Joint Statement: McGill University and SSMU

Together, we are pleased to announce, on behalf of McGill University and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the successful conclusion of a mediation process that has resulted in a renewed commitment to campus stability and students’ rights to expression and peaceful assembly.

This mediation process follows a notice of termination that McGill issued to the SSMU last April regarding the parties’ Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).

Through multiple mediation sessions over the summer, McGill and SSMU worked together in a spirit of collaboration and respect to reach an agreement that puts students first. One of the best outcomes of this process was the chance to better understand each other’s roles, processes, and constraints. While McGill and SSMU sometimes play different roles on campus, what stood out most was our shared commitment to serving students and strengthening the academic community of which we’re all a part.

Central to this resolution is a joint commitment to uphold students’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the context of student activism. At the same time, both McGill and the SSMU unequivocally condemn any acts of protest involving vandalism, violence, intimidation, or the obstruction of teaching, learning, research, and other core academic activities. McGill and the SSMU will remain in dialogue and will cooperate to address these challenges in ways that protect both students’ rights and the University’s core mission.

We believe in a campus where all students—regardless of identity, background, lived experience, or worldview—can flourish, express their views freely, and engage in meaningful collaboration without fear of repercussion. 

Recognizing the divisions that have emerged within the campus community over the last years, we have undertaken to explore jointly sponsored initiatives aimed at fostering social cohesion. These initiatives will focus on communication, learning, and engagement, in alignment with our university’s academic mission.

Key outcomes of our mediation agreement include: 

• The MoA between McGill and the SSMU will remain in effect, with revisions reflecting the outcomes of the mediation. 
• The University Centre will remain the primary hub for student clubs, services, and SSMU-provided benefits and activities, while also housing University-led initiatives that support and serve students. 
• SSMU-sponsored student clubs and groups will continue to operate as usual. 
• In recognition of SSMU’s right to self-govern, McGill has removed MoA sections that could disqualify some SSMU members from running in elections. At the same time, the SSMU has reaffirmed that candidates for the Board and the Executive must be in good standing and respect the SSMU’s and McGill’s Codes of Conduct. 
• SSMU has updated its Governing Documents to increase the representativeness of its democratic processes and outcomes and, ensure further transparency and accountability. 
• McGill and the SSMU agree that students’ right to peaceful protest must be robustly protected, but stops short of vandalism, violence, and intimidation.  

We recognize and are mutually grateful for the good faith, perseverance, and constructive spirit that guided our mediation. We hope that this resolution stands as a testament to the power of respectful, sustained dialogue—even when beginning from positions of deep difference.