The Milner Memorial Award was established by CAUT in 1969 in honour of James Milner, a former chairperson of the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, to recognize distinguished contributions to the cause of academic freedom.
Criteria
Candidates will be assessed either for actions undertaken on behalf of academic freedom, or for writings which contribute significantly to an understanding and strengthening of academic freedom in Canada.
- The candidate will normally be an academic staff member or group at a Canadian post-secondary institution;
- The candidate’s contributions to the cause of academic freedom must have significant regional or national implications although they may have been focused locally (in a single university or college), provincially, regionally, nationally or a combination of these; and
- The candidate’s contribution may derive from the result of a single project or activity, or the accumulation of efforts through consistent involvement over a long period of time.
Recommendations
Recommendations should include the following:
- a letter of nomination identifying the specific contributions of the candidate which demonstrate significant achievements for advancing academic freedom;
- a letter of support from a CAUT member association (if the letter of nomination has not come from a CAUT member association); and
- relevant supporting documents such as:
- a full curriculum vitae where appropriate; and
- other letters of support.
Nominations
Nominations for the Milner Memorial Award are welcome at any time using this form.
Academic staff associations or any other interested parties are invited to submit recommendations for the award.
Nominations will be reviewed by CAUT’s Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, and recommendations will be forwarded to CAUT Council. The number and frequency of the award will be as the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee and CAUT Council deem appropriate. Actively serving members of the CAUT Academic Freedom Committee or the CAUT Executive Committee are not eligible for the award.
The Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee may gather additional information as it feels necessary to assist in its decision making.
Recommendations should be addressed to:
Chair, Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee
c/o Canadian Association of University Teachers
2705 Queensview Drive
Ottawa ON K2B 8K2
Approved by the CAUT Council, May 2025.
Award recipients
2023 — Censure UOFT Group (University of Toronto)
2018 — James Turk
2011 — William Bruneau
2009 — Fred Harper
2009 — Michael Jaremko
2009 — Hugh Makepeace
2009 — Roman March
2009 — Marian Martin
2009 — Elizabeth Morrison
2009 — Kenneth McNaught
2009 — Michael Oliver
2009 — William (Viljo) Packer
2009 — Gerald Panting
2009 — Stewart Reid
2009 — Kay Sigurjonsson
2009 — Richard Stingle
2009 — Margaret Stobie
2009 — John Warkentin
2009 — Walter Young
2005 — Donald C. Savage
2002 — Michiel Horn
2001 — Nancy Olivieri
1997 — Daniel Soberman
1993 — Jon Thompson
1989 — Victor W. Sim
1985 — James Foulks
1979 — Archie E. Malloch
1974 — Harry S. Crowe
1973 — J. Percy Smith
1971 — Mr. Justice Bora Laskin
