CSU VP clubs and internal affairs Nadine Atallah (left). Photo by Madelayne Hajek
CSU VP clubs and internal affairs Nadine Atallah (left) and VP finance Keny Toto. Photo by Madelayne Hajek
The Concordia Student Union unanimously agreed on a motion to sign a $97,000 contract with MHPM Project Managers Inc. for their services in planning and preparing for a new student centre during a regular council meeting Wednesday.
The contract would also allow MHPM to aid the CSU in negotiating with the university should there be another round of student centre contract negotiations in the future.
Nadine Atallah, VP clubs and internal affairs, said that hiring MHPM was an important step in the long-term plan for the student centre.
“The whole idea behind this is to keep the option open for students to decide if they want to move forward with the university, independently or with another party,” said Atallah. “Should students decide they do want to move forward with the university, then at least we’ll have started the process of putting together an agreement that is a little more representative of the students’ interest.”
Two representatives from MHPM were present at the CSU meeting to explain their proposal and to answer any questions. Council had very few questions upon the conclusion of the presentation, but Atallah told The Concordian that council members received the proposal weeks in advance and many had already had their questions answered by her. Council voted unanimously to accept the motion, but after the representatives left, councillor Ramy Khoriaty raised concerns about what had specifically been voted on.
“Is this a proposal or a contract?” Khoriaty asked. After being informed that council had agreed to a contract, not simply a proposal, Khoriaty asked if the contract had been reviewed by a lawyer. Council then reconsidered and amended the motion to have a lawyer review the contract before its approval.
The student centre, which has been an issue for students and the CSU for nearly a decade, would provide free space for students and clubs near the downtown campus. An account set up for student space has amassed more than nine million dollars to date, according to VP finance, Keny Toto, mostly from fee levies and interest accrued over the years.
Alex Callard, a second-year communications student, said he was cautiously optimistic when he heard of the agreement.
“It really depends on what specifically the consultants are helping out with,” he said, “Because if they’re professionals and can actually do a better job, then I think it’s a reasonable investment.”
Justin Banks, a second-year marketing student, said that he had been hearing about the student centre for as long as he’s been at Concordia, but is still wary about paying a project management firm so much for their services.
“If they’re going to be drawing up the blueprints and planning everything that needs to be done before construction takes place, then I suppose it’s a necessary evil,” he said. “The CSU doesn’t know anything about what the building needs other than what they want for students, so it could be worth it.”
According to Atallah, once the contract has been signed, a financial feasibility study will be conducted followed by the creation of a project implementation plan.
“The first step is consulting with students on what they need from the space, on what space we have and what we might need in 10 years,” Atallah said. “Once you get the results from the space study, then we put together a financial feasibility study, which is basically looking real-time at what’s available to us and what are our options.”
Concordia’s VP Services Roger Côté announced six new measures Monday afternoon, which will be taken to address concerns raised about the experience of international students at the university.
Côté sat down with student media to discuss initiatives the administration will enact, in response to an article published in The Link on Sept. 25. The article stated that some Chinese international students have had negative experiences with the Concordia China Student Recruitment Partnership Program and the Premier Homestay program.
“It came to light that some students were experiencing difficulty with the homestay program,” said Côté. He went on to explain that while the university administration was concerned about students who had bad experiences in a homestay, the program is not run by Concordia.
“Students elect to do that on their own,” he said. It is arranged “independently” from Concordia and Côté emphasized that it is a “private arrangement” which international students are in no way required to do.
Peter Low is the director of the CCSRPP via the university’s agreement with his company, Orchard Consultants Ltd. The company is authorized to represent ConU at educational fairs and presentations as well as accept tuition and fee payments from international students.
On Oct. 2, a letter was sent out to Concordia’s 5,200 international students encouraging anyone who had complaints or concerns to come forward.
“While some students may hesitate to launch complaints for fear of compromising their academic or immigration status. We assure you that is not the case,” read the letter. “We urge you to take advantage of Concordia’s student services or contact the Dean of Students office for immediate assistance.”
