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Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee

Context:

This ad hoc committee was created following a members’ motion passed at an Annual General Meeting (April 30, 2025) which stated:

Be it further resolved that the APUO establishes a committee to monitor and document violations of academic freedom and the right to peacefully protest and publish an annual report for its members. 

Definitions:

What is Academic Freedom?

Academic freedom is an academic affair. All APUO members have the right to academic freedom. Academic rights and freedoms are outlined in Article 9 of the APUO Collective Agreement. CAUT and UNESCO Policy definitions of Academic Freedom are available in the CAUT academic freedom toolkit.

What is the Right to Peacefully Protest?

The right to peaceful protest is an academic affair. The 1997 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel states as follows:

26. Higher-education teaching personnel, like all other groups and individuals, should enjoy those internationally recognized civil, political, social and cultural rights applicable to all citizens. Therefore, all higher-education teaching personnel should enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, religion, expression, assembly, and association as well as the right to liberty and security of the person and liberty of movement. They should not be hindered or impeded in exercising their civil rights as citizens, including the right to contribute to social change through freely expressing their opinion of state policies and of policies affecting higher education.

 Mandate:

Specifically, the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee’s responsibilities will include: 

  • Monitor the state of academic freedom and the right to peacefully protest within the University; 
  • Promote awareness of the meaning and importance of academic freedom and the right to peacefully protest among APUO members; 
  • Conduct research on questions of academic freedom and the right to peacefully protest; 
  • Bring concerns and issues related to academic freedom and the right to peacefully protest to the attention of APUO members; 
  • Make recommendations on concerns and issues related to academic freedom and the right to peacefully protest to the APUO Executive Committee for further action. 

Governance:

The members of Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee will appoint a Chair. The Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee meets at least once annually. 

The committee may appoint a Vice Chair. The Vice Chair will assume the chairing responsibilities in the event of delegated authority or when the Chair is not available. 

Quorum for meetings of the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee shall be a majority of the members, including the Chair. 

The Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee will make decisions on a consensus-basis. 

As per Article 5.2(g) of the Constitution the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee will present its report and recommendations to the APUO Executive Committee for consideration. The report will normally be shared with APUO members at the Fall meeting of the General Assembly. 

Committee members:

The Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee will follow the procedures for committee appointments as outlined in the APUO Constitution and By-laws, unless otherwise specified below. 

The APUO Executive Committee will appoint five (5) APUO members to the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee, which will be ratified by the APUO Board of Directors. 

In constituting the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee, the goal is to ensure both depth and breadth of representation and expertise. Each appointee to a position on the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee will provide a brief statement to the Executive Committee prior to appointment concerning their expertise and background in academic freedom issues and their particular interest in serving. 

Members will be appointed for two (2) years, renewable for a second two-year term. Initial appointments are subject to ratification by the Board of Directors, but membership renewals are approved only by the Executive Committee on the recommendation of the Chair who will have consulted with the Ad Hoc Academic Freedom Committee prior to making a recommendation. 

Members whose renewal is not approved may stand for nomination for a new appointment. 

Committee Members:

Sarah BERGER RICHARDSON (Droit civil)
End of term: June 30, 2027

Leila BENADJOUDJA (Feminist and Gender Studies)
End of term: June 30, 2027

Joel WESTHEIMER (Education)
End of term: June 30, 2027