McGill University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

In May 2022, McGill Provost and Vice Principal (Academic) wrote an opinion piece criticizing Bill 32, a provincial bill that mandated universities to create "Freedom of Expression" policies, a means of asserting greater government control over university governance. The Provost writes, "the government tabled legislation that pursues two irreconcilable goals. First, it ostensibly aims to safeguard academic freedom by requiring all universities in Quebec to establish a policy to this end. Second, it would permit the minister to order a university to include in its policy 'any element' of the minister’s choosing. Such governmental reach into university governance is unprecedented, and it violates the most basic principles governing the relationship between governments and institutions of higher education."

Freedom of expression and the autonomous operation of post-secondary institutions is central to sustainable development. Moreover, Bill 32 (which became law) is also an attack on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts within universities. As the Provost writes, "we must not lose sight of Bill 32’s origins, which target a so-called culture of 'woke-ism' on Quebec’s campuses and posit that efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusion stifle free expression. Indeed, many professors are today more aware of how sensitive topics or offensive words may affect classroom dynamics and student experiences. Such awareness must not lead universities to restrict the teaching of relevant course materials, even if difficult or controversial."

The Provost's statement against Bill 32 relates to SDG 10, target 3, to "Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.

https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-quebecs-academic-freedom-bill-would-compromise-higher-education
https://www.mcgill.ca/provost/article/quebecs-academic-freedom-bill-would-compromise-higher-education

McGill recently a pre-budget brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in advance of Budget 2022. The brief is entitled, "Creating Preparedness through Smart Research Investments." The brief's Recommendations 2 includes the allocation of "strategic priority funding to health sciences, in particular medical genomics and neuroscience, to climate change and sustainability, including clean technology and agri-food, and to social justice and democracy building" (p. 2). Recommendation 3 is "That the Government of Canada invest in green, inclusive, and digitally enabled campus infrastructure to advance the transition to net zero by 2050."

https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FINA/Brief/BR11511104/br-external/McGillUniversity-e.pdf

The U7+ Alliance of World Universities is a coalition of university presidents aimed at defining concrete actions universities can take to collectively address global challenges in coordination with government leaders in G7 countries and beyond.

In November 2020, members of McGill’s senior administration participated in the two-day dialogues comprising the annual U7+ Alliance of World Universities Presidential Summit, which revolved around the theme of intergenerational justice.

At the culmination of the summit, the university leaders unanimously voted to work together, and to work with government leaders worldwide, to create new opportunities for mutual understanding and equitable resource sharing across generations. This commitment builds on previous U7+ Alliance commitments to tackle climate change, promote ethical uses of artificial intelligence and digital technology, and address other global issues.
https://reporter.mcgill.ca/u7-alliance-votes-to-advance-intergenerational-justice/

In March 2022, McGill University was a signatory of the U7+ Statement on the War in Ukraine. The statement reads, "The U7+ Alliance will continue to defend the fundamental values of peace, truth, democracy, academic freedom, and international cooperation that are the foundation of this Alliance.

"All violence and all wars anywhere on the globe are, at their core, a devastating collapse of respect for humanity. We urge that all refugees fleeing conflict be treated equally and with compassion, without prejudice based on race, nationality, gender, or any other identity."

This statement relates to the advancement of SDG 16, target 3, to "Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all."
https://www.northwestern.edu/u7secretariat/news/u7+-statement-on-the-war-in-ukraine.html

McGill, like most Canadian higher education institutions, is a public university. Public institutions rely on provincial governments for funding and are often wary of engaging in public policy advocacy at an institutional level. Peter MacKinnon (2014) writes candidly of his experience as the President of the University of Saskatchewan: "provincial ministers want universities to educate their constituents at a price they can influence, if not control... they don’t want protests, demonstrations, or incidents that result in a call to action on their part" (p. 53). Thus it is relatively rare for Canadian universities to engage in direct "political advocacy" with the "implicit or explicit support of the institution’s top administrators and/or governing bodies," as defined in the EN-14 credit instructions. Institutional advocacy is more likely to happen in the form of formal statements on university websites or opinion pieces in major newspapers.

MacKinnon, P. (2014). University leadership and public policy in the twenty-first century: A president's perspective. University of Toronto Press.