Members of the administration spent the next few weeks reviewing the situation and coming up with six measures to help clarify the CCSRPP’s information and investigate complaints further.
“Given the fact that there were few responses [to the letter], we wanted to proactively reach out,” said Côté.
One of the main focuses of the initiative was to call for the translation of all relevant documents into Mandarin as well as English. The pre-departure guides created by the International Students Office, the documentation provided by the CCSRPP and homestay applications will all be made available in Mandarin in the future.
University spokesperson, Chris Mota, explained that while the university can ask to have these changes made, it is not in the “parameters of the contract” with Orchard. Côté, however, said that he was optimistic these changes would be made nonetheless.
“It’s in the interest of all parties to be as helpful and supportive to students and make things as clear as possible,” he said. “We’re interested in working with individuals that have the best interests of our students at heart. Those are the kind of partners that we want to have.”
This fall, a survey will be created to gain a better understanding of “student needs relating to university residence with a focus on international students.” Student enrolment services will also conduct annual interviews with a random sampling of 15 per cent CCSRPP students.
“We’ll be asking students to come in and talk about their experiences,” said Côté. “We want to be responsive and supportive of the needs of students, especially those who travel halfway around the globe to get here.”
The last measures will be to establish an online orientation session for new international students in not only Mandarin, but Arabic and Farsi as well, and update all references to the CCSRPP on the Concordia website.
Earlier this week, at the Concordia Student Union meeting on Wednesday, a motion was passed to formally review the situation. Côté explained that he had already met with student representatives to discuss the issue and hoped to collaborate with them further.
According to Côté, the contract with Orchard is almost up and is currently under review.
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.
Fine Arts councillor and last year’s VP student life & sustainability Laura Glover officially resigned from her position at the Concordia Student Union in a letter released Sunday.
In her letter, Glover stated that while she is “incredibly grateful” for all of her experiences at the CSU, she is “committed to a number of projects this year” and feels that perhaps another student would be better suited to fill the position.
Glover is the third councillor to step down from the from the CSU this year. Following backlash from council regarding her unresolved student status issues, former VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo formally resigned in September. Former councillor Juliana Ramos quickly followed suit, citing a contentious council as her reason for leaving.
“I realized in September that my workload was quite heavy and I knew I wouldn’t have my focus on the council, the way a counselor should,” Glover told The Concordian. “It took a lot of responsibility to realize I couldn’t and be honest with myself.”
Schubert Laforest, the president of the CSU, spoke to Glover Monday about her resignation and said that while it came as a surprise to him, he understood her choices.
“She’s involved in a lot of things and she knows what the job requires, and knows that she can’t do it, and give 110 per cent,” he said.
Laforest went on to say that the seat will remain open until the byelection in November, where any Fine Arts student is eligible to run for the position.
Glover stated that she will continue to remain in contact with the union and give her advice if needed.
“It was challenging to step down from the CSU or, should I say, take some space because I care very deeply for the union,” Glover said.
The Concordia Student Union has a bank account with $9.5 million in it, set aside for the creation of a student centre.
This fund has been collecting dust, and interest, for more than a decade as the CSU and the university administration have struggled to come to a consensus as to where to spend the money.
Student space is something the downtown campus is pressed for, and with years of student dollars going towards this fund until 2011, CSU VP clubs Nadine Atallah wants to do something about it.
“This project has been lagging behind,” she told The Concordian in an interview. “In my opinion, our approach has been too reactive instead of proactive.”
Last year, the CSU rejected the Faubourg Ste-Catherine building as an option in a unanimous vote by council. Once it became clear that student opinion was not favourable towards turning the space into a student centre, the deal was killed and not much ground has been covered since.
“It became a contentious issue,” said Atallah. “The only way I see moving forward is by hiring a professional project management firm.”
According to Atallah, the first step will be to choose a company, and then study the existing student space on campus. An important factor will be to “consult student associations and faculty associations.”
“We can’t think about just stakeholders in the present,” she said, “but we have to think about the stakeholders in the future.”
Once a firm is chosen, by council, they will put together a financial feasibility study and eventually a project implementation plan which will include associated costs and risks.
