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Concordia Student Union

CSU Positions Book expiry

A referendum question was passed for the points in the position book to expire after four years

A referendum question was put on the ballot at the Concordia Student Union (CSU) meeting on Jan. 27 to remove the recent expiry date on positions in the CSU’s Positions Book.

Back in February 2020, a different referendum question passed, giving all positions in the book a four-year expiry date. This referendum question caused a lot of controversy, including a campaign against it, called Vote NO to ‘Democratise’ Positions Book.

A positions book is a common practice in student unions: it is an outline of the unions’ position on political, social, and student-life issues. The CSU’s positions book varies from points such as the CSU being against unpaid internships to the CSU being against racism in all forms. 

Referendums are held throughout the year, and students can add questions to the ballot as long as they gain more than 500 signatures from other Concordia students and present the question to the CSU. Then, it is voted on during the student election, and if it passes, the CSU is mandated to implement it. The next referendum is from March 16 to 18.

The four-year expiry date was brought to referendum by former councilor Danielle Vandolder-Beaudin, who tried to have a similar motion passed in 2019. According to an article in The Link, it would have revoked over 50 positions in the book, such as freedom of expression and Indigenous solidarity.

“This document represents our political beliefs, and this represents our student body. In 10 years, maybe that won’t be a general statement. We can’t assume things like that,” said Vandolder-Beaudin in the 2020 meeting.

Other counselors did not agree with the referendum question, such as former councilor Hannah Jamet-Lange, who said she did not believe that issues such as feminism and Indigenous solidarity should be regularly voted on.

During the recent CSU meeting, there was a similar divide in reference to the new referendum question that would stop the four-year expiry date. 

Many councilors saw the four-year expiry date as a way to keep the position book updated and focused. While others, such as Harrison Kirshner and S Shivaane who presented the motion, saw this as a way to undermine minority groups in Concordia.

In the general election this past fall, students voted on 19 referendum questions, several being for the positions book: Indigenous rights, Anti-racism/Diversity and inclusion, and Antisemitism/Holocaust denial positions. All position questions passed with an overwhelming majority vote.

“We have heard this is a problem from many, many students,” said Kirshner at the CSU meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27, explaining that many students were surprised the CSU didn’t already support these positions.

“It’s not a good look to say we’re fighting for Indigenous issues every four years,” said Academic and Advocacy Coordinator Sarah Mazhero, agreeing with Kirshner that constantly voting on positions can imply the CSU is questioning their legitimacy.

Councillor James Hanna believes that he has a way to please both sides when it comes to the four-year expiry date.

“I’d much rather prefer the position book to be transformed into something that is binding so the CSU can actually accomplish it,” said Hanna.

He explained that his current idea is to have open-ended headers, such as Indigenous solidarity and climate change. These headers would be permanent, creating an outline of how the CSU should take action.

Under these headers would be things such as actions that should be taken by the university, and organizations to support. These positions would expire after four years, as they change in relevance to the overarching issue.

While the policy committee will work on potentially implementing Hanna’s idea, students will vote on the positions book question during the spring election in March.

 

Logo courtesy of the Concordia Student Union.

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Concordia Student Union News

Anonymous council members accuse CSU Executives of power grab

Misrepresentation, inter-faculty tension and lack of transparency in next by-elections according to anonymous council members.

In an anonymous statement to The Concordian, a group of Concordia Student Union (CSU) councillors is accusing some executive CSU members of trying to increase the executive team’s power while fostering a culture of inter-faculty tension with the referendum question titled Council Change as its tool.

According to the statement, not enough students chose to run for the CSU. However, instead of focusing on mass outreach on campus to promote involvement, the CSU implied that conflict between faculties is the source of that issue.

The question, previously named Faculty Equality, suggests a restructuring of the council by reducing the number of councillors from 30 to 16. At the moment, 13 seats are allocated for Arts and Science students, seven for JMSB students, five Engineering and Computer Science students, three for Fine Arts students and two for independent students as voted by the CSU on Oct. 23.

The new structure would allow only three councillors for every faculty plus one for independent students. Arts and Sciences will be divided into two separate faculties.

“More councillors just means more chaos. And chaos is inefficient,” wrote CSU President Chris Kalafatidis in a message to The Concordian. “Chaos means not being able to hold the Executive accountable.”

But the anonymous statement claimed that having fewer councillors translates to fewer opportunities for students to get involved in university politics, a lack of efficiency within the CSU and a lack of accountability on the Executive.

