Dear colleagues,
Academic freedom is the indispensable foundation of our work, and it is most at threat in polarized times. AASUA has been monitoring a number of concerning developments related to academic freedom.
This communication covers:
Polarized politics and chilling effects
In the past few years, we have witnessed a growing backlash towards Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives. Nationally, we have seen this tendency reflected in the government’s requested reporting on and attempted interference in Tri-Council granting as outlined in my December communication. In our own institution, the Administration’s rebranding of EDI to Access, Community, and Belonging (ACB) has already permeated Colleges and Faculties who are renaming committees and rewriting core regulations to reflect an overt rejection of EDI values. The Employer is now working to adjust hiring regulations accordingly through the development of a new recruitment policy.
In 2024, the federal government also adopted a new set of regulations — Sensitive Technology Research areas, and Named Research Organizations — which the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) worries will increase the chill around academic research and partnerships in areas such as artificial intelligence, health and medical technology, and others. These uncertainties have added to a growing climate of fear on university and college campuses.
Since 2024, our colleagues in the United States have faced the Trump administration’s assault on higher education and push to align research with partisan demands. Canada has not been exempt from these concerning trends. The Alberta Government’s Bill 18 would have led to direct political interference in the peer review and grant allocation process.
At our own institution, we have seen an increasing concentration of power in administration and further corporatization of the university. The role academic staff play in leadership has shrunk. This increased managerialism is undermining collegial governance, in turn, a key component of academic freedom.
The convergence of these developments results in a chilling effect — a political climate that threatens academic freedom by implicitly encouraging self-censorship.
Our university is founded on the spirit of inquiry and expression. As educators and researchers, we take on contentious subject matter with clarity and care in the name of thoughtful inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge. The current political climate puts these values and practices at risk and jeopardizes the core mission at the heart of the University of Alberta.
Protecting Academic Freedom: AASUA action
All academic staff except Administrative and Professional Officers (APO), and Temporary Librarian, Administrative, and Professional Officers (TLAPO) have academic freedom protections under AASUA’s Collective Agreement. It is important that members learn more about these protections through our Academic Freedom Toolkit.
AASUA will always staunchly defend our members’ rights as outlined in our Collective Agreement. If you believe your academic freedom has been infringed upon, you should reach out to one of our Labour Relations Officers for advice.
We recognize it is imperative to take further action to protect academic freedom across Canada during this polarizing time.
The CAUT Academic Freedom Fund aids academic staff associations who defend academic freedom by providing access to funding for resource-heavy cases. The fund relies entirely on donations from member Associations and individuals interested in the defence of academic freedom. The fund has been sustained over the years through one-off donations from academic staff associations, and it is vital that Associations continue this support in order to guarantee sustainable continued funding.
This is why AASUA is donating $15,000 to the fund this year, and going forward, we hope to be in the financial position to make an annual donation. Our intent in creating an ongoing donation model is to bolster the fund’s stability over time. It is our hope that this ongoing funding will become a model which other similar-sized associations will adopt.
All signs are that challenges to academic freedom are likely to increase in the foreseeable future. A change to the funding structure of this important CAUT support is needed to be sure it will be available to all who may need it — including the AASUA.
AASUA Council is discussing other ways to proactively bolster academic freedom, including striking an academic freedom committee to organize an Academic Freedom conference. More information will be provided once Council finalizes the Terms of Reference for this committee.
Calling on the Employer to share in this active role
Preserving academic freedom is an effort that must be actioned by both the Employer and AASUA in order to be effective. As outlined in the Collective Agreement, the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the AASUA “agree to uphold and protect the principles and practices of Academic Freedom” [emphasis added].
We recognize our role in the larger picture of academic freedom, and we call on the Employer to recognize our joint responsibility. In polarizing times, this requires a proactive approach to dispel the chilling effect brought on by the overt politicization of research.
Academic freedom, as outlined in our Collective Agreement (Article 3), is essential to the “the pursuit of truth, the advancement of learning, and the dissemination of knowledge through teaching, research and other scholarly and creative activities and service.” That is why it is especially necessary to protect academic freedom in this difficult time.
In solidarity,
Gordon Swaters
AASUA President