Recent Comments
- The Virtual Square
- Open Letters
- Documents
- Cuts to UAlberta
- “Once in A Generation” (Defending Postsecondary Education, 2013)
- Defending the Arts (2011-12)
- Professor Lowrey (Anthropology) in the Edmonton Journal (27 September 2012)
- OpEd in Journal 10 Dec 2011
- Degagne and Dryburgh in Vue Weekly
- “World-class budget problems”
- Alexandria Eldridge in The Gateway (11 January 2012)
- Sheila Pratt, Edmonton Journal (16 January 2012)
- President declares cuts “modest” (17 January 2012)
- Professor Amaral (Computer Science) in the Edmonton Journal (20 January 2012)
- Professor Marples in Edmonton Journal (21 January 2012)
- Professor Adkin in Edmonton Journal (21 January 2012)
- Alex Migdal for Canadian University Press (20 January 2012)
- Professor Ryan Dunch (East Asian Studies) in the Edmonton Journal (23 January 2012)
- Letter to Journal (Response to Marples)
- Journal on President Samarasekera’s remarks at General Faculties Council (30 January 2012)
- Professor McDougall (History & Classics) in Journal (31 January 2012)
- Professor Slemon, Edmonton Journal (5 February 2012)
- Campaign for the Faculty of Arts, 2011-2012
- Our Staff
- Facts & Numbers
- Letters to President Samarasekera
- Reply from President Samarasekera
- Letters to the Premier
- Letters to the Dean
- Letter 1 (Faculty in English & Film Studies)
- Letter 2 (Professor Harol, English & Film Studies)
- Letter 3 (Political Science Graduate Students’ Association)
- Letter 4 (Coalition in Solidarity with Faculty of Arts Staff)
- Letter 5 (Professor Rak, English & Film Studies)
- Letter 6 (Faculty of Arts Staff Solidarity Coalition)
- “Common Cause”
- Media Coverage
- Petitions
Arts Squared 
President Samarasekera has replied to this letter, and Professor Sale has written to ask if her reply may be posted here. We hope that President Samarasekera will welcome the opportunity to share her views in the space of this “virtual square.”
It is now January first. For the first time in several years, I have made no donations to the university in 2011.
In addition to my regular donation, last year I also made a “donation” through a salary reduction that I thought I was making altruistically. But when I went to donor dinners to my disappointment I heard administrators boast about their success in fundraising but heard not one expression of gratitude extended to faculty for the collective sacrifice that they made. I have resolved to make no further donations to the university until I see a change in climate. I wonder when that might be?
I recently met the retired Dean of a major medical school. He was a Dean at our medical school when the Klein cutbacks occurred in 1993, and he decided to take a job elsewhere. He observed that the University of Alberta was good at putting up buildings but they treated their people badly. I had to agree with him. Does our administration realize how bad our reputation as an institution is? Does anyone care?