Welcome to the Friday, May 11th edition of the Daily Dose of Higher Education for Breakdrink.com; I’m Shawn Brackett bringing you today’s news.
“Alberta court rules U of Calgary violated students’ right of free expression”
The Alberta Court of Appeal (the province’s highest court) has sided with University of Calgary students in their lawsuit alleging the institution violated their charter right to free expression. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a part of the Canadian Constitution and provides for a range of rights including the right to free expression. At issue is the students’ use of Facebook to criticize a professor’s teaching qualifications and classroom conduct. This lawsuit centers around the appropriate application of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to postsecondary campuses–some institutions have interpreted previous rulings to mean that they are exempt.
“St. Mary’s College opens pub to promote responsible drinking”
In what might be seen as the beginning of a shift in mindset, St. Mary’s College has opened a pub on-campus. Since the increase in minimum drinking age to 21-years-old in the 1980s by most states, many campus pubs have closed down for lack of business and/or fear of third parties perceiving such establishments as promoting alcohol consumption. The institution sees the pub as a critical piece to its alcohol education and risk management strategy by reducing the likelihood of students drinking to excess or drinking and driving back to campus.
That’s it for today! Have a good night and I’ll see you on Monday.
