Former U of O Chancellor Michaelle Jean luxuriously "represents" francophone Africa

Paul Arcand (98.5 FM, Montreal) recently interviewed former Governor General of Canada and former Chancellor of the University of Ottawa (under the Allan Rock presidency) Michaelle Jean about her expenses and her role as Secrétaire générale de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF):

Her justifications are exactly what they sound like (in French).

The interview was in response to disclosures in the Monreal popular press (LINK), and was followed by more (LINK).

Radio Canada this morning commented that her travel and living expenses are excessive, that her professional capacities are not up to the task, compared to her OIF predecessor, and that the Arcand interview illustrates these points.

Her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond recently made a National Film Board feature-length documentary film about her: HERE. Lafond defended his project to the media HERE.

A 2010 CBC profile of Jean is HERE.

Other U of O Watch blogposts that mention Michaelle Jean are HERE. Her Rock appointment at U of O was done in secrecy and had some controversy.

Michaëlle Jean to step down as University of Ottawa chancellor

Michaëlle Jean is getting out at the same time that Allan Rock leaves the ship. (LINK)

Together, they will have presided over the rape culture era at U of O, showing the way to all institutions similarly afflicted.

Part of the made-at-U-of-O solution is mandatory education on rape culture suppression, including for staff.

Will there be a media event when Allan Rock and the VPs attend their first re-education session? Will they receive the same curriculum as the deans of faculties, and will the curriculum be shared into the public domain to the benefit of all?

Allan Rock on rape culture at the University of Ottawa

Allan Rock has been silent and hiding from the media until today. His explanation is that "he had nothing to say until today", until today's press conference.

Michaëlle Jean essentially confirmed that there is a rape culture at the University of Ottawa, while clarifying that it is also a broader societal phenomenon.

Rock did not acknowledge any responsibility for the apparent rape culture at the school, and appeared to be in denial:

"Rock said he’s been involved with the school for over 50 years and recent events 'stand in shocking contrast' to what he’s experienced."(LINK)

Rock's answer is to create a "task force" that will make recommendations. There is no evidence of immediate interim measures, apart from having summarily suspended an entire hockey team.

Rock did not acknowledge the significant union and association joint efforts that have already occurred to address the crisis.

On the positive side, Rock appears to have received the student association message that academic sanctions for non-academic offenses will not be tolerated. Now he needs to tell his staff.

Anne-Marie Roy did not attend the press conference. No effort was made to expressly include the unions and associations as an integral part of any solution at the school. Corporate paternalism seems to be the order of the day.

Irregular U of O selection of Michaelle Jean as Chancellor -- Student Senator report

Interference in Selection of Michaelle Jean as Chancellor by Senate Chair Allan Rock (LINK)

Will the new Chancellor-to-be intervene as requested?

Related post on Michaelle Jean about systemic racism at U of O: HERE.

Report on racism at the School of Nursing - today's press conference and Michaelle Jean

[April 29, 2011, press conference participants]

The Centre for Equity and Human Rights (CEHR) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) held its press conference about the racism in the U of O School of Nursing today.

The CEHR has received twenty racism discrimination complaints from students in the School of Nursing since 2009.

The press conference testimonies by two plaintiffs were detailed and disturbing.

There can be no doubt that Nursing has an urgent and widespread racism problem that has been disregarded for years by the university administration.

The lawyer for the plaintiffs Yavar Hameed stressed that the problem was not only from bad management but was also systemic, pointing to a lack of internal structures to solve and correct racism problems.

Unlike previous press conferences at the University of Ottawa, the university communication staff and legal counsel were nowhere to be seen on the floor. Instead, they have installed a new electronic lock on their main door and called the media behind closed doors for private conferences.

The presenters avoided naming the six university staff complained against in the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario complaints but Student Appeal Centre director Mireille Gervais had the following statements for UofOWatch.

"[Professor] Isabelle Cyr is a problem regarding differential treatment of Nursing students based on the colour of their skin."

"Kirsten Woolend, ex-director of the School of Nursing, acknowledged in 2008 -- at a meeting with me, CEHR director Francine Page, SFUO VP-University Seamus Wolfe, vice-dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Francis Reardon, and School of Nursing administrator of undergraduate programs Joanne Larose-Dubois -- that the School of Nursing had received many complaints about Isabelle Cyr."

"It is a widely known fact that Isabelle Cyr once physically shook [assaulted] a black Nursing student."

As the event was closing, former Governor General Michaelle Jean, who now has her UNESCO office beside university president Allan Rock's office, happened by accident to walk by and stopped to chat with some of the plaintiffs. Jean inquired why they were in Tabaret Hall. After some explanation Jean asked CEHR director Francine Page to send her all the documents so she can prepare for a possible informal chat with Rock. Maybe Rock will listen to Jean? He hasn't listened to anyone else.

SEE ALL ARTICLES ABOUT RACISM AT U OF O (label=racism)
.

MEDIA
Radio-Canada TV news (en francais)
Le Droit - with audio (en francais)