Frances Widdowson

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Frances Widdowson is a Canadian political scientist. She was an associate professor in the department of economics, justice and policy studies at Mount Royal University (MRU) from 2008 to 2021. She was fired from the university in December 2021 after an investigation into claims of harassment by Widdowson against a fellow faculty member were not substantiated. In July 2024, an arbitrator found that the firing was not justified.

Contents

Education

Widdowson received an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in political science from the University of Victoria,[ citation needed ] then a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from York University in 2008. [1]

Career

Widdowson worked as a policy analyst for the government of the Northwest Territories. [2] While she worked in Yellowknife, she became interested in researching Canada's Aboriginal policy, directing her attention towards what she calls the "Aboriginal industry," which includes non-Indigenous lawyers and consultants acting as intermediaries between the government and Indigenous communities. She believes this industry prioritizes compensation and funding discussions over the quality of services provided and that they engage in lengthy legal battles, often lasting decades, during which government personnel change and the needs of the Indigenous communities are overlooked, while the intermediaries profit significantly from the settlements. [1] [3] In 2008, she published Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry with Albert Howard, which discussed these issues. [4]

Widdowson joined the faculty of MRU in 2008. She received tenure in 2011. [5]

While working at MRU, Widdowson has criticized the purpose of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), [3] particularly regarding residential schooling. She has voiced disagreement with the TRC's conclusion that the schools were "genocidal", [6] as well as stated that the residential school system had educational benefits, [7] [8] despite their harms. [9]

She has also spoken about the harms Black Lives Matter caused to academia. [10]

Considered a "champion of free speech" by some, [6] Widdowson and a number of her colleagues took part in a "Twitter War" in 2020. This led to filings of a series of official complaints about harassment and bullying by Widdowson and also her colleagues. Several investigations determined that Widdowson had made some tweets which constituted harassment and that some of the complaints by Widdowson against her colleagues were substantiated. [5] In July 2021, Widdowson filed a complaint against a colleague regarding his tweets. An investigation concluded in November 2021 that the tweets did not amount to harassment and deemed Widdowson's complaint as "malicious, frivolous, vexatious, and made in bad faith." Widdowson was fired in December 2021. In July 2024, an arbitrator ruled that Mount Royal University's firing of Widdowson was disproportionate to her actions. [5]

In January 2023, the University of Lethbridge canceled a guest lecture by Widdowson titled “How Does Woke-ism Threaten Academic Freedom?” after complaints by students and faculty at the university. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] She returned to the town to give her lecture at the Lethbridge Public Library. [16] In July, Widdowson sued the University of Lethbridge for canceling her scheduled lecture. The lawsuit was filed by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. [17]

Currently,[ when? ] she is working a manuscript entitled The Woke Academy: How Advocacy Studies Murder Academic Disciplines and Effective Policy Development. [18]

Awards and honors

Widdowson's book Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry was short-listed for the 2008 Donner Prize. [19]

Personal life

Widdowson is married to Albert Howard. [20]

Books

References

  1. 1 2 Hagenaars, Stephanie (February 14, 2018). "MRU professor challenges traditional Indigenous research, despite critics". Calgary Journal. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  2. "Frances Widdowson dissects Canada's aboriginal policies". The Globe and Mail . October 28, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Kay, Barbara (May 23, 2017). "A lone academic dares to challenge accepted narratives about Canada's residential school system". National Post . Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Simpson, Leanne (2010). "Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry: The Deception behind Indigenous Cultural Preservation (review)". Wicazo Sa Review. 25 (1): 104–107. doi:10.1353/wic.0.0058. ISSN   1533-7901.
  5. 1 2 3 Dryden, Joel (October 3, 2024). "Ruling finds professor's firing from Calgary university disproportionate to conduct". CBC News. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Short, Dylan (January 5, 2022). "Mount Royal professor who questioned Indigenization policies, BLM movement has been removed from school staff". The Calgary Herald . Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  7. Rodriguez, Michael (August 2, 2023). "Controversial Calgary professor sues University of Lethbridge for nixing guest lecture". The Calgary Herald . Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  8. "MRU fires professor who espoused benefits of residential schools and criticized BLM movement". CBC News . January 4, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  9. Kucey, Jaclyn (January 30, 2023). "University of Lethbridge cancels controversial Frances Widdowson lecture". Global News . Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  10. Irete, Ose; Dryden, Joel (January 20, 2023). "University of Lethbridge says speech from controversial professor moved off campus". CBC News . Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  11. "University of Lethbridge cancel controversial prof's guest lecture | Calgary Herald".
  12. "Frances Widdowson met by 700 protesters at University of Lethbridge; speech moves to Zoom". Calgary. February 1, 2023. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024.
  13. Irete, Ose; Dryden, Joel (January 30, 2023). "University of Lethbridge says speech from controversial professor moved off campus". CBC News.
  14. Irete, Ose; Dryden, Joel (February 1, 2023). "Controversial academic meets noisy resistance at U of L after school halts planned lecture". CBC News.
  15. Dryden, Joel (January 31, 2023). "Minister says Alberta to 'strengthen' free speech on campuses as U of L halts controversial lecture". CBC News.
  16. "Controversial speaker returning to Lethbridge this weekend, concerns being raised". Calgary. September 14, 2023.
  17. "Controversial Calgary professor sues University of Lethbridge for nixing guest lecture".
  18. "Frances Widdowson". The American Conservative. June 6, 2022.
  19. "Book on endangered Arctic region nabs $35,000 Donner Prize". CBC News. April 30, 2009.
  20. Taylor, Peter Shawn (February 2, 2022). "Academic Freedom vs. Wokeism: The Frances Widdowson Affair".
  21. Westman, Clinton N. (2010). "Distorting the Aboriginal Industry: Widdowson, Howard, and Their Disputatns". Anthropologica. 52 (1): 201–206. JSTOR   29546012.
  22. Wang, Hongyan (July 23, 2014). "Approaches to Aboriginal Education in Canada: Searching for Solutions". Education Matters: The Journal of Teaching and Learning. 2 (2) via journalhosting.ucalgary.ca.