Quiet During Working Hours is "Exclusionary and Unwelcoming" at McGill

The worst type of Wokeness is not dead in Canada:

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From: Education Dean Office <deansoffice.education@mcgill.ca>
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2025 6:36 PM
Subject: Affirming Our Commitment to Respect, Inclusion, and Reconciliation

Dear Colleagues,

As many of you know, we are currently hosting a Summer Institute on Indigenous Education, led by our Office of First Nations and Inuit Education, that brings together Indigenous students from communities with whom we collaborate. These Indigenous educators have travelled far and have taken time away from their families and communities to engage in intensive learning with academic and community experts here at McGill. Their presence greatly enriches our Faculty and advances our shared commitments to reconciliation, equity, and inclusive education.

Yesterday, anonymous messages that were posted on the door of one of the classrooms used by the summer institute participants were brought to my attention. These notes asked for the door of the classroom to remain closed during working hours and for people to be mindful of noise. While seemingly minor, these messages were not sanctioned and were posted without consultation or consideration. I am not sure for how long they have been in place, and I have asked my colleagues in the Dean’s Office to take stock of all such signs in the Education building and to bring these to my attention. Their anonymous nature and the location of their appearance—outside the very classroom where Indigenous participants gather—make them, at best, deeply insensitive and, at worst, exclusionary and unwelcoming.

Let me be clear: such actions are unacceptable. They contradict the values we uphold as a Faculty and undermine the safe, respectful, and supportive environment we are committed to creating for all learners—especially those who have historically been marginalized within educational institutions.

To our Indigenous guests, I want to express my profound regret that this happened. You belong here. You are valued here. And you are welcome here. Your presence strengthens us.

To all members of our McGill Education community, I want to reiterate that I fully support face-to-face learning, teaching, and collaboration in our shared spaces. The work of education requires dialogue, presence, and care. I expect everyone who is part of this community to model those values actively, and I will not tolerate actions—overt or covert—that undermine our efforts to build an inclusive, respectful, equitable, and vibrant Faculty.

If there are concerns about shared spaces, noise, or scheduling, these must be addressed respectfully, transparently, and through appropriate channels. You may reach out to your immediate supervisor or the Dean's Office to discuss how we can best address such types of situations.

Anonymity, especially in ways that target or alienate others, has no place here. Regardless of intent, such actions can cause serious harm.

Let us take this moment to reaffirm our responsibilities to one another and to the work of reconciliation, which is not symbolic but lived in our everyday actions.

Sincerely,

Vivek Venkatesh, PhD

Dean, Faculty of Education