Tag: byelections

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News

Byelection results mostly positive save for suspended BDS vote

Stance on Middle East politics divides campus

The 2014 Concordia Student Union (CSU) election results have come in, with winning councillors decided on and nearly all referendum questions voted in the affirmative.

The vote was not without controversy, as the truly divisive question around adopting the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement concerning Israel was challenged in a last-minute judicial board meeting the night before polls opened and ultimately suspended pending criticism.

The referendum question results were the following:

Daycare – 1551 (yes), 236 (No), 613 (Abstain)

Anti-Austerity – 1317 (yes), 342 (No), 717 (Abstain)

Student Housing –  1598 (yes), 182 (No), 613 (Abstain)

Hive Café – 952 (yes), 448 (No), 903 (Abstain)

IEAC separation – 865 (yes), 433 (No), 1197 (Abstain)

IEAC Fee Levy – 708 (yes), 761 (No), 1024 (Abstain)

CONMUN Fee Levy – 888 (yes), 653 (No), 944 (Abstain)

The new CSU councillors are, by faculty:

Arts and Science Council: Jason Poirier Lavoie

JMSB Council: Scott Carr, Taimur Tanoli, & Maylen Cytryn

ENCS Council: Faddy Kamel

Independent Student Council: Marie Briere de la Hossayere

BDS challenged, changed, concealed

The last-minute judicial board meeting was held between plaintiffs arguing the matter surrounding the BDS question violated or was unclear on several points. The three points brought to the Judicial Board were as such:

  1. The original nature of the question, calling for BDS ‘against Israel’s occupation of Palestine’ until it complied with ‘international Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights’, was alleged to be prejudicial in wording. The council voted that it was not but changed the wording of the question to account for the sensitivity. This necessitated new ballots be printed before polls opened.

  1. The complaint that Chief Electoral Officer Andre-Marcil Baril had not put the question to the public within the minimum 7 days before polls opened, as outlined in the rules. Upon reviewing a timeline provided by Baril, this point was also dismissed.

  1. The final complaint was that the scope of the question, if voted affirmatively, could have prejudicially impacted groups on campus that maintain ties with Israel, and lead to their ‘oppression and alienation’, according to the CSU Judicial Decision document. This complaint was dismissed because it was considered to fall outside the scope of the Judicial Board’s mandate, with the CSU judged as having sufficient democratic principles and legislature to prevent oppression and alienation of any group.

The vote was suspended until this Friday afternoon when Andre-Marcel Baril, CEO of the Concordia Student Union (CSU), felt the best way to reply to complaints by both sides was by bringing in an independent third party for the vote counting.

“Regardless of whether we win or we lose, there has been a breach of legitimacy. [The No campaign] violated too many rules,” said Javier I. Hoyos, chairman of the Yes campaign, who said he was concerned with the ‘overall distortions’ of the voting process.

“We actually wrote a full 30 to 40 page report that we sent to the CEO, [and] that we might make public. There [are] pictures, there is video, there are snapshots of Facebook conversations.”

Opponents of BDS made an unsuccessful last-minute appeal to the Judicial Board the night before voting on the grounds that the question was vague over what exactly constituted BDS and what its implementation would mean for the university. They were successful however in getting the question, which they considered to be prejudicially worded, changed.

“From the beginning we had to be straightforward about what we were demanding. The CEO actually asked us to change all the posters and flyers that said ‘human rights’ to ‘Palestinian human rights’. He said we weren’t here protecting human rights, but Palestinian human rights. But the opposition got away with saying pretty much anything. If we were considered too vague … how come the opposition got away with telling the universities we were going to exclude Jewish students from full access to our institutions?”

He alleges these violations included the destruction of BDS campaign posters and concerns over financing.

“We want a transparent report of their finances,” said Hoyos. “In our experience with our budget, we don’t know how they pulled the amount of things they did.” He said the No side said they’d spent about $300 for the campaign.

All in all, the number of individual violations allegedly amounts to over 20.

“These things might sound silly, but they keep adding up,” he said. “We don’t know whether we should disclose these now, or until after the count.”

Lauren Luz, spokesperson for the No committee and one of the original plaintiffs to the Judicial Board, denied the accusations. She said her team went through the proper channels and got Barill’s approval at every step.

