“Heterodoxy in Canada”
Martin Drapeau, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, McGill University | HxCanada Community

This nation-wide, multi-faceted initiative in support of heterodoxy in Canada led by Drapeau will 1) conduct surveys of university students to assess campus climate, with a focus on freedom of expression and viewpoint diversity; 2) design a website for Canadian academics and students to promote viewpoint diversity, respect for others, and constructive dialogue; 3) devise a concept map and conduct a scoping review; and 4) host the first Canadian conference on viewpoint diversity in academia on April 22, 2022 at McGill University in Montreal and virtually.

Drapeau is working with several fellow HxA members across Canada to complete this project including HxCanada Community Moderator Andy Sellwood, Vancouver Community College; Samuel Veissières, McGill University; Robert Edward Whitley, McGill University; Annett Korner, McGill University; Raúl Colón, University of Ottawa; Melanie Soderstrom, University of Manitoba; student Maizy Thorvaldson, University of British Columbia; and student Steve Han, University of Toronto.

“The Role of Academics in Canada”
Christopher Dummit, Professor, Canadian Studies, Trent University, and Zachary Patterson, Associate Professor, Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal | HxCanada Community

Alongside the student survey the “Heterodoxy in Canada” project team will conduct, Dummit and Patterson are conducting an opinion poll of Canadian university professors and a sample of the Canadian population to determine their views on the role of professors today, their support for heterodox values, and whether they have experienced threats to academic freedom.

“Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines: A High School Course”
William Reusch, Social Studies Teacher, Shalhevet High School, Los Angeles | HxK-12 Community

With their FFO grant funding, Reusch and team will create a course on critical thinking for high school students. The project includes creating semester-long curriculum, split into units, for high school teachers and administrators to adopt and implement in their school or district. The project will include an evaluation of the teachers, and their students, who successfully adopt the curriculum. Reusch has teamed up with fellow HxA members Zach Cresswell, a math instructor at Mount Pleasant High School (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan), and Robert Rue, an english teacher and writer at The Calhoun School (New York City), to develop this course.

“Symposium on The Ethics of Freedom of Speech”
John Hasnas, Professor of Ethics, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University | HxPhilosophy Community

Hasnas was awarded FFO funding to support the Symposium on the Ethics of Freedom of Speech. Twelve scholars representing diverse disciplines and ideological viewpoints have been invited to consider this topic and write original essays, which will be assembled into groups based on their content for presentation at the symposium on November 19, 2021 and subsequent publication in a Georgetown University public policy journal.