The Concordia Student Union has a bank account with $9.5 million in it, set aside for the creation of a student centre.
This fund has been collecting dust, and interest, for more than a decade as the CSU and the university administration have struggled to come to a consensus as to where to spend the money.
Student space is something the downtown campus is pressed for, and with years of student dollars going towards this fund until 2011, CSU VP clubs Nadine Atallah wants to do something about it.
“This project has been lagging behind,” she told The Concordian in an interview. “In my opinion, our approach has been too reactive instead of proactive.”
Last year, the CSU rejected the Faubourg Ste-Catherine building as an option in a unanimous vote by council. Once it became clear that student opinion was not favourable towards turning the space into a student centre, the deal was killed and not much ground has been covered since.
“It became a contentious issue,” said Atallah. “The only way I see moving forward is by hiring a professional project management firm.”
According to Atallah, the first step will be to choose a company, and then study the existing student space on campus. An important factor will be to “consult student associations and faculty associations.”
“We can’t think about just stakeholders in the present,” she said, “but we have to think about the stakeholders in the future.”
Once a firm is chosen, by council, they will put together a financial feasibility study and eventually a project implementation plan which will include associated costs and risks.
When a plan is brought to the table, Atallah said she would rather take it directly to students than have council decide.
“I would prefer going to referendum and having students choose which way they want to move forward,” she said. “Going to referendum would ensure that the next executive has a clear mandate that they have to follow year in and year out.”
With student opinion factored into the plan, Atallah hopes to approach the university about renegotiating the existing student centre agreement.
“I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence not to leave behind a better plan than the one I came in with,” said Atallah.
She said that most likely, the student centre construction project, whether it’s renovating an old building, renting a space or building from scratch, is going to be a five to 10-year project.
An ad hoc committee was created by the CSU to review proposals for management firms and Atallah confirmed they will be meeting this week to make recommendations for the next regular meeting.
The Concordia Student Union nominated VP sustainability Andrew Roberts as a student representative to the Board of Governors and announced the division of the mandate of VP academic and advocacy between two executives during the regular council meeting last Wednesday.
As President Schubert Laforest is ineligible to sit on Senate and BoG due to his unresolved student status issues, council motioned to elect Roberts as alternate governor to fill the empty spot on BoG.
Roberts said he was already preparing for his new role and that while “the task is daunting” he is ready for the responsibility.
Roberts emphasized that should Laforest’s student issues be rectified in the near future and he becomes eligible to sit on the university’s governing bodies, there isn’t a concrete plan in place.
“That’s something we’re going to have to discuss,” said Roberts. “The initial idea was for Lex Gill to be main governor.”
Following the resignation of VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo, who stepped down due to her inability to register as a student coupled with personal issues, the executive decided to divide the work from that position for the time being.
Until further notice, Laforest explained to council that Roberts and VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon will fulfill the mandate by splitting the additional responsibilities.
Last week's CSU council meeting. Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin
Last week’s CSU council meeting. Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin
The Concordia Student Union appointed two additional students to fill undergraduate seats on Senate last week, failing to address representation for the John Molson School of Business, before a spot opened up unexpectedly Monday evening.
Senator and CSU councillor Ramy Khoriaty stepped down Monday, leaving a spot open for JMSB student and VP academic of the Commerce and Administration of Students’ Association, Tuan Dinh.
CSU President Schubert Laforest told The Concordian that Dinh’s appointment will happen “soon” and that Khoriaty was motivated to step down because he personally wanted JMSB to have undergraduate student representation on Senate. It remains to be seen whether or not Laforest will appoint Dinh in an upcoming special council meeting or by presidential decree. Khoriaty did not attend either Senate meeting thus far in the academic year.
“I thought it was only fair that Dinh had the chance to represent students,” said Khoriaty. “JMSB deserves representation.”
In accordance with university bylaws, the CSU selects 12 applicants to represent the undergraduate student body at Concordia. Under Section 11, regarding Senate membership, Article 55 states that there must be “Twelve (12) undergraduate students who shall be appointed by the Concordia Student Union, with representation from each Faculty.”
In early October, council chose another five senators leaving one spot available.
The move garnered backlash from students in the following days because two applicants from JMSB were not granted representation.
Council selected instead, Sydney Swaine-Simon, from the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, and Daniel McSharry, from the Arts and Science Federation of Associations.
The reasons fuelling the CSU’s decision remain unknown since deliberation was conducted entirely in closed session.
Several concerned students sent Chairperson Jean-Francois Ouellet and the student media an email detailing where they took issue with the recent decision of the CSU.
“Furthermore, it was stated publicly that all the candidates whom were not appointed at council were still in the running for the sixth spot on Senate that was available, but from my understanding, that spot should only have been open for a JMSB student, as independent, ASFA, FASA, and ECA were already represented on Senate,” read the letter.
