U of O Watch mission, in the words of Foucault...

"One knows … that the university and in a general way, all teaching systems, which appear simply to disseminate knowledge, are made to maintain a certain social class in power; and to exclude the instruments of power of another social class. … It seems to me that the real political task in a society such as ours is to criticise the workings of institutions, which appear to be both neutral and independent; to criticise and attack them in such a manner that the political violence which has always exercised itself obscurely through them will be unmasked, so that one can fight against them." -- Foucault, debating Chomsky, 1971.

U of O Watch mission, in the words of Socrates...

"An education obtained with money is worse than no education at all." -- Socrates

video of president allan rock at work

Showing posts with label Marie Josée Berger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marie Josée Berger. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The 2013 IRON FIST award goes to Julie Beauchamp, most ruthless administrator of students, says SAC-SFUO

Julie Beauchamp, Telfer School of Management
Every year the Student Appeal Centre (SAC) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) selects one U of O administrator to be named for, in the SAC-SFUO's opinion, being "ruthless", having "contempt for student rights", and displaying an "overall lack of fairness".

The opening paragraph of the 2013 award description reads (LINK-SFUO-web-site):

"After careful consideration among many contenders, the Student Appeal Centre of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa awards the Iron Fist for the most unjust University of Ottawa Administrator to Julie Beauchamp, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Telfer School of Management. Ms. Beauchamp’s actions meet the criteria for the Iron Fist award which include ruthlessness, contempt for student rights, and overall lack of fairness in decision making." [Emphasis added.]

The SFUO award description details the SAC-SFUO's stated reasons for its choice of Ms. Beauchamp.

The past winners of the SAC-SFUO Iron Fist are Marie-Josée Berger (2011) and Thiery Giordano (2012).

U of O Watch welcomes all comments, including any full response from Ms. Beauchamp.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

In the news (EN FRANCAIS)::: Marie-Josée Berger in hot water?

(Note that the University of Moncton has its short-list candidates for president give public addresses to the university community as part of the selection process. What a concept! Maybe "Canada's university" could take a lesson in democracy here? Would Allan Rock have survived his past, HERE?)

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capacadie.com (Moncton, NB)
le mercredi 11 janvier, 2012

DIEPPE - Alors que l’Université de Moncton a annoncé, ce mardi, les deux finalistes dans la course pour briguer le poste de recteur de l’établissement, la Fédération des étudiants et étudiantes de l’Université de Moncton (FÉÉCUM) s’inquiète d’une possible nomination de Marie-Josée Berger. Cette dernière a, en effet, été élue l’an passé doyenne la plus inefficace par la Fédération étudiante de l’Université d’Ottawa (FÉUO).

«À première vue, c’est inquiétant, mais il faut donner la chance à la candidate d’apporter sa version des faits», indique ainsi Ghislain LeBlanc, président de la FÉÉCUM.

Intimidation d’une élève lors d’une rencontre privée, menace envers une étudiante qui souhaitait changer de superviseur, non-respect du devoir de répondre aux plaintes des élèves contre certains professeurs... Les accusations portées à l’encontre de Marie-Josée Berger, doyenne de la Faculté d’éducation par le Centre de recours de l’Université d’Ottawa sont lourdes.

Pour toutes ces allégations, ce service proposé par la FÉUO afin d’offrir de l’aide aux étudiants qui désirent faire appel d’une décision administrative de l’université a donc décidé de nommer Mme Berger, Prix du bras de fer 2011.

Cette distinction a pour but de dénoncer l’administrateur de l’université qui a le plus attiré l’attention des agents de recours étudiant par son attitude impitoyable ou injuste et par son manque de respect.

«Je suis en poste depuis 2007 et j’ai donc eu la possibilité d’observer la manière dont la faculté a été gérée par Marie-Josée Berger. Lorsque nous avons créé le prix, il n’y a pas eu d’hésitation. Marie-José Berger a été élue l’Administrateur qui a eu le comportement le plus inacceptable», critique Mireille Gervais, directrice du centre.

De plus, la doyenne de la Faculté d’éducation aurait quelques soucis relationnels avec certains professeurs du département.

«Lorsque l’on a désigné Mme Berger pour ce prix, un membre d’une association de professeurs est venu nous féliciter», explique, ainsi, Mireille Gervais.

Cette dernière nous a également fait parvenir les résultats d’une étude interne établie par l’Université d’Ottawa en 2007. Cette enquête, conduite auprès du personnel de l’établissement, révélait que les professeurs de la Faculté d’éducation étaient parmi les plus mécontents (seconde position) par la gestion de leur département.

De même, plus de la moitié d’entre eux, parmi ceux qui avaient répondu à l’enquête, ne se sentaient pas traités avec respect.

Malgré tout, il convient de relativiser la portée de cette étude dans la mesure où moins de 12 professeurs sur les 75 que compte le corps professoral de la faculté avaient répondu au questionnaire.

De même, il faut prendre avec précaution les plaintes reçues par le bureau du Centre de recours puisqu’aucune n’a été suivie d’effet.

«Les étudiants ont eu peur des représailles», a néanmoins justifié Mireille Gervais.

