The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has released its latest annual report examining free speech on Canadian public university campuses. Issued on Oct. 28, the 2015 Campus Freedom Index assigns four grades (from A to F) per university. Each institution receives a grade for university policies, university practices, student union policies, and student union practices.
Only eight As were awarded in 2015 (three As more than in 2014). A total of 41 Fs were given out (eight more than last year), with 15 going to universities and 26 to student unions. This year, 55 campuses received ratings (as opposed to 52 last year). The best universities for free speech were Laurentian University, Ryerson University, Memorial University, and the University of New Brunswick. The best student unions were Carleton University Students Association (CUSA), Vancouver Island University Students’ Union (VIUSU), University of Lethbridge Student Union (ULSU), and University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU).
CUSA received an A for its practices, signifying a definite improvement in its approach to free speech since 2010, when it denied club status to Carleton Lifeline, a campus pro-life group. CUSA again refused to give Carleton Lifeline club status during the 2011-2012 school year, backing up its decision with its Discrimination on Campus Policy. On Jan. 7, 2013, the club was finally certified and on April 8, 2015, CUSA adopted a Support for Freedom of Expression Policy.
Memorial University also earned an A for its practices in defending a controversial lecture series. On Sept. 25, 2014, the MUN Campus Chaplaincy, the Counselling Centre, and the Christian Medical and Dental Association partnered in hosting Dr. Martha Shuping to give two lectures on post-abortion mental health. This was opposed by Voice for Choice, a campus pro-abortion group. Despite public pressure, Dr. Peter Cornish (director of the Counselling Centre) reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to free speech in a public letter.
The University of Alberta was among the schools that did not do well in its practices regarding freedom of speech. Amberlee Nicol, a student at the university, filed an affidavit about the administration’s discrimination towards the campus pro-life group. For instance, after a student was caught tearing down UAlberta Pro-Life’s posters, she did not have to reimburse the club for the damages. Moreover, campus security refused to intervene when a group of pro-abortion protestors disrupted a pro-life display in March 2015. UAlberta Pro-Life was also given an invoice for “security fees” for a different event. The JCCF is now representing the pro-life students in filing an injunction to force the university to follow its own Code of Student Behaviour.
Ryerson Students’ Union received an F for its practices when it denied club status to Students for Life at Ryerson. The club had originally applied for recognition in October 2014 and was rejected at this time. It then appealed to RSU’s Board of Directors, which again refused to grant it club status because its pro-life views contravened RSU’s women’s issues policy. The club is now pursuing legal action.
The UVSS received an F for its policies. Its poster policy (passed in 2012) bans posters that discriminate against others based on, among other qualities, “pregnancy.” The policy was implemented after complaints were made about Youth Protecting Youth’s posters and Choice Chain demonstration. The UVSS’ Clubs Policy bans clubs from participating in harassment, which is defined as “the abusive, unfair, or demeaning treatment of a person or group of persons that has the effect or purpose of unreasonably creating a hostile, intimidating, threatening, or humiliating environment.” Its Issues Policy states that UVSS is against “the implementation of any new abortion law.”
“If universities continue to follow this trend of coddling young minds in an effort to protect students from what makes them feel uncomfortable, not only do they risk stifling intellectual and social progress, but they will leave these students ill-prepared to properly deal with the reality of discomfort in their working and adult lives,” write John Carpay (founder and president of the JCCF) and Michael Kennedy (co-author of the study) in the National Post.