When a plan is brought to the table, Atallah said she would rather take it directly to students than have council decide.
“I would prefer going to referendum and having students choose which way they want to move forward,” she said. “Going to referendum would ensure that the next executive has a clear mandate that they have to follow year in and year out.”
With student opinion factored into the plan, Atallah hopes to approach the university about renegotiating the existing student centre agreement.
“I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence not to leave behind a better plan than the one I came in with,” said Atallah.
She said that most likely, the student centre construction project, whether it’s renovating an old building, renting a space or building from scratch, is going to be a five to 10-year project.
An ad hoc committee was created by the CSU to review proposals for management firms and Atallah confirmed they will be meeting this week to make recommendations for the next regular meeting.
The Concordia Student Union nominated VP sustainability Andrew Roberts as a student representative to the Board of Governors and announced the division of the mandate of VP academic and advocacy between two executives during the regular council meeting last Wednesday.
As President Schubert Laforest is ineligible to sit on Senate and BoG due to his unresolved student status issues, council motioned to elect Roberts as alternate governor to fill the empty spot on BoG.
Roberts said he was already preparing for his new role and that while “the task is daunting” he is ready for the responsibility.
Roberts emphasized that should Laforest’s student issues be rectified in the near future and he becomes eligible to sit on the university’s governing bodies, there isn’t a concrete plan in place.
“That’s something we’re going to have to discuss,” said Roberts. “The initial idea was for Lex Gill to be main governor.”
Following the resignation of VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo, who stepped down due to her inability to register as a student coupled with personal issues, the executive decided to divide the work from that position for the time being.
Until further notice, Laforest explained to council that Roberts and VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon will fulfill the mandate by splitting the additional responsibilities.
Last week's CSU council meeting. Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin
Last week’s CSU council meeting. Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin
The Concordia Student Union appointed two additional students to fill undergraduate seats on Senate last week, failing to address representation for the John Molson School of Business, before a spot opened up unexpectedly Monday evening.
Senator and CSU councillor Ramy Khoriaty stepped down Monday, leaving a spot open for JMSB student and VP academic of the Commerce and Administration of Students’ Association, Tuan Dinh.
CSU President Schubert Laforest told The Concordian that Dinh’s appointment will happen “soon” and that Khoriaty was motivated to step down because he personally wanted JMSB to have undergraduate student representation on Senate. It remains to be seen whether or not Laforest will appoint Dinh in an upcoming special council meeting or by presidential decree. Khoriaty did not attend either Senate meeting thus far in the academic year.
“I thought it was only fair that Dinh had the chance to represent students,” said Khoriaty. “JMSB deserves representation.”
In accordance with university bylaws, the CSU selects 12 applicants to represent the undergraduate student body at Concordia. Under Section 11, regarding Senate membership, Article 55 states that there must be “Twelve (12) undergraduate students who shall be appointed by the Concordia Student Union, with representation from each Faculty.”
In early October, council chose another five senators leaving one spot available.
The move garnered backlash from students in the following days because two applicants from JMSB were not granted representation.
Council selected instead, Sydney Swaine-Simon, from the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, and Daniel McSharry, from the Arts and Science Federation of Associations.
The reasons fuelling the CSU’s decision remain unknown since deliberation was conducted entirely in closed session.
Several concerned students sent Chairperson Jean-Francois Ouellet and the student media an email detailing where they took issue with the recent decision of the CSU.
“Furthermore, it was stated publicly that all the candidates whom were not appointed at council were still in the running for the sixth spot on Senate that was available, but from my understanding, that spot should only have been open for a JMSB student, as independent, ASFA, FASA, and ECA were already represented on Senate,” read the letter.
The email went on to say that the CSU violated its own policy by failing to “represent its membership as required” as stated in Objects 2.1 of the CSU bylaws.
Approximately a dozen students from various faculties wrote that the CSU was not fulfilling its mandate by not appointing a JMSB student.
Todd Lipstein, a JMSB student, said he submitted the letter because he felt the CSU excluded his faculty at Concordia.