“We have followed all the rules. We were never informed by the CEO or by the Yes campaign committee of any such report regarding our violations. It is at the discretion of the CEO as to what constitutes a sanction. Had the No campaign broken any rules or done anything out of conduct, we would have been informed of these supposed violations,” said Luz, adding that “both campaigns chose to spend their money in different ways.”

“For example, we chose to have pins made instead of putting up posters.”

The pins have also proven to be a point of contention, with Hoyos claiming he had seen the No side wear them during the voting period, where the slightest campaigning is forbidden. Luz denied this, saying her team knew the rules and did not sport pins but could not stop students uninvolved in the campaign from doing so if they wanted to.

It also appears a non-student was behind the ripped posters.

“The CEO verified this using camera footage provided to him by Concordia security,” she said, and CSU President Benjamin Prunty confirmed this had been brought to their attention.

Both sides are now awaiting the result of the vote before deciding what they’ll do next.  Whatever the final tally, Hoyos says his side will continue to press their findings.

“That is something the CSU will have to look into in the future, perhaps by calling in independent monitors to look into the behaviour of both parties.”

The BDS vote count will take place on Friday, Dec. 5, and is expected to be made public by 7 p.m.

 

 

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Opinions

Get informed, make a difference

CSU byelections are soon, and knowing what is at hand is crucial

With so much happening around us, keeping up-to-date with current events, local or international, can sometimes feel like a chore. But sometimes, doing a little research can really matter.

In a few weeks, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) byelections will be taking place. Between Nov. 25 and 27, students will be able to vote for or against a total of 10 different referendum questions, some of which need a little bit of research in order to fully comprehend the issue at hand.

The CSU represents each and every undergraduate student on campus—over 35,000 of them. It is therefore important to know what exactly the union—and therefore the students as a whole—support.

This is where byelections come in. Some of the questions being brought forward are quite controversial—like the support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, “which calls for the boycott of all academic and consumer ties with any institution or company that aids in Israel’s occupation of Palestine,” as stated in the CSU referendum question.

Students will also be voting on whether or not to take an official stance against government austerity measures, including asking whether the CSU should take an official stance opposing the budget cuts to the education sector and the public sector in general.

There are also free levy groups looking for more funding, including the International and Ethnic Association Council of Concordia (IEAC) and Model United Nations Education and Leadership Centre (CONMUN). Students will also be voting on whether or not to continue supporting the creation of a daycare for student parents. For students who will be picking up the tab, it’s of vital importance that you look into these groups and their contribution to student life so that you can ensure your money is going to projects that positively contribute to student life—regardless of your personal involvement in these groups.

Keep in mind that the CSU is accredited, meaning that they are legally the voice of all of Concordia’s undergraduate students. Don’t let any organization speak for you without giving your input. Discover what is going on this byelection and prepare yourself to pick a side on these issues.

Bottom line; it’s your money and your voice, so get informed. If you don’t educate yourself on these issues and take the time to express your opinion at the ballot box, it’s nobody’s fault but your own. Don’t complain if you don’t like how things turn out if you didn’t participate. Do your research, pick your stance, and act on it.

To read all the referendum questions, visit csuelections.wordpress.com.

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News

FASA will get its representation on council

The Fine Arts Student Association voted unanimously to accept a motion that would grant them three ex-officio seats on the Concordia Student Union’s council after byelections last November left Fine Arts students without representation.

At their meeting last Wednesday, FASA voted on the motion originally introduced at the CSU’s last regular meeting on Jan. 23 as a partial remedy for the lack of representation on council.

The motion passed by FASA accepted the three seats offered by the CSU. The same motion included amendments on issues like postering and communication with faculty associations to pressure the CSU to make changes to avoid similar situations in the future.

Iain Meyer-Macaulay, a Fine Arts student who attended the previous CSU meeting when the issue of representation was being discussed, said that the motion in question was an acceptable alternative to another byelection.

“It’s a pretty good offer considering what is able to happen now,” said Meyer-Macaulay.

He also gave some context to the issue and spoke of the petition authored by FASA VP clubs and services Erika Couto that first brought the lack of representation to light.

“This petition was sent in November to CSU council, and nothing really happened out of it,” he said. “However, because of time constraints and other issues within and without the CSU, these ex-officio seats are probably the best we can do to get representation for Fine Arts students.”

