Evidence of meeting #106 for Justice and Human Rights in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was anti-semitism.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:30 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
I'm not going to comment on the case of any individual student, and I'm not going to comment on any cases that are currently under investigation, as per our processes.
1:30 p.m.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Have there been any students that have been expelled or suspended?
The reason I'm asking is that I think there are a lot of people watching who are looking at this testimony, which is the exact opposite of what students and faculty have told this committee about their experience, frankly, and are watching university presidents abdicate their responsibility for keeping Jewish students safe on campus.
1:35 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
This is the justice committee. The justice committee also, I think, understands the importance of institutions abiding by their practices. That is what we are doing in our application of our code of conduct on behavioural cases and processes which have been launched following complaints that are evidence founded.
1:35 p.m.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
I am very happy that you explained to me what the justice committee is, but I have asked you a question. The question is, has anybody been suspended or expelled for their conduct on your university campuses, which has put Jewish students, students that are part of Jewish student groups and allies of those groups in danger? Answer yes or a no.
1:35 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
At this point no one has been suspended, because processes are ongoing.
1:35 p.m.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
We hear from presidents, we've now heard from U of T, and we've now heard from Concordia that processes are ongoing, but nobody has had any consequences for any of these actions. This has been going on for seven months on campus. We've had students here tell us stories about not feeling safe going to school, going to the library or going to class. There are faculty members on university campuses across this country who have not been let into various parts of their campuses. Yet, nobody, not a single person, has been expelled or suspended for any of the conduct?
1:35 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
If I go back to the events of November 8, three individuals were banned from our campus as a result of that activity.
1:35 p.m.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
The students of your university who have participated in this were, again, not suspended. It's the same case at the U of T.
I find the testimony here today that you're working on it and everything will be fine, to be divorced from reality, frankly. The reality is that students who are actually sitting behind you in this room have come to this committee and testified about being afraid of going onto your campuses.
I'll ask you this one more time. What do you say to the parents who are watching and who will be deciding whether their children will attend places like Concordia or U of T, about whether their kids will feel safe on campus if there is no deterrent and there are no consequences for those who have acted in contravention of that?
1:35 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
I would go back to something I said earlier. Despite the events of November 8, we at Concordia have had 70 events on campus with respect to the Middle East, the majority of which were organized by students, and—
1:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Thank you very much, President Carr. We appreciate that.
We will now go to MP Dabrusin for five minutes.
1:35 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
Thank you.
I'd like to begin around the conversation I was having with Universities Canada, which is that anti-Semitism at universities isn't a new thing. In fact, there's a long history.
I appreciate that President Gertler made specific reference to the quota system that had applied to Jewish prospective students.
I'm wondering if we could go around to each of the presidents, starting with McGill, on whether your university did have a formal or informal quota system for Jewish students.
1:35 p.m.
Prof. Deep Saini
Yes. I am aware that McGill had a quota system until I believe the 1960s. It is a part of our history that we are absolutely not proud of. It is a part of Canadian history that I think we as Canadians should all be very concerned about.
Going forward, we have been working since the 1960s to make McGill a much more inclusive place. That is a work in progress, and we continue to do that.
1:35 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I apologize, President Saini. I have to jump in. My question was about the quotas.
I'll turn to Concordia next.
1:35 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
One of Concordia's founding institutions, Sir George Williams University, was one of the first universities in Quebec to admit Jewish students without any quota. That was going on in the 1950s and 1960s, when quotas existed elsewhere.
We are also a university that has an academic program in Canadian Jewish studies, which is one of the oldest in the country. Today we are also, I think, one of the very few universities in the country that has an institute for Israeli studies.
1:35 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
Just to be clear, though, am I misunderstanding things to believe that Concordia also had an informal or formal quota for Jewish students?
1:40 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University
No, there was no quota.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
There was no quota at Concordia. All right.
What about UBC?
1:40 p.m.
President and Vice-Chancellor, University of British Columbia
I'm still new to UBC, but when it was raised in the previous session, I endeavoured to find out the answer. My understanding is that there was no such thing at UBC, but I will do more profound research and get back to you if that's not the case.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
Thank you.
We've been talking a lot about the policies of equity and whether it includes anti-Semitism. For the universities here who have acknowledged that they had quota systems, is that included in part of the learning for staff, students and other people who are participating in the DEI?
I'll start with McGill.
1:40 p.m.
Prof. Deep Saini
Yes, it is part of our EDI policies to ensure that all disadvantaged groups who have faced disadvantage or exclusion in the past have—
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I'm talking about Jewish students and anti-Semitism right now. I'm asking about quotas for Jewish students.
1:40 p.m.
Prof. Deep Saini
I've answered the question regarding quotas already. With regard to going forward, our EDI policies are totally inclusive.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I'm sorry; it's just that I'm really short on time, President Saini. I just wanted to know if there's a specific reference in the EDI content about the quotas on Jewish students. That's what I'm asking.
1:40 p.m.
Prof. Deep Saini
I cannot answer if there is a specific reference to past quotas. I can answer that there is no such provision at this point, that there is no quota for any given community.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal