N.W.T. college draws criticism with job ad seeking president from within government

A job posting for the next president of the N.W.T.'s Aurora College is drawing criticism for being limited to employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories and Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

Nicole Redvers is a member of the Deninu Kųę́ First Nation and an associate professor at Western University in London, Ont., where she's holds a research chair and is director of Indigenous Planetary Health at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Redvers calls the posting a "huge red flag," especially because it's limited to people in "indeterminate or term positions" and is only open for one week.

She thinks it's possible an internal candidate has already been identified and the hiring is merely a formality.

"That doesn't really allow for a transparent process," she says, "of such a critical and key position."

Nicole Redvers in a file photo from 2019. She says the job posting is a 'huge red flag.' (Kate Kyle/CBC)

She's also concerned the job was posted at a time when there's no active education minister, and while the college's new governance structure remains in transition.

"Why push this through in one week with a narrow description? It's just a little suspicious from my end."

Joe Handley, chair of the college's board of governors, said the job is open to Government of the Northwest Territories employees first because they see it as an internal competition at this point, which he said is not unusual in government.

"If it ends up that we don't get any qualified, interested people, then we will go further afield," he said. "But just wanting to give northerners first chance," he said.

That explanation falls flat with Redvers.

"I didn't realize, and with all due respect to Joe Handley, a northerner is defined as a GNWT [employee] with an indeterminate and term position. I think we can all agree that's not the definition of a northerner."

Redvers thinks the definition should be not only wider, but broader, and said she's not reassured by Handley's claim that the position will be opened up further if nobody is initially found.

"For this new transformation to be a success, we need a leader … that has a strong educational background and experience at the post-secondary level, but particularly with an understanding of Indigenous education and the dynamics of our complex northern communities," she said.

"And what's really unfortunate about this job posting is that there's not actually any nod to Indigenous values or commitment to uphold the [recommendations of the] Truth and Reconciliation Commission."

Redvers said the next college president needs to be "carefully chosen" in a way that "meets national standards and expectations."

As an example, she points to the hiring process underway for a new scientific director to lead the Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health, part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Redvers is co-chair of a majority-Indigenous advisory committee put together to oversee the hire, which she says has been a 10-month process involving key stakeholders. For example, Redvers has sat in on interviews as an arms-length, non-government employee.

Joe Handley, chair of the college's board of governors, in a file photo. He said the job is open to territorial government employees first, because it is seen as an internal competition. (CBC)

Handley said they are still in the process of moving arm's length from the government but that hasn't happened yet.

"I can say that this is the start of it I suppose because the president now is selected by the board of governors, not by the minister," he said.

"We'll evolve to being a fully arms-length organization as we move towards a polytechnic institute — that will come gradually."

Where will the president be?

The job posting has also raised concerns about where the next president will be located.

In the past, the president has lived in Fort Smith (and sparked controversy when president Brenda Vardy Dell said she planned to live in Yellowknife). The job ad suggests the next president will be located on "one of three campuses: Yellowknife, Fort Smith or Inuvik."

MLA for Hay River South, Vince McKay, thinks that's just another way of saying Yellowknife. He's also puzzled over why the job is limited to present staff.

"I could see a limitation to the Northwest Territories — but even that is a little weird considering that position."

When asked if the board would like to see the position remain in Fort Smith, Handley everyone has their preference.

"I think the preference generally is not to continue in that debate about where the president can be located, and is there housing and all that kind of stuff," he said.

Handley said the location of the president will be decided once they find a successful candidate.

If the person comes from outside the N.W.T., it will be easier to move them to Fort Smith. But if they already reside in Yellowknife or Inuvik, they are open to that.

"We're not trying to move it out of Smith by any means at all," he said.

"There's no hidden agenda here. We're just wanting to get a good qualified northerner and get on with our business."