Statements of Support from University and Canadian Colleagues
  
Statement by President of the Association of Academic
Staff, University of Alberta
Dear Members,
It has been in the news lately that Dougal MacDonald, an
assistant lecturer at the U. of A, made remarks on his private
Facebook page, which have come under scrutiny. Dougal MacDonald's
remarks were his own and not linked to his U. of A. professional
activities. The University's Deputy Provost Wendy Rodgers said in
an email statement:
"As a private citizen, Mr. MacDonald has the right to
express
his opinion, and others have the right to critique or debate that
opinion," she said. "It is our understanding that he has not
expressed these views in the context of his employment
relationship with the university."
Indeed, as a private citizen Dougal MacDonald has
freedom of
expression, which is protected in the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. Freedom of expression also protects the right, as
indicated above, to critique or debate that opinion by a private
citizen such as Dougal MacDonald, which the University Student
Union has done. However, the Student Union has also called for
Dougal MacDonald to take back his statements or resign. The call
by the SU for him to take back his statements can be seen as
pressure for retroactive self-censorship. This is inconsistent
with principles of freedom of expression. The SU-proposed
alternative to retraction of his statements, resignation, is not
appropriate either, as it is regarding statements made by Dougal
MacDonald in the capacity of a private citizen.
Kevin Kane
Petition from Faculty Members, University of Alberta
Akanksha Bhatnagar
President, University of Alberta Students’ Union
[...]
Dear Akanksha,
We are very concerned about the statement issued
by the
Students' Union at the University of Alberta in regard to Dr.
Dougal MacDonald, who teaches in the Faculty of Education.
Your condemnation of Dr. MacDonald's remarks on
the Holodomor
and demand that he take them back or resign are incompatible with
the University's policies and principles on Freedom of
Expression. Just this week the General Faculties Council approved
the University's new statement on Freedom of Expression which
reads:
"The university is a place of free and open
inquiry in all
matters, and all members of the university community have the
broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, view,
challenge, profess, and learn. Members of the university
community have the right to criticize and question other views
expressed on our campuses, but may not obstruct or otherwise
interfere with others' freedom of expression. Debate or
deliberation may not be suppressed because the ideas put forward
are thought by some, or even most, to be offensive, unwise,
immoral, or misguided. It is for individuals, not the
institution, to make those judgments for themselves and to act
not by seeking to suppress expression, but by openly and
vigorously contesting the ideas they oppose. The university does
not attempt to shield members of the university community from
ideas or opinions they disagree with or find offensive."
Dr. MacDonald's remarks are protected by our Charter
of
Rights and Freedoms as well as by the academic freedom to
extramural expression that is a necessary right of all academic
staff at the University. As the statement notes, in the
University the proper response to ideas with which we do not
agree is rigorous debate with those ideas, not their
suppression.
The learning environment is not, as your statement
implies,
made "safe" when any individual or group attempts to prevent
another's exercise of freedom of expression. It is fundamentally
undermined, as the ability to examine, analyze, and critique all
ideas is the lifeblood of the University.
For list of signatories, click
here.
Open Letter from Society for Academic Freedom and
Scholarship
to President of University
Dear President Turpin,
I am writing as president of the Society for
Academic Freedom
and Scholarship (SAFS), an organization of university faculty
members and others dedicated to the defence of academic freedom
and the merit principle in higher education. (For further
information, please see our website at www.safs.ca.)
Faculty of Education instructor Dougal MacDonald
was
criticized strongly by members of the University of Alberta
community (and others) for remarks he made in November regarding
the Holodomor. Some have suggested that the U of A reprimand or
fire Mr MacDonald. The Society for Academic Freedom and
Scholarship commends the University of Alberta for much in its
response to complaints it has received. For one, the U of A has
rejected demands to sanction Mr MacDonald. For another, the U of
A plans to bring scholars together in the near future to discuss
the Holodomor publicly.
Nonetheless, two elements in the U of A's response
to
complaints appear inconsistent with the university's stated
commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression on
campus.
The first is the insistence by the university that
Mr
MacDonald spoke about the Holodomor as a private citizen, not as
an academic. Wendy Rodgers, Vice Provost of the University of
Alberta, for instance, speaking on behalf of the university, has
been quoted as saying, "It is our understanding that he has not
expressed these views in the context of his employment
relationship with the university."
Because he is an academic, Mr MacDonald possesses
freedom of
extramural utterance. The U of A is not simply respecting his
freedom of expression under the Canadian
Charter of Rights
and
Freedoms. The university has an obligation apart from the
Charter, simply as an academic institution, to protect and foster
extramural utterance.
As well, in her remark, Dr Rodgers is suggesting
that had Mr
MacDonald said what he said about the Holodomor as a U of A
academic, in teaching, research, or service, it would have been
both appropriate and within the university's rights for the U of
A to reprimand or sanction him. Mr MacDonald enjoys academic
freedom, and an important aspect of academic freedom is freedom
of discussion in all academic contexts. The content of Mr
MacDonald's views could not be used as grounds to discipline him
were he to express those views in an academic context rather than
on Facebook or elsewhere.
The second is the university's desire to enter the
discussion
of the Holodomor and to announce an official university position
on an historical event. This comes out clearly in the joint
statement by the deans of Arts and Education. The deans write
that they "state categorically that this [that the Holodomor is
'a myth concocted by the Hitlerite Nazis to discredit the Soviet
Union'] is not true." That desire is also present in your own
statement, written with three others, "Raising Awareness of the
Holodomor": "his views do not represent and are not endorsed by
the University of Alberta."
This desire is contrary to the statement on
Freedom of
Expression recently approved by the U of A General Faculties
Council:
"It is for individuals, not the institution, to
make those
judgments for themselves and to act not by seeking to suppress
expression, but by openly and vigorously contesting the ideas
they oppose."
The principle that universities themselves take no
stance on
substantive matters is a wise and important principle. It ensures
that academics do not suffer the pressure of having to conform to
a party line. In doing so, it preserves the trust the public has
in research emanating from the university.
We respectfully request that you respond to our
letter. With
your permission, we will post your response along with this
letter on our website.
Sincerely,
Mark Mercer, PhD
President, Society for Academic Freedom
and Scholarship (SAFS)
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 31 - December 14, 2019
Article Link:
Statements of Support from University and Canadian Colleagues
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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