U of T faculty members criticize university’s User Guide on protest policies

 

UTFA issues letter to Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young

On October 22, the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) issued a letter to U of T’s Provost and Vice-President Trevor Young criticizing the User Guide to U of T Policies on Protest and Use of Campus Spaces created in August.

In the letter, the UTFA executive committee had “strong concerns about the Administration’s violations of the Memorandum of Agreement.” The UTFA claims that the protest policy “violates the freedom of association and collective bargaining rights of UTFA and other campus labour unions.”

The protest user guide is a guideline for students and other U of T community members regarding protesting on campus. The guide was released almost two months after the 63-day pro-Palestine encampment at King’s College Circle concluded.

In late October, U of T updated the guide to include a preamble and case studies that show “examples of student activities which may violate policy.” 

Based on pre-existing policies, the user guide states that while the university is “guided by a commitment to the right of its community members to express and discuss ideas freely,” “there are limits” to that expression.

The guide states that university policies prohibit anyone from occupying or entering U of T property without permission; setting up tents, encampments, fences, barriers, or other structures on campus; making noise that hinders the speech of guests or that interferes with activities at U of T; putting up signs, posters, or flyers — including those that use chalk, markers, paint, and projections — outside of designated areas; or taking any other action that would be a security threat to U of T campus and community. 

The guide states that anyone who participates in “these prohibited activities” may face “consequences under law and U of T policies, including arrest, suspension, trespass from property, and expulsion.”

The guide cites the Ontario Superior Court order from July 2 — which granted U of T permission to remove the encampment and stated that any police authority could “arrest and remove any person who has knowledge of this Order” for “interfering with… access to University property.”  (more...)

U of T faculty members criticize university’s User Guide on protest policies