“Personally, I am afraid we would get screwed and we wouldn’t even know it,” said Lipstein. “If there is nobody out there looking out for us though, I believe we are going to start wondering why all these decisions are being made to the benefit of all the Concordia students except us.”
Lipstein went on to say that he hoped to see an improved representation of JMSB in all aspects of Concordia, including the CSU.
Laforest said that there were discrepancies between university and CSU bylaws, and it must be emphasized in the future that all four faculties receive adequate undergraduate representation on Senate.
The Concordia Student Union appointed five undergraduate students to sit on Senate, two to fill senior CSU positions, and tabled the discussion on whether executives may volunteer without pay during a special council meeting Wednesday night.
Following five hours of conducting applicants’ interviews in closed session, council appointed only five students for the six vacant spots on Senate. Council appointed Gene Morrow, Chuck Wilson, Melanie Hotchkiss, Wendy Kraus-Heitmann and Hassan Abdullahi. Seven students applied for the position.
In previous years, interviews between council and applicants have been held in open session, allowing students and members of the student press to witness the exchange. Closed session is usually reserved to review applicants’ resumes due to the sensitive and personal nature of the information discussed.
At the upcoming regular council meeting this upcoming Wednesday, council will nominate a sixth senator to represent the John Molson School of Business, one of four faculties at Concordia that requires a undergraduate representative on Senate according to the university by-laws. Outgoing Chairperson Nick Cuillerier told The Concordian that the issue will be resolved by Wednesday.
Council went on to appoint a new chairperson, Jean-François Ouellet, to replace Cuillerier who volunteered to chair CSU meeting until a new person was hired. The incoming secretary is Yasmeen Zahar and chief electoral officer is Justin Holland.
Holland, a first-year student at Concordia, said he was excited about his position for the upcoming year and that the timing worked in his favour.
“I’m really excited to be coming in before the by-elections and it’s like the dress rehearsal for March,” said Holland. “Any kinks for March we can fix during November.”
The meeting was also supposed to address the legal notion of CSU executives volunteering and not receiving monetary compensation for their work. The agenda point was made with regards to former VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo not receiving remuneration for the months she worked for the CSU. Gallardo resigned from her position last week due to unresolved student status issues.
Councillor and former VP external Chad Walcott motioned to table the report since CSU President Schubert Laforest submitted the relevant documents the same night. Several executives and councillors expressed concern about issuing the documents outside of session, citing the possibility of a leak. The issue will be addressed this Wednesday at the regular council meeting.
VP Loyola Stefan Faina, an independent student, is ineligible to sit on Senate.
VP Loyola Stefan Faina, an independent student, is ineligible to sit on Senate.
The Concordia Student Union’s recent appointment to Concordia University’s Senate, VP Loyola Stefan Faina, is ineligible to maintain his position due to his student status, it was discovered on Thursday, Oct. 4.
Council nominated and then appointed Faina to Senate during a special council meeting Wednesday, Sept. 19 to help fill student representation on the governing body. His appointment was originally scrutinized by council, with some arguing that Faina’s lack of experience would cause him problems down the road.
Faina, who admitted to never having attended a Senate meeting before, was eventually chosen for the position. The only executive acting as a Senator before then was VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon who was present for the first and second Senate meetings of the academic year.
Following a consultation of university by-laws, Faina realized that he was unable to serve as a Senator because he is currently registered as an independent student. Faina completed his undergraduate degree in psychology last year and registered as part-time, independent student this year, partly in order to maintain his executive position with the CSU. He explained that he was not informed by the university but that he stumbled across the stipulation in Article 57.
According to Article 57 of the university by-laws referring to membership regulations, students must be registered in a program to be eligible to serve on Senate:
“Students elected to Senate shall be registered in an undergraduate or graduate program, be registered in a course or other for-credit activity, and be in good standing. Students who are in failed standing, in conditional standing or on academic probation or who have been sanctioned either under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities or the Academic Code of Conduct within the three (3) years previous to their nomination are not eligible.”
