Manon Gauthier, who sued the University of Ottawa for negligence and breach of contract. Gauthier “claims she was told by her supervisor that she would get a $50,000 admission scholarship and a teaching assistantship [and] that she’d have her doctorate in education in four years.” After eight years and two supervisors (and no PhD), Gauthier “took legal action, alleging misrepresentation, sexual harassment and incompetence.”
The decision is significant because “until recently, courts have not interfered in disputes between universities and students where academic standing is at the heart of the suit” Harriet Lewis, general counsel at York U, commented that “the relationship between and a university and its students is frequently viewed by students to be more of a commercial relationship  and as a contract than in the past: would it be different if the university is a private one and tuition is paid and a degree is expected or when it is a state university subsided fully without any tuition.” Yet as we know, payment of tuition does not guarantee a degree (which by this logic becomes a “product” - or not?).
This raises the issue of the marketing of education, and of doctoral programs in particular. Who is responsible for recruiting new students and providing them with accurate information about matters of academic and financial planning? How much are students expected to find out themselves? What happens when a student is told something false and makes decisions based on this - is this contractual or pre-contractual liability ?