Ralph Stern, the dean of the faculty of architecture at the University of Manitoba in Canada, announced he will not seek reappointment following the publication of a damning report by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). Accused of contributing to the creation of a “culture of fear and retribution,” Dean Stern has faced controversy since assuming the post in 2010, with repeated complaints lodged from both colleagues and students.
The CAUT report detailed the rapid turnover of personnel within the department. Over the course of Dean Stern’s tenure, an alleged three different department heads passed through, two of them leaving with documented grievances directed at Stern. In particular, former head of the department Nat Chard wrote in a published letter, “My sole reason for leaving the University of Manitoba was the behaviour of the Dean, who established a culture of fear within the faculty and appeared only to try to find problems with the department, despite its peer reviewed success. It was clear that it was not possible to work to one’s capacity in either teaching or research under the Dean’s regime and therefore a completely unsatisfying place to work.” Chard’s letter continues with details on the effects this had on his personal life.
One of the strongest accusations hurtled at Stern comes from Professor Mark West, former director of the Centre for Architectural Structures & Technology (CAST). The well-respected professor and researcher left the University of Manitoba for MIT after alleged interference and degradation from Stern. In his resignation letter, West wrote, “My eighteen years at the University of Manitoba have been the most productive period of my professional life… Unfortunately, my recent experience working under the leadership of Dean Ralph Stern has brought great frustration and unhappiness. I could cite numerous reasons for my dissatisfaction, but chief among these is the fact that Dean Stern has placed certain devastating constrictions on my research that have made it impossible for me to continue my work here.”
Students also voiced opposition to Stern’s deanship. Kailey Kroeker, president of the University of Manitoba Association of Architecture Students, told the university newspaper that the atmosphere of the school had seriously declined. With the loss of faculty, the student to teacher ratio greatly increased. “There have been a lot of negative affects from these political tensions on student morale in general.”
The University administration did not make any direct comments to the school newspaper regarding Stern’s decision. In a statement released with the news, Stern condemned the CAUT report: “…a number of elements, internal and external to the faculty of architecture, have attempted to undermine the University of Manitoba processes. In my opinion, their actions have jeopardized the reputation of the faculty and the success of our students.” His sentiments echo earlier statements made by University of Manitoba president David Barnard against CAUT processes.
Note: The original iteration of this article stated that Mr. Stern resigned. In fact, he declined to seek reappointment.
9 Comments
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.
Signed,
Former instructor under Dean Stern.
The door is jammed.
He is staying on as a Professor in the DoA.
^ ^ Do you have a source for that? It seems insane that the school would allow that scenario.
BenC, he's tenured and left the Dean's position 'voluntarily' after pressure from the faculty, students, and external reviewers.
But yeah, it's a bit crazy. He was intending to run for re-appointment for another 5 year term until just last week, so something tells me this is Plan B and he's got nothing else set up for employment otherwise.
Seems like this could make a toxic situation even worse if he moves down to an equivalent position of those who he was apparently power tripping on previously - which seems like it would create an even worse environment for the students...
Abso-fucking-lutely. And that tells you everything you need to know about shit disturber Stern, and the spineless university administration who protected this guy for 5 years to save face.
BenC, Direct quote from Stern's letter to the FoA students + staff:
"Following this, as a tenured full Professor with an appointment in the Faculty of Architecture’s Department of Architecture, I will continue to be a champion of the Faculty and its valuable work in teaching and learning, discovery and engagement, research and practice. I am committed to working with the University’s administration and Faculty to ensure a smooth transition process."
I'm just finishing my M.Arch this term at another Canadian school, but if I was in the situation of choosing schools again, this would almost certainly scare me away from attending UoM. Really unfortunate.
It's a shame, the faculty won't recover for another half decade at least.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.