Tag: Concordia University

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Canada’s first BioHub opens at Concordia University

District 3’s co-working lab merges science and business

Where can scientists who are looking to bring their research to life go? District 3 has opened a state-of-the-art BioHub at Loyola Campus. The BioHub features wet and dry laboratories and a collaborative working space, with the goal of equipping researchers with the necessary tools for finding their research-market fit.

Based out of Concordia, District 3 offers programs and services for experiential learning. Through a collaborative business model, they aim to foster innovation, form communities, and have a global reach.

“The BioHub was created so that scientists can build their prototypes and products by having access to a state-of-the-art wet lab,” said Xavier-Henri Hervé, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of District 3 Innovation Centre. “Through our programs and coaching, they also gain the knowledge, skills, and network to build a viable business with the potential for global impact in biotech and healthcare.”

Through various programs, such as the Launch & Grow Program, District 3 enables scientific entrepreneurs to build their product, assess their place in the market, and “scale their startup for global impact,” via one-on-one coaching, workshops, and access to labs.

“Many scientists want to have an impact through their research,” said Ana Fernandez, PhD Life Sciences and BioHub Coordinator at the District 3 Innovation Centre. “Entrepreneurship gives them an outlet to have a faster and more direct impact through commercialization of their research.”

Co-founded by Collin Horner and Claudia Penafuerte, Cura Therapeutics is a BioHub startup in the Launch & Grow Program. They are focusing on developing innovative immunotherapies to cure cancer and infectious diseases that prevent relapses and disrupt tumours’ blood supplies.

“[Cura Therapeutics’] technologies harness cytokines to create multi-functional proteins with potent anti-cancer and anti-viral properties,” explained Penafuerte. Cytokines are signaling molecules that regulate immunity by stimulating the movement of cells towards an infected area.

Our Immunotherapy can be used alone or in combination with a wide range of targeted therapies or cell-based therapies” said Penafuerte.

Cura Therapeutics recently announced the closing of their $1.55 million pre-seed financing round. Pre-seed funding, which takes place early on in the stage of product development, is money raised to help develop prototypes of products.

“Building a biotech startup is extremely challenging and requires people with different specialties to succeed,” said Horner. “An ecosystem is everything; having the support from District 3 is invaluable for us.”

Open to all scientific entrepreneurs in Quebec and across Canada, District 3 will help from the beginning of their idea, all the way through to the final stage of building a business with a global impact.

“At District 3, we are building the backend for the burgeoning bioeconomy through collisions with talent, research, government and industry,” said Hervé. “Our vision is for Quebec and Canada to be global leaders in this revolution.”

The BioHub Program begins Oct. 12, 2020. Scientific entrepreneurs completing or holding a Masters, PhD, or Postdoctoral degree in STEM fields can apply at district3.co/program/biohub/.

 

Graphic by Lily Cowper.

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Montreal has the world’s biggest rooftop greenhouse

Lufa Farms opens its fourth rooftop greenhouse in Montreal, which can feed over 10,000 families

Lufa Farms opened its fourth rooftop greenhouse, the biggest in the world, on Aug. 26. The greenhouse is 163,000 square feet — almost three football fields — and is located in the borough of Saint-Laurent.

According to Lufa Farms, the greenhouse is capable of growing enough food for 10,000 families, meaning Lufa Farms can double its production, going from feeding one per cent of Montreal to two per cent.

Adiran Munoz, who is doing a major in Biology and a minor in Sustainability Studies, sees this increase in sustainable food practices as exciting, and he hopes this means that more businesses will invest in this type of agriculture.

Lufa Farms opened its first rooftop greenhouse in 2011 in the borough of Ahuntsic, and at the time it was the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse. Since then, according to Euronews, organizations began building their own rooftop greenhouses — such as American Gotham Greens, who built eight greenhouses in New York City, Chicago, and Denver.

“It’s kinda crazy, I’m actually subscribed to the Lufa Farms food baskets, but I had no idea that they were such a game changer in the rooftop greenhouse world,” said Munoz. He explained that Lufa delivers weekly boxes of local food, and that customers call themselves ‘Lufavores.’

At Lufa Farms, over 100 varieties of vegetables and herbs are grown year-round in hydroponic containers lined with coconut coir and given liquid nutrients to promote growth.

Bumblebees pollinate the plants, while wasps and ladybugs keep aphids in check — without the need for pesticides.

“Growing in a greenhouse means you can use good bugs to fight bad bugs, instead of relying on pesticides,” said Munoz. He explained that this process is called integrated pest management, and that it can’t be used outside a greenhouse because the bugs would simply fly away. “Bugs are an excellent, and overlooked, tool in keeping crops healthy.”