“Currently, the CSU has approximately 15 committees which all hold about four to five seats each. A reduction to 20 councillors may lead to a lack in quality, efficiency and impactful work,” read the statement. “This is immensely detrimental for students as these committees provide funding and services to the undergraduate body.”

As for accountability of the Executive team, the statement refers to this situation as “unfair distribution of power,” and says it would not properly represent the student’s interests. Kalafatidis thinks otherwise.

“The current council requires JMSB, Gina Cody, Fine Arts and independent students to strictly rely on the Arts and Science coalition to get anything done,” Kalafatidis said. “The current council only represents Arts and Science.”

However, seats are allocated proportionally to the number of students in each faculty. Arts and Science has a bigger representation as they form almost 50 per cent of Concordia’s student body.

The statement also accused the CSU president of trying to “gerrymander Council and make it seem socially acceptable by adding the word ‘equality’” in the question. The referendum question was renamed Council Change by the CSU.

Second chance for two by-election candidates

After the last CSU’s general elections, Danielle Vandolder-Beaudin was disqualified for asking students to vote for her slate, Cut the Crap. As a punishment, she could not run again in any CSU elections for a period of one year. However, the Judicial Board reversed that decision according to Kalafatidis.

A few months later during the summer, Selena Mezher, elected CSU Sustainable Coordinator last general elections, left the country which resulted in many reactions. One of the anonymous councillors said that Mezher failed to advise the CSU that she would be leaving and ignored everyone’s attempts to contact her which resulted in a defunct resignation. However, Kalafatidis said that Mezher committed no offences or violations, and never took any pay from the CSU.

A few months later, the two are running as CSU councillors in the by-elections which began on Nov. 12.

The anonymous councillors are requesting that previously disqualified or fired members wishing to run for CSU positions must include a disclosure on their ballots about the date and nature of the offence for all CSU elections.

“We believe that all students should have the right to participate in student life, however, being transparent and assuming responsibility for their actions is a good start towards accountability, something we value as councillors,” read the statement.

A motion will be voted at the CSU council meeting on Nov. 13 to set rules on penalties for candidates that previously committed offences. If passed, candidates will be forced to disclose those offences on ballots.

 

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU coordinators issued formal warnings

Archive photo by Nelly Serandour-Amar.

General coordinator and finance coordinator accepted gifts: CSU council

The Concordia Student Union council issued formal warnings to CSU general coordinator Omar Riaz and finance coordinator Soulaymane El Alaoui during a regular council meeting on Sept. 20. The council learned the two coordinators were given plane tickets to Vancouver by Lev Bukhman, the CEO of Alliance pour la Santé Étudiante au Québec (ASEQ), which is the CSU’s insurance provider.

The CSU coordinators did not report the gifts to councillors in their executive report of the Student Union Development Summit (SUDS) conference that they attended at the University of British Columbia from Aug. 18 to 21.

According to CSU councillor and signing officer Rowan Gaudet—who motioned for the formal warning—the coordinators should have called a special council meeting in the summer to ask if they could accept the gifts, as per a motion passed by the council on Feb. 8, 2017.

Gaudet and fellow signing officer Rory James knew about the trip, but never got to sign off on cheques for plane tickets. “To go to B.C., I was assuming they hadn’t hitchhiked, therefore flights would be necessary [and] there were no flights expenses to the CSU,” Gaudet said.

According to Gaudet, ASEQ, also known as StudentCare, offered CSU coordinators plane tickets for the same event last year, but the coordinators refused.

The February 2017 motion read that “should the CSU or its coordinators be offered any benefits or gift […] the council will have final approval as to whether it can be accepted or not.”

Gaudet told The Concordian that “according to Quebec law, they have to declare any gifts from corporations they represent.” ASEQ renewed its contract with the CSU, worth about nine or 10 million dollars, on April 12, 2017.

“It’s absolutely a motion we didn’t oversight,” El Alaoui argued. The CSU finance coordinator said he didn’t consider the plane tickets to be a gift.

Riaz and El Alaoui have 90 days to individually pay the CSU back the cost of the flights and of a meal in Vancouver, according to the motion. The finance coordinator said this amounts to about $900 each.

“When we accepted the flights, it was an opportunity that we saw to reduce the cost of going to the conference because, at the end of the day, all these costs the CSU would have paid for anyway,” El Alaoui said.

During the council meeting, signing officer James told the council that Riaz and El Alaoui’s recommendation to bring health insurance services in-house—meaning creating a space for ASEQ services on-campus—would necessitate a “transactional relationship” between ASEQ and the CSU.

