St. Mike’s prez fumes over tobacco fiasco
The Non-Smokers’ Rights Association and the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada continue to ignore important facts in the continuing tirade against St. Michael’s College for accepting donations two years ago from the tobacco industry.
The $150,000 donation from Imperial Tobacco was given and accepted by the University of St. Michael’s College for the development of the Continuing Education Division’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. This gift was accepted within the current policies of the University of Toronto.
As is the case with all donations to the university, this gift was accepted with strict understanding on two points: it came with no strings attached, and the donor had no influence or input on the design, content or presentation of the course material. Further, no special recognition of the donation was provided by the University of St. Michael’s College. However, receipt of the donation was recorded in the fall 2001 issue of Double Blue and in the “University of St. Michael’s College Report to Donors” of October 2002. There was no attempt to conceal it and that remains the case today.
The development phase of the Corporate Social Responsibility program and a number of other new programs is now complete and the funds from this gift have been fully utilized. The program is now fully funded through the operating budget of the University of St. Michael’s College.
As a result of issues raised last November by concerned groups regarding the Imperial Tobacco gift, as president of the University of St. Michael’s College, I decided to take the matter to the Collegium (the Board of Governors at the college). I recommended that this body review donation acceptances and policies to see if we should apply more restrictive conditions to gifts accepted by St. Michael’s.
The Collegium agreed, and a three-member senior committee, led by Professor Joseph Boyle, distinguished ethicist and interim chair of the Department of Philosophy of the University of Toronto, was formed. The committee’s mandate will consider input from the St. Michael’s community, current practices and policies concerning donations and donors, the practices of other education institutions, and whatever matters they deem relevant to the issue of donations at the college.
The committee has been asked to report back to the Collegium as soon as possible, likely before the end of the academic year (June 2003). I encourage members of the St. Michael’s community to communicate their views to the committee.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Alway,
President