Munoz explained that greenhouses have less food waste than in a normal field setting. This is because the crops aren’t affected by wind, rain, or animals.

“These plants are grown in an environment that is designed to be perfect for their development,” said Munoz.

“It’s an unbelievable step forward for hyper-local, sustainable urban farming,” said Mohamed Hage, co-founder and CEO of Lufa Farms, in a press release regarding the new greenhouse.

“With each greenhouse, we hold ourselves to an ever-higher standard for sustainable design,” said Lauren Rathmell, Co-Founder and Greenhouse Director.

“Our new farm will be the most energy efficient to-date and [will] integrate all our learnings from the last 10 years to responsibly grow more vegetables for Lufavores year-round,” Rathmell said.

“This greenhouse will facilitate residents’ access to local, sustainably-grown products and further promote healthy habits,” said Alan DeSousa, Saint-Laurent’s Mayor. He explains that the greenhouse will combat ‘heat islands,’ which is an area in a city that is significantly hotter than surrounding rural areas due to human activity.

“Honestly I just feel happy that I can say I live in the city with the world’s biggest [rooftop] greenhouse,” said Munoz. He explained that he hopes this inspires people to buy sustainable produce, not just from Lufa Farms, but from local farms and businesses, too.

“I find so many people are talking about climate change, and how they can be sustainable, and the best way you can do that is to buy locally,” said Munoz. “If you buy locally then bigger companies will get the message, and not ship things from across the world.”

 

Photo courtesy of Lufa Farms

Editorial: Feeling disillusioned?

The Other Side was a satire column that frequently appeared in what was then called the Arts and Culture section of The Concordian in 1994. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

This past week has been jam-packed with some hard truths.

On Sept. 16, The Concordian reported that the university will not be complying with the Human Rights Commission’s recommendations regarding the handling of sexual assault complaints. This news is the latest in Concordia’s long and checkered history with the subject of sexual violence on campus.

On Sept. 18, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, died at 87. Naturally, her passing reminds us of her decades-long fight for gender equality, abortion rights, and marriage equality. But Ginsburg’s death has also highlighted her more dubious decisions, such as her vote to allow for the quicker removal of asylum seekers, or her support of the Atlantic Coast pipeline.

On Sept. 20, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced that Montreal has entered the “orange zone,” meaning restrictions due to COVID-19 have been tightened once again. New cases in Quebec have shot up to 637 in a single day, the highest number we’ve seen since May.

On Sept. 23, a U.S. grand jury decided that Kentucky police officers Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove, who fatally shot 26-year-old Black healthcare worker Breonna Taylor, will not be charged with her death. The decision follows months of protests against police violence in both the U.S. and Canada.

On Sept. 28, Quebec Premier François Legault announced that Montreal has entered the “red zone,” meaning restrictions due to COVID-19 have been thoroughly tightened once again. New cases in the province have shot up to 896 in a single day, the highest number we’ve seen since May. On that same day, Concordia announced that the winter term will occur remotely.

Right now, many of us feel disillusioned, discouraged, and downright disappointed.

Concordia is still failing to treat victims of sexual violence with respect; cracks in the legacy of Justice Ginsburg have surfaced; the pandemic is far from over; and injustice continues to sink its teeth into our collective consciousness.

Needless to say, it’s been rough.

Although it may feel like the winds of change have devolved into the breeze of bureaucracy, it’s important to remember the value of resilience. It’s okay to be pissed off, it’s okay to be scared, it’s okay to take a moment to breathe. We’ll pick ourselves back up and keep on moving forward.

 

Photo by Alex Hutchins

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Zoom: a technology unable to replace lecture halls?

This has not been the smoothest start to the fall semester.

Concordia students are divided on the success of Zoom as a medium of instruction, while it has just been announced that remote learning will continue into the winter term.

The majority of courses at Concordia University have been taught online since March 2020, when COVID-19 became a serious public health concern in Montreal. Many students, however, are still having difficulties with adapting to online schooling.

For Alexander Abuzeid, a second-year student in Cell and Molecular Biology, the beginning of the 2020–21 academic year has not been as enjoyable as last year.

“I’d like to focus more on my assignments and new material, instead of worrying about my microphone not working or my Internet connection not being stable enough.”

According to Abuzeid, potential technical difficulties on Zoom are not even the biggest inconvenience.

“Instead of seeing my professor behind the screen, I’d like to be going to class and interacting face-to-face. In Biology, we need hands-on practice to truly master the concepts — and all we’re getting this semester is three in-person bio labs in total. It’s honestly disappointing.”

The lack of human contact was to be expected since the start of the pandemic, in a world where social distancing is necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Allowing all Concordia students to return to campus would go against Quebec’s regulations regarding public gatherings. Following the limit of 250 people would simply force Concordia to prioritize certain faculties over others.

