By Lee Oliver
Only eight months into her five-year contract, the chair of Ryerson’s film and photography department has tendered her resignation.
On Tuesday Mar. 7, Gaile McGregor presented a letter to Dr. John Kitamura, dean of the Faculty of Applied Arts, outlining her intention to vacate her position at the end of June. The contents of that letter have not been revealed, but the resignation appears to stem from an ongoing conflict between McGregor and the instructors in her department. McGregor has declined comment, stating, “I don’t want to say anything that will add to the confusion or create a false impression.”
According to sources inside the department, McGregor might perceive her resignation as stemming from animosity directed towards her by members of the faculty. The faculty in turn may feel that the true source of the tension is McGregor’s method of communicating with her department through antagonistic memos. The 20 full-time photo and film instructors who work under McGregor held an ad hoc meeting to respond to the resignation notice. Barry Philip, a 27-year veteran of the school says that, among other things, the instructors voted on whether or not to accept McGregor’s request to stay on the job for four more months. They decided her plan was unacceptable: “Now that she has submitted her resignation, the majority of faculty feel it should take effect immediately.”
Faculty member Brian Damude, named by his fellow instructors as the person who should take on the role of acting chair until McGregor’s replacement is found, confirms Philip’s assessment, indicating that all 20 members agreed that the resignation should take effect immediately. He says the next few months are crucial for finishing up this school year and planning the next, and that to make that transition as smooth as possible, recognized and confident leadership is required.
Dr. Michael Dewson, vice-president of faculty and staff affairs, says he was unaware of the faculty vote and is unable to comment until all the information of the resignation has been provided to him. He does say the administration will respond by consulting all parties involved, but expects that process to be a lengthy one.
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