UPEI to hold town hall after report describes 'toxic' environment

The University of Prince Edward Island plans to hold a"community town hall" for students, faculty and staff on Monday to let them air concerns after a third-party report outlined major issues at the campus, including discrimination and sexual harassment and violence.

In an email to faculty and students Friday, interim UPEI president Greg Keefe called it an opportunity to "speak openly and freely" about the report, which he called "a harsh wake-up call" for the Charlottetown-based campus.

"We have a lot of work to do, and it will take time to earn back the trust we have lost," the email reads.

"UPEI has faced adversity in the past and remains a remarkable success story. We need to live our values and remain steadfast in our mission to offer our students an outstanding educational experience in an environment that is safe, respectful, positive, and inclusive for all members of the university community."

The Rubin Thomlinson report, released on June 14, said an 18-month investigation had confirmed allegations of a workplace environment that is "toxic, where bullying and harassment is widespread and condoned at an institutional level."

The report described "dire" problems on campus that it said "should raise alarm bells and spark urgent action."

Next steps

The firm was hired after former UPEI president Alaa Abd-El-Aziz resigned in December of 2021, citing health reasons. Abd-El-Aziz's resignation came after a fresh allegationof misconduct was brought forward against him; he had been the subject of two previous complaints years earlier, in 2013.

In Friday's email, Keefe said heexperienced a range of emotions after reading the report a week before a redacted version was released to the public.

"My first stage was anger anger that colleagues, including students, endured and continue to endure what had been documented in the report," his emailreads.

"I was angered that, as an institution, we let these members of our community down... After my initial anger I became saddened and felt compassion for the victims."

Keefe acknowledged that the campus community wants to see immediate action, saying he's focused on what the next steps will be.

'This is for the university community'

The Rubin Thomlinson report said that non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, have been used in the past to "buy survivor's silence."

While repeating that there havebeen no new NDAs signed in the 18 months he's been acting president, Keefewent into some detail about the two agreements connected to the 2013 allegations against Abd-El-Aziz. Headdedthat of the other 29 agreements the report cited, "one was related to alleged sexual harassment involving a graduate student and professor, and the others were primarily signed for employment matters."

• UPEI president Greg Keefe's full message to faculty, staff and students

Keefe said he plans to meet with government officials next week to discuss next steps in relation to the motions that have been passed in the legislature.

The interim president said he hopes the open house will be a step in the right direction.

The open house is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday. It was originally planned forthe Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium in the Don and Marion McDougall Hall, but the university later changed the venue tothe Performing Arts Theatre, in the south tower of UPEI's new residence building.

"This is for the university community people need to be able to speak openly and freely," Keefe's message said. "I will, as always, make myself available for media after I hear from you in this session."

New board of governors chair elected

Meanwhile, the UPEI Board of Governors announced Friday that it had elected a new chair.

Shannon MacDonald is a UPEI business alumna who has been on the board since 2017, and was most recently chairing its governance and appeals committee.

She is also a partner with Ernst and Young in Toronto as well as a seasonal resident of Blooming Point, P.E.I.

Former chair Pat Sinnott resigned earlier this week in the wake of the Rubin-Thomlinson report, saying he felt it was time for new leadership.