Speaking Wednesday, NDP Leader Rachel Notley said she believed Widdowson's speech would be an exception to free speech principles. The Opposition NDP previously said that the minister's position on free speech was problematic given the lecture that appeared to prompt it. "That's something that we can pull out and look at in the context of the report card."Įach individual institution will be assigned a score of some kind based on that assessment. "The University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge have similar language where they say that the university should not shield individuals from speech and speech events or activities," Nicolaides said. He said it would be likely that the report cards would fall under the free speech policies already in place at various institutions. Nicolaides said he plans to sit down with universities and colleges to determine what the reports should look like, adding he did not want to create a mechanism that adds more red tape to an institution. The government does not have a final timeline at this point, though it hopes to wrap up the process by the end of the year. In an interview, Nicolaides said the report cards will be made public annually. WATCH | Sights and sounds of controversial academic Frances Widdowson's appearance at the University of Lethbridge:ĭuration 1:27 Controversial academic Frances Widdowson attended the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday and was promptly met by noisy resistance. "The university will work with the Government of Alberta to learn more about annual reporting requirements and develop plans for implementation," it wrote. ![]() In a statement, the U of L said its mandate affirmed its commitment to protect free inquiry and scholarship while facilitating access to scholarly resources and supporting artistic expression and the free and open scholarly discussion of issues. "Now we're simply developing a public accountability and reporting mechanism," he said. When asked about potential concerns of overreach, Nicolaides said the government didn't write the free speech policies in place at various Alberta universities. "The government cannot and should not dictate how universities run their internal academic affairs," wrote executive director David Robinson in a statement. ![]() However, on Friday, CAUT issued a second statement, writing that though it champions academic freedom and free expression on campus, it also defends the principle of university autonomy. Concerns over university autonomyĮarlier this week, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) issued a statement criticizing the U of L decision, writing that it raised "serious concerns about the University of Lethbridge's commitment to freedom of expression and academic freedom." Widdowson still showed up on Wednesday but was met with significant resistance and eventually had to leave. The U of L later changed course and said it would not allow public space for the lecture. Initially, the university said it would allow her appearance in line with its policy on free expression, but noted that Widdowson's views were in conflict with the views held by the university, including its stated commitment to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. ![]() But that plan had been met by significant resistance by faculty and staff, with two petitions receiving more than 2,500 signatures. Widdowson, who made headlines in 2020 for comments she made suggesting there had been an educational benefit to residential schools, had been asked to the campus by a faculty member. He was responding to reaction to a planned lecture on the University of Lethbridge campus by controversial academic Frances Widdowson. The new steps were promised by the minister earlier this week. "Alberta's post-secondary institutions should be bastions of free speech and academic freedom that promote critical thinking." "It is abundantly clear that more needs to be done to ensure our institutions are adequately protecting free speech," Nicolaides wrote. Alberta will require post-secondary universities in the province to annually report to government their efforts to "protect free speech" on campus.Īlberta Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a statement Friday the province will also continue to explore possible additional steps.
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