Policy challenges student’s autonomy, freedom of expression, and right to peaceful protest
On Oct. 4, the Central Student Association (CSA) Board of Directors released a statement in response to the Ontario government’s mandate that all Ontario universities and colleges develop a Freedom of Speech policy. The statement revealed that the CSA will publish a motion at their Oct. 24 board meeting to officially condemn the government’s mandate.
The CSA’s statement is addressed to Premier Ford and reads: “We oppose this directive of your government, and we view this as a challenge to our autonomy, as an initiative meant to interfere with students’ freedom of expression and right to peacefully protest.”
The government’s mandate, released on Aug. 30, requires universities and colleges to develop, implement, and comply with a free speech policy by Jan. 1, 2019. These free speech policies apply to faculty, students, staff, management, and guests, and they must meet a minimum standard outlined by the government.
According to the government’s mandate, these policies will both protect free speech and “ensure that hate speech, discrimination, and other illegal forms of speech are not allowed on campus.”
A key element of the mandate is that colleges and universities must produce annual reports on their progress to the government, and that non-compliant institutions will lose government funding. In addition, students that do not comply with their institution’s policy will be subject to disciplinary measures. Compliance includes refraining from “disruptive protesting that significantly interferes with the ability of an event to proceed.”
The CSA at U of G is not the only organization that has challenged the mandate. Dr. Jim Turk, the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University, told the Globe and Mail that elements of the government’s mandate were “a direct violation of the notions of free expression.”
Indeed, according to CBC News, there are some worries that this mandate may “blur the line between free speech and hate speech.”
However, there are others who welcome this mandate, claiming that it is not the university’s responsibility to censor the discussion of controversial topics.
The short timeline is also a concern for the CSA, as it precludes “students’ ability to provide meaningful recommendations” on the developing free speech policy, according to the statement.
The University of Guelph has already circulated draft statements regarding the development of a Freedom of Expression Policy, and feedback was gathered from students on Friday, Oct. 5. This feedback was discussed at a Student Town Hall on Oct. 10.
Photo by Alora Griffiths/The Ontarion