New Alberta bill would compel ‘neutrality’ for post-secondary institutions on political issues
Bill 38 also caps tuition increases at 2% for 2027-28 academic year
Universities will be compelled to stay neutral and allow freedom of expression if the Alberta Legislature passes a new bill introduced by the United Conservative government on Tuesday.
asserted
Legislature → compel → Tuesday
Bill 38, the Advanced Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, proposes changes to the Post-secondary Learning Act.
asserted
Bill → propose → Act
Myles McDougall, Alberta’s minister of advanced education, said while institutions have to remain neutral, the same requirement will not apply to individuals within the institution.
asserted
requirement → say → institution
“The underlying political reasons why things are happening and the position as to who's right or wrong, et cetera, that is not the role of the institution to take,” McDougall said during a news conference at the Alberta legislature.
asserted
McDougall → happen → legislature
“But certainly the people within the post-secondary system — students, faculty [and] administrators — are free to express their opinions.
asserted
people → express → opinions
This bill follows a high-profile case where the University of Lethbridge cancelled an on-campus lecture by former Mount Royal University professor Frances Widdowson in 2023.
asserted
University → follow → 2023
Widdowson is known for expressing controversial views.
asserted
Widdowson → know → views
In 2020, she made headlines for suggesting residential schools provided educational benefits to First Nations children.
asserted
schools → make → children
In September, a Court of King’s Bench justice ruled that the university was wrong to cancel Widdowson’s lecture.
asserted
university → rule → lecture
Bill 38 also aims to cap tuition fee increases at two per cent in 2027-28 for Canadian students attending post-secondary institutions in Alberta.
asserted
Bill → aim → Alberta
McDougall would not say what will happen in subsequent years.
asserted
what → say → years
The bill also establishes minimum standards for student codes of conduct, which will be specified in future regulations.
asserted
which → establish → regulations
McDougall announced that Alberta will no longer include parental income when assessing eligibility for student loans.
asserted
Alberta → announce → loans
He said this would free up about $118 million in additional loans within the existing student loan disbursement budget.
asserted
this → say → budget
In 2025, an expert panel chaired by economist Jack Mintz, made 11 recommendations for the province’s universities, colleges and polytechnics.
asserted
panel → chair → universities
The panel recommended the government mandate all public post-secondary institutions to be neutral and maintain freedom of expression.
asserted
government → recommend → expression
The panel also recommended Alberta update its funding model for post-secondary schools that would take into account enrolment, performance and base funding.
asserted
that → recommend → enrolment
MLA David Eggen, the NDP critic for advanced education, said that McDougall appears to have cherry-picked a couple of aspects of the Mintz report without dealing with funding.
asserted
McDougall → say → funding
Eggen said many students are having difficulty affording tuition and increases in the cost of living.
asserted
students → say → living
He said Bill 38 doesn’t help them with that.
asserted
Bill → say → that
“Instead, it's looking for some diversions around culture wars, around code of conduct for students and institutional neutrality — things that mean very little when our advanced education system is already under serious stress from a lack of funding from this government," said Eggen.
asserted
Eggen → look → government
The uncertainty of what happens with tuition after the 2027-28 academic year is raising concerns for the Alberta Students' Executive Council (ASEC).
asserted
year → happen → Council
ASEC chair Rylee Mae, a student at the University of Lethbridge, said even if tuition fee increases are capped, tuition can still remain unaffordable for students.
asserted
tuition → say → students
"A tuition ceiling still needs safeguards on how quickly tuition can rise, so students need to be able to plan for the cost of completing their education," she said.
asserted
she → need → education
The Aporia
