Monday, March 1, 2010

Members of College and University Workers United (CUWU) protest political firing of dissident professor


Members of College and University Workers United (CUWU) have sent a strong open letter of protest to the University of Ottawa's President Allan Rock.

"We, the undersigned members of College and University Workers United (CUWU), know Dr Denis Rancourt to be a dedicated educator and a fearless defender of justice. We know Denis Rancourt to stand for human rights and students' rights. We are thankful to count Denis Rancourt among the rare public intellectuals who do not compromise their principles when they become aware of institutional folly; but instead use their positions to expose and correct flawed practices.

[...]

We conclude that the charges advanced against Denis Rancourt are a contrived pretext, that they are preposterous as reasons to summarily remove a tenured professor, and that, therefore, the real reasons must lie elsewhere. We conclude that this was a political firing to remove a dissident academic who was also critical of the university administration and supportive of student efforts to reform the institution towards greater student power. "

The full text of the letter from members of CUWU is posted HERE.

Many more letters of protest from professors outside the U of O are posted HERE.

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