The email went on to say that the CSU violated its own policy by failing to “represent its membership as required” as stated in Objects 2.1 of the CSU bylaws.
Approximately a dozen students from various faculties wrote that the CSU was not fulfilling its mandate by not appointing a JMSB student.
Todd Lipstein, a JMSB student, said he submitted the letter because he felt the CSU excluded his faculty at Concordia.
“Personally, I am afraid we would get screwed and we wouldn’t even know it,” said Lipstein. “If there is nobody out there looking out for us though, I believe we are going to start wondering why all these decisions are being made to the benefit of all the Concordia students except us.”
Lipstein went on to say that he hoped to see an improved representation of JMSB in all aspects of Concordia, including the CSU.
Laforest said that there were discrepancies between university and CSU bylaws, and it must be emphasized in the future that all four faculties receive adequate undergraduate representation on Senate.
The Concordia Student Union appointed five undergraduate students to sit on Senate, two to fill senior CSU positions, and tabled the discussion on whether executives may volunteer without pay during a special council meeting Wednesday night.
Following five hours of conducting applicants’ interviews in closed session, council appointed only five students for the six vacant spots on Senate. Council appointed Gene Morrow, Chuck Wilson, Melanie Hotchkiss, Wendy Kraus-Heitmann and Hassan Abdullahi. Seven students applied for the position.
In previous years, interviews between council and applicants have been held in open session, allowing students and members of the student press to witness the exchange. Closed session is usually reserved to review applicants’ resumes due to the sensitive and personal nature of the information discussed.
At the upcoming regular council meeting this upcoming Wednesday, council will nominate a sixth senator to represent the John Molson School of Business, one of four faculties at Concordia that requires a undergraduate representative on Senate according to the university by-laws. Outgoing Chairperson Nick Cuillerier told The Concordian that the issue will be resolved by Wednesday.
Council went on to appoint a new chairperson, Jean-François Ouellet, to replace Cuillerier who volunteered to chair CSU meeting until a new person was hired. The incoming secretary is Yasmeen Zahar and chief electoral officer is Justin Holland.
Holland, a first-year student at Concordia, said he was excited about his position for the upcoming year and that the timing worked in his favour.
“I’m really excited to be coming in before the by-elections and it’s like the dress rehearsal for March,” said Holland. “Any kinks for March we can fix during November.”
The meeting was also supposed to address the legal notion of CSU executives volunteering and not receiving monetary compensation for their work. The agenda point was made with regards to former VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo not receiving remuneration for the months she worked for the CSU. Gallardo resigned from her position last week due to unresolved student status issues.
Councillor and former VP external Chad Walcott motioned to table the report since CSU President Schubert Laforest submitted the relevant documents the same night. Several executives and councillors expressed concern about issuing the documents outside of session, citing the possibility of a leak. The issue will be addressed this Wednesday at the regular council meeting.
Students of anglophone universities hope to voice their concerns at the upcoming education summit put forth by the provincial government to investigate university governance and management of post-secondary funds.
As part of her mandate, newly elected Premier Pauline Marois of the Parti Québécois abolished the proposed tuition fee increase of $1,778 over the next seven years set by the previous Charest government, and promised a conference to address the concerns of post-secondary students.
The Arts and Science Federation of Associations of Concordia University set precedent in late September by approving a motion that mandated all member associations to consult students on the future of university education in preparation for the summit.
ASFA VP academic-Loyola, Eric Moses, told The Concordian that ASFA is in the process of forming a sub-committee that will examine all details surrounding the consultation of MAs.
“We [ASFA] are excited and in high gear with plans to facilitate our member associations’ process,” said Moses.
Following the consultation of its member associations, ASFA intends on bringing the concerns of their students to the table before the provincial government.
The structure of the summit and the date on which it will be held have yet to be confirmed by the PQ government but the Concordia Student Union’s VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon explained that the CSU, along with the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, is lobbying for an open process whereas any student group who desires to, can show up and argue their position.
“This [education summit] is important because we have a government that has shown interest in the satisfaction of the Quebec student body; it would be a disservice to students given our responsibility as representatives to skip that opportunity to provoke more positive change for our student body,” said Lauzon.
Lauzon explained that if he represents Concordia at the summit, he will argue on behalf of undergraduate students from both inside and outside of the province.
“What makes Concordia special is that it is very multicultural, there are a lot of international and out-of-province students,” said Lauzon. “My goal is to push for their interests because I feel if we don’t do that sort of lobbying then it will not be done.”
The Fine Arts Student Alliance of Concordia attempted to have a special general meeting to discuss students’ concerns Thursday but was unable to reach quorum. FASA councillor Erika Couto said that a second special general meeting will likely take place in November.
