“That is the moment of maximum inquiry” — Dr. Charles Reeve on why Truth Matters at the Ontario College of Art and Design
Posted September 3, 2026
This year, SAR celebrates 25 years of a global academic freedom movement strong enough to meet the challenges ahead. In this special series, we are inviting partners from across the network and around the world to share what the 25th anniversary Truth Matters theme means to them and their work. Join the movement »
Dr. Charles Reeve, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Visual and Critical Studies at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), sees Truth Matters as a challenge to protect expression not only when it is comfortable, but when it unsettles deeply held beliefs. In conversation with SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn, Reeve reflects on the responsibilities of instructors and institutions when students test the boundaries of creative expression, and on the unequal ability of different communities to make their voices heard. For Reeve, discomfort can be central to learning: “At the moment, when you feel that you are being existentially challenged, that is the moment of maximum inquiry. That is the moment of maximum truth-telling.” He also discusses supporting an at-risk Iranian filmmaker and how even smaller institutions can participate meaningfully in scholar protection and student advocacy.
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