Western released the first draft of its newly ordered free expression policy in an email to students Monday evening.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Freedom of Expression, which wrote the draft, was created in September after the provincial government ordered universities to create a policy protecting free speech by Jan. 1, 2019 or risk losing funding.
Before Reading Week, the committee oversaw campus consultations to involve students and faculty in the creation of the policy. Based on these consultations and independent research from the Ad Hoc Committee, the first draft has been written with the Jan. 1 deadline fast approaching.
The policy maintains that all members of Western University have the right to freedom of expression, including controversial and offensive ideas, as “university is to provide an open and inclusive environment in which debate, challenge and disagreement should be expected.”
Katrina McCallum – Western Gazette – October 15, 2018.