Carleton University’s response to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ settling near campus shows it needs to do better at ensuring the safety of its students and faculty. The abject failure of efforts to reassure students of their safety demonstrates a need for a concrete safety plan for the future.
On Feb. 9, protestors set up camp in a parking lot at 1500 Bronson Ave., near campus. In an email sent to students on the same day, the university confirmed none of its land or property had been used in the demonstrations, adding it was monitoring the situation closely.
The university encouraged students who had been affected to use Health and Counselling Services for support and directed faculty and staff to the Employee & Family Assistance Program.
What this email and further updates lacked is a concrete action plan detailing how students, staff and faculty would be supported during that time. Links to services the university provides in precedented times were not enough to support students under the threat of what many are calling a white-supremacist occupation.
A thorough plan would include ways to assist Carleton community members who might experience harassment from protesters. Those belonging to marginalized communities face an even higher risk, with reports of violence at the demonstrations.
While these incidents are handled by the Ottawa police, additional support for Carleton—which has chosen to remain open to business as usual, contrasting the decisions of other local universities and businesses—is necessary from administrators.
The university should have done more to address safety concerns and transportation issues, especially for students and staff living in the downtown area.
The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) shared additional resources with students in an Instagram post, including the Safe Walk Program, and many individual professors accommodated student needs. However, a lack of information surrounding transportation left students and staff needing to access campus lost and confused.
The university should have updated students and staff on new bus routes, closed roads and other transportation alternatives.
Carleton members should not have to wait for these situations to escalate to know the university’s plan to prioritize their safety.
Featured graphic from file.
