Tag: Concordia Student Union

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Housing tips for students

Graphic by Florence Yee

CSU Housing and Jobs Office luncheon for students

Looking for a place to live in Montreal can be overwhelming, especially for international students who are unfamiliar with the city. Concordia’s Student Union off-campus housing and job bank (HOJO) held a free lunch for students on Jan. 16, offering tips on how to find a place to live in the city.

HOJO is an off-campus resource centre in the mezzanine of the Hall building at Sir George Williams Campus and CC-426 on Loyola Campus which advocates for students’ workers’ rights and tenant rights. HOJO helps students find affordable, safe and clean housing in Montreal. They also provide free-legal information to students regarding leases, roommate problems, jobs and any other issues they may face.

The “Lunch and Learn” featured a presentation on apartment renting laws in Montreal and different tips to help students find a home in the city.

“Landlords pray on international students who are afraid to point out problems they might have with their lease and apartment,” said Safrine Mouajou, a HOJO representative. “So many students come to our services afraid of their landlords and scared to defend their rights.”

When searching for a place to live, students should look at whether their future home has gas or electric heating, what sorts of appliances are included and whether the place is furnished, said HOJO representative Hannah Brais to the crowd of students during the presentation.

“Students should take into account factors such as proximity to their schools and if they are looking for a roommate when searching for a place to stay,” Brais added. “Make a list of [traits] you search for in a roommate.” In addition, students should find out whether electricity, heating, phone, Internet and parking are included in their rent.

Brais said HOJO does not recommend homestay, where a Concordia student lives with a Montreal family and shares their home. She recounted previous instances of abuse in homestay situations, where locks had been put on the fridge, preventing students from eating and keeping food at the home they were renting.

Mouajou also suggested that students “go out and explore the city” when searching for a place to live. “Do not simply rely on the pictures listed online,” she said. “See the place for yourself.”

“When signing your lease, make sure that the unit you saw is the same unit you are renting,” said Brais. “Leases automatically renew each year and tenants should give three to six months’ notice in writing to their landlords if they wish to end or transfer their lease.”

HOJO representatives also discussed students’ rights, such as how the landlord must give tenants 24-hours’ notice before entering their apartment space. Students always have the right to refuse rent increases, said Mouajou. If they have a problem with the amount, they can discuss it with their landlord or file a motion with the rental board commissioner.

For more information on student housing and job options, HOJO encourages students to make an appointment or visit their website www.csu.qc.ca/hojo.

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU announces BIPOC-focused committee

Graphic by Florence Yee

Led by academic and advocacy coordinator Sophia Sahrane, the organization will be exclusive to students of colour

The Concordia Student Union (CSU)’s academic and advocacy coordinator, Sophia Sahrane, announced plans for a committee led by and designed to serve black, indigenous and people of colour at Concordia. Sahrane publicly announced the upcoming committee via Facebook.

The BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of colour) Committee will be open exclusively to racial minorities on campus, making it the first organization of its kind at Concordia. Sahrane said the idea for the BIPOC Committee came after witnessing barriers for BIPOC students and organizations at Concordia firsthand.

“Since I started my mandate, the CSU has not been supporting BIPOC projects or initiatives or issues, or when they do support it, it’s very, very minimal,” Sahrane said. “I looked at all the projects from my [executive] team and a lot of the proposals [they receive] are from non-BIPOC individuals.”

Projects and student groups led by BIPOC students and focused on BIPOC issues will be able to apply directly to the committee for funding. Sahrane said she hopes the committee will lead to collaborations and special projects with BIPOC-led groups on campus. Sahrane also confirmed the committee will have an annual budget of $15,000, and all funding will be allocated to BIPOC individuals and initiatives.

While the group is not open to white students or accepting proposals for projects led by white students, Sahrane said the committee will be welcome to all BIPOC students, including individuals who pass as white.

“For people who are black, indigenous or POC but don’t look it, being BIPOC is still a part of their identity, so they’re welcome to apply as well,” said Sahrane. “It’s exclusive in the sense that it’s non-mixed, but we’re trying to make the CSU as a whole more inclusive.”

