RALLY: DEMAND ACCESS to EDUCATION

RALLY APRIL 16th DEMANDING ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION & AN END TO THE CRIMINALIZATION OF DISSENT

As many students are struggling just to survive and afford their education, the University of Toronto and other universities across Ontario are plotting to raise tuition fees. The U of T Governing Council seeks to pass a motion at their next meeting on Thursday, April 16 for further increases of almost 5%. This fee hike will amount to close to $40 million in revenue coming directly from students’ pockets! In addition, last week the Faculty of Arts and Science voted for flat fees, which will force students taking 3 or more courses to pay as much as those taking a FULL COURSE LOAD. Education is a right and should be free and accessible to all.

The U of T administration has shown that their interests lie in turning a profit off the backs of students, while criminalizing those who take a stand against tuition increases. A year later, bogus charges are STILL being pursued against four community members for allegedly participating in a peaceful sit-in against fee increases on March 20, 2008. However, community support continues to grow. Over 100 professors have signed a letter calling to drop the charges and the student code of conduct investigations against the Fight Fees14, and thousands have signed the online petition.

The message is clear; students will not be deterred from exercising their Charter Rights and right to academic freedom. We will join together to take a collective stand against this systemic assault on equity and access on campus and gather outside the upcoming Governing Council meeting.


Join us in sending a message to President David Naylor to STOP CHARGING STUDENTS!

WHAT: Rally Demanding Accessible Education and an End to Charges

WHEN: Thursday, April 16 at 4 pm

WHERE: Simcoe Hall, 27 Kings College Circle, University of Toronto

BRING: Pots, pans and anything loud; banners; and all your friends

Press Release

For Immediate Release: Toronto - Wednesday, April 15, 2009

RALLY DEMANDS ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION

And an end to the criminalization of dissent at the University of Toronto

Rally at UofT’s Governing Council Meeting:
Thursday, April 16th, 4:00 p.m.
Simcoe Hall, 27 Kings College Circle
Speakers, performances, free food

U of T’s Governing Council is proposing a further 4.5% tuition fee increase. This fee hike will amount to close to $40 million in revenue coming directly from students’ pockets. In addition, last week theFaculty of Arts and Science voted for ‘flat fees’, which will force students taking 3 or more courses to pay as much as those taking a FULL COURSE LOAD.

The community will gather Thursday, April 16 at 4 p.m. to protest these unprecedented fee hikes and also to support the remaining four out of 14 students/allies with charges from last year’s demonstration against rising fees at the University of Toronto. Over 100 professors have since signed a letter addressed to U of T President David Naylor in support of the Fight Fees 14 and against UofT’s attempts to penalize student dissent. These tactics are clearly meant to deter students from protesting against the University’s continual fee hikes. Toronto Police charged the 14 individuals a month after the peaceful sit-in on March 20, 2008 following UofT’s threats to investigate students under the Code of Student Conduct. The letter, signed by most of the 100 professors states:

"It is evident that the University of Toronto’s administration collaborated with Toronto Police in pressing charges against fourteen members of our university community. It is further evident that this move was taken to repress the expression of dissent at a time when the University administration is publicly and aggressively calling for the commercialization of student fees through deregulation."

A year later the case is unwinding as charges against most have been dropped; four others await trial in September after refusing to sign a peace bond that prevents them from exercising their Charter Rights to participate in peaceful protest on campus and attend Governing Council meetings. Joeita Gupta, VP External of the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS) and incoming UofT Student Governor says,

"Students are saying ‘enough is enough’. Across the board U of T is cutting access programs and increasing tuition fees to unprecedented levels. Simultaneously they put millions towards elite sports and expanding business administration. This time they have crossed the line. We will stand together to speak up against these increases andagainst the criminalization of students who are leaders in advocating for the rights of students.

Join students and concerned community members on Thursday, April 16th, 4:00 p.m. to hear speakers and live performances.

Contact for media interviews: Joeita Gupta 416-918-1935 and Katie Wolk 647-830-5283

More information: fightfeescoalition.blogspot.com and www.fightfees.ca or email us fightfeescoalition@gmail.com

Over 100 Professors Signed Letter of Support

Read the list of professors below

To the University of Toronto Community:

On March 20, 2008, a group of over forty students and their allies staged a nonviolent sit-in at the University of Toronto’s Simcoe Hall to protest rising student fees. Nearly one month later, eleven students, two staff members working at the University, and one alumnus were charged and arrested for alleged forcible confinement, mischief to property, and forcible detainment. The fourteen were released on strict bail conditions. Initially, all were prevented from participating in any demonstration on campus. This condition was challenged by the accused and was found to be unconstitutional. Current bail conditions prevent the accused from communicating with one another, and the University administration has banned some from setting foot on university property via trespass orders.

The University of Toronto’s administration has disingenuously distanced itself from the trumped-up criminal charges and the restrictive bail conditions, relegating them instead to the exclusive purview of the Toronto Police, while continuing to press forward with Code of Student Conduct investigations against those same students. The twist is that the University administration threatened the students in question with investigation long before the Toronto Police did.

