Open letter: To Mount Allison President, Dr. Ian Sutherland, cc Vice President, Finance and
Administration, Robert Inglis, Chair, Board of Regents, Cheryl Hodder, Members, Mount
Allison Board of Regents.

Dear Dr. Sutherland and Mr. Inglis:

I attended the Budget Town Hall on Friday, June 12. During this event, you explained to the
greater University community that a freeze in funding from the Provincial government has
caused stress on the budget, that may only be resolved by making significant operational
changes, and that difficult decisions are pending. Although you did not name a staffing
reduction, you did name the increased staffing budget as a source of economic stress. You
also named Mount Allison’s Strategic Plan as the guide for operational changes.

The Strategic Plan in question challenges the university to improve, with a vision of
“Employee Thriving,” a commitment to “Organisational Excellence,” and a strategic
direction toward “Operational & Digital Transformation.” I want to emphasize that behind
all the work you and your executive team do, is a team of highly skilled and experienced
workers, who will play a large role in making the Strategic Plan a reality. Workers in staff
unions on campus have decades upon decades of experience, expertise, and institutional
knowledge, adding up to a resource that cannot easily be replaced.

However, in many cases, this resource is undervalued and underutilized. For example,
staff are severely underrepresented in the recently formed Strategic Plan Implementation
Group, with only one ex-officio member. Our members, who know that they have valuable
insights and experiences, feel valued when their voices are heard. Overlooking the voice of
staff overlooks an important source of knowledge and wisdom.

What this all adds up to is opportunity. What staff need is motivation and tools to be part of
the successful next phase. Staff want to play a larger role in new programs, innovative uses
of spaces, and the evolution of Mount Allison. I ask that, instead of considering staff
reductions at this crucial time, you consider maintaining staff levels at or near where they
are currently. I ask also that you create opportunities for us to excel at our jobs and help us develop skills that will not only advance our careers, but will support long-term growth,
reduce the budget for outside contractors, and increase overall productivity.

We understand that the university faces financial pressure, but we don’t believe cutting
staff resources is the most effective way forward. Instead, we recommend developing staff
roles and entrusting unionized staff with more decision making and more important tasks –
and including staff in proportionate numbers in strategic planning and policy committees.
Give us better tools and access to help us become more productive. Unionized staff are
not against change. In fact, we welcome change that will transform Mount Allison into a
modern institution that maximizes its resources and innovates creatively. Staff can be a big
part of this next phase in the history of Mount Allison, where we grow according to the
principles of the strategic plan, but we need you to provide the opportunity to develop and
perform.

Sincerely, and on behalf of MASA membership and executive,

K.C. Hingley
President, CUPE local 3433
Mount Allison Staff Association