Rejection of UBC Okanagan Conservatives club called 'woke'

Photo: UBC Okanagan

UBC Okanagan's student union is getting some high profile conservative attention after refusing to let a club to form.

UPDATE 12:44 p.m.

UBC Okanagan officials are now weighing in on a controversy sparked by its student union refusing to approve a Conservative Party club.

In a statement, the university's principal and deputy vice-chancellor Lesley Cormack acknowledges that the student union is an entity unto itself, with its own elected board of directors and governance structures.

She also points out that "UBC Okanagan stands firmly behind its responsibility to uphold its principles of free, lawful, and respectful expression of all views and opinions, even those with which some may disagree."

While there is no clear call to action, Cormack said the Okanagan senate statement on academic freedom, "clearly states that UBC must be an open and inclusive forum where members of the University have the freedom ‘to engage in full and unrestricted consideration of any opinion."

"This extends to the rights of students, faculty and staff to engage with and participate in politically affiliated clubs and groups," Cormack said.

UBC is further bound by BC’s University Act, which compels both campuses to remain non-political.

"At UBCO, we believe that civil discourse and robust debate are not only fundamental to our academic mission but core also to our role in Canadian society as a place of higher learning and understanding of all points of view." she said.

ORIGINAL 10:51 a.m.

The Student Union at UBC Okanagan is holding an emergency meeting Thursday night to address controversy it sparked by refusing to approve a Conservative Party club for students.

The meeting will focus on the student union's choice to not ratify the club “due to concerns about the political stance of the party.”

“Specifically, some directors were concerned that certain views associated with the party—particularly those regarding the Black and LGBTQ+ communities— could make students from these groups feel excluded of unwelcome,” according to an email from Rajat Arora, the Student Union Vice-President Internal that was shared widely online.

Conservative students were initially told there was no appeal process for club ratification and encouraged to make a more neutral stance to ensure inclusivity.

The story coming out from UBCO of a conservative campus club’s ratification being denied is disturbing.

There are other political clubs at UBCO and UBC. Universities should be a place of open discussion of ideas for students, not censorship. I hope this decision is reversed.

— Tracy Gray (@TracyGrayKLC) March 13, 2025

In turn, the president of the Conservative Club alerted others to their treatment and others amplified their call to revisit the issue.

John Rustad, leader of the BC Conservative Party, added his voice to the conversation, saying that the student union decision “is the inevitable result of out of control radical leftist activism in BC’s academia.”

“No woke, activist student council should be allowed to determine which political parties students can join or associate with,” Rustad wrote on the platform formerly known as twitter.

“UBCO students must be allowed to opt-out of union dues for their broken, woke union.”

Similarly, Kelowna -Lake Country MP Tracy Gray took to the medium to condemn the actions of the student union.

“The story coming out from UBCO of a conservative campus club’s ratification being denied is disturbing,” Gray said.

“There are other political clubs at UBCO and UBC. Universities should be a place of open discussion of ideas for students, not censorship. I hope this decision is reversed.”

This is the inevitable result of out of control radical leftist activism in BC’s academia.

No woke, activist student council should be allowed to determine which political parties students can join or associate with.

UBCO students must be allowed to opt-out of union dues for… https://t.co/IuOy3JIcwg

— John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC) March 13, 2025

President of the Okanagan Conservative Club, Christian van Mook Smith, sent in an emailed statement on behalf of members of the Okanagan Conservative Club, but said he would not be granting interviews ahead of the Thursday meeting.

He pointed out he and others were simply seeking ratification as an official campus club to provide students of a conservative sensibility a place for free and respectful political discourse.

“It is our hope that the Student's Union Okanagan of UBC reverses its decision and apologizes to our members for this unfair treatment,” Van Mook Smith said.

“We are currently seeking advice on all avenues that may be available to us. The Okanagan Conservative Club continues to welcome all students who wish to join and support the conservative movement in Canada.”

Tonight’s student union meeting is being held at 6 p.m. and members are going to provide an update after.

“The SUO remains committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse campus environment where all students feel respected and heard,” the student union board of directors said on their social media platform

“As a non-partisan organization, we support open dialogue and differing perspectives while ensuring that our values of equity , respect and student well-being remain at the forefront of all decisions.”