Statement from CASE on the Upcoming Conference at McGill University

There has been a great deal of uncertainty regarding the upcoming Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences at McGill University related to the strike action by the Association of McGill Professors of Law (AMPL) and the protest encampment in support of peace in Gaza.

As CASE’s 2024 annual program will be held at Congress under the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) we wanted to send an update to our membership.

CSSE as our parent society, and one of the largest associations in Congress, is actively in dialogue and solidarity with the current strike action of the Association of McGill Professors of Law (AMPL). CASE is being supported by CSSE to move our sessions off of McGill campus and is working in solidarity with AMPL to make that happen. The CASE executive is unanimous in not asking our members to cross a picket line to attend CASE events and in support of collective job action. While we hope all of our sessions can be moved off Mc Gill campus, there may be a lack of venues. AMPL has agreed to provide ‘picket passes’ to CSSE members to participate in sessions that are unable to be moved to a different venue due to lack of availability. The distribution of these ‘picket passes’ will be coordinated by the CSSE on our behalf. CSSE has sent a separate email communication that they lack the infrastructure and funding to move the venue entirely online.

The executive of CASE respects the complexity of the issues informing the protest encampments across Canada as well as at McGill University. We are in support of students’ right to protest without threat of violence, and the principles of academic freedom. With respect to the encampment, we recognize that the issues are fraught and that there are ongoing developments from both McGill and the encampment leaders. We have learned that some student groups involved with the encampment have called for a boycott of Congress.

While events change on a daily basis, at this point, we are committed to working in solidarity and support and of holding our annual conference in Montreal. We will of course provide email updates on the logistics of locations and picket passes which are currently being organized on our behalf by CSSE.

We invite you to email us if you have any questions or concerns.

Dr. Jeannie Kerr, Program Chair, CASE

Dr. Alana Butler, President, CASE