Universitory Censorship of Conservative Views

"As we all know, Canadian universities are supposed to be bastions of freedom of thought and critical thinking, where controversial ideas are explored and debated in a framework of civility."

"The reality today is that Canadian universities undermine academic freedom because they are dominated by group-think, left-wing academics who intimidate their conservative colleagues into silence, while university administrators do nothing."

Editorial, Toronto Sun

 

"In November 2017, Lindsay Shepherd, then a twenty-two-year-old graduate teaching assistant, made international headlines when she was censured for showing a clip of a public broadcaster’s current-affairs program in a Wilfrid Laurier University communication studies tutorial, in which University of Toronto psychology professor and bestselling self-help author Jordan Peterson expressed his opposition to Bill C-16: the (now passed) legislation adding gender identity and gender expression as protected categories in the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code. In the clip, Peterson said he would refuse to use gender-neutral pronouns if requested to do so by a nonbinary student and that any attempt to compel the use of gender-neutral pronouns amounted to curtailing free speech. As Shepherd explains ...  she 'wanted to make a larger societal point about how something innocuous, like grammar, can actually be politicized'."

John Semley, The Walrus

 

"As a professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford, Ontario campus for the past 15 years, I’ve witnessed what happens when liberal professors deem their conservative students an “enemy to be openly opposed.” My public writing and presentations in support of conservative ideas often lead like-minded students to reach out to me."

"Many are Christians, although not all. Before Covid-19, it was common for me to have students sobbing in my office. Now I hear their stories via email. Many who write have never taken one of my courses; some don’t even attend Laurier. But their stories are always similar."

David Millard Haskell, C2C Journal

A recently-released report -- whose findings were the result of an investigation by Christopher Dummitt, professor of Canadian history, Trent University, and Zachary Patterson, associate professor of geography at Concordia University -- has revealed some very telling statistics. Results not totally unexpected, since for years the prevailing situation at most universities and colleges in North America has been to ignore or condemn university professors and students who hold what is termed 'conservative' views of any dimension. In a prevailing atmosphere of liberal-left and now 'woke' views, conservative voices have been stifled.

In essence the report these academics steeped in the tradition of higher-education learning have  published, found more than enough proof that Canadian universities just as those in the U.S. and U.K. have become politically homogeneous, promoting a total lack of diversity in perspectives leading to diminished support for academic freedom and providing a hostile environment for those disagreeing with left-leaning values. All of which has contributed hugely to a miserable situation of self-censorship as a type of self-defence among academics.

Their survey indicated that 88 percent of professors self-identify as 'left-leaning'. That group voted for left-leaning political parties in the most recent federal election, whereas under 39 percent of the general population voted for conservative candidates, which fewer than 9 percent of academics voted for as well. Homogeneous decision-making, according to studies, ultimately lead to poor decisions, reflecting incomplete information when those with diverse viewpoints are silenced by the prevailing majority.

The study demonstrates that 47 percent of right-leaning professors tend to self-censor in avoidance of professional blowback from their peers. The report stated that even with left-leaning faculty, 37 percent tend to self-censor, while fifty percent of right-leaning faculty fear  social and professional consequences should it become known among their colleagues that their opinions of political affiliations are conservative. University departments are reported by forty percent of right-leaning faculty as hostile work environments.

A third of professors admit they would support cancelling a colleagues should that colleague's research conflict with contemporary social justice values. For a large proportion of the professoriate, the study points out, academic freedom matters but conditionally; as long as it does not conflict with their political views. Protection for part-time faculty and students are absent under collective agreements. While some professors may be in a protected position from their employers, collegial or online mobs practise discrimination. In recognition of such problems some jurisdictions have enabled laws to protect universities' academic freedom on campuses.

"At a time when political polarization and social media algorithms diminish trust in institutions, Canadian universities need to be part of the solution -- modelling intellectual humility and genuine acceptance of all forms of diversity, especially viewpoint diversity."

Christopher Dummitt, Zachary Patterson

A professor lectures to students. Getty Image