Another sore point for some of the FASA councillors and executives was the fact that in the CSU’s standing regulations under article 181, the Chief Electoral Officer is not required to post flyers in the VA building where a large percentage of Fine Arts classes are held. VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon explained that the issue of electoral postering was not one that the CSU had direct control over, but that they would work to amend the standing regulations if necessary.

“When it comes to election posters, it’s very much separated from the executive,” Lauzon said. “It’s handled by the Chief Electoral Officer, and he of course has policies that he has to follow, so when it comes to the postering it’s not our personal decision where the electoral posters go, it’s the CEO’s job to make sure that everything’s postered with the appropriate resources.”

VP clubs and internal affairs Nadine Atallah was also present at the meeting to answer questions about the last byelections and what is being done to avoid a similar situation occurring in the future.

Emissary promises

Atallah also discussed an idea she originally included in her campaign platform, to have emissaries between the CSU and student faculty associations like FASA, that is now being revisited as a possible solution to a lack of communication between the two groups.

“The way that it would work, and this is up to discussion, is that every year there would be councillors who would be appointed to faculty associations and the idea would be that the faculty associations would choose which councillors they would want to be their emissaries, so to speak,” she said. “So the idea would be that you would ask this councillor if they would be willing and if they are then we would appoint them to the faculty association and their job would be to be the go-between between the CSU and the faculty associations both by speaking about what happened at your meetings and what are your concerns and also bringing the CSU’s concerns back to your table as well.”

Atallah said that the original idea was first conceived when she was running for her current position, but that a lack of response from faculty associations on the project created concerns that implementing it without their involvement would encroach on other associations.

Under the CSU’s bylaws, it is the role of VP student life to act as a liaison between the executive and faculty associations. Bylaw 7.12 outlines the duties of VP student life to collaborate with the the other unions.

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Concordia Student Union News

Byelections allow CSU council to grow

The Concordia Student Union held byelections last week to fill the spots and elect new representatives from Arts and Science and the John Molson School of Business.

During the voting that took place from Nov. 27 to 29, only 465 Concordia undergraduate students cast their votes. The undergraduate student body is over 30,000.

Caroline Bourbonnière, Patrick Lefebvre, Justin Occhionero, Benjamin Prunty, Hardial Rosner, James Vaccaro and Ashley Walling ran to represent Arts and Science on council.

With the exception of Occhionero, all candidates were elected. Occhionero only lost by three votes, with 181 in his favour.

Anja Rajaonarivelo, Pierre Tardivo Martin and Eugene Gusman were elected to the vacant JMSB seats since there were four open spots during the byelections. Chief Electoral Officer Justin Holland of the CSU confirmed that only approximately 80 votes were cast for JMSB candidates.

Gusman stated that he was excited to sit on council but that the lack of interest from the student body and low voter turnout left him feeling disappointed.

“I want people to care a little more of what happens around them, whether it’s in school or in Montreal,” he said.

This concern was also voiced by Prunty, who said he wants to investigate student apathy.

“In a lot of ways, participation is the measure of legitimacy for political or representative bodies and we have to make sure that we are, in fact, legitimate,” said Prunty. “Increasing participation won’t be easy, but it must be done.”

For Lefebvre, he hopes to create an initiative to help students with disabilities and reduced mobility attend more school events.

“I also want to help create a fund to […] pay for aides who can help with feeding and bathroom needs of disabled students while at events,” said Lefebvre.

CSU President Schubert Laforest stated that he is pleased with the outcome of the byelections.

“I’m happy we’ll have a lot of new members, and great representatives representing the Arts and Science faculty,” he said. “But there is still a lot of concern about the Fine Arts faculty not having a representative. It’s something we definitely have to look into,” Laforest added.

– – – – –

BYELECTION RESULTS:

ARTS AND SCIENCE CANDIDATES:
Benjamin Prunty – 230 votes
James Vaccaro – 218 votes
Hardial Rosner – 215 votes
Caroline Bourbonnière – 209 votes
Patrick Lefebvre – 206 votes
Ashley Walling – 184 votes
Justin Occhionero – 181 votes

JOHN MOLSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CANDIDATES:
Pierre Tardivo Martin – 45 votes
Anja Rajaonarivelo – 39 votes
Eugene Gusman – 29 votes

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Concordia Student Union News

Petition circulating for a second CSU byelection

A petition is circulating and calling for a new round of byelections in January to fill the vacant Fine Arts seats on the Concordia Student Union’s council.

