Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom Task Force

At Wilfrid Laurier University, we are deeply committed to academic freedom, freedom of expression and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome to engage in research, teaching and learning.

In September 2024, Laurier established a Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom Task Force to clarify policies, procedures and how the university responds to community concerns related to academic freedom and freedom of expression. The goal is to understand and identify challenges of implementation within the current framework and ensure the university has the resources and processes necessary for supporting freedom of expression and academic freedom. This work will build on the Statement on Freedom of Expression and freedom of expression policy framework established in 2018/19.

Task Force Membership and Nomination Process 

Given the mandate of the Task Force, faculty members will make up a majority of the membership. The full membership will be as follows:

• Seven faculty/librarians (voting) elected through University Faculty Council, subject to the following conditions:
  • At least one representative from each of the Brantford and Kitchener/Waterloo campuses, i.e., faculty/librarians primarily appointed to a particular campus
  • At least three faculties represented
  • A maximum of two contract teaching faculty/part-time librarians
• Chair (voting): Provost and Vice-President: Academic
• Ex officio Membership (voting):
  • President of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union (WLUSU)
  • President of the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA)
  • Associate Vice-President: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Associate Vice-President and Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
  • One Dean of a faculty, appointed by the Provost and Vice-President: Academic 
• Resource (non-voting): available as needed; to be determined by the Task Force
• Support (non-voting): Office of the Provost and Vice-President: Academic

A call for nominations for faculty members will be issued the week of Sept. 30 through the University Faculty Council. Nominations must include a 100-word candidate statement explaining why the nominee would like to serve on the task force. 

The Task Force will meet twice monthly during the 2024/25 academic year, with the objective of reporting to Senate by the May 2025 meeting.

Draft Work Plan

• September/October 2024: Populate committee
• October 2024: Orientation and discuss terms of reference
• November 2024: Review resource library and identify additional materials
• February 2025: Establish subcommittees on institutional neutrality and freedom to learn established
• February to July 2025: Taskforce and subcommittee meetings to develop statement on institutional neutrality and framework on freedom to learn
• September 2025: Finalize statement on institutional neutrality and framework on freedom to learn. Prepare for community consultation and education plan
• September to December 2025: Conduct community consultations
• September to December 2025: Review and summarize findings from consultations
• December 2025: Complete final draft of all documents
• January 2026: Submit final drafts to Senate for review
• March 2026: Final revisions submitted to Senate and final vote from Senate
• May 2026: Grad student orientation implementation

 Terms of Reference