CSU general coordinator Omar Riaz and finance coordinator Soulaymane El Alaoui issued formal warnings by CSU council for accepting gifts. Photo by Etienne Lajoie

“If they receive the benefit of this company, they shouldn’t be involved in the future with this company: negotiations, contracts, nothing,” James told the council. “Regardless of what happened in the past, [going] forward they cannot negotiate on our behalf.”

According El Alaoui, a lot of students are unaware that they have an insurance plan as part of their fee-levies.

“There are 20,000 students enrolled in the health and dental plan. A lot of people that are enrolled are having difficulties and they come to [the CSU] reception to ask questions, but because the receptionists are not the frontline customer service providers, they have to redirect them to [ASEQ’s] customer service on the phone,” Riaz explained. The CSU general coordinator said that is why in-house ASEQ services would facilitate the procedure.

The contract signed by the CSU with ASEQ in April allows the union to bring some of the insurance company’s responsibilities in-house, according to El Alaoui. The CSU finance coordinator explained during the council meeting that one of the goals of the visit to UBC was to see how UBC’s Alma Mater Society (AMS)—the university’s equivalent of the CSU—operated ASEQ’s services in-house.

Riaz told The Concordian he and El Alaoui arrived in Vancouver on the evening of Aug. 15 to meet AMS executives.

El Alaoui explained that a meeting is scheduled on Sept. 26 where he, Riaz, Gaudet and James will discuss how the two CSU coordinators will move forward if they can’t be in contact with ASEQ.

Other points of contention

The paid flights were not the only problems Gaudet and James addressed at the council meeting. They also took issue with Riaz and El Alaoui’s report about the SUDS conference.

“A lot of points were just three or four lines. I expect that you should get details out of this conference.”

Riaz explained the report was only to present recommendations to the council.

Gaudet also criticized Riaz and El Alaoui’s use of the Health and Dental Plan Premiums budget line for the trip’s expenses, arguing that “this [was] not just an expense line to just incur expenses for the trip.”

El Alaoui later told The Concordian that the money was put there as a holding because he didn’t have the authority to create a budget line without council’s approval.

“Since there’s [no line for the budget] and those costs were already coming in, we put it in Health and Dental Plan Premiums because it’s related to [that], and the [expenses] are not going to stay there,” El Alaoui stressed.

In addition, Gaudet was critical of a section in Riaz and El Alaoui’s report called “Number of execs.” In it, the two coordinators wrote that they “realized that the CSU is the only [union] with a large, even number of executives.” The report continued to say that the “main issue brought up with having an even number of executives is that [fewer decisions] can actually be made” because of the increased likelihood of a tie during votes.

Gaudet also took issue with El Alaoui’s arguments regarding the high number of executives at the CSU. “Technically the CSU could function no problem without a Loyola coordinator or without a sustainability coordinator,” Gaudet told the council. “But we’re greatly advantaged by having someone whose sole focus is sustainability [or] the Loyola campus.”

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ASFA passes anti-racism motion, appoints new member

Member association representatives photographed at ASFA meeting held on the seventh floor of the Hall building. Photo by Ana Hernandez

ASFA hires new vice president of communications and promotions and presents two motions

The Arts and Sciences Federation of Associations (ASFA) hired a new vice-president of communications and promotions during their first council meeting of the winter semester. The council also passed an anti-racism position motion and a motion to support those who menstruate.

The council meeting took place in the Hall building on Jan. 12. The ASFA vice-president of internal affairs, Julia Sutera Sardo, submitted and presented the anti-racism motion. It passed with supporting votes from all member associations (MAs).

“The anti-racist position motion requires ASFA to recognize the influence of colonialism, discrimination and systemic racism that has and continues to happen to this day to black, [and] indigenous people of color (POC),” said Sutera Sardo.

ASFA president Andrea Krasznai photographed on left. Photo by Ana Hernandez

In addition, the motion calls for ASFA to value the outlooks, experiences and identities of black and indigenous POC. “Be it further resolved that the ASFA condemn any and all forms of oppression, and be a voice for and an ally to individuals who experience marginalization,” said Sutera Sardo during council. The motion would require the association to support a safer, all-inclusive campus for those of any religion or culture—while holding Concordia administration to an equal standard, as written in the motion.

Furthermore, the motion acknowledges that ASFA currently commences council meetings by acknowledging Concordia University is located on Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) land. The motion encourages the association to continue this formal land recognition at the beginning of each meeting.

