On October 28, the Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the University of Calgary’s decision not to disclose certain records of two faculty members, broadly interpreting the teaching and research exemptions under Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The court’s ruling marks a victory for academic freedom.
CAUT intervened in the appeal with the Faculty Association of the University of Calgary and the Canadian Association of Law Teachers.
The court sided with the University of Calgary and the intervenors, affirming that “academic freedom exists to protect all scholarship, including that which may be unpopular or politically targeted.” It warned against drawing rigid lines between participating in social activism and its study, noting that such distinctions could stifle innovative teaching and research.
The court referred to CAUT’s Policy Statement on Academic Freedom and recognized the importance of “encouraging collaborative academic environments… protecting the process of creating teaching materials and research information; and respect for institutional autonomy.”
“The decision is a big win for academic freedom and the protections essential for quality scholarly work,” said CAUT executive director David Robinson. “It reminds us that educators must be free to teach, research and engage publicly without fear that freedom of information laws can be weaponized against them.”