Currently, the CSU is looking for BIPOC students interested in joining the committee on a volunteer basis. The application asks for a commitment of four to six hours per month and interested students can apply on the CSU website until Jan. 28.

For Sahrane, having a CSU committee focused exclusively on the needs of BIPOC students and having guaranteed funding for BIPOC projects is essential to ensuring a more inclusive student union and a more inclusive campus.

“BIPOC individuals are people who have been racially marginalized, as well as economically and socially in our society,” said Sahrane. “So this is a way to counter that… to level the playing field.”

With files from Nelly  Serandour-Amar and Savanna Craig

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU elects new finance coordinator

Thomas David-Bashore is the CSU's new finance coordinator. Photo by Nelly Serandour-Amar.

Thomas David-Bashore will be the new finance coordinator as of Dec. 1

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) appointed a new finance coordinator during their special council meeting on Nov. 30.

After deliberating between three candidates, Thomas David-Bashore was elected to take on the role.

Bashore, a second year student in political science with a double major in history, has been involved with other student associations, including the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA). “I think I gained the experience to be a valuable asset to the CSU,” Bashore said.

He said that his first objective will be to make sure all the executives have the financial resources necessary to accomplish their goals. “I also think that financial transparency to council and to students is very important, which I will work on,” he said.   

Lucinda Marshall-Kiparissis, CSU’s general coordinator, was confident in the council’s decision. “All three candidates were very strong, and I’m looking forward to see what Thomas bring to the finance coordinator role,” she said. Omar Riaz and Ahmed Bader were also running for the position.

Dec. 1 will be Bashore’s first official day as finance coordinator. “I hope the students and the executives will be happy about my performance,” Bashore said.

Former finance coordinator, Adrian Longinotti, resigned on Nov. 21, after sending out a letter announcing his departure. Longinotti was asked to resign by CSU councilors due to his problematic behaviour surrounding queerphobia, misogyny and other oppressive politics.

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CSU on the lookout for a new finance coordinator

: CSU councillors met for their monthly meeting on Nov. 23. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Councillors discuss future finance councillors and Sanctuary Campus

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) discussed the resignation of their finance coordinator at a meeting on Nov. 23 in the Hall building of the university’s downtown campus.

Due to the recent resignation of the CSU’s finance coordinator, Adrian Longinotti, the student council is currently looking for a replacement. Lucy Marshall-Kiparissis, the CSU’s general coordinator, told The Concordian that the council will be holding a special meeting on Nov. 30 to meet with potential candidates. “We are looking for someone who has a passion for the task and is comfortable with making big decisions,” she said. “This person must be ready to put a lot of time and effort in the work.”

Longinotti’s resignation was made official on Nov. 21 after the CSU’s executive body announced he was unfit to act as a representative of the union. Lana Elinor Galbraith, the CSU’s sustainability coordinator, told The Concordian he had instigated a lot of issues surrounding queerphobia, misogyny and other oppressive politics.

For legal reasons, the CSU meeting went into closed session to speak about Longeniotti’s situation.

It was also announced at the meeting that the CSU will publicly support Sanctuary Campus, which is an initiative that was implemented in the United States following the elections. According to Marshall-Kiparissis, it involves an institution guaranteeing a degree of safety and protection for students or immigrants who are undocumented. An undocumented individual refers to either a person with expired paperwork, in deportation proceedings or who entered a country illegally.

“We want to publicly show solidarity with the vulnerable members of the society,” said Marshall-Kiparissis.

She also mentioned that, a few days ago, an agent from the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) was seen on Concordia’s premises. “To see this agent coming to Concordia around that time is a concern to us that they might be getting information about some members of the university,” she said. Marshall-Kiparissis said seeing a CBSA agent on campus is worrisome, as U.S. president-elect Donald Trump promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and end the Obama administration’s program, which let some students without the necessary papers into the U.S. to study temporarily.