After the departure of councillor Laura Glover, and the forced resignations of councillors Michael Mercer and Nicolas Martel due to mounting absences, Fine Arts students have been left without representation on council. The most recent byelection did not allow for all three seats to be filled after no one ran for the only seat available, that of former councillor Laura Glover.

Erika Couto, the author of the petition that has garnered close to 250 signatures and VP clubs and services of the Fine Arts Student Alliance, told The Concordian that as well as only having one seat out of three available for elections, the one seat available for Fine Arts students was poorly promoted.

“There was very little outreach done to advertise this one open seat,” Couto said. “No visible postering in buildings frequented by Fine Arts students, nothing was sent to the FASA executives to be sent out through our listserv. These were all easy steps that could have been taken to ensure maximum visibility for the open spot.”

Couto said that the lack of representation is a concern for her, considering the CSU deals with millions of dollars in funding and makes vital decisions for the entire undergraduate student body.

“What it comes down to is that I know these people, I see them every day,” she said. “I owe it to them to fix a problem when I see it, because I care about them.”

At the council meeting where the petition was discussed, a decision was reached to support the petition and look into the issue of holding another vote in January. Though there were questions of where the money would be found, it was decided that the matter would be sent to the financial committee to figure out the technicalities of holding another election.

Nadine Atallah, VP internal and clubs of the CSU said that she was concerned about the lack of representation for Fine Arts students, but that it was not a unique situation.

“It’s definitely unfortunate any time that you have a lack of representation or no representation at all for any faculty at council and we should all do our best to do serve those people,” Atallah said, adding that she was pleased to see Fine Arts students interested in representation. “There are also independent students who aren’t represented at all on council, and we’re having a hard time getting independent students out, which is concerning for me as an independent student myself.”

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News

Judicial Board releases decision on byelections

The Concordia Student Union’s Judicial Board nullified the opening of the VP academic and advocacy executive position by council while simultaneously deciding that additional Arts and Science councillor seats could be opened for the upcoming byelection.

The three members of JB discussed the case Friday afternoon with respondent and Chief Electoral Officer Justin Holland before issuing a statement later that day. As per the CSU’s request stemming from a regular council meeting Nov. 14, JB investigated the legalities of the vacant executive position and the potential opening of new seats following a slew of resignations.

Hajar El Jahidi, the only candidate for VP academic and advocacy, VP Loyola Stefan Faina and Holland were the parties present for the hearing. Councillors and plaintiffs, Chad Walcott and Melissa Kate Wheeler, cited work obligations for their absence.

The written decision produced by JB states that CSU bylaws and regulations were not adhered to when the vacant executive position was issued for the byelection, therefore legally never opened. In accordance with bylaw 7.3, council does not have the power to appoint an undergraduate student to the position but “should the president of the Concordia Student Union wish to appoint a vice-president academic and advocacy, he should do so with regards to Concordia Student Union bylaw 7.3.”

Furthermore, following numerous departures from council of Arts and Science representatives, JB rendered that all three positions were eligible for byelections if Holland so chooses to open them.

Faina stressed that retracting the executive position from the ballot and not opening the three seats would be detrimental to the CSU and representing the undergraduate student body.

“Technically should we allow these three seats to be open? No. Should we? Yes,” said Faina. “It’s miraculous to have people running for the CSU at this time. So let them, please.”

This was a choice Holland favoured when asked by JB Chairperson Nick Cuillerier if he felt it was appropriate to open the seats.

“I think it’s a grey area,” replied Holland. “I think if the position is in the same faculty and they have willing candidates, it would be in the best interest of the CSU.”

Since councillors April Underwood, Adriana Farias and Haneed Alatrash resigned prior to the campaign period, contrary to the plantiffs’ claim as proved by Holland, these additional seats can be opened. Therefore, if Holland does add the three seats, six Arts and Science seats will be opened for a council that is dwindling in numbers.

Walcott disagreed with the conclusion JB issued, feeling uneasy about opening the seats.

“I’m a little worried this decision will favour Arts and Science councillors,” Walcott told The Concordian. “It’s problematic.”

According to Walcott, he believes that concerned councillors will address this at the council meeting Wednesday.