In an interview with The Concordian, Faina expressed his disappointment at being unqualified to sit on Senate.
“I really don’t see why I can’t sit on it,” said Faina. “It’s a little discriminatory and this is a population that has interests too.”
According to Faina, he sent an email to inform outgoing council Chairperson Nick Cuillerier that he would have to step down from Senate to “avoid controversy and drama.”
Faina went on to say that independent students should have representation on Concordia’s governing body.
Under Section 55 in the by-laws, 12 seats are allotted to undergraduate students appointed by the CSU with the obligation of having a representative of each of the four faculties at Concordia. This does not include independent undergraduate students, who are usually part-time students that are taking courses without declaring a program.
VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon suggested it might be time to reconsider the by-laws to accommodate and represent independent students at the university.
“This is a not a situation that is unheard of,” said Lauzon. “Maybe this is a reform we want to consider because independent students are a student group and they should, in theory, have representation.”
With Faina’s removal from Senate, the CSU will have to appoint two additional students in the near future to fill undergraduate student representation.
According to Lauzon, the CSU believes President Schubert Laforest, who is also ineligible to participate in Senate due to unresolved and undisclosed issues under the same by-laws, will tentatively be allowed to sit on Senate in the near future.
Lucia Gallardo resigned from her position as VP academic and advocacy on the Concordia Student Union in a letter issued Sunday.
In her letter of resignation, Gallardo stated that council was quick to criticize her and force her departure from the CSU. She urged students at Concordia to pay attention to the actions of council, saying that it was a “disservice” to the undergraduate student body.
“At the end of the day, every person involved with the CSU is just a student, with equal rights to representation and advocacy. I am an international student in financial need, and yet, while the CSU spent all of last year allegedly advocating for the rights of students with need, when the moment came to truly demonstrate that they supported access to education, personal interests became more important, and I was therefore denied the time to resolve my financial situation with the university. I’m actually partially grateful that this ended up happening to me, because I would have been embarrassed to be part of a CSU that treated any student in need by closing doors and turning a deaf ear,” the letter read.
Following the announcement that Gallardo was not a registered student on Wednesday, Sept. 19, council immediately passed a motion asking for her to step down. In her first open letter, Gallardo explained how she was unable to register due to an unexpected decline in her mother’s health which led to a change in her financial situation.
The letter goes on to say that certain councillors worked in their own interests for personal gain and intentionally attacked Gallardo’s character.
“Councillors Chad Walcott and Gonzo Nieto, who don’t even know me personally, thought it was appropriate, as board of directors, to smear my character both during meetings and publicly on Facebook,” she wrote.
Walcott said in an interview with The Concordian that while Gallardo’s situation is unfortunate, it disqualifies her from maintaining her position on the CSU.
“I’ve been raising issues, not slandering her name,” said Walcott. “I’m not attacking her personally.”
Following Gallardo’s public resignation, Arts and Science Councillor Juliana Ramos announced her departure from council. Ramos felt Gallardo was dismissed when she deserved respect, criticizing former executives turned councillors for taking such a strong stance against Gallardo.
“After having seen what I saw on that meeting I was truly disappointed by the lack of understanding councilors have towards such a delicate situation, especially since in few days it was to be resolved. Councilors did not act in good faith towards Lucia and neither to their student community; they acted based on personal preferences and rivalries that exist between them: this does not build a better university,” read Ramos’ letter of resignation.
Ramos went on to criticize former executives for the way they dealt with last year’s VP advocacy Morgan Pudwell, who was found not to be a registered student in the spring of 2012.
“I find it very hypocritical that several councilors who were in favor of [dismissing Gallardo] were holding executive positions last year when Pudwell was found not to be a student, yet then they did absolutely nothing to ‘defend the students.’”
As for Gallardo, she closed her letter by saying that she too had lost faith in the CSU.
“It is disappointing to see the blatant disregard for the student body and the money it pays its union, for weekly special council meetings full of personal hidden agendas,” she wrote.
When CSU President Schubert Laforest commented on the situation as a whole, he emphasized a need for change within council.
