CAUT | ACPPU
Canadian Association of University Teachers
Issues & Campaigns
January 20, 2009
The Rt. Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister:
We are writing to object in the strongest terms to the refusal of the Government of Canada to allow Dr. William Ayers, Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois-Chicago, entry into Canada. Professor Ayers had been invited by the Centre for Urban Schooling at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto to give a public lecture at the University. He was also scheduled to meet with Toronto District School Board principals and senior staff, with youth community workers at a school in Regent Park, and to be interviewed on CBC.
The actions of your border officials in denying entry to this eminent academic brings disrepute to Canada and shows that your government has little regard for academic freedom.
Professor Ayers is a controversial figure whom Sarah Palin demeaned in the American presidential election as part of her efforts to attack Barack Obama. While a student radical in the United States in the 1960’s who challenged the American government and was arrested on various occasions, Professor Ayers was never convicted of a felony or any equivalent charge that could be used to justify his exclusion from Canada. He did, however, go on to achieve international acclaim as an expert in educational reform. His work has been recognized with the title “Distinguished Professor” at his own university, with honorary doctorates, and with invitations to be a visiting scholar at various American universities, including Vassar and the University of South Carolina.
It is wrong for the Government of Canada to decide which scholars universities can invite to their campuses. Too often, in recent years, this has been practice of the Bush Administration in the United States – a practice we and our American counterpart – the American Association of University Professors – have denounced. It is with shame that we now find our government is behaving in the same manner.
We call on you as Prime Minister to ask your Minister of Public Safety to launch an immediate public investigation into Professor Ayers’ denial of entry into Canada on January 18, 2009. We also call on you to advise the University of Toronto that should it invite Professor Ayers again, your government will allow him to enter Canada for that purpose.
Universities serve the common good of society by fostering open discussion and robust debate. In the words of the University of Toronto’s “Statement of Purpose”, within the unique university context,
“the most crucial of all human rights are the freedom of speech, academic freedom and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and the university itself… for there is no one else, no other institution and no other office, in our modern liberal democracy, which is the custodian of this most precious and vulnerable right of the liberated human spirit.”
As Prime Minister of our country, you have an obligation to ensure that the federal government fosters academic freedom, not restricts it. We look forward to your prompt reply to our requests.
Sincerely,
Penni Stewart James L. Turk
President Executive Director
cc: The Hon. Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety
The Hon. Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP
M. Gilles Duceppe, Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Dr. David Naylor, President, University of Toronto
Mr. Jeff Kugler, Executive Director, Centre for Urban Schooling, OISE/UofT
Prof. Cary Nelson, President, American Association of University Professors
Prof. William Ayers
Top of page