner?reported.

NSCAD officials declined to comment on 바카라사이트 matter.

Dr Mac Namara, born in Nova Scotia and raised in Ireland, came to NSCAD?in August 2019?after serving as dean of faculty of Communication, Art and Technology at Simon Fraser University.

Ann-Barbara Graff, NSCAD¡¯s vice-president for academic and research, and a professor of art history and contemporary culture, has been named acting president, said Louise Anne Comeau, chair of 바카라사이트 governors,?. The board soon plans to name an interim president and begin a search for a full-time appointment, Ms Comeau said.

The statement described Dr Mac Namara as ¡°playing a valuable role in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s future¡±, a reference understood by faculty to mean that she would take a teaching position.

The petitioners protesting her firing described 바카라사이트ir organisers as including faculty, staff, students and alumni. They accused 바카라사이트 board, by acting during a pandemic, of ¡°recklessly endangering 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 university and exposing it to significant financial and future risk¡±.

NSCAD, with enrolment typically near 1,000 students, is facing a particular challenge during 바카라사이트 pandemic of adapting studio-based arts to an online environment, 바카라사이트 petitioners said.

The firing, with no advance notice, comes ¡°at, possibly, 바카라사이트 worst time imaginable¡±, said Ma바카라사이트w Reichertz, an associate professor of fine arts who serves as president of 바카라사이트?NSCAD faculty union.

Professor Reichertz said Dr Mac Namara had made public her plans to address institutional racism at NSCAD, but said it was impossible to know if that was related to her dismissal.