Prayer rooms, student groups fuelling tensions in Quebec CEGEPs, government report finds

CBC

3 hours ago

A Quebec government-commissioned investigation into the campus climate at Dawson and Vanier colleges is recommending the adoption of a law to "oversee academic freedom in the college system" with the aim of reducing tensions among students.
The report published on Friday found that the principles of secularism are not being followed at both colleges.
It raised several issues linked to student associations and religious accommodations and points to the availability of prayer rooms for fuelling a "climate of radicalization, community withdrawal" and mistrust at the junior colleges (CEGEPs).
Quebec Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry called for the investigation in November 2024, following complaints from students who said they felt unsafe because of tensions stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The investigation, which consists of nearly 50 interviews with administration members of both colleges, was completed in June.
Déry said in a news statement on Friday that the report highlights failings, which have "deeply undermined the climate at both colleges, fuelled tensions and weakened community life."
"As a government, we cannot tolerate our campuses becoming a scene of division," she said.
"Attending an educational institution in a healthy and safe environment is not a privilege; it is a right, and this right is non-negotiable."
'Climate of suspicion'
Faculty, students and student associations at Dawson and Vanier have been experiencing friction linked to the Israel-Palestinian conflict since 2023, the report says.
The report suggests the interpretation of academic freedom at the colleges has caused a "climate of suspicion and the creation of cliques among professors," which could negatively impact educational services and students.
Tensions at the colleges have manifested through conferences, student newspapers, such as the Plant at Dawson College, and some clubs promoting the use of a keffiyeh, according to the report, which notes that the distinction between cultural and religious elements of some student clubs is unclear.
Student associations at Dawson and Vanier are responsible for organizing activities and promoting the social, cultural and recreational interests of students.
However, according to the report, activities organized by student clubs "foster the formation of cliques that exclude some students who do not share the same goals."
"This situation creates tensions that give rise to complaints," the report reads. "Moreover, some clubs also display their affiliation with sociopolitical activist movements in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
The report recommends that the law on the accreditation and financing of student associations be updated to give institutions the necessary tools to intervene in "problematic situations" and putting in place mechanisms to ensure the adherence to the province's secularism law.
To address unclear evaluation criteria in some classes, the report recommends a review of skill requirements for language courses while taking into account "departmental responsibilities, academic freedom and the teaching context in colleges."
For Dawson specifically, the report recommends that at least one faculty member join the editorial team of the college's student newspaper.
The report also recommends that Vanier establishes official criteria for choosing guest speakers and topics for conferences.
A spokesperson for Vanier said they would issue a statement on behalf of the institution later on Friday.
Diane Gauvin, director general of Dawson College, said in an email that the administration is reading the report carefully before it releases a statement next week.