Professors at Carleton have certain rights and responsibilities. They are spelled out in the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) collective agreement between faculty and the university. The university’s recent inter-cultural report recommended that these clauses be printed on students’ course outlines. This would be a positive step toward empowering students and improving the relationship they have with their instructors.
As it is, course outlines have detailed clauses about students’ responsibilities, ethics and the way they should behave in class. Some courses even give out professionalism marks, a way to assess the way students behave and participate in class. Given that, it’s only fair that students are made aware of the responsibilities their professors have, and what to expect of them.
CUASA says including these clauses in course outlines may affect academic freedom in the classroom. However, the fact is that CUASA agreed to this clause, and it is already publicly available. Including it on course outlines would only make more students aware of their professors’ contractual responsibilities, something they are entitled to know about.
The inter-cultural report also called for new mechanisms for students to raise concerns about academic responsibility and ethics. This does not threaten academic freedom either. Students should have an avenue for raising concerns. This is a public institution and its employees should be accountable to students and the public.
None of the proposed measures threaten academic freedom. Students with illegitimate concerns should be handled appropriately with any new body established to handle complaints.
Imposing these measures should be welcomed. Giving students information and tools to ensure they are taught in a safe and inclusive environment will only help to ensure they are being taught in a safe and inclusive environment.
