Academic Freedom

Academic freedom is the right of post-secondary academic staff, without restriction by prescribed doctrine, to use their best professional judgment in their teaching and research; to be able to disseminate the results of their research and scholarship; to acquire, preserve, and provide access to documentary material in all formats; to express their opinions about the institution in which they work; and to exercise their rights as citizens without institutional sanction or censorship.

Featured Blog Events
Blog May 11, 2024

Is an encampment protected expression?

On Thursday, Calgary Police forcibly dismantled the pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Calgary within hours of its formation. Those who advocate the same tactic at other Canadian universities, including University of Toronto, argue that an encampment is not a legitimate form of protest because it is disruptive and occupies space that should be open to all. A columnist in the Globe & Mail even argued that the encampment is not a form of expression and thus deserves no protection. 
Richard Moon
Censorship, Freedom of Expression & Its Limits, Academic Freedom
News February 6, 2023

Ted Palys Appointed Senior Fellow at Centre for Free Expression

Ted Palys has been appointed a senior fellow at the Centre for Free Expression (CFE) at Toronto Metropolitan University. Palys is one of Canada’s leading authorities on research confidentiality. “Ted Palys’ work over two decades has highlighted the need to ensure the ethical conduct of human research becomes reality,” said James L. Turk, Director of the CFE. “We are delighted that he will be joining the CFE in a formal role as we move forward to get statutory protection for research confidentiality.”
Academic Freedom