1. La démission immédiate de Mme Pascale Déry de son poste de ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur ;
   
2. La fin immédiate de l’enquête ministérielle initiée par son cabinet.
   

Nous appelons également l’ensemble de la communauté collégiale et universitaire à se mobiliser pour défendre avec fermeté l’autonomie pédagogique, la liberté académique et la transparence gouvernementale qui doivent être des piliers de l’enseignement supérieur et de la démocratie.

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We, the undersigned professors at Quebec colleges and universities, write to express our opposition to the Minister of Higher Education’s recent interference in the academic and administrative affairs of certain colleges.

Minister Déry’s actions were egregious. She summoned the Directors General of four Montreal CEGEPs to question them about the content of courses that included Palestinian authors. She then launched an opaque investigation into the so-called “tense climate” at Dawson and Vanier Colleges, citing student complaints that the colleges’ administrations were not privy to. This ostensibly “administrative” investigation, which is in fact politically motivated, poses a direct threat to the autonomy of CEGEPs and faculty.

The Minister’s interference in course content violates one of the fundamental principles of a democratic society: academic freedom. In undermining the pedagogical autonomy of professors and setting in motion grave acts of political interference, Minister Déry is contributing to the alarming wave of political repression and ideological censorship that is currently threatening our societies.

The mission of higher education must not be subordinated to partisan interests or short-term political agendas. The intellectual and civic education of students requires the professional autonomy of teachers as well as the freedom to express diverse viewpoints and engage in critical analysis in the classroom. By undermining these foundations, the Minister threatens the integrity of the college network and the psychological safety of teachers, compromising  her own legitimacy and the teaching community’s trust in her.

In the face of this unacceptable interference, we therefore demand:

1. The immediate resignation of Ms. Pascale Déry from her post as Minister of Higher Education;
   
2. The immediate termination of the ministerial investigation initiated by her office.
   

We also call upon both the college and university communities to mobilize in defense of the pedagogical autonomy, academic freedom, and government transparency, which are pillars of both higher education and democracy itself.

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SIGNATAIRES/SIGNATORIES