L’Acadie Nouvelle aurait souhaité parler de toute cette affaire avec Mme Berger, mais cette dernière, en déplacement professionnel, n’a pu nous répondre. Elle aura tout le loisir de s’expliquer lors des consultations publiques auprès de la communauté universitaire de Moncton, qui auront lieu dans les prochaines semaines.

All U of O Watch posts about Marie-Josée Berger: HERE.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

U of O in the news::: Houle, Berger

The VP-Academic represented institutional memory under the Rock outside administration. The move is sudden and rather quiet (no press release, no party). Who will Rock name to replace Houle?


  • Dean of Education Marie-Josee Berger is on the short-list of two to be the next president of the University of Moncton (New Brunswick):

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Featured comment by former U of O professor Steve E Noble -- "Land of Rock"


Dr. Steve E. Noble was a full-time professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Having left the U of O, he feels he has insights to share about the institution, such a this recent comment (below).

[Background posts HERE (label = APTPUO).]
[Recent related media articles: LINK, LINK.]

Steve E. Noble said...

More than anything, the part time prof crisis is being dealt with by an incredible level of unethical, iron-fisted sleaze...

1. The university is unilaterally imposing a cut to the part time union's membership by telling the union that it wants non-credit profs within the second language institute and the Faculty of Education to be removed from the bargaining unit. Why only those two areas - what about other faculties and programs? All part time non-credit profs do similar things - why not go after all non-credit profs? Could there be a Rock-Berger alliance?

2. Is this a manufactured financial crisis that is being used to "legitimize" the iron fist approach to repress part timers and gut the union contract?

3. Why are tenured faculty and administrators not facing compensation cuts? If, after all, the university is facing a "financial crisis"? Should the wealthiest and most secure not be the first to cut their compensation, rather than the poorest and most vulnerable frontline?

4. The most vulnerable employee group is facing a 66% pay cut, yet are expected to do the same or more work for less money? Is this reasonable? In the corporate world, a move like this would result in the corporation being faced with severe government sanctions. What is acceptable is salary freezes, not cuts.

5. And the MOST vulnerable of all -the very people the university SAYS is its focus, the students, face the greatest penalty. May 13 was the last day to withdraw from a summer course without financial penalty. So, if there is a lockout or strike the May 14 or May 17 makes students the biggest losers - but then, that's likely how the university wants it - keep student cash and make the part time profs the evil ones in the process by being constructed as "unreasonable" - a very old employer union strategy.

The more I read about U of O, the more I wish I had stayed out west teaching at university there - so much more progressive and where, heaven forbid, the success of the student-prof relationship is the focus. Something stinks in the Land of Rock.

May 14, 2011 9:00 AM

[Links added by UofOWatch.]


Friday, April 22, 2011

U of O Faculty of Education professors speak out to defend their dean

The dean of the Faculty of Education, Marie Josee Berger, has -- in terms of her treatment of students -- been judged the most ruthless administrator at the University of Ottawa, HERE.

Member of the university senate Joseph Hickey has reported the reactions of some professors in the Faculty of Education, HERE.

The following professors have spoken out in defense of Berger, with strong words against Hickey's attempt to use collegial governance to mitigate the possible damage to academic integrity. (LINK)


Bernie Andrews

Richard Maclure

Sharon Cook

Stéphane Lévesque

Claire Maltais


This is reassuring because we might expect that these professors would also stand just as firmly and from the same principled perspective regarding any injustices to graduate and undergraduate students? We welcome evidence to that effect.

Seriously, how are the reactionary yelps of the above professors compatible with even the publicly known face of dean Marie Josee Berger, reported in the media in 2007 HERE?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Marie Josée Berger most ruthless administrator at U of O, student union says

[Photo (uOttawa.ca) : dean Marie Josée Berger]

The Student Appeal Centre (SAC) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) has named the dean of the Faculty of Education, Marie Josée Berger, as the first recipient of its newly inaugurated annual "Iron Fist Award".

The SAC has announced the prize on its blog where its report reads in part (LINK):

The Iron Fist is awarded to the University of Ottawa Administrator having caught Student Appeal Officers’ attention for being most ruthless and/or unjust while showing little or no respect for students. The Award considers both long-term career contributions and particularly notable specific events.

In this case, Marie Josée Berger is well deserving of the Award, having been the object of several informal complaints at the Student Appeal Centre over many years.

For the 2010-2011 school year highlights include Marie Josée Berger’s refusal to respond and investigate at least three very serious complaints filed with her office, calling a student to her office only to belittle her after the case was already resolved in favour of the student, and threatening to impede her own graduate student’s progress in the program when the student expressed her desire to change supervisors.

Past conflicts involving Berger have included harsh unjustified discipline and dismissals against several academic staff members of the Faculty of Education.

At one point an anonymous letter from several professors published in a student newspaper accused Berger of ruling the Faculty of Education in "Tonton Macoute" style. Berger threatened to sue the student paper and went on a rampage against several professors.

The notorious reputation of Berger's Faculty of Education is at least campus wide.

Characteristically, in 2009 the university's Allan Rock administration named Berger a "Celebrat[ed] extraordinary woman at the University of Ottawa".

Youtube video with Berger (and Allan Rock in the monarchy of Morocco) on the topic of dialogue:



In the video, Berger explains that she is also interested in buying gold at a good price and that she is thankful for the advice she received in this regard.