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University of Alberta The Canadian Student Movement in the Sixties: Three Case Studies by Roberta Sharon Lexier \%jj A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Department of History & Classics ©Roberta Sharon Lexier Fall 2009 Edmonton, Alberta Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. 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While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. •+• Canada Examining Committee Doug Owram, History & Classics Guy Thompson, History & Classics Erika Dyck, History & Classics David Mills, History & Classics Harvey Krahn, Sociology Paul Axelrod, Education, York University The Canadian Student Movement in the Sixties: Three Case Studies By Roberta Lexier This dissertation examines the Canadian student movement during the Sixties. It analyzes student activities at three sample institutions - University of Toronto, University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus, and Simon Fraser University - in order to reflect upon the dynamics of collective action. A comparison of the similarities and differences at these places demonstrates that, while the nuances differed within each school, the student movement gained influence when individuals united in large numbers around a shared conception of student identity and common ideological perspectives. At all three institutions, students created alliances around demands for individual and group autonomy and student participation in university governing structures, as a sizeable number could identify as a distinctive group with collective interests and a mutual belief in democracy. Yet, many students were reluctant to engage in campaigns to increase accessibility to universities and challenge the social utility of higher education; they could not support the positions offered by their leaders and refused to accept that student identity inherently required a radical critique of the status quo. Ultimately, the power of the student movement rested on the formation of alliances rooted in certain perspectives and conceptions of identity. The Sixties, as a time of political activism, provides a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of collective action. This analysis of the English-Canadian student movement demonstrates the importance of shared ideologies and common definitions of identity to the development of organized resistance and rebellion. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project has benefited greatly from the assistance of many individuals. First and foremost, thanks to my co-supervisors, Professors Doug Owram and Guy Thompson, whose intellectual guidance and continuing encouragement have been critical to the successful completion of my Ph.D. program. I also wish to thank Professor Erika Dyck for her dedication to my project and invaluable assistance during the writing process. In addition, I am indebted to the other members of my committee, Professors David Mills, Harvey Krahn, and Paul Axelrod, for their helpful and insightful comments and suggestions. I would also like to thank Professor James Muir for his continued support and advice. I have received critical financial support over the course of my Ph.D. program, and wish to express my appreciation to the following for grants and scholarships that made the research for this project possible: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Province of Alberta, the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Alberta, and the Mel and Kay Hurtig Graduate Prize in Political Reform. Sincere thanks as well to my friends and colleagues in the Department of History and Classics. It would have been impossible to survive this process without the support and encouragement of Allan Rowe, Matthew Eisler, Teresa Maillie, Katherine Zwicker, and Matthew Neufeld, in particular. Special thanks also to Carmen Webber and Jaclyn Schmidt for their help throughout my program. Finally, on a personal note, I want to thank my family for everything they have contributed to my education. My parents and in-laws have assisted me in too many ways to count. As well, my husband Darcy has provided tremendous love and support through the entire life of this project; I could never have completed my PhD program without his constant encouragement. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 The Sixties Student Movement in Canada: An Introduction Page 1 CHAPTER 2 "Students As Adult Citizens": The Emergence of the Student Movement at Canadian Universities Page 54 CHAPTER 3 Students as "one half of the equation of the university": Student Participation in University Governance and the Evolution of the Student Movement Page 130 CHAPTER 4 "The abolition of all social and financial barriers to post-secondary education": Accessibility and the Sixties Student Movement Page 194 CHAPTER 5 "As One Who Serves": The Student Movement and Debates Over the Purpose of the University Page 252 CHAPTER 6 The Canadian Student Movement: Some Conclusions Page 306 BIBLIOGRAPHY Page 331 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ATS Association of Teaching Staff (University of Toronto) AUCC Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada CAUT Canadian Association of University Teachers CCF Cooperative Commonwealth Federation CEVW Committee to End the Vietnam War CSLP Canada Student Loans Program CSA Canadian Student Assembly CUCND Combined Universities Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament CUG Commission on University Governance CPUO Committee of Presidents of Universities of Ontario CUS Canadian Union of Students CYC Company of Young Canadians GSU Graduate Students' Union (University of Toronto) MLA Member of the Legislative Assembly (British Columbia & Saskatchewan) MPP Member of the Provincial Parliament (Ontario) NDP New Democratic Party NFCUS National Federation of Canadian University Students NLC New Left Caucus PSA Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology Department (Simon Fraser University) SAC Students' Administrative Council (University of Toronto) SCM Student Christian Movement SDU Students for a Democratic University SFSS Simon Fraser Student Society (Simon Fraser University) SFU Simon Fraser University SFUA Simon Fraser University Archives SMS Student Means Survey SRC Students' Representative Council (University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus) SUPA Student Union for Peace Action TSM Toronto Student Movement UBC University of British Columbia URA University of Regina Archives USRC University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus UTA University of Toronto Archives UTC University Tenure Committee (Simon Fraser University) VCC Vancouver Community College CHAPTER 1 The Sixties Student Movement in Canada: An Introduction On Monday 20 November 1972, more than eight hundred furious students at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus (now University of Regina) packed the auditorium in the Education Building. Four days earlier, approximately 250 of them had occupied the office of the Dean of Arts and Science following a raucous Students' Union general meeting, outraged over his summary rejection of their demands for student parity on

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