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News

Breaking down byelections

Photo by Madelayne Hajek
Photo by Madelayne Hajek

The Concordia Student Union may have to rescind its decision to open the seat of VP academic and advocacy after the Judicial Board hearing set for this week.

During a regular council meeting Wednesday, councillors brought forth concerns regarding the legalities of the positions up for grabs in the upcoming byelections on Nov. 27, 28 and 29.

Chad Walcott, former VP external and current councillor, suggested that all candidates be rendered ineligible for the VP academic and advocacy position. Walcott was the councillor who initially motioned for the position to be opened despite reservations from the executive including President Schubert Laforest and VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon during the meeting of Oct. 24.

The motion was amended by Councillor Melissa Kate Wheeler, who stated that it was not a matter of ineligibility but that the position was not legally opened to begin with.

The opening of the position was not initially announced and revised posters had to be issued to rectify the matter.

The executive took issue with the motion, including VP internal and clubs Nadine Atallah, who stressed that backtracking now would set a “dangerous precedence” for the CSU by deeming candidates ineligible. Laforest agreed, stating that Walcott’s proposed way of solving the problem was not proper.

“This is not done maliciously, it’s an error, but we have to recognized this error,” said Walcott. “Our standing regulations and bylaws were not followed.”

Councillor Rami Khoriaty expressed concerns with the motion, stating it was a “political move” before Gonzo Nieto, former VP clubs and student space, tabled the motion to render the candidates ineligible indefinitely.

The issue of legalities regarding vacant positions being opened following the nomination period will be addressed by the Judicial Board this week in order to render a decision before the byelections.

In addition, a mounting number of resignations from council left some wondering if these positions were now opened for potential candidates since it occurred after the announcement of polls.

Three councillors resigned in the span of six days and currently council sits with less than half the seats filled. As it stands, three seats for Arts and Science, three for John Molson School of Business, one Fine Arts seat and four independent spots are available in the byelections.

However, if the last three seats that were vacated by an influx of resignations from Arts and Science councillors were to be opened for the byelections, six Arts and Science seats would be available. It’s up to the discretion of JB to decide whether or not this is legal. Members of JB will also have access to a lawyer for an hour of legal consultation from the CSU.

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News

Three councillors resign from the Concordia Student Union

Concordia Student Union councillors Charlie Brenchley, Adriana Farias and April Underwood officially resigned from their positions on council this week in separate letters.

Brenchley stated in his letter that he did not feel he was upholding his duty to his fellow Arts and Science students, and that in his final year, he realized that he needed to put the priority on his studies in order to succeed.

He stated that with the “added stress” and “time commitment,” he found his “heart wasn’t really in it.” He also cited his decision to work part-time as another reason for his resignation.

Chad Walcott, former VP external and current councillor, said that Brenchley’s departure was unfortunate because he had a “strong voice” on council.

Farias’ resignation letter listed time commitment issues as one reason for her departure, and said that “personal health issues” factored into her decision.

Walcott suggested that Farias’ poor attendance at council meetings may have been an agent in her decision to resign.

Last Tuesday, Underwood submitted her resignation as well, saying that she wanted to devote more time to her studies and her position as VP academic of the philosophy students association.

It was also announced Monday, in an email by CSU Chair Jean-François Ouellet, that Arts and Science councillor Hajar El Jahidi would be running for the open executive position of VP academic and advocacy. Jahidi is currently the only candidate for the position, which was vacated earlier this year when Lucia Gallardo resigned due to her inability to resolve her student status issues in time.

When asked about the low turnout for the vacant position, Walcott said it was unfortunate that only one person was running.

“I think there probably could have been more advertising done with regards to the election as a whole,” explained Walcott.

In violation of the CSU’s standing regulations, certain candidates started postering before the designated time. Candidates are only allowed to poster after 9 p.m. the day before campaigning but posters of several candidates were seen at both campuses throughout the day Monday. The polling dates will be Nov. 27, 28 and 29.

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Concordia Student Union News

A preview of the upcoming CSU byelections

After the recent resignation of Lucia Gallardo, the executive position of VP academic and advocacy is open, along with numerous other seats on council, and will be up for grabs in the upcoming Concordia Student Union byelections this month.

Leaving the position vacant was discussed at the regular council meeting Oct. 26 when councillor and former VP external Chad Walcott motioned to put forth the vacant position in the upcoming byelections.

