As Canada further integrates the military economy to the south, further formalizes its ties to the Empire, and celebrates its participation in wars of domination, one can ask: Do Canadian universities, like the courts and parliament, reflect these major corporate-driven changes? The answer is yes. Campus executive culture serves as a barometer of the nation’s downward spiraling business elite ideology.

Presidents are boldly aligning themselves more than ever before and campus repression is more blatant as university executives make greater use of security and police forces to crush criticism and resistance.

Earlier this month, three community members were arrested at the University of Ottawa, which proclaims itself “Canada’s university” in arguing that it is a microcosm of Canadian society. Recently, both VP-Academic Robert Major and President Gilles Patry have publicly acknowledged that the arrests were ordered by “the executive.”

All three of the community members arrested had participated in the public Faculty of Science Council meeting of May 2007 to support the possible creation of a second-year activism course modelled on the successful first-year course that was accepted in August 2006 after nine months of sustained lobbying of the university.

After the May meeting the three community members were served with bogus trespass notices that were not enforced until one of them submitted an agenda item to Faculty Council for the December 6th meeting âe” that would have five community members elected to the 40 or so member council, in line with the university’s strategic plan calling for more community participation in its governance.

Jane Scharf and Karen Dawe were arrested outside the Faculty Council meeting room on December 6th. Bob Nye left of his own accord. The Council meeting was then cancelled because of student objections.

Bob Nye was later arrested on December 8th and is being prosecuted by the University of Ottawa. He was served with a Summons to Defendant under Section 22 of the Provincial Offences Act and then escorted off campus in his wheel chair by three City of Ottawa police and several University of Ottawa security guards. He must appear in court on January 31, 2007.

Bob Nye is not your typical hardened criminal. He is a generous and mild mannered Ottawa resident involved in several different social justice and educational causes. He was hosting an information table for the Sierra Club at the Ecofair in the University Centre when U of O security spotted him.

Campus Security officers called Bob Nye away from his Sierra Club information table and informed Bob that he was not allowed on campus because he had been issued a trespass notice. Bob replied that he would therefore leave. They said no because police had already been called.

Campus Security therefore did not let Bob simply leave but instead retained him so that police could serve him with the summons to appear in court. The whole time Bob was his usual subdued and polite self. Normally, a first charge consists of a ticket under trespass law, not a summons to appear in court. This heavy handed approach may be based on a court action that will impose more severe court-ordered restrictions.

Several student and event organizers acted as witnesses, including student association executive member Seamus Wolfe and student Senate member Michael Cheevers. When Cheevers took the first picture he was warned by the police officer writing the summons and accused of obstructing justice.

Campus Security told Bob that it didn’t matter why he was on campus, that he was ignoring a trespass notice, and that he was on private property.

It is obscene, in this university professor’s opinion, that university executives would manage campuses as though they were private property rather than precious public spaces that are integral parts of their local communities.

It is disingenuous of President Gilles Patry to trumpet the virtues of activism, to support the university’s Vision 2010 strategic plan calling on more community participation in governance, and to have community members arrested for wanting to have their voices heard at Faculty Council meetings cancelled by a petrified dean.

Any corporate space that allows free public circulation, such as a campus university centre or a shopping mall, should not, under Canadian constitutional rights, arbitrarily issue and enforce trespass notices. These institutions have always backed down before a legal defence based on constitutional grounds. Jane Scharf has vowed to take this defence to the Supreme Court if need be.