According to Marshall-Kiparissis, the CSU openly supports the right for people to move freely, unrestricted by borders. They also announced they will be endorsing and supporting the demands of Solidarity Across Borders, a migrant justice network based in Montreal. Their demands include that the CBSA not have the right to access or make arrests in hospitals, shelters, schools or any other spaces that provide essential services.

Tuition Hike

In response to Concordia University’s statements to the Concordian regarding the administration’s proposal to increase tuition for incoming international students in deregulated programs through cohort pricing (“Concordia responds to possible tuition hikes,” Tuesday November 18), as an elected representative of the Concordia Student Union I feel obligated to present clarifications of our own.

University spokesperson Chris Mota’s assertion that there would be student input regarding the proposal is very questionable. Yes, “all members of the board, student governors included, will vote on the proposal;” but of 25 members of the board, only two students are eligible to vote, and only one is an undergraduate. A single representative vote at the point of adoption is not the opportunity for proper undergraduate input.

The CSU, like the Concordian, has been told that the cohort pricing proposal is justified by feedback from surveys with prospective international students. We are still waiting, however, on any basic details regarding these surveys, including when and where they were conducted and what exactly were the questions asked. In any case, market surveys are not a substitute for consultation which those who represent the memberships that will be affected.

We are confused by President Alan Shepard’s statement that “historically, [Concordia has] been setting the tuition to be exactly identical to the tuition rise prescribed by the Quebec government for Quebec residents and the rest of canadian [sic] students, which is still regulated by the government,”

We do not know if he referring to one of two different rates of annual tuition increase: for example, in 2015 the increase was 1.5 per cent for Quebec residents, and 3.8 percent for Canadian students out-of-province.

Regardless, we read this statement as false, since Concordia has been setting the tuition increase rate for international students in deregulated programs the same as the rate for regulated programs, with the exception of major tuition hikes for some deregulated programs implemented in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years. This is why international undergraduate students in JMSB currently pay an extra $186.26 per credit ($717.69 instead of $531.43), and undergraduate international ENCS students pay an extra $62.62 per credit ($656.21 instead of $593.59), compared to the regulated programs (refer to http://www.concordia.ca/admissions/tuition-fees/how-fees-are-billed/undergraduate/fees.html).

We agree with Dr. Shepard in that we “regret [this] being played out […] like we’re debating international tuition in the press,” since we at the CSU would prefer that conversations regarding decisions that impact members of our community be open, transparent, and bring representatives of affected stakeholders to the table. We invite direct conversation with the University administration in place of conversation through the proxy of the student press. However, it is better that these ‘debates’ happen at all than have no conversation prior to the Board of Governors’ adoption and its presentation as a fait accompli.

This past Wednesday we heard international students at our public Town Hall talk about their own experiences with financial precarity and disenfranchisement within the institution, and we suggest that Concordia listen to its students as well.

– Lucinda Marshall-Kiparissis, General Coordinator of the CSU

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CSU finance coordinator resigns

Longinotti (centre) gave his letter of resignation on Monday. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Executive body cites problematic behaviour, asks him to step down

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) announced the resignation of their finance coordinator, Adrian Longinotti, after the executive body asked for his resignation.

In their announcement, the executive body said they believe Longinotti is unfit to act as a representative of the union and they cannot associate themselves nor maintain a working relationship with him.

An hour after the CSU sent out the letter announcing Longinotti’s resignation, his official letter of resignation was sent to The Concordian.

The CSU’s sustainability coordinator, Lana Elinor Galbraith, spoke with The Concordian about Longinotti before the CSU released their statement. “The rest of the executives see it more as a pattern of problematic behaviour,” said Galbraith. “The way he dealt with things, but also he has instigated a lot of issues surrounding queerphobia, misogyny and other pretty oppressive politics.”

“It creates a toxic atmosphere when one of the people who is supposed to be a leader is the one being the most problematic in the bunch,” said Galbraith. “One, because they’re supposed to set an example. Two, because it’s their job to leave that toxicity out.”

Longinotti was also acting as president of the board members for the Reggies Co-op and the CSU urged him to resign from this position as well, which he did. “Reggies is a pretty sensitive area when it comes to safer space,” said Galbraith. “I don’t think that was something he believed or felt that was important.” According to Galbraith, Longinotti would prioritize his self-interest and allowed his friends into Reggies despite them being banned from CSU events and spaces due to behavioural issues.

