News 1. Steve Craig “It is way too early to read anything of significance from a single constituency byelection in the muddling middle of any government’s mandate,” writes Stephen Kimber. “But let’s give it a shot…” Click here to read “The Sackville-Cobequid byelection: seeking meaning in the meaningless.” This article is for subscribers. Click here […]
Dal students and faculty oppose higher tuition fees
A proposal by Dalhousie’s Budget Advisory Committee to raise tuition next fall for the seventh year in a row drew criticism during a budget presentation to the Dalhousie Senate this week. “You can’t put all the burden on students because we just can’t take it anymore,” said Senator Masuma Khan, vice-president for Dal Student Union. […]
Masuma Khan and the question of free speech
University codes of conduct, which generically prohibit “unwelcome or persistent conduct that the student knows, or ought to know, would cause another person to feel demeaned, intimidated or harassed,” will inevitably smack up against the academy’s ultimately more fundamental role as protector of free speech and encourager of vigorous debate. The question is what were Khan's defenders defending?
Should the vice-president of the Dalhousie Student Union have faced even the whiff of disciplinary action from the university’s administration for a less than genteel Facebook exchange she had with some constituents? The short answer is no. The long answer is still no. But… Let’s circle back for some context. On June 28, 2017, the […]