AB announces free speech reporting requirement

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The Government of Alberta has announced that it will require universities to annually report on their efforts to protect free speech on campus. “It is abundantly clear that more needs to be done to ensure our institutions are adequately protecting free speech,” said AB Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides. “Alberta’s post-secondary institutions should be bastions of free speech and academic freedom that promote critical thinking.” AB stated that the action builds on the province’s endorsement of the Chicago Principles in 2019. Global News reports that the decision follows the recent events at the University of Lethbridge. The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) issued a statement on Friday in defense of the principle of university autonomy and CityNews reports that the University of Calgary’s student union said that it will “push back strongly against hate on their campus” and commended ULethbridge’s administration for listening to students.

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