Virtual communication, however, is not a downside for all Concordia students. Civil Engineering student Juanes Lucuara believes that online lectures on Zoom are a better alternative for the same reason: minimal physical interaction.

“Being behind the screen is something that is comforting to a lot of us, since people like me, who are pretty introverted, would rather help out their peers while avoiding real-life contact and the anxiety that comes along with it,” said Lucuara.

Another advantage of Zoom classes is a flexible schedule. Many professors record their Zoom lectures and upload them to Moodle, so that students who missed the live session can view the material when it is most convenient for them. This is particularly useful for international students who are currently living in a different time zone.

At the same time, however, such flexibility may lead to poor planning and a stressful pre-exam period full of lectures that have to be watched last minute.

Lucuara also addressed this issue, saying, “When you have in-person classes, you have more motivation, and a sense of responsibility for attending all your lectures. I don’t want this false feeling of freedom to affect my academic performance.”

Communication Studies student Natalia Camargo, on the other hand, is noticing more limitations than excess freedom.

She believes that Zoom lectures are generally an efficient way of online teaching, but not necessarily for her program.

“Online instruction goes well with theoretical courses, but in Communications, I would need that human interaction with my peers and my professors, let alone having access to professional filming equipment. I hope in-person classes resume in the winter, so that I can produce high-quality content once again!”

Concordia announced Monday that, like fall term, the winter term will take place remotely

 

Photos by Kit Mergaert.

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Tuition fees in the age of Zoom University

Students all over Quebec asking for universities to Lower tuition

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities all over Canada and the world have shifted to online learning.

Multiple petitions to lower the online semester’s tuition at Concordia are making their way through our Facebook feeds.

The first petition, created by Yuvraj Singh Athwal, has a goal of 1,500 signatures, and has around 1,200. The second petition, created by a group of anonymous Concordia Students, has a goal of 1,000 signatures, and currently has around 700.

Due to this very necessary shift into the online world, students have lost in-person access to many resources which, for many, are a crucial part of the typical university experience.

Athwal, the organizer of the ‘Reduce tuition fees due to online classes’ petition, explains in the description, “None of the students are using any of the university resources including libraries, labs etc. Also, the learning experience with online classes is not even comparable to that with in-person classes which is more dynamic and life-like.”

The second petition remains similar, stating in its description, “This substantial change is having an immense impact on the quality of our education. In-person interactions, facilities and resources represent a great part of our learning experience.”

In-person resources can include library study spaces, clubs, gyms, labs, certain food experiences, and most importantly the social context of university.  However, it is important to note that on certain occasions labs are open, and students can reserve in-person study spaces at the library.

In the petition description, Concordia students go on to say, “Students are required to work from home, in confined spaces where distractions are prominent and exchange of ideas nonexistent.”

Students have written comments on the petition explaining their frustrations with the cost of this unique semester. Student Leila Beyea wrote, “Finding a job during this has been so hard, and I just don’t have $10,000 to spend on a year of school where I don’t even get to meet anyone or see the school.”

In addition to the petition, a class-action lawsuit has been brought forward by the law firm Jean-François Bertrand Avocats Inc., with Claudia Larose, a student at Laval University, as a representative.

According to Flavie Garceau-Bolduc, a lawyer on the case, “[The class-action lawsuit] is a request for a reimbursement of the perceived cost of university for the Winter 2020 semester. The students — when enrolling to courses — had certain expectations in terms of the services they’d have access to. Without going into specifics, this can include libraries, gyms, and study rooms. This also encompasses the social context for which students pay. So when [students] cover their academic costs, it’s not only for classes but for much more than that.”

In its first stages, and still waiting for approval from the Quebec judiciary system, the lawsuit seeks retribution of damages of $30 per credit for each student enrolled in the Winter 2020 semester.

Garceau-Bolduc said, “Instead of each student taking judicial action against universities to ask for reimbursements […] we take on that burden collectively for the students. This avoids overworking the tribunals, but also avoids individual costs for each student looking for retribution of damages. It’s really a procedure which has the objective to give access to justice for all citizens looking to recuperate these damages.”

 

Visuals by Taylor Reddam

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Poli Savvy: “And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to…”

Everything you need to know about the historic Abraham Accords

Number one was for North Korea. Number two was for Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Number three was for Kosovo. In the past few days, the three contentious nominations of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize have been the talk of the town.

Though the US President is by no means guaranteed the prestigious tribute — among hundreds of other nominees, it’s highly unlikely that he will be chosen — this endorsement flared up the controversy leading up to the diplomatic Israel-UAE-Bahrain deal, which was officially signed at the White House on Sept. 15.

