Right To Campus Campaign ProposalPresented by Liam Kennedy-Slaney
Background:
The University Senate is the highest governing body for all academic matters at theUniversity of Ottawa. Its meetings are open to the public. There is no written policy prohibiting the use of video recording devices inside the Senate chambers. On December 1, 2008 undergraduate student Marc Kelly, inspired by the University's mission statementwhich states that "
transparency and accountability are the principles that guide our university governance
" attempted to film the Senate meeting. Marc was immediatelyasked not to film by several administrators but they could not provide him with anywritten rule prohibiting filming. Marc instead asked to discuss the matter with allSenators present. No discussion occurred. Instead the Ottawa Police was called to thescene. Marc was handcuffed and put in the back of a police cruiser. Criminal chargeswere laid against him and he was released under strict condition not to return to campus.Some students cannot go to class because of physical accessibility issues. Some studentscannot attend university because of financial accessibility problems. Some studentscannot go to class because the University administration decides that they are unwantedon campus. Students cannot stand for this form of targeted political discrimination.As shown in the attached
Appendix
, Marc Kelly’s case is a most egregious example of the University administration’s targeting of an activist student in recent history, involvingthe false arrest, banishment from campus, false criminal charges, and the surrealistic possibility for extended jail time. Indeed, the SFUO has already written strong letters of protest to the administration regarding aspects of Marc Kelly’s treatment, as has the TA-union CUPE Local 2626 regarding the administrations discrimination of Marc Kelly as aCUPE contract worker.
Campaign:
The Right to Campus
Campaign details:
The Right to Campus Campaign is focused on individual advocacy for students who havehad their right to access campus unjustly removed or limited by the Universityadministration. Any student whose access to campus is unjustly limited by theadministration will be supported by this campaign. The Right to Campus Campaignsupports Marc Kelly in his efforts to regain access to campus, to have the full freedomsnormally enjoyed by students, to protest and be political, to complete his undergraduatedegree, to apply for campus work, and to register for other graduate or undergraduate programs if he so desires.
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