After a month of heated hostility and on-campus attacks between anti-Israeli and anti-Palestinian protesters, York University has commissioned a task force in its first administrative step towards remedying an increasingly toxic environment.
To foster an environment free from discrimination and intimidation, the Task Force on Student Life, Learning and Community will review concerns about the student environment on campus and encourage student input on how it can be improved.
“The important thing for us is to . . . look at our rules, see if they serve the purpose, and explore ways that we can promote open debate and the free exchange of ideas,” said York president Mamdouh Shoukri in a statement made last week.
The task force will be made up of seven faculty members and seven students who will seek input from the student body using online surveys, focus groups and forums.
In recent weeks, the York administration has been criticized for its failure to address the attacks quickly and effectively.
On Feb. 11, a mob of 100 anti-Israel protestors barricaded Jewish students in the Hillel lounge and yelled anti-Semitic slurs. Police had to escort Jewish students out of the lounge to ensure their safety. Only a month later did the school finally acknowledge and investigate the incident.
“We are dismayed that it took the administration this long to acknowledge the incident,” said Daniel Ferman, president of Hillel at York.
Just weeks ago, York again faced criticism for temporarily suspending and fining student groups including Hillel and Hasbara for participating in a disruptive rally on Feb. 12. Some students considered it indicative of a campus trying to clamp down dissent.
“We continue to maintain that these fines have been issued arbitrarily and unfairly,” Ferman said.
It was in the face of such controversy that Patrick Monahan, the dean of the Osgoode Law School, was named chair of the 14-member task force. Monahan said he believes calling the police or security force to deal with such issues is unacceptable and his goal is to find more proactive ways to deal with such problems.
“If you are having to call security forces, you know right away you haven’t done the kind of work at the front end to encourage the type of dialogue and exchange of ideas that we want," Monahan said.