It is evident that the University of Toronto’s administration collaborated with Toronto Police in pressing charges against fourteen members of our university community. It is further evident that this move was taken to repress the expression of dissent at a time when the University administration is publicly and aggressively calling for the commercialization of student fees through deregulation. This repression is all the more striking given that the University’s own purpose statement indicates that

Within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of
freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights
are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative
challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and of the university itself.

When the University of Toronto’s administration criminalizes the rights of students and activists to question and criticize University policies, their “rights of freedom of speech” are being violated. The University administration’s crackdown on the protests and on those allegedly involved therein directly contradicts its stated position on the fundamental rights of individuals to express dissent against those in power. The criminalization of activists is clearly an attempt at silencing the voices of dissidents and critics of the University administration’s policies on the commercialization of post-secondary education, and must be vehemently opposed.

We assert that this university exists as a space for critical dialogue only because of the participation of its students, workers, faculty members, alumni and other community members – and in particular we recognize those whose involvement goes unrecognized because they are not the ones with millions of dollars to donate. As faculty members at the University of Toronto, we express our dissent against the administration’s actions. The right to academic freedom is meaningless if the right to freedom of speech – and especially the right to speak truth to power – is being violated.

We call on the University of Toronto’s administration to immediately stop all proceedings against the students being investigated under the Code of Student Conduct and repeal the trespass orders. We further call on the University of Toronto’s administration to immediately express, clearly and unequivocally, that it has no interest in pursuing criminal charges in connection to this or any other peaceful protest.
________________________________________________________________________
CC: David Naylor, President of the University of Toronto
Chris Bentley, Attorney General of the Province of Ontario
George Luste, President of the University of Toronto Faculty Association
Penni Stewart, President of the Canadian Association of University Teachers

Professors Support the Fight Fees 14

More than 100 professors at UofT and other post-secondary institutions have sent their support for the 14 students and allies who were criminally charged for allegedly participating in a peaceful sit-in at Simcoe Hall to protest increasing fees on March 20th 2008. Rather than addressing the issues of accessibility to education, the University of Toronto administration resorted to tactics of intimidation and repression including initiating criminal and Code of Student Conduct investigations.

The following professors have shown their support:

University of Toronto Professors 1. John K. Noyes, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures 2. Andre Schmid, Department of East Asian Studies 3. Gavin Smith, Department of Anthropology 4. Todd Gordon, Canadian Studies Program 5. Bernd Baldus, Department of Sociology 6. Melanie Newton, Department of History 7. Paul Downes, Department of English 8. Indigo Esmonde, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, OISE/UT 9. Sherene Razack, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 10. Rinaldo Walcott, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 11. Paul Olson, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 12. Darshan Ambalavanar, Visiting Fellow, Centre for South Asian Studies 13. Ken Kawashima, Department of East Asian Studies 14. Rick Guisso, Department of East Asian Studies 15. Jesook Song, Department of East Asian Studies 16. Kanishka Goonewardena, Department of Geography & Program in Planning 17. Helen Lenskyj (Emerita), Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 18. Deborah Cowen, Department of Geography & Program in Planning 19. Roxana Ng, Adult Education & Counselling Psychology, OISE/UT 20. Margrit Eichler, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 21. Jamie Magnusson, Department of Theory and Policy Studies, OISE/UT 22. Susan Ruddick, Department of Geography & Program in Planning 23. Paul A. Hamel, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine 24. John Valleau (Emeritus), Department of Chemistry 25. Kari Dehli, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 26. Jens Hanssen, Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations 27. Scott Prudham, Department of Geography and Centre for Environment; Vice-President, Salaries and Benefits, University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) 28. Philinda Masters, Centre for Women's Studies in Education, OISE/UT 29. Angela Miles, Adult Education & Counselling Psychology, OISE/UT 30. George Dei, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 31. Sheryl Nestel, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, OISE/UT 32. Amir Hassanpour, Department of Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations 33. Meyer Brownstone (Emeritus), Department of Political Science 34. Anne-Emanuelle Birn, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Department of Social Sciences, Scarborough Campus 35. Richard Roman (Emeritus), Department of Sociology 36. Jay Macpherson (Emerita), Department of English 37. Ernie Lightman, Faculty of Social Work Other Universities and Colleges: 38. William K. Carroll, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria 39. Stefan Kipfer, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University 40. Laam Hae, Department of Political Science, York University 41. Susan Ferguson, Journalism, Wilfrid Laurier University (Brantford Campus) 42. Salim Vally, Visiting Professor, School of Social Sciences, York University 43. David McNally, Department of Political Science, York University 44. Mary-Jo Nadeau, Deptartment of Sociology, Trent University 45. David P. Thomas, Department of Political Science, Mount Allison University 46. Abigail B. Bakan, Department of Political Studies, Queen's University 47. Rob Heynen, Department of Political Science & Division of Social Science, York University 48. Sylvat Aziz, Department of Art, Queen's University 49. Dina Georgis, Department of Women's Studies, Queen's University 50. Pat Saul, Faculty of Education, York University 51. Mike Davis, Department of Creative Writing, UC Riverside 52. Richard J. F. Day, Department of Sociology, Queen's University 53. Asha Varadharajan, Department of English, Queen's University 54. Samantha King, School of Kinesiology & Health Studies, Department of Women's Studies, Queen's University 55. David Camfield, Labour Studies Program, University of Manitoba 56. Ellie Kennedy, Department of German Language & Literature, Queen's University 57. Christopher Powell, Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba 58. Margaret Pappano, Department of English, Queen's University 59. Alan Sears, Department of Sociology, Ryerson University 60. Govind Rao, Department of Political Science, McMaster University 61. David Lethbridge, Psychology Department, Okanagan College 62. Bernie Koenig, General Studies Division, Fanshawe College 63. Stephanie Ross, Labour Studies Programme, York University 64. William Arnal, Department of Religious Studies, University of Regina 65. Linda Briskin, Division of Social Science/School of Women's Studies, York University 66. Darlene Juschka, Women's Studies and Religious Studies, University of Regina 67. Gerry Coulter, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Bishop's University 68. Rianne Mahon, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University 69. Peter Eglin, Department of Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University 70. Ray Morris (Emeritus), Department of Sociology, Glendon College, York University 71. Joel Lexchin, School of Health Policy and Management, York University 72. Rebecca Coulter, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario 73. Lee Lorch (Emeritus), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University 74. Kendra Coulter, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor 75. Jason M.C. Price, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria 76. Ana Bazac, Social Philosophy and Political Sciences, Polytechnic University of Bucharest 77. Pablo Idahosa, Division of Social Science, African Studies, York University 78. Carrie Gillon, Department of Linguistics, Memorial University 79. Douglass St. Christian, Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario 80. Jessica Polzer, Department of Women's Studies & Feminist Research and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario 81. Paul Handford, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario 82. Patricia Balcom, Département d'anglais, Université de Moncton 83. James Compton, Faculty of Information & Media Studies, University of Western Ontario 84. Kirsten Kozolanka, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University 85. Christopher F. J. Ross, Department of Religion and Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University 86. Samuel E. Trosow, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Information & Media Studies, University of Western Ontario 87. Jack Blocker, Department of History, Huron University College, University of Western Ontario 88. Melvin Zimmerman (Emeritus), Department of French Studies, York University 89. Saeed Rahnema, Department of Political Science, York University 90. Barbara Godard, Department of English, York University 91. Wendy McKeen, School of Social Work, York University 92. Rachel Heydon, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario 93. Stephen Pender, Department of English, Humanities Research Group, University of Windsor 94. John Simoulidis, Division of Social Science, York University 95. Susan Knabe, Women's Studies and Feminist Research, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario 96. Bettina Bradbury, School of Women's Studies, York University 97. Gary Kinsman, Department of Sociology, Laurentian University 98. Ester Reiter, Atkinson School of Social Sciences, York University 99. Wayne Lewchuk, Labour Studies Programme and Department of Economics, McMaster University 100. Bryan Evans, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University 101. Derek Hrynyshyn, York University, McMaster University 102. Karen Murray, Department of Political Science, York University 103. Judith Adler Hellman, Division of Social Science, Department of Political Science, York University 104. Tony Weis, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario 105. Matthew Rowlinson, Department of English and Centre for Theory and Criticism, University of Western Ontario 106. Cameron Owens, Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University 107. Greg Albo, Department of Political Science, York University 108. Lesley Wood, Department of Sociology, York University 109. Mark Thomas, Department of Sociology, York University 110. David Heap, French Studies, Graduate Program in Linguistics, University of Western Ontario 111. Andil Gosine, Department of Sociology, York University 112. Hira Singh, Department of Sociology, York University 113. John Huot (Emeritus), Humber Institute of Technology and Applied Learning 114. Himani Bannerji, Department of Sociology, York University 115. Kamala Kempadoo, Graduate Programme in Social and Political Thought, Division of Social Science, York University 116. Gamal Abdel-Shehid, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University 117. Christopher Shaw, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia 118. Janet Conway, Canada Research Chair in Social Justice, Brock University 119. David Noble, Department of History, York University

Preparation for April 16 Rally

In preparation for the Thursday April 16, 2009 rally outside of Simco Hall, we would like to invite everybody to join us in making posters, flyers, banners, leaflets, T-shirts and other materials for the rally. We will also use this as an opportunity to meet and plan out the details of the event.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 from 4:00-8:00 PM
APUS Programming Office; 100 Devonshire Place (Margaret Fletcher building, Ground Floor)

We look forward to seeing everyone out on Tuesday , even if you can only come out part of the time.