The Concordian tried to contact Longinotti several times for comment, but he did not respond before publication.

Galbraith said the council will be taking on his responsibilities for the next couple of weeks. “I will be the CSU representative on the board of Reggies and will be taking care of some things with the health and dental plan,” she said. Rachel Gauthier, the CSU’s student life coordinator, will also be helping out with more book-keeping tasks. “Hopefully, we’ll have someone appointed in a few weeks,” she said

Galbraith said the issue will be further discussed at the next CSU council meeting which will take place on Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m., in room H-763 at the downtown campus.

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Students vote YES to divest

Divest Concordia poses for a picture after a meeting. Photo courtesy of Divest Concordia

Divest Concordia receives a green light from students to push university away from fossil fuels

Student group Divest Concordia had a positive outcome to their referendum questions to push Concordia to divest its holdings from fossil fuel industries. Both questions received support from the majority of voters. The campaign officially started on Nov. 1, and ended Nov. 14. Students voted between Nov 15 and 17.

The first referendum question focused on the university’s investments currently tied to fossil fuel industries. They asked undergraduate students whether or not they agreed with Divest Concordia’s demand for the university to remove all its investments from these industries, and to reinvest this money in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

The second referendum question focused on the divest campaign itself. It asked undergraduates if they believe the Concordia Student Union should actively support the divest campaign until the university commits to full divestment from fossil fuels and related industries.

Eighty per cent of voters supported the first question and 70 per cent of voters supported the Divest campaign, said Aloyse Muller, CSU’s external affairs and mobilization coordinator. Only Concordia undergraduate students were able to vote on the matter since this was a CSU referendum, Muller said.

Over the last weeks, Divest Concordia held various meetings to organize the campaign. Tabea Vischer, chair of the referendum committee told The Concordian they created a “social media stunt” where the group posted photos on social media where people from the Concordia community depicted why Concordia should support divest.

“It’s important that we keep the momentum that was built up during the campaign going,” said Vischer. Their next event will be a visioning workshop, where next semester’s projects, such as general student outreach and possibilities for collaborations will be discussed.

The Concordia University Foundation (CUF) currently has $10 million in funding to spend in the “energy sector.” On the “Vote YES to Fossil Fuel Divestment” Facebook page set up to promote the referendum, Divest Concordia wrote “the university’s active investment in the fossil fuel industry represents a commitment to a failing system that misrepresents our community’s real intentions and values.”

“Anyone who wants to get involved with Divest is welcome to join our general meetings to get an idea of what we do and how they can get involved,” Vischer said. Information about the meetings can be found on the Divest Facebook page.

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CSU held a town hall meeting to oppose upcoming tuition hikes

CSU executive members address the crowd gathered in the mezzanine of the Hall building to discuss implications of international tuition raises at Concordia. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The meeting discussed issues surrounding the hikes, including academic freedom and barriers for low-income students

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) held a town hall meeting to address the proposed tuition hikes for international students on Nov. 17 in the Hall building. The meeting featured speakers from the CSU, the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) and the Association for the Voice of Education (AVEQ), as well as students who wished to voice their opinion on the subject.

The CSU was firm in its decision to oppose the proposed hikes and called for the university’s administration to “uphold a minimum standard of transparency in its decisions which will have a direct financial impact on its students,” as originally stated in an open letter on the CSU website.

The town hall meeting attracted dozens of students and the CSU distributed stickers, buttons and pamphlets containing basic information about the tuition hikes. One of the speakers, Aloyse Muller, the CSU’s external affairs and mobilization coordinator, urged students to sign a petition in opposition of the tuition increase.

Muller said the hikes are a “grave concern” and “the Concordia administration has displayed no transparency whatsoever in the matter.” Like many of the speakers, he discussed many aspects of not only the tuition hike proposal, but also Quebec’s decision in 2014 to completely deregulate certain programs for international students, including science, business, engineering and computer science.