“We need to change the political culture,” said Laforest. “We need to get over this hurdle.”
Laforest expressed his concerns about Gallardo’s resignation but said that the executives haven’t reached a decision about her vacant position. He suggested the possibility of the executive fulfilling Gallardo’s mandate themselves, and not appointing a new VP to replace her, but nothing has been decided.
Gallardo said she would not be returning to politics even if her student status is resolved.
“I don’t see myself getting involved in CSU politics anymore,” Gallardo told The Concordian. “The CSU needs completely new blood to serve the students.”
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Juliana Ramos’ letter of resignation:
Dear Concordia Students,
I am sad to write to you this letter today, but after several days of thinking I have finally decided that I am resigning from my current position as an Arts and Science Councilor. I have always been a passionate student about Concordia. Since I started my degree I became fascinated by student affairs and I got involved in various associations in order to become more active and give something back to my fellow students. With the previous experiences I had as President of the Latin American Student Organization, and with my involvement in the International Ethnic Associations Council, I believed that sitting on the CSU council would make my last year memorable, and it would help me close this university experience with great pride. Unfortunately, what I have witnessed in the past several council meetings has really changed my view on the role of council and I have been tremendously disappointed by the games that are being played without really wanting a better university for us students.
As many of you know, our VP Academic and Advocacy, Lucia Gallardo was caught up in a very difficult situation: her complicated international student paper work, combined with difficulties to pay university and a health problem affecting her family, did not allow her to register for classes this semester. Without any knowledge on Lucia’s issue councilor Chad Walcott introduced a motion to ask for Lucia’s immediate resignation. This was done so based on Bylaw 10.2, which states that in order for representative of the CSU to hold their position they must be registered students. Council voted on the motion and it successfully passed. Last week, Lucia explained and proved with documentation the reasons for not being able to register, and clearly stated that she would have an answer to her issue in few days. Notwithstanding Lucia’s clarifications several councilor still pressured Lucia to resign. After having seen what I saw on that meeting I was truly disappointed by the lack of understanding councilors have towards such a delicate situation, especially since in few days it was to be resolved. Councilors did not act in good faith towards Lucia and neither to their student community; they acted based on personal preferences and rivalries that exist between them: this does not build a better university.
Our bylaws exist to safeguard student interests and keep the union running in a respectful and organized manner, but lets not forget these are not absolute and in certain circumstances their application can bring unfair results. I believe that in Lucia’s case, the application of bylaw 10.2 was unjustifiable, mainly because student interests would not be harmed and her issue was to be resolved SOON (this last fact being the most pressing) . If solved she was going to register for classes, if not she promised to resign. Yet, they still chose to leave an empty executive position as important as Lucia’s that require significant amount of training and knowledge. Taking such a risky decision could eventually affect the overall well-being of the Academic and Advocacy agenda. In my eyes, asking Lucia’s resignation did not represent or safeguard students, instead it defended personal interests.
I find it very hypocritical that several councilors who were in favor of such motion were holding executive positions last year when Morgan Pudwell was found not to be a student, yet then they did absolutely nothing to “defend the students”. Pudwell’s situation was much worse because she actually claimed money from the union while Lucia clearly showed us that she did not touch any student money.
It is not in my interest to sit down with a council governed mostly by individuals who play power games, but don’t realize that their potential can be used to actually serve the student community: that you can only do so by putting personal interests aside. What happened with VP Academic and Advocacy, allowed me to see that not only we have a representative body working for themselves, but unable to truly support its students. Executives are students too, and they deserve to be treated with respect.
I believe we were elected as student representatives to sit down and actually look for ways in which we can make Concordia a better place. I believe there is so much potential in our school for it to be better every single day, but if we keep having rivalries between us and if we keep forgetting that we are not there to serve our own interests but to serve others, council will not achieve anything.
I want to thank those students who voted for me and gave me the opportunity to be a student councilor. Even though I resign from council I will keep working towards building a better university, because that I am truly passionate about.
