The University of Saskatchewan’s interim president and vice-chancellor Gordon Barnhart delivered the annual state of the university address on April 8. In the question and answer period following the address, concerns turned to the Graduate Students’ Association.

Despite not meeting its quorum of 150 members of staff, students and faculty, Barnhart discussed several ways in which the university has progressed over the past year. Although he maintained a specific focus on the eight priority points set in September 2014 for the U of S, Barnhart stressed that these are not the only priorities for the university.

The eight priority points focus on varying aspects of development, some of which include restructuring the College of Medicine, reorganizing leadership and finding strategies to increase financial support for graduate students and expanding commitment to Aboriginal achievement. Barnhart provided details on the progress of each of the eight points.

“People have described the campus as calm and I’m thinking calm as long as it’s not complacent, because we do have to make change,” said Barnhart.

Barnhart made a specific mention about the increase in the university’s enrollment, which has now reached 20,289 students. Of this number, 10 per cent are international students, 14 per cent are out-of-province students and 76 per cent of students are from Saskatchewan. The number of self-declared Aboriginal students in particular has increased by 29 per cent since 2010, currently at 2,155 students.

The graduate student body has also increased by 50 per cent since 2000, currently at 2,984 students.

“Graduate students are the engineers, the people who are helping us become a research intensive university, and we must ensure that they have the appropriate foundations in place,” Barnhart said.

Research revenue at the U of S has increased to $195.6 million, the highest it has been since 2010-11, and the third highest total in the past decade.

The GSA became the main focus of discussion during the question and answer period that followed the address, due to an unauthorized individual recently accessing the GSA’s financial record and the subsequent allegations of fraud surrounding the organization.

Ed Tymchatyn, math professor at the U of S, attended two GSA meetings within the last month and brought forward some concerns about what he witnessed to Barnhart.

“They were dominated by what I can only describe as lynch mob behaviour,” Tymchatyn said. “During those meetings, there was no serious attempt made to provide a safe environment in which reasoned, academic discussion could take place.”

Tymchatyn continued to highlight his concerns regarding the academic processes of GSA meetings.

“Knowing that the senior member of your administration, who is most responsible for the welfare of graduate students, sat through not one but two meetings, watching a graduate student being savaged and yet that official sat there and didn’t say a word, he ignored his duty,” said Tymchatyn.

Interim dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research Adam Baxter-Jones was invited to respond to this comment at the address, but declined.

Joined by at least three other attendees who spoke up during the question and answer period, Tymchatyn is not alone in his concerns. Barnhart insists, however, that the proper democratic processes are being followed by the dean and that the university has offered guidance in terms of governance practices.

“I defend him totally and he’s been keeping me and our senior administration advised of what’s been happening with GSA,” Barnhart said.

Barnhart emphasized that the GSA is an independent body, elected by graduate students. He reassured those concerned that an audit is being paid for by the university and will also be completed for the GSA’s previous three years.

“We are offering support the best that we can, as I mentioned, in terms of the audits and also help in governance and we’ll see if the new elective takes us up on that.”