June 10, 2021
SENT BY EMAIL
Open Letter to President Gertler
Re: Town Hall on the CAUT Censure of the University of Toronto Administration
In the wake of the CAUT censure, UTFA has hosted two all-member events. Our first information session, on May 6, answered our members’ questions about the CAUT censure process and what the censure entails. The second, on May 27, examined the events that led the U of T Administration to be censured by CAUT. Both events were well attended, interactive, and informative.
A series of important questions about the University Administration’s own perspective on the CAUT censure and the principles at stake remain unanswered. These questions encompass both the Administration’s response to the IHRP hiring controversy and the positions the Administration has communicated via official channels on the controversy—including how best to resolve it.
U of T faculty and librarians are deeply invested in the issues at the heart of the censure—academic freedom, collegial governance, non-discrimination, due process, and freedom from external interference.
I am therefore writing to request that the University Administration itself host a town hall meeting with faculty and librarians to directly address our members’ questions and concerns. I further encourage you to consider that such a meeting be formatted to allow for interactive dialogue amongst colleagues.
If you wish, UTFA would be pleased to provide a series of questions in advance of the town hall to begin the discussion. In our experience, an open-ended Q&A is most helpful in facilitating productive dialogue. We look forward to receiving your reply.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President