The second motion, the Support for Individuals that Menstruate Position Motion, was also submitted and presented by Sutera Sardo. It requests that ASFA finance and supply feminine products in all MA offices for students in need. Sutera Sardo said that ASFA, an organization which represents more than 20,000 students, many of whom experience menstruation, may not have the funds or means to acquire feminine hygiene products. She said this is especially prominent at the Loyola Campus, which is located in an area where it is not as easy to acquire these products, as pharmacies are not close by.

“Be it resolved that the ASFA recognize the experiences of individuals who menstruate and actively take actions to alleviate the barriers that they face,” said Sutera Sardo.

In Sutera Sardo’s motion, she requested that ASFA create a permanent “Feminine Hygiene Products” budget line within the Advocacy Committee budget, allocating $2,000 to the purchasing of a variety of feminine hygiene products for each school year.

“ASFA Advocacy Committee [would] be responsible for making a variety of feminine hygiene products available for free in continuity to its members on both campuses through its downtown and Loyola offices, as well as the offices of its member associations,” said Sutera Sardo.

Christina Massaro, the ASFA vice-president of finance, spoke against the motion. “If you go to Health Services, you can easily get a pack that comes with two tampons and a pad,” Massaro said during council. Those in need of feminine products will think of Health Services before they think to come to ASFA, said Massaro.

In response, Sutera Sardo said she has been approached by some students who said it was easier and more accessible to go to a MA office, rather than Health Services. “If you’re on the 12th floor of [the Hall building], it’s easier to go to either the Geography Undergraduate Student Society or the Political Science Students’ Association and get yourself a pad and tampon,” said Sutera Sardo. “You can’t necessarily run to Health Services.”

Sutera Sardo said Health Services has run out of these supplies before and for someone in need on the Loyola campus, it is harder to find feminine products close by.

The motion was not fully passed, but the motion was tweaked so that MAs, councillors and executives would agree that ASFA should recognize the barriers people who menstruate may face.

Sutera Sardo told The Concordian the $2,000 ASFA would be budgeting towards the initiative discussed will be on hold until the next ASFA council meeting in February. By then, a plan for how to distribute the supplies from MA offices will be determined.

Sutera Sardo told The Concordian ASFA appointed Georgios Simeonidis as an independant councillor during council.

ASFA went into closed session for the hiring of ASFA vice-president of communications and promotions, and the details of the deliberations were not disclosed. However, ASFA president Andrea Krasznai told The Concordian the position will be filled by Paula Monroy, an undergraduate from the urban studies program.

Krasznai mentioned that, during the closed session, there was a motion passed concerning the general elections. “All I know right now is that we’re going to have the general elections between March 1 and 31,” she said. The general elections will be held to choose the incoming ASFA executives and independent councillors for the 2017-2018 school year.

ASFA’s next council meeting will be held on Feb. 9 held in Hingston Hall, Wing HC, Room 155 on Loyola campus.

The Concordian has updated this article for accuracy purposes. We apologize and deeply regret the error.

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Breaking down byelections

Photo by Madelayne Hajek
Photo by Madelayne Hajek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU fills vacant Board of Governors spot

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.

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Concordia Student Union appoints senators, senior positions

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.

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU backs CUTV and Juripop with $16,000 in financial aid

The Concordia Student Union passed a motion on Wednesday to provide additional funding to both Juripop and Concordia University’s student television station.

Councillors Cameron Monagle, Irmak Bahar and Eva-Loan Ponton called the special meeting to discuss what to do with the CSU’s operating budget surplus. The surplus is approximately between $18,000 and $20,000.

The CSU went on to unanimously pass a motion to finance Juripop with $10,000 to help provide legal aid to students who might be charged under Bill 78 or under current municipal bylaws. The same motion also provides CUTV with an additional $6,000.

The additional funding for CUTV comes to help cover the costs of the live stream content that the group has been providing during the nightly protests revolving around the tuition crisis.

“It costs an astronomical amount,” said CSU councillor Cameron Monagle in reference to CUTV’s operating expenses.

“CUTV did not request money, “ wrote Monagle in an email to The Concordian, “but in light of their of their elevated expenses and losses with the recent coverage, we felt it would be appropriate.”

According to CSU President Lex Gill, the incoming executive begin their term on Friday June 1 and cannot access the surplus. She emphasized that the current CSU is not trying to take away funding from those about to take over.

“We’re not in anybody’s pockets,” Gill said.

The special meeting was called two days before the current CSU mandate’s term is set to expire.

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