A motion of censure concerning Niagara College’s operations took centre stage at CAUT’s November Council meeting. Niagara was facing the threat of CAUT censure because of the college’s operation of gender-segregated campuses and programs in Saudi Arabia. CAUT raised concerns that the college administration was not fully respecting gender equality and academic freedom.
After reviewing the discussions between CAUT representatives and Niagara, Council elected to withdraw the motion of censure. Council also directed CAUT’s executive director to maintain a watching brief on the issue to ensure that: women aren’t excluded from the courses the Ontario college offers in Saudi Arabia; the college provides legal support for academic staff teaching at the Saudi campuses; and, the college commits to full transparency in its Saudi operations, including making publicly available information on finances, educational programming and governance.