Quebec opens investigation into campus climate at Vanier and Dawson colleges

Quebec's higher education minister has ordered an investigation into the on-campus climate at Vanier College and Dawson College, saying there have been complaints from students who feel unsafe because of tensions stemming from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Pascale Déry made the announcement Tuesday morning in a social media post.

In an interview with Radio-Canada's Tout un matin, Déry said the Higher Education Ministry has received several complaints in the last few months from students who say they feel "uneasy, uncomfortable or even unsafe" on campus. 

"We have students that refuse to go to school or fear for their safety," the minister said, adding that the province sat down with management at both CEGEPs during the summer to address the situation.

"I thought the situation would stabilize, but it seems the climate is even more tense."

Déry said the tension at the schools is due to them having many Jewish and Muslim students and that the two groups "have a hard time cohabitating."

During the interview, Déry mentioned a few examples of complaints that have been filed: One complaint, she said, was about a math teacher who, instead of teaching math, gave students "a lecture on the history of Palestine."

She also said complaints have come in about teachers cancelling classes to encourage students to go take part in protests.

Déry stressed during the interview that it's not yet clear if the complaints are founded, and that she's not even in a position to say whether the actions described in the complaints are problematic.

"Is it problematic? There are a lot of questions that can be asked. It's not up to me to make a decision or come up with recommendations," she said.

Union says complaints are 'inaccurate'

In a statement Tuesday, the Dawson Teachers' Union (DTU) said the examples of complaints provided by the minister are "inaccurate."

The union says Déry's announcement of an investigation serves as a distraction from "drastic budget cuts" that are "the biggest threat" to Dawson's learning environment.

The DTU also said its members "are doing their work effectively and in line with ministerial and departmental requirements."

"Any suggestion otherwise is false and inappropriate," the union wrote. 

On Nov. 21, Dawson cancelled classes and closed its campus in response to a planned pro-Palestinian student strike at several schools across the province.

Two days before that strike, administrators sent a note to all students saying they had received "numerous emails and calls from members of the community expressing concerns about the safety of students and employees on the day of the boycott" and that classes would be cancelled.

Dawson's student union had voted in favour of taking part in that strike.

The Dawson teachers' union said the CEGEP's decision to cancel classes on the day of the strike was "in line with their practice during every other strike at Dawson in recent history."

Déry said the investigation will focus on the colleges' "governance mechanisms" and whether they used every measure at their disposal to help students feel safe.

Colleges respond

In a statement, a spokesperson for Dawson College said it has not received any information about the government's investigation.

"The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has stirred emotions around the world including at Dawson College," the statement said. "The college's priority is to fulfil its mission of education and to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and working where all members of the Dawson community feel safe."

A spokesperson for Vanier College said the CEGEP was unaware of complaints related to student safety. 

"We're surprised by this announcement, having received no internal complaints that would justify this step being taken," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "We hope that the findings of the investigation will be made public so that all necessary steps can be taken."

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