He pointed out the university has yet to release official figures regarding the amount by which tuition will increase and said the proposed cohort pricing system poses a threat to academic freedom.

The cohort system guarantees international students will be charged the same tuition price throughout the entirety of their program at Concordia, as a university spokesperson, Chris Mota, told The Concordian last week. However, the university has not disclosed whether students will be subject to varying tuition fees if they transfer programs or require extra time to finish their degree.

The school has also not explained what would happen if students in regulated programs took elective courses from deregulated programs, said Muller.

Muller said a common argument is international students’ education should not be subsidized or regulated because they do not contribute to Quebec’s economy through taxes—but he said it is a misconception.

“This is a common myth,” Muller said. “International students pay GST, HST and income taxes. They bring money into the economy.”

Pamphlets handed out at the town hall meeting stated 52 per cent of international students stay in Quebec for more than three years after graduating, paying income taxes and thus strengthening the Quebec economy. For this reason, among others, the CSU believes international tuition should remain regulated by the provincial government.

The organization demanded the university release a comprehensive, program-based breakdown of all fees on its website, release detailed information regarding the cohort pricing system, freeze all tuition hikes being accelerated for approval and to engage more transparently with the student body.

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Reggies aims for inclusivity

Reggies re-opened their doors last year and became a co-op in 2016. Photo by Nelly Serandour-Amar

Employees and members gather for an annual general meeting to talk about improvements made in the last year

Concordia’s official solidarity bar, Reggies, held its first annual general meeting on Nov. 16, at Reggies, which is located on the second floor of the Hall building. The meeting went over the changes the bar has undergone over the last year and the positives impacts they have had. Approximately 30 staff and co-op members attended the meeting.  

Reggies officially became a co-op after CUSACorp, the for-profit sector of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) that was previously in charge of the bar, dissolved in May 2016. Being a co-op has allowed students to give their input and be more involved in the future of the bar.

Melanie Desrosiers, Reggies’ general manager, said the transition has been very positive. “Working with students is really exciting. It’s a student bar and they should make the decisions,” she said.

Desrosiers also discussed the work she’s been doing with Gabrielle Bouchard from the Centre for Gender Advocacy to make the bar more welcoming for all students. “I believe Reggies is one of the only bars that has a safe space policy being as thoroughly followed,” she said.

As part of this safe space policy, Reggies employees went through four types trainings, including  consent training, bystander intervention, completing a server intervention program, and a “Trans 101” tutorial given by Bouchard. The tutorial educated staff on the importance of a safe space and how to promote an inclusive environment. Reggies bathrooms are gender-neutral. “Everybody is welcome here,” said Desrosiers.

Reggies’ president, Adrian Longinotti, who is also the finance coordinator for the CSU, discussed the financial status of the bar. “The 2015-16 fiscal year was the first time that Reggies finished with a surplus in the last 15 years,” he read from the annual report. During the meeting, he discussed how the CSU helped Reggies with funding for renovations, which helped the bar to reboot in a positive position. He also told The Concordian the meeting exceeded his expectations, both in terms of the number of people who attended and the fact there was stimulating conversation where everyone exchanged ideas about what they hope to see in Reggies’ future.

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Concordia responds to possible tuition hikes

Red Day organizers hosted a meet-and-greet on Nov. 11. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Clarification on the potential undergraduate international student fee increase

In response to recent student outrage over the university’s proposed tuition hikes for certain incoming international students, Concordia’s president Alan Shepard and university’s spokesperson Chris Mota spoke to The Concordian to explain the administration’s side of the story.

Students became concerned when the Concordia Student Union (CSU) made a post on their website about the university’s proposal to increase international students’ tuition and implement a cohort pricing system. The increases would apply to international undergraduate students in deregulated programs, which include engineering, computer science, business, mathematics and pure sciences.

Mota said the proposed increase would only affect incoming students in deregulated programs as of the 2017 fall semester-not current students. Cohort pricing is described as the model that will prohibit students already enrolled from facing a tuition hike, while if hikes are decided upon it will only apply to new students, said Mota.

