Nova Scotia university implements 'snitch line' for complaints against staff, students

Saint Mary's University has created an "anonymous whistle-blower hotline" which gives employees, students, volunteers, contractors, and suppliers at the Halifax, Nova Scotia institution the ability to "voice their concerns."

While the university has defended the snitch line, it has faced its fair share of criticism from those who warn that it could lead to a breakdown of social trust and be misused by those who wish to control what behaviour is deemed acceptable on campus.

According to True North, St. Mary's enlisted the help of a Toronto-based accounting firm Grant Thornton to manage the system. Members of the university community can send their "concerns" via telephone, email, online form, or traditional mail.

"This service is completely confidential," one of the many posters promoting it on campus reads, informing everyone that they "can report any unacceptable behaviour anonymously, and in total confidence."

One of those who have spoken out against the program is Mark Mercer, who teaches philosophy at the university.

In an interview with True North, he suggested that it would impact the "culture of the institution" by potentially putting power in the wrong hands.
 

"I think the effect of the university promoting this is to make us look like we’re not a collegial place," he said, adding that it would make St. Mary's appear as though it was "not a place where when people disagree, they either have critical discussions with each other or ignore each other."

He lamented that under the new policy, "we go to an authority as a way of resolving these things."

"One of the goals is something like comfort on campus for people from historically marginalized groups," Mercer continued, "and the means is to involve authorities and to level sanctions, to make people afraid to say or do things that are  taken by the powers to be productive uncomfortability."

He claimed that the decision was consistent with the university's ongoing push to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion ideology.

St. Mary's said in a statement that the snitch line should not cause alarm, noting that it "works in tandem with our other codes and policies on conduct, such as Research Policies, the Code of Student Conduct Policy, the Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy and others."