Here’s a quick recap of what’s been going on in recent months

Because of past treaties, Israel has retained military control over most of the West Bank. Conveniently labeled areas A, B, and C, three zones have been delineated as the result of decades of war and diplomatic talks. Still, only about 18 per cent of the territory remains entirely in the hands of Palestinian authorities to this day.

In recent years, the Israeli government has been subsidizing the establishment of Jewish communities in the West Bank — the infamous settlements — despite not owning the territory. This has been decried by, well, everyone, for many years, because it blatantly violates international law.

But in 2019, the Trump administration announced it would no longer call the settlements illegal, a major setback for Palestinians, whose fragile sovereignty depends on international recognition.

This isn’t so surprising, though, considering Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friendly relationship, and also as the upshot of Obama’s 2016 agreement to give Israel $38 billion in military aid in the next 10 years.

And then Netanyahu announced he was planning on launching a project to annex parts of the West Bank as soon as July 1, threatening the enactment of the coveted two-state solution.

So … what’s the deal?

Announced in mid-August, the Abraham Accords called for a complete normalization of the diplomatic relationship between Israel and the UAE, with Bahrain joining in soon after.

This means economic and military alliances, embassies in each country, and most importantly, formal acknowledgement of Israel’s sovereignty — something only two other Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, have carried out thus far. In exchange, the Jewish state must suspend its inchoate annexation plan.

In essence, the treaty formalizes Israel’s ties with its neighbours, as the UAE and Bahrain are the first Persian Gulf countries to agree to amicable relations. To some, this was received positively — as long as Israel holds its end of the deal, all three countries will profit economically and effectively avoid conflict.

For others, including many Palestinians and Bahrainis, it means betrayal; as more Arab states normalize their ties with Israel, they are forfeiting their fraternal support for the Palestinian cause in favour of financial gain.

Since Netanyahu has shown no desire to bring an end to his settlement projects or to his plan for future annexation, many are feeling helpless in a decades-long fight against Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

Annexation or not, the plight of those living in the West Bank will remain unresolved. Experts haven’t been wrong in calling this accord historical, but only time will tell if it lives up to the title of peace deal — and if it would even entitle Trump a seat at the Nobel Peace Prize winners’ table.

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A Shuffle to remember

Concordia’s annual fundraiser takes on a new virtual reality with stride

Rather than the usual collective walk from Sir George Williams campus to Loyola that has been custom for 30 years at the Shuffle, participants are now being asked to enjoy this tradition by walking in their own neighborhoods.

Alexandra Louridas, the development officer for community programs, explained to The Concordian that instead of taking place on the last day of September in accordance with previous years, “this year the Shuffle is actually lasting an entire week, with an outline of activities planned on our Facebook page. It’s amazing to see how all the Shufflers and the organizing team have adapted to the virtual reality of the event.”

The Shuffle, a Concordia tradition since 1990, brings in money for bursaries and scholarships. Louridas said, “in the past couple of years, we have Shuffle teams who are created and raised funds to create new awards, but also to support various student services at the University.”

In this less structured fundraiser, organizers have had to find ways to track people’s progress and donations.

Thanks to the online tool “Strava,” “[participants] can login into Strava accounts using their Shuffle page, and they can log their kilometres travelled on their personal fundraising page. So it’s really a great way to add that exercise and difficult activity element to the fundraising element,” said Louridas.

The Garnet Key Society, a group of highly academic students that are endorsed by the university’s president. Being a part of this society is described on their webpage as, “the highest honour which may be bestowed upon an undergraduate.” As such, they are enthusiastic participants in the Shuffle.

Gabriele Zambito, a student at Concordia and a proud member of The Garnet Key Society, is very excited to participate in this year’s Shuffle.

“It’s something we always do because we’re raising money for [any] undergraduate student who is remarkable, doing really well in school. Someone who kind of embodies what it means to be a Garnet Key,” he said.

With community engagement as a priority for the student society, Garnet Key has pledged to raise $500.

“We really wanna push community involvement because it’s something that we care about … so we set a goal of $500 for ourselves this year, and already we’ve surpassed it. We’re nearly at $1000,” said Zambito.

Although students won’t all be walking together, this fundraiser is about community and supporting one another. Louridas made sure Shufflers have a way of doing just that, saying, “Students and all Shufflers are invited to post pictures of their Shuffle and their walk to our Facebook Shuffle page. All you really have to do is use the #CUshuffle, and tag us @ConcordiaShuffle. So this is a great way to interact virtually with every participant in this year’s event.”

Pledging to supply us with daily stories, The Garnet Key Society is keen to share ‘walking stories’ with the various hashtags.

“We’re gonna be wearing our masks, not just because it’s mandatory, but also to set out a good image, and encourage people to wear their masks,” said Zambito.

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New services at the library to help student survive through their online semester

Librarians do their best to give students the resources they need

Just like the students, Concordia’s libraries have had to adapt to life during the pandemic.

“I think the access to collections was a huge change we implemented when we realized the library wouldn’t be open to users anytime soon,” said Lorie Kloda, who works in the offices at the university’s library.

She and her colleague Krista Alexander, reference and subject librarian at the Vanier Library, shared new strategies they set up to support students throughout the semester.

 

Study spaces 

Philosophy student Andrew Wilcox was disappointed when he learned the library would be closed during his first year at Concordia.

“Hopefully, for the next semester we will have access to it,” he said.

Wilcox also mentioned the importance of having study spaces for students in need. Students were unaware that the university was already working on reopening some study spaces for individual study. The information was launched on the Concordia Library website on Sept. 14.

“The study spaces will need to be reserved in advance under very specific guidelines and we will have very limited numbers of spots,” explained Kloda.

“We usually have, at the Webster and Vanier libraries combined, up to 15,000 visitors a day during exam periods, for example. Right now, we are offering 125 seats at the Webster library and 50 seats at Vanier, so it’s a huge reduction,” she said.

The reservation works on a first-come-first-served basis; students will have three hours and thirty minutes, and must wear a mask throughout their study session. Respecting the sanitary instructions, a cleaning crew will sanitize every study space in between the blocks of time proposed.

“The students still won’t have access to the [physical] collection … There are no devices, no computers, and no other services offered on-site,” said Kloda.

 

Online resources

Even if most of the libraries’ areas are closed, employees are organizing themselves to make sure students have the best possible experience during the semester.

“Funding is still being used to improve and enhance library services for students. It’s not because the physical space isn’t open that we are not still working for students,” said Kloda.

After a presentation of the services available, Wilcox had a clearer vision.

“They are trying to do their job to accommodate us the best they can, but it isn’t an ideal situation,” he said.

For a face-to-face, real-time interaction, there is an online service where students can video call the librarian and ask questions Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since students can’t access the physical collection, there is a contact-less book pick-up service.

“If a student only needs a book chapter or a journal article … a member of the library’s team … will go into the physical collection, make a scan and send it to the student’s email,” explained Alexander. “Those services were in place before COVID and have become even more important now in terms of getting the students the access they need to the content we have in the collection,” she added.

 

Restrictions

The librarians do their best to get all the textbooks online, but not all book publishers allow libraries to offer a multi-user electronic copy of a textbook. Copyright laws make it also impossible for the librarians to scan all of certain items in the collection.

“The minute [a student] starts asking for more chapters, even if [they do] it in different weeks, it’s copyright laws, and they do not permit us to do it even during COVID,” said Kloda.

There have been corrections made. Krista Alexander corrected from Alexandre, Lorie Kloda corrected from Kolda, weekly question session times changed from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The Concordian apologizes for these mistakes.

Photo by Christine Beaudoin

“A safe space to learn and grow:” an interview with Alina Murad of PoliticalThot

 Political podcaster Alina Murad talks social justice, Concordia, and getting involved in activism

Alina Murad is a Concordia student and the host of “PoliticalThot,” a political explainer and interview podcast with a specific focus on systemic and institutional racism and xenophobia. The first five episodes are available on Spotify, and the most recent two are in video format on Instagram. I spoke to her via video call on Friday.

What prompted you to start your own podcast? 

I’ve always been a pretty politically involved person, but one day I was in class and learned something that really pissed me off, so I went on Instagram and I took a selfie, captioned it “political thot of the day” and just, like, did a rant, and I got a bunch of responses. Positive, negative, I got some threats, it was a whole mixed bag of things. And I realized, like, I actually have a lot of thoughts here that need a platform, so why not make a podcast?

So now that you have that platform, who are you speaking to?

It’s geared toward millennials, young people, primarily, but focused on people of colour. And the reason for that is the topics my podcast deals with — racism, xenophobia — this isn’t the first time people have heard about them, but a lot of the time the way these topics are dealt with doesn’t keep in mind that they are sensitive and emotional and triggering, especially for people of colour. So I am keeping in mind that these topics are sensitive … It’s primarily a safe space to learn and grow.

I definitely get that impression listening to it — often political podcasts tend to be more news-focused, analyzing specific current events as they occur, but PoliticalThot seems broader in scope. During this time of the 24/7 news cycle, what role do you see your podcast playing in the political media landscape?

I’m actually really glad that you asked this question, and especially that you mentioned the 24/7 news cycle. While it’s so important to keep up to date with news, the way that the news is dealing with reporting, it’s often very sensationalized. And most media outlets will not show you what’s happening behind the scenes, they’re not going to say “hey, here’s the reason for all of these xenophobic behaviours we’ve been seeing.” So PoliticalThot deals with things more broadly in the hopes that it’ll help people to analyze more news, more everyday situations.

Likewise, your most recent episode was a three-parter on anti-Blackness at Concordia. Alongside checking out that episode, what do you think Concordia students should be considering about this institution as we start our classes this year?

There’s so much to consider. I find it really interesting because part of the appeal, to me at least, of Concordia was that it’s this integrated campus in the city, and the facade they give off in their advertising is “oh we want you to get involved in the community, give back, get involved with politics, get involved with social justice,” but they have a very long line of “political incidents,” if you will – good and bad – that they cover up. So the first thing I’d say is to do your research, learn the history. The computer riots, the bomb threat in the EV building three years ago that was targeting Muslim students, the sexual assaults that still haven’t been properly dealt with. And the second thing is to really actively bring pro-Blackness into our institution. Because more times than not, Canadian institutions will inherently be anti-Black. So pay attention to Black scholars, Black activists– and not just on Instagram! Read books written by Black Canadian authors like Robyn Maynard and be aware of the racism disguising itself as credibility in academia. Actively seeking pro-Black information and materials and bringing them into the institution is so important.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take action on social justice issues but might be afraid to get started?

It’s definitely a scary thing to put yourself out there, but I think the one thing to keep in mind is that everyone is learning, and making a mistake isn’t the bad part, the bad part is not taking accountability, not fixing it, not learning from it. That’s all we can ask, right? For people to learn, to try, to grow. And if you’re gut-wrenchingly terrified of doing something, I’m sure you can find friends that also want to try and get involved — you’ll have friends who might already be involved. Just ask people. That’s honestly one of the best things about social justice work, it’s the humanity. It takes a village to do anything, and when you trust people and you put faith in people, people are good.

 

Graphic Courtesy of Alina Murad

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Students express their worries and excitement about the new semester

New and returning students chime in on what they think about online classes

Students from all backgrounds are facing challenges and advantages as the new online semester starts. Some feel isolated, while others enjoy sitting in bed during their lectures.

“A big part of university is the social aspect,” said Leigha Brett, a first-year Human Environment student. Brett is not only a new student, but also new to Montreal. “I’ll miss out on clubs and sports, I was hoping to get involved in that. I don’t know anybody, so it’ll be lonely behind the screen.”

Brett said that Concordia has offered online Zoom orientation for new students, but because of her work hours she was unable to attend.“That’s about it, they haven’t done much else,” said Brett, yet she admits she doesn’t see how the university could have done more for new students.

On Concordia’s website, there are lists of resources and a guide for new students, but Brett said that she finds the Concordia website confusing and difficult to navigate. Brett also feels that tuition remaining the same is ridiculous.“You are missing out on so much, so we should pay less,” she said. Some students are choosing not to return until classes are in-person once again.

“Working from home is really hard for some students,” said William Berger, a Fine Arts student. Berger decided not to take classes this semester as the art studios he relies on are closed. “It’s really hard to work alone at home, and over time it impacted my mood,” said Berger.

While Berger understands that the university had to close, he does hope that the university will figure out a way to have the art studios open in a safe way.

“Arts students need to have proper space and tools to work with,” he said. Other students are anticipating the switch to online courses will be positive.

“I love that I can sleep in and do my lectures at my pace, in my pajamas at home,” said Céleste Desrosiers, a second year student in Kinesiology and Clinical Exercise Physiology (KCEP). “I can rewatch [lectures] to review, or if I didn’t catch something.”

Desrosiers said that last semester her labs were put online, but now they are back in-person with small groups of students.

“The only impact is not having access to the learning lab where we practice with tools outside of lab hours with peers,” she said.

Desrosiers said that part of her feels that it is unfair that Concordia is charging the same tuition, as resources like the library will be closed. Yet she also feels that the university has most likely spent resources moving everything online and ensuring student safety.

Regarding online classes affecting grades, Desrosiers said she is only worried about online monitored exams.

“I am nervous that the system will think I am cheating even though I am not, for example if I look away just to think or if I go to the bathroom,” Desrosiers said. She expressed concern that this worry will make her lose focus during her exams.

Desrosiers said the best thing new students, or students that are feeling isolated, can do is to make a Facebook group with people in their program.“To help answer questions and to fill the social void we are all feeling,” she said.

 

Photo by Kit Mergaert

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Student Life

Concordia, I love you, but you’re bringing me down

Concordia’s new online system glosses over student needs

Concordia is asking students to invest in a community which has largely abandoned lofty goals of equitable access, in favour of a new remote model which fails to meet student needs.

When the pandemic began, I didn’t have a lot of time on my hands, and I certainly didn’t have a lot of resources to manage my mental health. I was working part-time as a barista near campus, attending school full-time, and struggling to balance a relationship and extracurriculars on top of it all. I honestly hadn’t heard about COVID-19 until it came up in a class discussion about whether we would be transitioning to online classes. To say it was a wake-up call is an understatement.

In the months that followed, I would lose my barista job, end my relationship, my internship would be cancelled, and plans for a summer directed study with my favourite professor would disappear with the melting snow. My life, previously entirely defined by school, my work, and my relationships with my peers and mentors, has completely changed; and I’m not the only one. COVID-19 has had far reaching impacts on every aspect of life, including the mental health of staff and students alike.

Concordia has made a lot of promises since the pandemic hit, jumping into action with a public relations response that has left many feeling disappointed with the reality of online classes as the fall semester begins. Access has become a positive buzzword that many universities have been utilizing to frame this transition to digital learning — but what is access, really?

Access can be understood as the absence of barriers; it is active in its commitment to enabling success through resolving conflicts with diverse strategies. What does access look like in an academic institution? This is a question universities have been struggling to address since long before the pandemic began.

Concordia has always had issues with creating access. Concordia’s Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) is designed to aid this problem, but there are barriers to the average student’s ability to become registered with the centre. The ACSD requires official documentation for medical conditions, mental health conditions, attention deficit disorder, and learning disabilities. Many Concordia students come from outside of the province or country, and do not have access to their family doctor. Students are encouraged to use Health Services, but wait times create barriers to getting the assistance and support they need. In an emergency, students can pay out of pocket to visit a local doctor, but that creates an additional financial barrier to getting the support needed.

I am lucky to have had a diagnosis for my mental illnesses before coming to Concordia, and registering with the ACSD was relatively easy. The ACSD guarantees a certain level of support and protection, but the process of registering, on top of struggling with school work and the additional stress of being in crisis can create additional inhibitors to success. While the university continues to pilot programs intended to support students, they do not have the capacity to support the sheer number of students that require assistance. I fear for the possibility of how students will be impacted by this lack of mental health resources, and the ways in which remote learning will absolve Concordia’s responsibility to student’s mental health.

Administrative response to the rising pressure to reduce tuition fees and address issues of fiscal access was the introduction of Concordia’s COVID-19 Student Emergency Relief Fund. Concordia invested $1 million to create this fund, though, given the university had 46,000 students in the 2019-2020 annual year, this would be equivalent to roughly $21.74 per student. The school is encouraging donations from the community to support this fund, while the university president receives a salary equivalent to the Prime Minister of Canada.

The official administrative response to general inquiry into the preservation of regular tuition fees is that remote courses are being designed to “the highest possible pedagogical standards” and that students will have access to academic advising and one-on-one mentoring, resources which were available prior to COVID-19.

Remote access is theoretically liberating, but the reality of virtual learning is much more complex than what the university administration is addressing. How are students with inadequate access to wifi supposed to access course materials? How is Concordia supporting the many students who cannot afford rent and no longer have a designated learning space? What about parents struggling to manage the responsibilities of their own education while homeschooling their children? What is Concordia doing to incorporate these access needs into the university’s “high pedagogical standards?”

Myself, like a number of other students, considered not returning to school this year. I considered the possibility of taking time off from school, focusing on work, but unfortunately this is not a reality I can afford; I do not have a choice. Concordia is reliant on students like me to continue enrolling so that the school can pay its necessary fees and salaries. I’d be happy to continue contributing to supporting my community, if only I felt more valued rather than a resentful prisoner to the new order of things. It’s possible to have successful remote learning, but the plans put forward by Concordia do not warrant the claim of “accessibility” that the administration is purporting.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion @the.beta.lab

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Concordia Student Union News

Concordia’s online fee-levy opt-outs delayed to Winter 2021

Concordia administration plans to disregard some recommendations made by fee-levy groups

Concordia University’s online fee-levy opt-out system is delayed until January 2021, with the administration looking to implement changes that veers away from recommendations made by fee-levy groups, which are student-run organizations funded by the student population at large.

Concordia Student Union (CSU) Student Life Coordinator Eduardo Malorni, who is currently communicating with the administration regarding the new system, told The Concordian two of the six recommendations made by fee-levy groups will not be followed as written, with “four of them being followed more or less.”

Fee-levy organizations are elected by students through a CSU referendum to receive funding from the student population. The organizations provide a variety of different services for students, including food services like free meals and groceries; environmental, gender and advocacy centers; and student media organizations like The Concordian, The Link, and CJLO. They are not clubs, but function independently from the CSU. The majority of groups charge less than $0.40 per credit. 

