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CUPE 4600 and CUASA (Carleton University Academic Staff Association) released a joint letter on July 24, calling for increased safety measures for university workers. The letter comes after a recent hate-motivated stabbing at a gender studies course at the University of Waterloo.
Addressed to university president Benoit-Antione Bacon, the letter demands that location information of classes related to gender, sexuality, and critical race studies are unavailable to the public. It also demands these classes be scheduled in rooms with at least two exits.
These calls for action come after the attack left a gender studies professor and two students injured at the University of Waterloo on June 28. The stabbing raised concerns about the safety of those studying or teaching gender studies-related topics and LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals at Waterloo and universities across Canada.
“We implore Carleton University to examine its own practices and protocols, and to collaborate with members of the community, and especially those that teach, study, or learn about gender, sexuality, and/or critical race studies,” the letter read.
Carleton shared a statement with the Charlatan in response to the letter.
“The University absolutely shares the unions’ concerns regarding the safety of all members of the Carleton community, and in light of the Waterloo attack, in particular those teaching and attending courses on topics such as gender issues, sexuality, and critical race studies,” the university’s statement read. “Our Campus Safety Services have been looking into new actions and initiatives that could further ensure the safety of all members of our community.”
Noreen Cauley-Le Fevre, CUPE 4600 president, co-authored the letter with Dominique Marshall, CUASA president.
Cauley-Le Fevre said the university must take safety concerns seriously.
“It’s such a small thing to do. Don’t make course schedules public. And make sure that, whether it is a professor or a teaching assistant, that if they feel unsafe in the classroom they’re assigned, or that the classroom only has one entrance or exit, that they’re moved.”
These concerns aren’t new, said Cauley-Le Fevre.
“For CUPE 4600, this has been a growing concern. [The incident at Waterloo] just made it more urgent.”
Cauley-Le Fevre said CUPE 4600 wants answers before the fall term starts.
“We want to be at the table and part of the discussion as the decisions are being made. We would rather be proactive,” she said. “There’s an urgency to this, given that the new term starts so soon.”
CUASA shared Bacon’s response to the letter with the Charlatan.
“The University is taking these matters very seriously. As such, our Campus Safety Services have been looking into new actions and initiatives that could further ensure the safety of all members of our community,” Bacon’s response said.
Bacon’s letter did not mention specific actions, such as publishing course locations or multiple exits.
However, the letter said other groups on campus, including Student Affairs, the Provost’s Office and Campus Safety Services, are looking into the situation and taking the groups’ concerns seriously.
Cauley-Le Fevre said Unit 2 met with the joint committee for the administration of the agreement before receiving President Bacon’s response. She said CUPE 4600 hopes to consult with the membership and CUASA further.
“We have often felt like an afterthought,” Cauley-Le Fevre said. “I would urge the university to engage with teaching assistants, with contract instructors and to take our safety concerns seriously.”
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