“I proposed the motion to open up the VP academic position because the CSU should have a full executive,” Walcott said. “The job of an executive is often overwhelming, so I figured if we have a chance to reduce some of the pressure by filling the position then we should take it.”

Due to Gallardo’s resignation because of student status issues, current members of the executives have taken on her various roles and responsibilities. VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon and VP sustainability Andrew Roberts have split the portfolio. Since Gallardo stepped down, Lauzon has handled academic affairs and Roberts is in control of the advocacy portfolio.

Schubert Laforest, CSU president, was hesitant to leave the position open because he preferred to appoint someone who he thought would be best suited due to their connections and current work with the CSU.

“Council felt it was more convenient to leave the seat open. I just hope people who want to run at least get information on what the job entails, what are the requirements and if they have any experience,” Laforest said.
Laforest went on to say that he is also hesitant because of the timing which is something he wants to “minimize.”

“We’re in the middle of mandate, things are intense, with Senate and all, and the idea of having to train again in the middle, it’s not the same as being elected at the beginning,” he said.

Lauzon voiced his reservations during the meeting, stating that it would be difficult to have a new student join their team. He emphasized that it was a “risk” and that an incoming member might not be beneficial in the long run.

The CSU byelection nominations started yesterday and will proceed until Nov. 9 and forms for applicants are available at the CSU offices on the 7th floor of the Hall building.

Although the executive felt it was unnecessary and unwarranted to open the seat, the motion passed.

Following the resignations of councillors Juliana Ramos and Laura Glover, additional seats on council are fair game to those seeking a spot.

The seats that are open are one Fine Arts seat, two Arts and Science seats, three John Molson School of Business seats, and three Independent student seats.

Laforest states that a few students have stopped by to give their nominations but doesn’t recall any Independent student nominations yet, since those students are a lot harder to find.

“I mean, there’s always worry, you don’t know what you’ll get, and if they’ll be dedicated or not. It’s something you can’t control, but I do have faith,” Laforest said.

Thus far, no one has expressed interest in the VP academic and advocacy seat. The polling dates will be Nov. 27, 28 and 29.

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News

Concordia student council remains divided

Photo by Madelayne Hajek
Photo by Madelayne Hajek

The Concordia Student Union discussed student appointments, the upcoming byelections and the ongoing issues with information technology services during a regular council meeting Wednesday.

Two weeks ago, Councillor Ramy Khoriaty announced his resignation from Senate in light of the lack of undergraduate representation from the John Molson School of Business.

Contrary to his statement however, Khoriaty did not officially step down from his spot by sending a letter of resignation to the council chair. Citing midterms, Khoriaty said he simply forgot to submit the letter and would do so soon.

Schubert Laforest, president of the CSU, expressed interest in appointing VP academic of the Commerce and Administration Students’ Association, Tuan Dinh, but council immediately voiced their concerns regarding his repeated absence during interviews.

Chairperson Jean-François Ouellet then refused to allow a motion to appoint JMSB student and applicant, Melissa Lemieux, to Senate. According to Ouellet, a student cannot be nominated for the position until Khoriaty submits his letter of resignation to the chair. Therefore, Senate will not have a JMSB student representative for its third meeting of the year this coming Friday.

Furthermore, a contentious council disagreed over the suggestion to open the executive position of VP academic and advocacy next month. Many councillors expressed discomfort with the current situation of dividing the position among the current executive, while those same executives felt it was crucial to help them function as a whole.

“Keep in mind we’re asking someone to work full-time and this is not an easy task. It takes time, and it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” said VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon. “The other risk is that this person comes on the team, and does not actually work with us.”

Senator Chuck Wilson argued that “one portfolio is enough” and that Lauzon would be unable to fulfill his own duties if he was also taking on additional work.

The motion to open the position for applicants during the byelections passed.

Council also addressed the recurrent problems with the information technology service and went forward with the decision to hire councillor and former VP finance, Jordan Lindsay, to investigate the hardware issue.

Council was divided over the notion of hiring a company to do a massive overhaul of the IT services, something that a visibly frustrated Laforest argued was necessary for his executive to function.

“You’re asking us to do all this stuff with our hands tied behind our back,” said Laforest. “The fact of the matter is that a decision needs to be made immediately.”

