Academic Freedom in Times of Conflict

November 21, 2023

CUASA has been actively adhering to and disseminating the stances of its affiliated local, provincial, federal, and international faculty association federations on the topic of academic freedom. These positions have been expressed broadly, and specifically in response to an incident last month where an Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) overlooked the principle of academic freedom. The guidance provided by these federations has been instrumental for us as we assess the implications of the conflict on the members of CUASA.

Should members be interested, here are those statements:

• Education International: https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/28104:education-international-calls-for-an-immediate-stop-to-the-disproportionate-and-indistinct-retaliation-in-gaza

• CAUT on academic freedom: https://www.caut.ca/latest/2023/11/caut-statement-academic-freedom-times-conflict

• CAUT on the matter of the Member of Provincial Parliament: https://www.caut.ca/latest/2023/10/caut-calls-ontario-minister-apologize-comments-legislature

• OCUFA: https://ocufa.on.ca/blog-posts/campus-safety-and-academic-freedom/

CUASA also wrote about the conflict early on: https://www.cuasa.ca/statement-on-the-israel-palestine-crisis/