As the academic year begins in Canada, B'nai Brith is launching its Canadian Campus Climate Report Card, a new campus accountability initiative evaluating the state of Jewish life on each campus and the current climate for Jewish students.
The initiative forms part of B'nai Brith's broader Project Accountability, based on the principle that institutions must be held accountable for the environments they create and for how effectively they respond when Jewish students and members of the broader community face antisemitism, discrimination, harassment, or exclusion.
The Report Cards are based on 28 individual criteria within three general categories: "Administrative Policies and Actions," "Campus Conduct and Climate," and "Jewish Life on Campus." These variables are designed to provide some insight into the degree to which Jewish students are supported on campus.
The underlying data is based not only on survey results but a qualitative review of the universities' anti-hate policies, course offerings, access to Jewish services, kosher food, and other factors that contribute to the overall campus experience. Each Report Card evaluates the state of Jewish life on campus while also examining the policies, practices, and actions of university administrations.
A pilot of the program, released Wednesday and available on our website, is based in part on the initial results of a Jewish student survey B'nai Brith is conducting across Canada. It features as a small-sample study of several schools where students have reported an especially hostile social climate: York University, McGill University, Queens University, and the University of Toronto.
Unlike campus reports that primarily catalogue incidents of antisemitism or measure students' perceptions of campus climate, B'nai Brith's Report Card is intended to assess the institutional response to antisemitism as well. It looks at what universities are doing or failing to do to address the problem, including the policies they have in place, the resources they provide, and the extent to which Jewish students can access a campus environment where they can participate fully and safely in university life.
"The goal isn't simply to hand out grades," said Simon Wolle, B'nai Brith Canada's Chief Executive Officer. "It is to give students, parents and the community a clearer picture of what is happening on campus. We want to recognize where universities are getting it right, identify where they're falling short, and help universities do better."
Universities have policies, leadership structures and obligations designed to protect students and foster inclusive learning environments. When those systems fail Jewish students, institutions should be prepared to explain why and what they are doing to correct course.
Initial results underscore the need for universities to implement those policies to improve their responses to antisemitism on campus. At McGill, York University, and the University of Toronto, for instance, the climate for Jewish students has deteriorated such that these schools were issued a "red" score in this category.
"Our Report Cards must serve as an impetus for Canadian institutions to revise their policies, where they fall short, and improve programming if it is insufficient to meet the needs of Jewish students," Wolle said.
The Canadian Campus Climate Report Card is intended to be part of an ongoing effort to measure progress, identify institutional shortcomings and reinforce the principle that Canadian universities must be accountable for the campus climates they create.
