Communications

Final Report of the Advisory Panel on Campus Expression

deidre.mccabe@��Թ�.Ca — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:55:15 +0000

Final Report of the Advisory Panel on Campus Expression deidre.mccabe@… Thu, 01/29/2026 - 13:55

Dear members of the ��Թ� community,

I am pleased to share the Final Report of the Advisory Panel on Campus Expression (“Panel”) and to offer my response to it.

The Panel was established approximately one year ago to advise how ��Թ� can uphold freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and academic freedom while ensuring a safe and inclusive campus environment. The Panel was tasked with reviewing these issues specifically in connection with situations involving invited guest speakers whose views sparked controversy, caused offence, or were seen as posing a risk to physical or psychological safety. The Panel also took the opportunity of its work to explore and offer recommendations on other, cognate issues.

This Panel undertook its work at a moment when universities have become flashpoints for debates about speech, its limits, and the responsibilities of academic institutions. Institutions like ours are expected to lead on these questions even as society experiences unprecedented polarization.

I want to thank the Panel members for accepting and carrying out a complex mandate and for the skill and energy that they brought to their work. I also extend appreciation to the students, faculty, and staff who contributed to the consultation sessions. The Panel’s report reflects thoughtful engagement across our community, and I accept its recommendations, many of which affirm existing commitments and activities, in principle. We will now begin moving toward their implementation.

With reference to its core mandate, the Panel has recommended the creation of an Event Risk Assessment Committee (ERAC) to ensure transparent, principled decision‑making when events featuring external speakers present clear safety risks or threaten to obstruct academic activities. We will establish an ERAC in due course.

On other related issues, the Panel’s recommendations are also constructive, such as those related to:

Renewing and clarifying academic freedom, which is a professional freedom grounded in scholarly standards and corresponding duties, as distinct from the universal right to freedom of expression. The Panel calls upon ��Թ� to strengthen understandings of each freedom and their limits, and build capacity and support for those engaged in teaching and learning so that they clearly understand their rights and responsibilities.

Adopting an approach to institutional communications about geopolitics premised on restraint. This aligns closely with the practice we have already been following, that is, communicating in a manner consistent with the University’s academic mission to avoid a perception that ��Թ� is taking positions on matters beyond its remit. Rather than issuing broad institutional statements, we have focused on direct outreach and support to students and community members most affected by geopolitical conflict and/or humanitarian crises. This includes connecting students and colleagues with resources to support success and well‑being.

Sustaining a principled, transparent approach to campus expression and protest that affirms the value of such expression, while clarifying its limits set by law and ��Թ�’s policies, and that such limits are applied in a content-neutral, proportionate, and clearly articulated manner.

While I value the Report’s insights, I also want to acknowledge a perspective that is less prominent in its narrative, but no less real. As President, I have heard often in recent months from individuals who feel that free expression on campus has at times been conflated with objectively harmful conduct.

I have listened to those who have felt unprotected in moments where they have faced direct aggression and intimidation, and I understand the harm they have endured, having personally experienced such acts myself. I share this not to elicit sympathy, but to underscore that such indignities must never be part of the experience of any ��Թ� student or colleague.

I am grateful to the Panel for unequivocally affirming that violence, intimidation, and vandalism fall outside the protections of expression. ��Թ� must remain a place where open expression thrives, even when difficult.

At the same time, I want to be equally clear that hate and violence have no place in our University. Rejecting them is not only a matter of safety; it reflects who we are. What binds our community — across disciplines, identities, and perspectives — is our shared dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, to intellectual inquiry, and to the principles that make such inquiry possible: curiosity, integrity, and respect.

These commitments have sustained ��Թ� for generations. They must guide us now, as we navigate complex tensions and seek to restore trust across differences.

As we implement the Panel’s recommendations, I call on members of the ��Թ� community to recommit to a higher order of engagement and civil discourse. Across the many, many discussions I have had on issues related to our campus climate, the prevailing theme that emerges is aspiration, particularly, for deeper listening, clearer and more inclusive processes, and more courageous dialogue.

I was especially encouraged by a meeting of ��Թ� student leaders last November who were invited to envision a future campus grounded in courageous dialogue and relationship‑building amid global polarization. Their ideas were inspiring and offer a foundation for campus‑wide efforts to build our collective capacity for constructive, respectful dialogue.

Thank you again to the Panel and to all who contributed to its important work.

