Dave Swan no longer employed at TWU
On November 3rd of last semester Paul Weme, vice president of development, sent out an e-mail to alumni which stated, “I regret to inform you that as of today, Dave Swan, Director of Alumni Relations, is no longer employed with the University.” Swan, who himself was a graduate of Trinity Western University in 1995, and director of alumni relations for the past four years, has been the center of numerous rumors which sprung up both on campus and online following Weme’s e-mail, speculating about the reasons for his sudden departure.
Dave Swan introduces his AlumTV initiative on impact.twu.ca
Student sources close to the Alumni Department stated that Swan was asked to resign due to ongoing disagreements between himself and Weme. The biggest disagreement between Swan and Weme, Marsí Hill sources stated, has been on the role the alumni department is to serve, Weme expecting the director of alumni relations to prioritize fundraisin g from alumni, and Swan believing that alumni relations should focus more on building and maintaining relationships with alumni than just raising funds.
When asked for comment, Swan simply responded, “[since] there has still not been any resolution in my case against Paul Weme (partly due to the Christmas break)… I still have ‘no comment.’ However, I would hope to see a resolution soon.”
Weme did not respond to requests for comment. President Raymond did agree to an interview with Mars’ Hill during which he wouldnít comment on the exact reasons for Swan’s departure from TWU, but when asked what the purpose of alumni relations was he stated, ìthe alumni department doesn’t exist for fundraising but alumni play a very significant role in supporting, especially scholarships for the next generation.”
As of press time, neither Swan nor Raymond would offer further comment on, as Raymond called it, the “personnel issue in process,” referring to an ongoing alternative dispute resolution process between Swan and the University. Mars’ Hill has confirmed that no civil case was filed in BC courts against the University on this matter.
With so little information being made public about Swan’s leaving, TWU community members formed a Facebook group entitled, “Dave Swan – TWU Director of Alumni.”
Many comments refer to the brief letter sent by Weme, including one comment reading “the manner in which this decision was communicated is absolutely inexcusable and nothing short of a public apology will suffice to even begin to correct it.”
”…There is no reason that a statement like that should be circulated. It was unkind. I felt ashamed that the message came from our community, to our community about someone in our community. The letter was a very poor decision, and I hope that those who approved it being sent will reflect more before ever sending out a note like that again,” stated Jenny Ingraham in another comment. Ingraham is a former student and former Student Life employee of TWU.
When asked about the comments on Facebook, Raymond responded, “I really appreciate, which means I understand, people’s frustration with the messaging that the Facebook refers to,” but also believes “there’s a real positive message in much of the Facebook discussion because it reveals that people really, really care about this place.”
Swan on the other hand told Mars’ Hill, “I was made aware of the overwhelming support I have received through the Facebook group that a group of alumni set up, and am honoured and grateful. Once this legal matter is resolved, I would like to make a public address to all those on that site thanking them for their support of me, and strongly encouraging them to continue to support Trinity Western University, keeping it in a positive light. Regardless of the events that have taken place, I still believe with all my heart that Trinity Western University is the best University in Canada, and I continue to support it in the best way I can – through prayer.”
Other comments online raise questions as to how much alumni deserve to know regarding Swan’s departure and when the University will respond to inquiries. Yet Raymond maintains that the University is committed to confidentiality until a settlement can be reached.
Kevin Sawatsky, TWU professor and legal counsel, told Mars’ Hill, “The University is seeking to resolve any disagreement with David Swan in an equitable and Christian manner.” Once this resolution has been reached, both Swan and Raymond hope to comment further.
For now though, Raymond and the leadership at TWU are looking at how the Alumni Department will be shaped in the future, while Christine Stevens serves as Coordinator of Alumni Relations in the interim.
dave im sorry this happened to you. sounds like its been an awful experience. at least you got to see so many people stand up for you… come out of the woodwork even to coalesce support around this wrongful action. i hope you find resolution and peace in this whole thing. if nothing else maybe you will help be catalyst for positive change at a place that can use all the help they can get.
i’ll be curious measure the suceess and see if TWU and Weme achieve their objectives of raising more funds from Alumni by firing the one person in the situation whom former students respect and have a relationship with.
I’m glad that Mars Hill is looking unto this. I saw the letter and had questions about it, but I didn’t have anything to go on beyond the e-mail.
thanks for following this up :)
After interacting with Swan a few times as an undergraduate, I can say he is a nice guy, but did not instill in me confidence that he was TWU’s director for alumni relations. In my few brief interactions with the man he did not come across well in terms of being able to relate to successful business people and other accomplished alumni of a similar ilk (which I’m assuming is extremely important in terms of his job’s duties).
It is not emotionally comforting when a nice guy loses his job, obviously, and I understand the upset students, but if TWU never fired any of their employees I would question its commitment to improve as an institution.
I wish Mr. Swan all the best and am hopeful TWU can find someone competent and skilled enough to fill his position well.
-John