March 21, 2022
Dear members of the McGill community:
It is essential that every member of our community be able to pursue their learning and work in a respectful environment conducive to academic endeavours.
At McGill, we have made significant strides in this commitment. Still, recent months have seen some divisive debates within our community. Our efforts to sustain an open and inclusive university community are necessarily ongoing and concern us all.
To this end, I have tasked Professors Angela Campbell, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies), and Fabrice Labeau, Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning), with developing an initiative to address and prevent anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on our campuses. To ensure that this work results in concrete, meaningful actions, Professors Campbell and Labeau will consult with stakeholder groups within and beyond the McGill community. I have asked that they report their findings and recommendations to me by June 30, 2022.
Our University is a place of learning, of civil inquiry, of rigorous engagement and discussion. These are essential tools for understanding contested ideas, and will serve us well as we address and prevent Islamophobia and anti-Semitism on our campuses. I look forward to sharing聽information about this initiative聽with you later this year.
Sincerely,
Professor Christopher Manfredi
Provost and Vice-Principal Academic