Meet Gilles Patry, U of O President

Jesse Freeston, 12.12.2007 22:07

Yesterday, attendees to the University of Ottawa's "Meet the President" town hall meeting were exposed to the character of the man running this institution and his vision for the school's future. So who is Gilles Patry? And more importantly, who does he listen to?

Doesn't anyone have a question about the new cafeteria items? They're Delicious!

Unfortunately I arrived late to this event; even so I arrived in plenty of time to bear witness to the sort of individual which fills such a prestigious position as President at a modern university and the University’s sincerity in its engagement with its environment.

The first clue as to the University's present and future approach to involving the public stood outside the room itself. The greeting party for attendees to this 'town hall meeting' was a UofO security officer, who appeared unworried about the series of outright unconstitutional activities which his organization had engaged in over the preceding days.

Once inside, my worries about this institution's unwillingness to rationally engage the concerns of its stakeholders (students, professors and worried community members) in discussion were ultimately confirmed. Prof. Denis Rancourt raised concerns about the recent displays of intimidation and forcible repression of expression on campus. In response to this, Patry responded by deflection, refusing to either affirm the public character of the university or to confirm that similar acts of repression will not be sanctioned by his administration.

Similar deflection techniques were employed in both French and English by Patry in addressing—or avoiding—questions regarding: the future of the visual arts department, the commercialization of the campus as exemplified by Second Cup development in the library and the disregard for the formal complaint process which the administration has displayed to its students. All of these tough questions were confronted with a convoluted academic answer which could be paraphrased as ‘Why are you asking me this? I’m only the President’. The overriding theme which appeared throughout these questions was the university’s insincerity in consulting, or outright unwillingness to consult, those who are affected by its decisions. So if the administration is not listening to its own community when it sets its policies, and if Patry himself refuses to take responsibility, then where is it getting its direction from?

The answer to this question came near the end of the question period. This key moment also served as the greatest example of the depth of Patry’s compassion.

Tin Maung Htoo, Executive Director of the Canadian Friends of Burma, explained his concerns over the university’s relationship with Paul Desmarais Sr. The school has recently named its newest building after the man and awarded him with its Distinguished Canadian Leadership Award. Htoo pointed out that Mr. Desmarais’ Power Corp. is the single largest shareholder in French oil giant Total, a key financial lifeline to the infamous military junta and the beneficiary of forced labour, murder and the forced relocation of Karen refugees in the area of Total’s pipeline. Htoo, a political prisoner of the Junta for three years, simply asked for Patry to apply pressure to Desmarais to divest himself of this asset. To this Patry responded—and I am not exaggerating at all here—by blankly and silently turning his attention to the other microphone and inviting the next question. WHAT?!?

The question that followed had to do with the University’s goals for internationalization, and in particular with its “Asia Strategy”. Mr. Patry was more than happy to address this question by pledging his support this idea of ‘internationalization’. Which begs another question: WHAT DOES INTERNATIONALIZATION MEAN IF IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR UNIVSERSITY’S IMPACT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES?

After Patry had found his voice and addressed a question to his liking, the next in line requested that he attend to the previous question from Htoo. As if Patry had not inflicted enough damage to this worried expatriate and other concerned attendees, he responded that he has the utmost respect for Mr. Desmarais as Canada’s “greatest businessman”, and that the $15 million donation to the school from Desmarais and the consequent award and building constituted transactions with the man and not his company. This response represents a very disconcerting application of the legal principle of limited liability; implying—excuse my hyperbole—that one could accept a donation from Hitler, but not from the Nazi Party.

This proclaimed adoration of Mr. Desmarais confirms many of our worst fears as to where the direction of this institution is coming from. It is confirmed by the lack of consultation of stakeholders, by the crushing of those who demand to be consulted, by the conscious decision to hold a town hall meeting at midday on a Tuesday when most people are busy, but most explicitly by the University’s website itself. In the write-up that describes the rationale for Mr. Desmarais’ leadership award, it reads: “Paul Desmarais’ advice is respected and sought.” ( http://www.canadianleadership.uottawa.ca/recipients_details-17-e.html)

e-mail:: jfreeston@gmail.com

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