“Cohort pricing is a guarantee for incoming students who are coming to Concordia for a three or four year program that their tuition won’t rise for that period,” Mota explained to The Concordian.

She said deregulated programs do not receive funding from the government. As a result of the deregulation of these programs, Concordia has less funding available and is now looking into cohort pricing for these new students, Mota said. “The government gave us [permission] to charge whatever we wanted,” she said. “Concordia did nothing for one year, while other universities immediately started to raise their rates.”

Mota said the tuition increase would only come into effect if the Concordia Finance Committee finds that the proposal has merit. If the committee approves the proposal, it will then be sent to the Board of Governors, who will make the final decision.

“We haven’t decided what the tuition fees will be,” said Concordia president Alan Shepard. “It’s a matter before the Board of Governors.”

“As far as we know, they plan to approve this tuition increase without any prior student consultation, nor even sharing the proposal with the Concordia community before its approval,” said Aloyse Muller, the external affairs and mobilization coordinator for the CSU.

However, Mota said there will be student input. “Once a proposal is brought to the board all members of the board, student governors included, will vote on the proposal,” said Mota.

“Historically, we’ve been setting the tuition to be exactly identical to the tuition rise prescribed by the Quebec government for Quebec residents and the rest of canadian students, which is still regulated by the government,” said Shepard.

Shepard said for international undergraduates in deregulated programs the university receives zero dollars towards their education.

Samuel Miriello, a first-year human resource management student said there is a lack of transparency from the university and he is planning to meet with administration next week. “The nature of our anger comes from the fact that the university needs to always consult the CSU and the [Graduate Student Association] before doing things like this,” he said.

Miriello is part of the Red Day team, which is composed of students who want to raise awareness about the potential hike they have created a Facebook page and are asking students to wear the colour red on Nov. 24 to show their support for international students.

Mota said surveys and research conducted by the university and by international recruiters showed that incoming international students would prefer to pay more for tuition—if for the duration of their program they wouldn’t see an increase.

“What I really regret it that it’s being played out in the press like we’re debating international tuition in the press before the governors can hear arguments for or against and make their decision,” said Shepard.

The vote will take place at the Board of Governor’s meet on at 4 p.m. on Dec. 16. Interested viewers can watch in the observer’s room in 633-1 of the Hall building.

With files from Gregory Todaro

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU takes a stand against potential tuition hikes

John Molson School of Business is home for many international students who are studying in deregulated programs. Photo by Nelly Serandour-Amar.

The student union opposes the university’s rumoured tuition hike affecting international students

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) revealed the Concordia administration has been planning—supposedly for three years—a perpetual tuition hike that will affect future international students.

A recent open letter posted on the CSU’s website last Friday said this tuition hike would be directed towards students in deregulated programs.

Most universities’ program fees are regulated by the provincial government, but since 2008, according to the open letter from the CSU, the government of Quebec has deregulated six programs of study for international students: business, engineering, computer science, pure sciences, mathematics and law. This means the university can charge international students in these programs any price they want.

The university will propose tuition increases through “cohort pricing,” which is a payment scheme that guarantees tuition fees for international students in deregulated programs won’t increase over the course of their degree, according to the open letter. This means that when an international student begins their program at Concordia, they will be paying the same fee for every year of study. However, their fee will be higher than a student who started in the same program the year before.

The university has yet to confirm how much higher the fees will be, which isn’t a good sign, according to Lucinda Marshall-Kiparissis, general coordinator for the CSU. “If the university is declining to provide some basic information about what they’re planning for cohort pricing, we are led to suspect that it’s going to be significant increases year by year,” she said.

The student union found out about the increase after Chris Mota, university spokesperson mentioned in an email, that the university has been exploring implementing cohort pricing for international students in deregulated programs for three years now. To follow up, the CSU has been directly asking the university about specifics of their plan, but the university has yet to answer their questions. “It’s unfortunate that we are running under assumptions since we are the accredited union for all students at Concordia,” said Marshall-Kiparissis.

