In October 2016, The Varsity’s Editorial Board wrote an article concerning St. Michael’s College (SMC) President David Mulroney’s ongoing efforts to revamp the college. The Editorial Board urged Mulroney to “be careful not to lose touch with students,” as this would represent “a loss for everyone involved; students, faculty, and alumni.”
This foreshadowing came to fruition in July 2017, when disgruntled current and former members of the college administration penned an open letter condemning Mulroney’s leadership. The letter came in response to Mulroney’s speech at the SIGNIS World Conference at the Université Laval, in which Mulroney levelled numerous criticisms at the college and the St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU).
It comes as no surprise that Mulroney is not happy with the college. SMC’s reputation as a ‘party college’ and past instances of financial mismanagement by SMCSU executives are legitimate concerns. However, Mulroney’s overbearing attempts to address these issues have been misguided, resulting in a leadership style that’s been considered borderline authoritarian, not just by students but also by members of the college administration.
The letter expresses the opinion that Mulroney’s speech is detrimental to SMC’s legacy. As the signatories write to Mulroney, “By choosing to offer an exclusively negative portrayal… you effectively reduced the ‘hope’ of our university to your leadership as President.” It would serve Mulroney well to heed the letter’s warnings and reconsider his approach to governance at the college.
Since he took office in the Fall of 2015, Mulroney has pushed for many changes that have had mixed results instilling the sense of ‘community’ he argues the college lacks. During his tenure, Brennan Lounge and the Coop, spaces that are central to the SMC student community, have both been renovated. At the same time, much of the SMC student community views his insistence on instilling Catholic values into the college’s student body as an unnecessary intrusion. For example, by the USMC Campus Ministry subsidizing a trip to a pro-life rally in Ottawa, students feel that Mulroney is forcing his ideology on them.
Mulroney’s policies were based on the popular mandate that SMC, as it stands today, is a shadow of its former self, and that the president’s actions are necessary to prevent the college’s secularization. The release of the open letter, which comes after a lengthy period of tension and conflict at the college, demonstrates that Mulroney is not meeting the needs of the people he is supposed to be representing. The popular mandate has disintegrated.
For all of the attempts he has made to rectify the college’s moral compass, Mulroney is not infallible. He constantly mentions that SMC is a “party college,” even presenting the SMCSU’s tacky “Cowboys and Schoolgirls” promotional event video from years past at the SIGNIS World Conference. Moreover, by constantly criticizing the SMCSU as a means to earn support for his policies, Mulroney has inflamed opposition from alumni and faculty, who cited SMCSU controversies as “irregularities” that “represent a fraction of the 5,000 students we have at the college.”
Mulroney has levelled criticisms toward college administration members for their reluctance to adapt to his changes, as well as to the non-Catholic-influenced hirings SMC has made. These actions make Mulroney seem like a dictatorial leader, unwilling to tolerate the voices of others.
Not helping matters are the power struggles taking place between the Basilian Fathers and Thomas Collins, the Catholic archbishop, for control of the college. According to the Toronto Star, Collins, who is the college’s chancellor, has asked three times that the college be turned over to him by the Basilians. Collins’ interventionist attitude has been interpreted by many faculty members to be a step too far.
Investigations conducted by the Toronto Star have revealed more troubling signs of internal upheaval. Angelo Minardi, “fired several months ago as the college’s lay chaplain” claimed that a “Golden Rule” poster, which declared that major religions of the world “adhere to the principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated,” was taken down at the college on Mulroney’s orders. Minardi alleges that Mulroney told him that Catholics are not equal to other faiths. Should this allegation be true, Mulroney will find himself in further trouble, especially concerning previous allegations from his former aides about his prejudices towards LGBTQ+ students and those with different religious beliefs.
Maintaining a good image is important for a college; Mulroney is being perceived as arrogant and out of touch by those around him, and this may have significant reach. Instabilities at the college will erode the public’s trust in Mulroney’s leadership and undoubtedly affect how applicants and incoming students view the college as well. Although Mulroney has some accomplishments under his belt as President of SMC, his mishandling of public relations is damaging not only to his personal reputation but to the reputation of the college as a whole.
With less than a year until his retirement from office, Mulroney needs to demonstrate that he is listening to the college community’s criticisms of his actions. While the open letter was penned by only a few members of this community, the college as a whole has made it clear that it cannot afford to chase Mulroney’s imagination of the past.
Arnold Yung is a fourth-year student at St. Michael’s College studying History and Political Science. Previously, he served as a Communications Councillor on the SMC Residence Council and as a Leader and Marshal for SMC Orientation Week.
