Law firm report also cites lack of accountability, fear of reprisal at university
The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is taking action after an independent report said the learning institution “has failed to create a safe, respectful, and positive environment for working”.
UPEI is parting ways with Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, former university president, who had been on administrative leave since 2021 – when the University of Prince Edward Island Review was commissioned shortly after his departure.
“We are required to pay his administrative leave until we received this report and made the decision that the university and the president are no longer associated,” said Greg Keefe, UPEI interim president, in a CTV News report.
The university released the partially redacted 96-page report done by Toronto-based law firm Rubin Thomlinson.
“This report presents the results of our survey and interviews, our review of UPEI's policies, practices, and use of NDAs, and provides recommendations,” said Janice Rubin, Heather Shields and Katharine Montpetit in their report.
“It does not, however, contain any findings regarding the allegations of misconduct against the former president.”
Those details are in a secondary component of the report not released to the public, CTV News reported.
“It’s to protect, predominately protect, the complainant and any witnesses that participated in the report,” said Pat Sinnott, chair of the UPEI board of governors, in the CTV News report.
Meanwhile, UPEI has also placed Jackie Podger on administrative leave, effective June 13. Podger has been the university's vice-president for finance and administration since June 2012, according to her LinkedIn page.
In May, just three weeks after announcing his promotion, 3M fired executive Michale Vale for “inappropriate personal conduct and violation of company policy.”
Failure to create safe, respectful environment
The university failed to create a safe, respectful, and positive environment for working and learning for all members of its community, according to the Rubin Thomlinson report.
“We found significant evidence that a concerning number of people within the university community have experienced behaviour that is at odds with the Fair Treatment and Sexual Violence policies,” said the report authors.
“This state of affairs has been worsened by a number of factors, including:
- related policies, which we generally found to be out of date and in need of revision;
- the offices dedicated to administering these policies are either understaffed, under-resourced, or have an almost non-existent presence on campus;
- and a lack of education and awareness initiatives regarding these policies and the issues of harassment and discrimination more generally.”
They also found within the university:
- An environment of bullying and harassment
- Issues with equity, diversity and inclusion
- Lack of accountability
- Fear of reprisal
Previously, an outside legal firm tapped by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) to look into allegations against its chief found that that group’s leader created a toxic workplace culture for some employees.
‘Systemic system of horrible behaviour’
"Troubling and sickening,” was how P.E.I. Premier Dennis King described the findings of the report.
"Like everybody else, we were sickened to read the report that was released by UPEI and how it erodes the trust, confidence and faith that we need to have in an institution as important as UPEI," said King in the provincial legislature Thursday, according to a CBC report.
His cabinet met earlier that day to discuss what it could do to make sure the report's recommendations are adopted to change "what appears to be a systemic system of just horrible behaviour — and I would have to say, based on the report that I read so far, an unsafe environment for students," King said.
The Executive Committee of UPEI’s Faculty Association has called for the immediate resignation of all members of the board of governors who were on the board at the time that complaints about the former president first surfaced in 2013, and when he was renewed in 2015, said the CBC.
The association said that the report calls the problems on campus “dire”. It called for sweeping changes that must happen over time.
Meanwhile, UPEI has vowed to do better.
“As a public institution and the only university in Prince Edward Island, UPEI has a special obligation to the communities of PEI: to uphold, live by, and make all of our decisions based on our values,” said Keefe and Pat Sinnott , chair of the UPEI board of governors, in a press release.
“We deeply regret that, as an institution, we have not always lived up to our values, particularly in the time period covered by the review. We must do better, and we will. We will continue to work hard to create a safe, respectful, and positive environment for all members of the UPEI community.”
