University of Manitoba President David Barnard has described a recent Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) report on the school's economics department as "inherently flawed." "I have serious issues with this undertaking, both from a jurisdictional and a process perspective," Barnard said on Friday. "The report is deeply flawed in numerous ways that compel the University of Manitoba to look more closely and seriously at the full implications of this matter, legal and otherwise." He also noted that CAUT has no formal relationship to or standing within the university, and expressed his confidence in the department's leadership. Economics faculty members Ryan Compton and Janice Compton also challenged the report, sharing a blog post that describes many of its points as "inaccurate and misleading." The report, they say, is the result of CAUT not having access to critical documents and not speaking to most faculty members. "The report is based on the opinions of a small minority of the department who agreed to the investigation. That the CAUT released such an obviously biased, one-sided report should raise questions and outrage from all of us whose union dues are being spent to fund such activities," they said. Winnipeg Free Press