Sincerely,

Deep Saini

President and Vice-Chancellor

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Highlights from the December 11, 2025 Board of Governors meeting

deidre.mccabe@��Թ�.Ca — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:10:34 +0000

Highlights from the December 11, 2025 Board of Governors meeting deidre.mccabe@… Mon, 12/22/2025 - 09:10

Dear members of the ��Թ� Community,

It is our pleasure to provide you with an update on the recent activities of ��Թ�’s Board of Governors. You can learn more about the Board’s mandate and membership on its website.

The Board of Governors held its second regular meeting on December 11, 2025. The full minutes of the meeting’s open session will be available following their approval at the Board’s next meeting on February 19, 2026. In the meantime, we would like to share with you the meeting’s important discussions, decisions, and developments.

Thank you for your interest in the work of the Board of Governors. If you have any questions, ideas, or comments, please write to mcgill.president [at] mcgill.ca (mcgill[dot]president[at]mcgill[dot]ca).

Sincerely,

Deep Saini, President and Vice-Chancellor

Maryse Bertrand, Chair, ��Թ� Board of Governors

Key Updates

On the recommendation of the Nominating, Governance, and Ethics (NGE) Committee, the Board of Governors approved the appointment of Mr. Fred Headon as Chair of the Board of Governors of ��Թ�, for a four-year term commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2030, as well as the extension of his appointment as member-at-large of the Board of Governors for a further one-year term, to coincide with the end of his term as Board Chair.

As a member-at-large since 2020, Mr. Headon has made significant contributions to a wide range of university initiatives and priorities, including as chair of several Board Committees, and of the Board working group that is overseeing the implementation of the President’s priorities. He also led the activities of the legal advisory group that guided ��Թ�’s response to significant government policy challenges and led governance reviews for the Board. With a distinguished record of service at ��Թ� and in the legal profession, Mr. Headon, who is currently Air Canada’s Vice-President and General Counsel, Labour, Employment, and Litigation, is well suited for this leadership role. Read the full announcement.

On the recommendation of the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Board of Governors approved the reappointment of Professor Yolande Chan as Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management for a second five-year term, commencing July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2031. Read the full announcement.

Acknowledging Senate’s responsibility for the revised Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures, and recognizing that the new Code revisions will strengthen disciplinary review processes, the Board of Governors approved the Code, as adopted by Senate. The Board emphasized the importance of the Code’s effective implementation, which will need to be monitored closely.

The President also shared his reflections on the December 3, 2025, Senate meeting, at which the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures and the relationship between the Board and Senate were discussed. He emphasized the value of constructive dialogue, clarified the Board’s statutory role, and underscored the importance of trust between the two governing bodies. As noted in the outcomes of this year’s Joint Board Senate Report, the President spoke in favor of more regular interactions between the two governing bodies as way to further strengthen shared governance at ��Թ�. Opportunities to support this objective are being considered and will be shared in due course.

From the Finance and Infrastructure Committee, the Board received the first of three presentations on FY2027 budget planning. The Committee reported a projected balanced budget for FY2026—which may lessen the scope of required correction measures for FY2027—and noted that, while expenses are expected to continue outpacing revenues, current cost-reduction efforts have lowered projected deficits. Based on current assumptions, the operating deficit is projected at approximately $10M in FY2027, $47M in FY2028, and $71M in FY2029. Plans to achieve the $10M budget correction target for FY2027 are being finalized and will be communicated in January.

The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of Senate, endorsed ��Թ�’s Strategic Research Plan (2026-2031).Developed through extensive consultation over the past year, the Plan builds on the existing strengths established, while responding to a rapidly changing world in which universities must play an increasingly vital role in advancing knowledge, equity, and innovation.

The Board also received for information the proposed Global Engagement Strategy, which outlines a vision for strengthening the University’s role as a locally grounded, globally connected institution, committed to advancing international research collaboration and partnerships, and establishing a sustained presence beyond Quebec.

On the recommendation of the NGE Committee, the Board also approved:

Revisions to the Audit and Risk Committee’s Terms of Reference, which include broadening the scope of expertise needed by Committee members to include risk management and information systems/cybersecurity, among other changes.
Revisions to the Human Resources Committee’s Terms of Reference, which encompass minor housekeeping changes.
The following series of appointments and reappointments to Board standing committees:
- Farhan Rafat, appointed to the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility, effective immediately to May 31, 2026.
- Debbie Fischer, reappointed to the Human Resources Committee for a three-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029.
- Maarika Paul, appointed to the Nominating, Governance and Ethics Committee, effective immediately to June 30, 2028.