Sepideh Zangeneh, an international student from Mexico studying business at the John Molson School of Business, said she can barely afford the current tuition at Concordia. She’s worried if the tuition increases drastically, she will have to drop out. “I love Concordia, but if I can’t stay here because I can’t afford it, I’ll have to change,” she said.

Zangeneh is not the only one worrying about these tuition hikes. Samuel Miriello, who studies Human Resources Management, is concerned about the possible tuition hikes, even though he’s not an international student. “The school environment will change for the worse if the tuition hikes occur,” he said. Miriello said if  tuition rises for international students, only the elite of the international students will be represented at Concordia. “This prevents us, the students, from seeing the world from a clear, fair, equality-oriented lens,” he said.

As a response to the supposed tuition hikes, he created a Facebook group, “Concordia University Against International Tuition Hike,” alongside Zangeneh and CSU’s External Affairs and Mobilization Coordinator, Aloyse Muller. The group’s goal is to bring students together who are against the tuition hike the university is imposing without the students’ consent. They are currently working on a petition and are also planning an awareness day once enough students are aware of the situation, Miriello said.

The CSU believes the proposal for the tuition hikes for international students in deregulated programs will be presented to the Board of Governors on Dec. 14. If it is approved, the proposal will be implemented as of the fall 2017 semester.

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Vote to determine if reprimanded students may sit on Concordia’s senate

Graphic by Florence Yee.

During the last senate meeting six of the nine committee members were approved

Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) General Coordinator Lucinda Marshall-Kiparissis may soon be allowed full privilege to sit on Concordia’s senate, along with other former reprimanded students. Following senate’s approval for students to sit on senate, the final vote will be made by the Board of Governors which will either pass or fail.

Marshall-Kiparissis, who has requested speaking rights before each senate meeting, may no longer have to. “As general coordinator of the Concordia Student Union it’s part of my responsibilities to be a representative on senate and the Board of Governors since I’m the primary [person] representative of the union,” said Marshall-Kiparissis.

“Senators voted on a proposal that now has to go to the Board of Governors for approval,” said university spokesperson Chris Mota. “If the governors vote in favour of the proposal, then the reprimanded students will be allowed to sit on senate.” This would not allow reprimanded students to sit on the Board of Governors, however.

Marshall-Kiparissis said students who want to sit on senate are bound by certain eligibility requirements, which include term limits that do not apply to any other members. Students also have to be in acceptable academic standing—not conditional standing—and can not be independent students.

She said both she and Marion Miller, elected to represent the faculty of Fine Arts, were chosen to be senators in the CSU’s elections last March. “We both received the lowest possible sanction under the code of rights and responsibilities related to the 2015 strikes,” she said, adding that an ad hoc committee, a committee formed to resolve an issue with a specific goal, met throughout the summer with faculty and student representatives.

Marshall-Kiparissis said the ad hoc committee was formed after Concordia’s senate voted against the recommendations made by CSU and Concordia administration to grant reprimanded students eligibility at the senate meeting at the end of the last academic year.

She said the recommendation was made in light of her and Miller being appointed on senate. Marshall-Kiparissis said it was approved by six of the nine members of the committee. “Senate passed without any dissent so that was really heartening,” said Marshall-Kiparissis. Marshall-Kiparissis said she is really excited to be able to fulfill the responsibility given to her as the CSU general coordinator.

She said this is the step in the right direction for students, however, although in the CSU’s mind this represents good progress, it’s not quite complete. Kiparissis said CSU council had a mandate last year recognizing the eligibility barriers to students sitting on Concordia’s bodies is not completely in line with the provincial accreditation act concerning student representation of unions.

“We believe it is in our right that any students that the undergraduate constituency deems to be a good representative should be allowed to sit on those bodies without interference from the university,” said Marshall-Kiparissis. “That means we hope in the future independant students will be able to sit on, that even students with conditional standing will be able to sit on, that students are not bound by a more rigid term limits than faculty are.”

The date of the vote was not confirmed before the publication deadline, but those who are interested in viewing the next Board of Governors meeting may attend at the observer’s’ room in H-633-1 of the Hall building on S.G.W. campus at 4 p.m. on Nov 2.

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