Faculty, Staff and Students of UFV,
As the municipal election draws nearer, I would like to draw your attention to how we can or should be involved as a University. It is imperative that we recognize that the University of the Fraser Valley is a publicly supported organization operating in BC under the University Act. This legislation demands that we be “non-sectarian and non-political in principle” (section 66 [1]). Therefore, we must first recognize that UFV must not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, or be perceived to do so in any way.
We do, of course, encourage all members of our UFV community, individually and personally, to engage actively in this important democratic process. I know that some of you volunteer on your own time to work on election campaigns. I know that some departments and student organizations are planning to host forums or debates. These are all valuable contributions. At the very least, I hope everyone will take every opportunity to learn about the issues, and vote!
But I cannot emphasize strongly enough that we must recognize that none of us speaks for the University with respect to support for any particular party or candidate, and we must avoid all perception that we do. We must also be especially careful not to use our positions within the University or our affiliation with the University in any way that implies we represent the view of the University or any of our divisions or organizations.
As you plan your activities, please keep the comments above in mind and review UFV’s guidelines regarding the use of university facilities and resources for political activities.
If you have any questions regarding UFV’s statement on political activities, please contact my office.
Thank you,
Mark
Dr. Mark Evered
President and Vice-Chancellor