A whistleblower is someone who reports wrongdoing. Blowing the whistle is sometimes not an easy decision, as those who do so are caught between their obligation to serve the public interest and their relationships with co-workers, employees or funding sources. To protect whistleblowers, policies have been put in place in the UK, the US and Australia. In Canada, there is no national policy on whistleblower protection. A report on whistleblower protection policy in Alberta has prompted several post-secondary educational institutions in that province to implement whistleblower protection policy. Ontario is currently without such protections. As a result of government under-funding of post-secondary educational institutions, universities are becoming more reliant upon private sector funding for research. As a result, private corporations can now influence both the direction and results of research. In some cases this has led to infringements upon the academic freedom of researchers. Students are particularly vulnerable when trying to uphold research integrity.
On May 13, York University is hosting a one-day conference called Blowing the Whistle: Rights, Responsibilities and Research Integrity. This conference will explore the necessity for Whistleblower Protection Policy in the university sector, and begin to draft such a policy for York University.
Conference:
Wednesday, May 13th
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Reception:
Wednesday, May 13th
4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Location:
Senate Chamber
Room N940, Ross Building