Last year, the CSU held a referendum on the implementation of an online opt-out system. A majority 61.1 per cent of the student population voted in favour of a system that would be “created in consultation with all fee-levy organizations,” according to the “Fee-Levy Consultation Report.” The report was drafted by a CSU committee as per mandated by the referendum.

The fee-levy organizations outlined six recommendations for the online opt-out process.

According to Malorni, the first recommendation rejected by the Concordia administration is that students be required to read comprehensive descriptions of the groups they want to opt out of before being presented with a legal letter describing exactly which services they are agreeing to lose. For example, if a student wants to opt out of paying fees for People’s Potato, they will first need to read a description of its mandate and services, followed by a legal letter confirming the loss of said services, i.e. free meals and emergency food baskets.

“This process will exist for every group in order to give them a fair chance to showcase what they do and provide to the Concordia community,” reads the recommendation in the report.

Instead, the administration plans to implement a system that provides a general legal letter that applies to all fee-levy groups. Malorni said the letter would be presented before students even select which groups they want to opt out of and before they have the chance to read their descriptions.

The second recommendation Concordia University plans not to follow, according to Malorni, is that every fee-levy group description should include “an external link to learn even more about the group.”

“[Concordia] said they did not feel comfortable having links going outside of the Concordia domain,” said Malorni.

The link would only work if the group was on the Concordia University domain. There is no information as of yet if the administration will create or update existing webpages for each fee-levy group on the Concordia website.

According to Malorni, the groups will also have “only a few paragraphs” to describe what their organization does for the Concordia community, rather than the comprehensive descriptions requested by fee-levy groups.

Malorni will bring up these stipulations during a CSU council meeting next Wednesday, in which it will be determined whether “council still feels comfortable moving forward … knowing that the recommendations they specified aren’t 100 per cent being followed.”

Malorni told The Concordian the next CSU council meeting will be on Sept. 16. Fee-levy group members are encouraged to come to the council meeting to discuss their concerns.

A controversial process

The former General Coordinator Christopher Kalafatidis ran for CSU council on the “Cut the Crap” slate that included the online fee-levy opt-out system in 2019.

The “Fee Levy Consultation Report” was presented by Kalafatidis, who was now a councillor, in a CSU council meeting on June 10. A majority voted to have the university’s administration develop the online opt-out system.

Several fee-levy groups said they felt the consultation process with the CSU was insufficient.

Emma Campbell, Internal Coordinator of the Concordia Food Coalition, expressed concern about a system that does not provide sufficient information about what fee-levy organizations do.

“Ethical responsibility towards other students may be removed if students are able to go in and click all of the fee-levies that they want to be removed from without necessarily knowing what the fee-levies do or how this will impact other students,” Campbell said, citing the weekly emergency food baskets provided to Concordia students by groups such as the Concordia Food Coalition, Frigo Vert, and People’s Potato.

“I also fully understand students who are extremely financially strapped and who need to opt out for these very real and personal reasons that affect many disadvantaged students,” added Campbell.

In May, CSU councillor Margot Berner received a slew of documents revealing Kalafatidis had begun the opt-out system with the administration long before he consulted with fee-levy groups.

Berner accused Kalafatidis of not doing enough to include the input of fee-levy groups.

“I think that the content of those emails showed that the fee-levies were not as involved in the process as establishing online opt-out as Chris was leading everyone to believe,” said Berner. “I think it was a failure to do the work that he was mandated to do.”

Kalafatidis said he was only having conversations with the university because he claims the administration “might have gone ahead and created the system without my input.” He added that he gave the fee levy groups “weeks” to fulfill the consultation process, which took the form of a CSU survey distributed via Google Docs.

“I think there was more than enough input. We created, I think it was a 40-60 page document, containing the input of every fee-levy group that contacted the CSU,” said Kalafaditis on whether he sufficiently consulted the fee-levies. The “Fee Levy Consultation Report” was 44 pages.

“We actually used the feedback to heavily modify the online opt-out system proposal,” said Kalafaditis.

Francella Fiallos, station manager at CJLO, Concordia University’s campus radio station, said she was disappointed with the consultation process.

“They had a detailed plan as to how the online opt-out process would look well before fee-levy groups were even talked to, so it just showed that the consultation was not even going to be respected,” said Fiallos on the documents Berner brought to light.

“We submitted our concerns of having a formal consultation process replaced by a Google Doc,” Fiallos continued. “That report kind of doesn’t really have an accurate comprehensive view of how fee-levy groups feel.”

For the fall, fee-levy organizations have agreed to implement the same opt-out procedure they had during the summer, which required students to contact the groups they wish to opt out of directly.

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