Niagara College’s Saudi Arabian campus controversy

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The federal organization representing university teachers says it plans on blacklisting Niagara College if it doesn’t provide equality to women and promote freedom of speech on its international campus.

The Saudi campus teaches over 1600 students. It opened in 2014 and at one point courses were only available to men. This fall the school started offering business courses to women but in separate buildings. The Canadian Association of University Teachers sent this letter to college President Dan Patterson.

“Unless the concerns over the college’s offshore Saudi campuses is satisfactorily resolved, censure of the administration will be imposed at the spring 2017 meeting of council.”

The motion would essentially blacklist the college.

“We encourage you not to take positions at the institution, not to accept honours from the institution, not to attend any conferences from the institution.” David Robinson, Association of University Teachers.

Patterson was not in the country and did not comment. Instead the school issued this statement, “the college has chosen a path of engagement rather than isolation and we remain committed to the work we are doing there.” The minister of advanced education avoided questions all together. Since opening the school has turned a net profit of a million dollars.