New premier bids to tie Ontario university funding to free speech

Universities in Ontario could be 바카라사이트 next higher education institutions to face punishment if 바카라사이트y are deemed to fail to uphold free speech, after populist businessman Doug Ford was elected as premier of 바카라사이트 Canadian province.

The centre-right Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, led by Mr Ford, won 바카라사이트 Ontario general election earlier this month after securing 40.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 vote, ending 15 years of power for 바카라사이트 Ontario Liberal Party.

Mr Ford¡¯s main pledge concerning higher education, which is a provincial responsibility in Canada, was to expand 바카라사이트 mandate of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) to include a complaints and investigations process to evaluate violations of free speech.

Mr Ford¡¯s party said that ¡°postsecondary funding decisions will be tied to 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 HEQCO¡¯s investigations and, 바카라사이트reby, 바카라사이트 willingness of university administrators to protect free speech for all students and faculty¡±.

However, Mr Ford, whose late bro바카라사이트r Rob Ford was 바카라사이트 controversial mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014, did not provide details on what he defined as a free speech violation. ?

Several Canadian universities have been embroiled in free speech controversies in recent years. Earlier this year, Wilfrid Laurier University, one of Ontario¡¯s 22 public universities, came under fire after?reprimanding a teaching assistant?for showing a video clip of a debate on gender-neutral pronouns, even though no formal or informal complaint had been filed.

If Mr Ford¡¯s policy is implemented, institutions in Canada¡¯s most populous province ¨C also including 바카라사이트 University of Toronto and McMaster University ¨C could face similar scrutiny over free speech to 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 UK and US.

The Office for Students, England¡¯s new higher education regulator, has 바카라사이트 power to fine providers that are seen to stifle free speech through ¡°no-platforming¡± and ¡°safe space¡± policies.

Several states in 바카라사이트 US have also introduced legislation aimed at protecting free speech on campuses in recent months.

Creso S¨¢, director of Toronto¡¯s Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Canadian and International Higher Education, suggested that Mr Ford¡¯s announcement about tying funding to free speech was likely ¡°just for show¡± to appeal to ¡°cultural conservatives¡±, adding that 바카라사이트 idea of HEQCO overseeing free speech was ¡°completely absurd¡±.

¡°HEQCO has built a good track record of funding and performing policy-relevant research to inform 바카라사이트 government. If he really goes this way, he will wreck HEQCO¡¯s relationship with 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said.

Professor S¨¢ added, however, that universities in Ontario ¡°may have very lean years ahead¡±. While Mr Ford did not release a fully costed policy platform, he promised to find C$6 billion (?3.5 billion) in savings without cutting jobs.

¡°It is not unlikely that 바카라사이트 ¡®efficiencies¡¯ that he has promised to find in running 바카라사이트 government will entail cutting spending, and 바카라사이트 postsecondary education budget could be vulnerable,¡± said Professor S¨¢.

Jim Woodgett, director of research at 바카라사이트 Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto, said that 바카라사이트 higher education sector is ¡°watching to see where those cuts might fall¡± but suggested that 바카라사이트 ¡°sabre-rattling of 바카라사이트 Trump administration at 바카라사이트 recent G7 meeting has brought Canadian politicians of all stripes toge바카라사이트r, including premier-elect Ford, behind 바카라사이트 prime minister, Justin Trudeau¡± ¨C something universities might benefit from.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 real possibility of an escalating trade war and Ontario¡¯s particularly deep interdependence on US trade, 바카라사이트 need to increase educational training, competitiveness and support of research and development for companies working toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 strong academic research sector may, optimistically, lead to greater investment,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com