Cape Breton University president dismissed after agreeing to severance package

CTV Atlantic: CBU President Wheeler dismissed Cape Breton U has dismissed President David Wheeler, a month after he was placed on a leave of absence. CTV's Ryan MacDonald reports.

An apparent falling out between the president of Cape Breton University and the school's board of governors has resulted in the board dismissing David Wheeler from a position he's held since 2013.

In a news release Friday, the board says it voted in favour of an agreement that includes a negotiated severance package with Wheeler.

The board says the move "effectively ends" Wheeler's tenure as president, and includes a provision that he forego any contractual entitlement to tenure at the school.

"Given that Dr. Wheeler's departure is a confidential personnel issue that has now been resolved, CBU will not comment further on this matter," the release states.

Wheeler was placed on a leave of absence with pay on Nov. 1 while officials investigated governance issues.

All this comes amid labour issues between CBU and its faculty.

“Our next step is to plan for the possibility that we may have to go on strike,” says Andrew Reynolds, a member of the CBU Faculty Association.

“The tentative agreement between Cape Breton University and the Cape Breton University Faculty Association was rejected by the Board of Governors today. The board has requested that negotiating teams return to the table to resume talks as soon as possible,” says Dale Keefe, the interim President of CBU.

That announcement prompted an outburst from at least one faculty member, who angrily told a meeting of the University’s Board of Governors that “you will reap what you sow.”

“It seems quite clear what this board wants to do, what this vice-president of finance wants to do, is lay off a bunch of members,” says CBU Professor Scott Stewart.

The tentative contract agreement that had been reached under University President David Wheeler did not include any layoffs, but the board voted unanimously today to dismiss Wheeler, effective immediately.

In an earlier statement, CBU says Wheeler had been suspended with pay last month, pending a disciplinary investigation into: “The manner in which the recent labour negotiations with the CBU Faculty Association were conducted at the bargaining table… and how those negotiations were subsequently characterized and reported to the board of governors by the President.”

“It’s about trust and governance issues, and reporting to the board. Those sorts of things, again, without getting into the dirty details,” says Ambrose White, Chair of the CBU Board of Governors.

All of this controversy, particularly a possible faculty strike is causing worry among students in the middle of exams.

“It’d be pretty hard on the students, especially us as first-year students,” says student Megan Odo-Hache. “We’d lose out on second semester and probably have to re-do some classes.”

CTV News reached out to David Wheeler, but he refused to comment, explaining that his lawyer will be attending to his interests on this issue.

“This board has now, in one way or another, gotten rid of three of four presidents they have hired. Something is wrong with this board,” says Scott Stewart.

As for returning to the bargaining table, the faculty association says that’s a tough sell.

“We had already reached what we thought was an agreement. They will have to understand that’s the position we’re coming from,” says Andrew Reynolds.

The CBU board said it will now shift its attention to establishing a search committee to find a new president.

It said in the meantime, the university would continue to operate under the leadership of acting president Dale Keefe.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald and The Canadian Press