If you wish to contact me, please don’t hesitate to do so. My e-mail address is: Juliana_ramosb@hotmail.com
Sincerely,
Juliana Ramos
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Lucia Gallardo’s letter of resignation:
Dear Concordia Students,
This is my letter of resignation. While I have not yet received the results of my late registration application, and could very well be a registered student on Monday, the manner in which this whole situation has played out has shown me a side to the CSU that I can no longer be a part of.
At the end of the day, every person involved with the CSU is just a student, with equal rights to representation and advocacy. I am an international student in financial need, and yet, while the CSU spent all of last year allegedly advocating for the rights of students with need, when the moment came to truly demonstrate that they supported access to education, personal interests became more important, and I was therefore denied the time to resolve my financial situation with the university. I’m actually partially grateful that this ended up happening to me, because I would have been embarrassed to be part of a CSU that treated any student in need by closing doors and turning a deaf ear.
But it was me, and even after an entire summer of doing my job to the best of my abilities and putting endless effort into my projects (see CSU Agenda for reference), Council would rather lose an executive than wait for the result of my late registration application; prefer no one to the job than someone, and that shows the amount of respect and consideration they have for their alleged constituents.
Ever since campaigning, my personal information went out into the open, my university file stolen, used against me, and leaked to the media. While I received bad news from home about my mother’s critical health, Councilor Laura Glover thought that I should set my emotional well being aside and attend a council meeting. Councillors Chad Walcott and Gonzo Nieto, who don’t even know me personally, thought it was appropriate, as board of directors, to smear my character both during meetings and publicly on Facebook. I received an email from Councilor Melissa Kate Wheeler with lines like “I’m concerned that if you continue to refuse [to resign], things will turn sour quickly and publicly.” I now find it easier to understand why so many students decide to stay away from our school politics.
You should pay attention Concordia. Because half of last year’s executives sit on this year’s Council, and demand answers without asking questions, take up seats on committees that prevent newly involved students to take up that chance, try to place their old president on BOG even after their year is over. In my situation, the relevant by-law was incomplete (it stops mid-sentence), but Council refused to take this opportunity to spare the CSU the loss of an executive member. They were however, more than willing to officially disregard the CSU’s Standing Regulations in order to appoint their ex-president to the Board of Governors. They also don’t like providing answers where questions were asked. After hiding her status for an entire year, Morgan Pudwell still walked away with over $20,000 of student money. And when I worked on the handbooks, I could not find a single reason why last year’s agendas cost over $68,000 when this year’s MUCH more elaborate books cost us $58,000.
What is currently happening at CSU Council is a disservice to students. It is disappointing to see the blatant disregard for the student body and the money it pays its union, for weekly Special Council Meetings full of personal hidden agendas. When the opportunity came for your councilors to work for you, to volunteer at Orientation and help make it more successful, they didn’t step up. They were happy to Facebook share their criticisms, after having both the responsibility and means to have made it better. But regardless, OAP had record-breaking attendance, and bursaries for students in financial need were created from Orientation for the first time in CSU history.
I ran to serve the student body, but unfortunately, too many Councilors have interests that do not align with the desire to help students that drove me to run in the first place. I wish you the best of luck with your semester, and I hope the CSU can one day remember its sole purpose: to help the 30,000 + students that pay for its existence.
Concordia Student Union VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo released a statement Monday, Sept. 24 in response to a motion put forth by the CSU council asking for her resignation.
At the first regular CSU meeting of the year held Wednesday, it became clear that Gallardo was not in fact a registered student and was therefore unable to maintain her position as a member of the executive. Gallardo was not present at the meeting but CSU President Schubert Laforest explained that, because of “circumstances beyond her control,” she was unable to register in time for the fall semester.
In her statement, Gallardo explained that she is “an international student in financial need,” which makes her student status complicated. This is not the first time Gallardo experienced issues with her international status, for when she first submitted her candidacy for the CSU last year, she and Laforest were both rejected as ineligible due to registration.
“This has affected many aspects of my life and my academic career,” explained Gallardo. She went on to say that due to financial issues as well as challenges in her personal life, it was not possible for her to sort out her status.