Laforest explained that waiting another two months to choose which company will remedy the situation will only cost the CSU more since it is losing money on funding a dysfunctional system.

It was decided that an open-tender process would be used for the website documents and management despite the wishes of the executives to hire a company immediately.

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News

Semester in preview


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new president

THE FACTS: Come April, Concordia may have a final candidate to replace interim President Frederick Lowy as president and vice-chancellor of the university. The presidential search committee is scheduled to meet again before the end of January to review and finalize a short list of candidates. The committee’s work is confidential, so no names have been released. However, university spokesperson Chris Mota wrote in an email that “a recommendation will be ready for the Board of Governors for April 2012 with the candidate to take office, ideally, as of August 1, 2012.” The university hired consultant Laverne Smith & Associates Inc. to pre-interview candidates.

WHY IT MATTERS: Other than being the highest ranking position at the university, the president’s office has seen enough controversy in recent years to deserve a critical eye. Concordia’s previous president, Judith Woodsworth, was dismissed by the Board of Governors in 2010, while her predecessor Claude Lajeunesse left office halfway though his five-year contract due to conflicts with the administration.

A general student strike vote

THE FACTS: The Concordia Student Union plans on continuing where last semester left off, launching a new campaign to protest the Quebec government’s tuition hikes and addressing the possibility of preparing for a vote to strike sometime this semester. While last fall saw some student participation in protests and rallies against tuition fee increases, CSU VP external Chad Walcott said “a student strike could be the next step in a Quebec-wide protest.”Walcott added that before anything can be done, “the movement will have to regain momentum”  lost over the winter break. A demonstration set for March 22 is already in the planning stages and members of the CSU have put together a document outlining tentative plans to be presented at council on Wednesday.

WHY IT MATTERS: Tuition in Quebec is set to raise $325 a year over five years for university undergrads, and whether or not you agree with the increase, it’s ultimately up to students to decide whether Concordia’s undergrads will be going on strike for more than just a day.

A whole lot of general elections

THE FACTS: Break out the posters and in-classroom speeches: Concordia’s student associations will be gearing up for another round of general elections this spring. The Concordia Student Union, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, and others will all be holding elections to fill their executive positions.

WHY IT MATTERS: Spring general elections should be anything but uncomplicated if last semester’s byelections are anything to go by, between the accusations of electoral violations, mistakes caught at polling stations, and the firing of two separate chief electoral officers. Not to mention the fact that last year’s CSU general elections resulted in the CEO disqualifying both parties, only to have his decision later overturned by the judicial board and CSU council.

 


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News

More election reform in store for ASFA

Following a contentious and often times confusing byelection last fall, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations is promising that things will go much more smoothly in their general election later this semester.

The ASFA council is set to vote this Thursday on a joint committee recommendation to bring back affiliations in elections, a suggestion originally made following last year’s general election by then CEO Nick Cuillerier that got tabled by council.

“The definition of affiliations as it stands now is that candidates run individually, but they can be affiliated or in support of other candidates, without forming actual teams,” said ASFA president Alex Gordon. “I think having affiliations in this general election will be an improvement compared to last year’s general election, because there won’t be as much secrecy among the candidates. They will be able to openly endorse other candidates and ultimately, affiliations will bring more exposure to the elections.”

The affiliations proposal is the sole electoral recommendation that council will deliberate on this week, despite the fact that ASFA’s judicial committee has suggested that other parts of Annex A, the document used to run elections, should be clarified, especially in light of October’s tumultuous byelection.

The Concordian broke a story immediately after that byelection revealing certain electoral violations committed by then CEO Marvin Cidamon, such as the failure to have executive summaries at every polling station when the polls opened, as well as hiring a former ASFA VP as a polling clerk. Also, while Cidamon did release the byelection results to the candidates, he did not provide them to the student press until he was asked.

The case was brought before the JC and Cidamon ultimately resigned. In its written decision, the JC calls for, among other things, the rule regarding the announcement of election results to be clarified.

Gordon indicated that there is not enough time, according to procedure, to act on the JC’s recommendations before the general election, but said he has confidence that the new CEO, Christopher Webster, appointed at December’s council meeting, will do his job properly.

“He’s very critical-minded, having seen the last byelection and I think he’s learned from the mistakes that were made then,” Gordon said. “Also, we [the executive] are more hands on deck this time and have a better sense of what to do for the next elections.”

 

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