After stepping into his role in January, Wisdom Tettey is nearing the end of his first semester as Carleton University president and vice-chancellor.
The Charlatan sat down with Tettey to discuss his plans for Carleton’s future as he navigates his five-year tenure.
TC: What inspired you to take on the role of president?
WT: Anytime I make decisions with institutions, I think, “is this a place that reflects my own values and my aspirations?” Carleton feels like a place that is committed to community. Carleton demonstrated that through the accessibility plan, the work that is done on equity and inclusion, our connection to Indigenous communities and the sense of place we have. Those are all things I’ve championed, so it was an easy transition. I’ve also been a great champion for research. I also want to be continuously challenged and excited about possibilities. You want an institution that is trekking a path forward and looking to what is possible, and that is what I’m excited to be part of.
TC: What’s your short-term and long-term vision for the university?
WT: The fundamental challenge we all have across higher education is financial health. That’s going to be a big part of what I’m focused on in this immediate term. There are already conversations going on across the institution on how we get past this moment and still be the institution we want to be. Ensuring our students continue to thrive and do well in this environment is important to me.
I think this institution’s impact can be extended further than it has so far. I think everybody here would agree with that because we continue to be ambitious in our aspirations. We need to do everything possible to be visible in different kinds of spaces, not just here in Canada but globally. We may not necessarily be known everywhere, but we want to be known as the place to be for particular kinds of scholarship and creativity.
TC: Carleton is currently in a growing multi-million dollar deficit. How do you plan on addressing this challenge?
WT: This past year we’ve moved forward with many programs that will hopefully bring more students. This allows us to meet the demands of students in areas they’re interested in and, by extension, support our society in areas that are needed.
At the same time, you want to look at the expenses side and ask, “what are the things we’re doing now that maybe can be done more efficiently so that we’re not just bringing in revenue, but we’re saving?” There will be some tough decisions to make, particularly from the efficiency side, because we’re used to the way things are.
One of the things we will continue to be committed to is a comprehensive education. That is why it’s important to have a productive conversation that we can all hold each other to execute. Hopefully, that plan gets us past this moment because we want to ensure we are not making decisions that erode our capacity to still be here tomorrow.
TC: What steps will you take to improve the student experience?
WT: Our priorities are going to be defined by our values. We want to make sure students are getting the best possible experience. That is an exercise in prioritizing what is important to students in the context of shrinking resources.
The well-being of students is going to be a continuing area of focus for us. Students are key partners in this process and students will always be part of this effort.
TC: How will you support Carleton faculty, including tenured professors, contract instructors, administrative staff and others?
WT: You want to ensure everybody has a voice in fashioning out the direction we need to go. Everybody’s trying to do the best possible with the least disruption. But if we don’t tackle this head-on, we will pay a price. The core values of our institution address the realities of a challenging situation. I don’t have all the answers, but I think we’ll be able to get through this. There’s no sugar coating the reality of the challenge, but I think it takes all of us linked together in the same direction.
TC: What steps will you take to improve relations between the university and its unions?
WT: That relationship, to my understanding, is healthy. We had challenges in the past that led to strikes and left some not-palatable tastes in people’s mouths. But we have come through and we’re in a better place now.
We’re having conversations based on our collective goals and aspirations for the institution. I think it’s important to remember that senior administrators in this institution are part of the community and we wouldn’t do anything that undermines our collective commitment to making sure this institution stays strong and our people are taken care of. As we go through different processes for collective bargaining, I hope we all do it with a purpose and commitment to making sure we remain a strong institution bound together by a common purpose.
TC: Universities across North America have seen increased tensions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many Carleton students have expressed concerns about safety, free speech and academic freedom. How do you plan on addressing these challenges?
WT: This is not the first time these issues have come up. There’s obviously value to listening and hearing one another. But I think it’s also important that it’s not a unidirectional conversation. It has to be a conversation back and forth, where we understand why certain things are done.
I remind people that even at the height of the Cold War, universities continued to be the conduits for keeping people together,o the answer is not to conflate state policy with people. There are a number of policies by governments that not everyone agrees with, but our country is not falling apart because we disagree with the government. It’s important not to conflate those, but to continue to be a venue where we’re able to promote cross-cultural understanding of one another.
I think we’ve done a good job of maintaining openness to having these conversations and the institution has demonstrated in the past that it is willing to listen and to adapt as necessary.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured image provided by the Department of University Communications, Carleton University.
