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Scholar Strike Canada (SSC) Urges York Administrators to DEFEND not Suspend SGSWS, Indigenous and Social Justice Programs

Scholars Strike Canada (SSC) urges York University President Lenton and Dean McMurtry, to rescind the decision to suspend new admissions to 18 programs, including the School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (SGSWS) and Indigenous Studies. SSC, made up of thousands of academics, scholars, students, and activists across the country, are stunned that York university would undermine the principles espoused in its commitment to  decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion – a promise that is ‘embedded in its mission, vision and values’.

Programs like Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (SGSWS) and Indigenous Studies are programs that have been fought for by academics, students and activists and are integral to the
curriculum of many universities committed to gendered anti-racism, social justice, decolonization, intersectional and diverse knowledges. These programs, as evidence shows, are favoured by many students across disciplines at York and other Universities. Students are delighted to know they can take courses in SGSWS and Indigenous Studies taught by expert academics in the field.

At a time of escalating attacks on trans rights, reproductive freedom, racial justice, and gender equity, programs like SGSWS and Indigenous Studies, that foster critical thinking in these areas,
need to be well supported, protected and defended by the university administration.

These programs should not be the first to be eliminated in the interest of fiscal restraint. SSC strongly believes that the York Administration is quite capable of more creative solutions in
dealing with deficit and declining enrolments then to suspend programs that have strengthened its core values and reputation as an institution.

SSC expresses its solidarity with the York faculty, students and all others calling for a reversal of the York administration decision to suspend these programs.

Scholar Strike Canada (SSC):

Beverly Bain
Jamie Magnusson
Idil Abdillahi

Minsook Lee
Gary Kinsman
Ian Tian

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