“I have spent this summer trying to put together the money to afford to continue at Concordia, and the [Did Not Enter] deadline came too soon for me to succeed.”
At council, members made the decision not to allow Gallardo a 15-day period to try and resolve her student status. In the letter, however, she stated that she “may still be able to resolve the issue,” and she will continue to work toward a solution throughout this week.
“I wholeheartedly ask Concordia students to grant me the opportunity to work on this solution for the week, before giving up the portfolio I feel so passionate about,” she wrote.
A special council meeting will take place this Wednesday, which will cover appointments to various CSU bodies, as well as Gallardo’s resignation. She told The Concordian that she would be in attendance at that meeting and hopes to sway council with her statement on the particulars of her registration issues.
“If it cannot be resolved by Friday, of course I will step down,” she said. “I would be more than happy to help train my replacement if it comes to that.”
At the meeting on Wednesday which began at 6:30 p.m. and ended at 1:30 a.m, some councillors expressed concern over the information coming to light and the manner in which it was done.
Chad Walcott, CSU councillor and former VP external for the CSU, stated that he was “extremely disappointed with the events that [had] transpired.”
Following the decision regarding VP Gallardo, President Laforest made a statement in closed session addressing his own status issues and explaining privately to council why he is unable to sit on Concordia’s two major administrative bodies: Senate and the Board of Governors.
Laforest then explained that his issue was not of status but of an academic nature, and that VP loyola Stefan Faina would replace him on Senate. Councillors initially raised concerns when it became apparent that Faina had never attended a Senate meeting before. It was decided that VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon, who already sits on Senate, would help to prepare Faina for the position.
As for the BoG, Laforest proposed that Lauzon be appointed to take his place on an interim basis until his eligibility can be dealt with. According to university by-laws, the reasons why a student would not be allowed to sit on the Board of Governors are that either they are not in good academic standing, or that they have violated the Academic Code of Conduct or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities within the last three years.
Walcott was quick to criticize the plan, saying that he was “not confident at all that [Lauzon] will be able to do any of his external work, while sitting on almost seven committees.”
Ultimately, council decided that alternate governor and former CSU president, Lex Gill, would be appointed primary governor until Laforest is able to reclaim his seat.
The concert to wrap up the Concordia Student Union’s two-week long Orientation ended early due to thunderstorms Friday evening, Sept. 14.
The concert for accessible education featured BadBadNotGood, KRNFX and Azari and Ill in the Loyola Quad. The CSU sold bracelets for a dollar donation to contribute to the bursaries.
Azari and Ill never took the stage because of a windy, torrential downpour that forced undergraduate students to take cover underneath the tents that sold food and beer around 9 p.m. The CSU decided to end the concert early and told students to go to The Hive or board the shuttle busses waiting outside the Quad.
CSU President Schubert Laforest confirmed that approximately 810 students came to the concert, which is significantly smaller than previous concerts organized by the CSU. In 2011, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 students gathered for the free show featuring Stars and Mother Mother. In 2010, more than 2,500 students showed up to see K’naan perform at the Quad despite the rain.
“Our main concern was the weather,” said Laforest.
Nicolas Abou, a Concordia undergraduate student at the John Molson School of Business, felt the music was good but the closing event could have offered more.
“I like that it’s outdoors and that the music is not bad,” said Abou, “but I expected to get more.”
“Overall though, it was cool,” added Abou.
Riikka Aspergen, an international student from Finland, attended the concert but left when it started to rain. Aspergen expected a larger crowd but thought the reason for the small turnout was due to the weather or the musical artists headlining the event.
“I thought there would be more people,” said Aspergen. “I don’t know if it was because of the rain or the bands.”
“The atmosphere was okay at first but the rain pretty much ruined the evening,” explained Aspergen.
CSU VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon, who sold tickets for food and refreshments, was pleased with the number of undergraduates that came to the Loyola Campus on a Friday night. Lauzon echoed Laforest’s sentiments, looking on the bright side, despite the rain.
“I had low expectations,” said Lauzon. “So I’m happy with how this turned out.”
