Victoria Silman | News Editor
Featured Image: York has approved a statement of policy to fulfill the provincial government’s requirement of Free Speech policies throughout publicly funded universities. | Fatema Ali
Despite much controversy throughout university communities, free speech policies are now officially in effect.
As prescribed by the new provincial government, universities throughout Ontario were required to approve and implement a free speech policy as of January 1. York’s Board of Governors (BoG) approved a Statement of Policy on December 14, which compiles all free speech policies previously enacted at the university.
“York has long had a set of robust and relevant separate policies in place that support and protect freedom of speech,” says Barbara Joy, chief spokesperson of media relations for York.
According to Joy, president Rhonda Lenton established a Working Group to prepare a draft following the provincial government’s announcement to implement freedom of speech policies province-wide.
“The Working Group led a community engagement process with the goal of preparing a draft that combines the existing statements into a more accessible central policy that meets the requirement. We have met the government’s requirement,” she says.
Among the requirements of the policy, the most notable include: preventing the shielding of students from ideas or opinions the institution may disagree with; the university being a place for open discussion and free inquiry; and a definition of the term ‘freedom of speech,’ which, as professor of political science and member of BoG, David Mutimer, says is the only truly new portion of the statement of policy.
“There’s only one new paragraph, which is the definition of free speech. It articulates in a single place what we understand by free speech, drawing from all these other policies,” he says.
According to the Statement of Policy, the university has defined freedom of speech as: “The right to seek, receive, share and impart information and ideas of all kinds, in a variety of forms, including orally, in writing, in print, and in the form of art or music, or through any other media of one’s choice.”
The rest of the statement of policy, however, revolves around those that had already existed, which Mutimer explains was used to build the document. “There were piles of policy around freedom of speech already before the government intervened, and we don’t need a freedom of speech policy because we have maybe a dozen or so policies that are either board policies, administrative practices, or senate policies,” Mutimer adds.
“The decision was taken that we wouldn’t create a policy, but rather would create a statement of policy which basically explains to the government that we’re already all over this, and here are the statements that apply,” he continues.
According to Merrilee Fullerton, the minister of training, colleges, and universities, the policies are intended to ensure an environment where free speech is protected, while discriminatory speech is subdued.
“We are ensuring that Ontario’s publicly-assisted colleges and universities defend free speech for everybody—remembering that free speech is not an invitation to be reckless or hurtful—and it all comes down to respect,” she says.
To ensure implementation of the policy has been successful, the Ontario government requires the university provide the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario a progress report by September 1.