The Board of Governors was informed that the Executive Committee, on the recommendation of the Human Resources Committee, approved a new Policy on Appointments and Reappointments of Senior Administrators. Developed to implement relevant recommendations from Phase II of the Board Efficiency and Effectiveness Project, the Policy establishes a clear framework for these appointments, formalizes the Board’s delegations, and outlines the related reporting requirements.

Finally, the Board of Governors, on the recommendation of the Investment Committee, approved revisions to the Statement of Investment Policy , effective January 1, 2026. The revisions respond to a portfolio optimization exercise of the ��Թ� Investment Portfolio (MIP) for the current market environment and account for the MIP’s long-term return objectives.

President’s Remarks

President Deep Saini provided the following updates pertaining to a range of recent developments from across ��Թ�.

Government Relations

The President shared updates on key government developments, noting the federal government’s $1.7-billion investment in talent recruitment— including accelerated research chair programs and new funding for research equipment—which was formally launched on December 9 by Minister Mélanie Joly. He emphasized that internal work is already underway to align University initiatives with these opportunities.

He also highlighted the tabling of Bill 9 in the National Assembly, which proposes expanding Quebec’s secularism framework by extending restrictions on religious symbols, practices, and public prayer across the public service and education system. The University is carefully reviewing the bill.

Upcoming consultations, including the submission of memoirs, will take place in the coming weeks.

Finally, at the federal level, the President noted recent cabinet changes, including the resignation of longtime Liberal MP and former Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault. Following his departure, Marc Miller was sworn in as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, and Minister responsible for Official Languages, while Joël Lightbound was appointed Québec Lieutenant. In addition, Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has also taken on the National Parks and Nature portfolio.

Rankings

The President also highlighted recent rankings outcomes for ��Թ�:

��Թ� has entered the global Top 10 for the first time in the QS Sustainability Rankings, placing 9th, reflecting a strong performance in research, innovation, operations, and student engagement.
The University received the International Sustainable Campus Network’s Whole Systems Approach Award for leadership in advancing climate resilience.
��Թ� has risen to 3rd overall (from 4th) in Research Infosource’s ranking of Canada’s top 50 research universities and maintained second place in the medical category.

Selected Kudos

Finally, the President concluded by highlighting a selection of outstanding recent achievements from across the ��Թ� community.

Prof. Myriam Denov (School of Social Work) received the SSHRC Gold Medal, the Council’s highest honour, recognizing her sustained leadership and decades of work with children and families affected by war and genocide across three continents.
Prof. Christian Genest (Department of Mathematics and Statistics) was awarded the 2025 Acfas Urgel-Archambault Prize, one of Quebec’s top distinctions in physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering, for his influential contributions to statistical modelling and dependence theory.
Angela Wang (BEng ’23) is one of 14 recipients of the 2025 Order of the White Rose Scholarship, part of the newly expanded national cohort recognizing exceptional young women engineers.

The Board of Governors received the following reports:

Reflections for the Holidays 2025

deidre.mccabe@��Թ�.Ca — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:16:31 +0000

Reflections for the Holidays 2025 deidre.mccabe@… Wed, 12/17/2025 - 08:16

Dear members of the ��Թ� community,

As the holiday season approaches and the year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the last few months and to express my gratitude to every member of the ��Թ� community — our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.

In a context of ongoing challenges, your diverse and numerous contributions have not only continued to propel our mission forward but have also distinguished and strengthened ��Թ� in meaningful ways.

This semester marked a significant moment in the life of our University, as we turned our focus to ��Թ�’s future and the priorities that will shape it. Together, we began the important work of reimagining ��Թ� as a university that transforms with purpose to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world, as an institution with bold global ambitions, firmly rooted in Quebec and committed to its flourishing, and as a community united by our shared pursuit of excellence and dedication to our academic mission.

Throughout this process of reimagining, I have been inspired by the generosity of our community. Your energy, insights, and, above all, your deep care for our University’s future reaffirm that it is our people who make ��Թ� the remarkable institution that it is.

As we prepare to enter the new year, I am energized by the momentum we have created and look forward to more opportunities to engage around our priorities and the future we will build together.

In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season. May this time of year bring many opportunities for rest, connection, and renewed inspiration.

With warmest wishes,

Deep Saini

President and Vice-Chancellor

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