In a new article for Maclean’s, Simon Lewsen argues against university administrations making statements or taking positions on major issues. Lewsen discusses the general public’s reaction to recent events such as the lawsuit related to land acknowledgements and statements made about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He asserts that public perceptions of postsecondary education are declining, which in turn is leading to political and policy shifts. He argues that hasty statements from administration are “unlikely to make the world a fairer place,” and that social change is more likely to be a downstream effect of impartial research. “Institutional neutrality, therefore, isn’t about renouncing social progress; it’s about protecting the intellectual conditions that make such progress possible,” concludes Lewsen.