“We’re looking towards a general assembly, in which we’ll discuss specifically concerns we’re worried about as fine arts students,” said Couto. “A lot of students are concerned because Marois said she’d be cancelling the hike for this year but there are no guarantees about anything going forward.”
Couto sees the proposed summit as a positive development considering the events that took place in the last year surrounding the Charest government’s proposed increase of tuition fees. According to Couto, a consultation between the government and students is a step in the right direction.
“It is good step into educational reform in Quebec. Who better to know what students need and what it’s like to be a student than students.”
According to VP external affairs of the Student Society of McGill University Robin Reid-Fraser, SSMU is hoping to work with the Post-Graduate Student Society on a possible collaborative effort across campuses to gather students’ perspectives on university governance, tuition and the role of universities in society amongst other issues.
VP Loyola Stefan Faina, an independent student, is ineligible to sit on Senate.
VP Loyola Stefan Faina, an independent student, is ineligible to sit on Senate.
The Concordia Student Union’s recent appointment to Concordia University’s Senate, VP Loyola Stefan Faina, is ineligible to maintain his position due to his student status, it was discovered on Thursday, Oct. 4.
Council nominated and then appointed Faina to Senate during a special council meeting Wednesday, Sept. 19 to help fill student representation on the governing body. His appointment was originally scrutinized by council, with some arguing that Faina’s lack of experience would cause him problems down the road.
Faina, who admitted to never having attended a Senate meeting before, was eventually chosen for the position. The only executive acting as a Senator before then was VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon who was present for the first and second Senate meetings of the academic year.
Following a consultation of university by-laws, Faina realized that he was unable to serve as a Senator because he is currently registered as an independent student. Faina completed his undergraduate degree in psychology last year and registered as part-time, independent student this year, partly in order to maintain his executive position with the CSU. He explained that he was not informed by the university but that he stumbled across the stipulation in Article 57.
According to Article 57 of the university by-laws referring to membership regulations, students must be registered in a program to be eligible to serve on Senate:
“Students elected to Senate shall be registered in an undergraduate or graduate program, be registered in a course or other for-credit activity, and be in good standing. Students who are in failed standing, in conditional standing or on academic probation or who have been sanctioned either under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities or the Academic Code of Conduct within the three (3) years previous to their nomination are not eligible.”
In an interview with The Concordian, Faina expressed his disappointment at being unqualified to sit on Senate.
“I really don’t see why I can’t sit on it,” said Faina. “It’s a little discriminatory and this is a population that has interests too.”
According to Faina, he sent an email to inform outgoing council Chairperson Nick Cuillerier that he would have to step down from Senate to “avoid controversy and drama.”
Faina went on to say that independent students should have representation on Concordia’s governing body.
Under Section 55 in the by-laws, 12 seats are allotted to undergraduate students appointed by the CSU with the obligation of having a representative of each of the four faculties at Concordia. This does not include independent undergraduate students, who are usually part-time students that are taking courses without declaring a program.
VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon suggested it might be time to reconsider the by-laws to accommodate and represent independent students at the university.
“This is a not a situation that is unheard of,” said Lauzon. “Maybe this is a reform we want to consider because independent students are a student group and they should, in theory, have representation.”
With Faina’s removal from Senate, the CSU will have to appoint two additional students in the near future to fill undergraduate student representation.
According to Lauzon, the CSU believes President Schubert Laforest, who is also ineligible to participate in Senate due to unresolved and undisclosed issues under the same by-laws, will tentatively be allowed to sit on Senate in the near future.
Lucia Gallardo resigned from her position as VP academic and advocacy on the Concordia Student Union in a letter issued Sunday.
In her letter of resignation, Gallardo stated that council was quick to criticize her and force her departure from the CSU. She urged students at Concordia to pay attention to the actions of council, saying that it was a “disservice” to the undergraduate student body.
“At the end of the day, every person involved with the CSU is just a student, with equal rights to representation and advocacy. I am an international student in financial need, and yet, while the CSU spent all of last year allegedly advocating for the rights of students with need, when the moment came to truly demonstrate that they supported access to education, personal interests became more important, and I was therefore denied the time to resolve my financial situation with the university. I’m actually partially grateful that this ended up happening to me, because I would have been embarrassed to be part of a CSU that treated any student in need by closing doors and turning a deaf ear,” the letter read.
Following the announcement that Gallardo was not a registered student on Wednesday, Sept. 19, council immediately passed a motion asking for her to step down. In her first open letter, Gallardo explained how she was unable to register due to an unexpected decline in her mother’s health which led to a change in her financial situation.
The letter goes on to say that certain councillors worked in their own interests for personal gain and intentionally attacked Gallardo’s character.
“Councillors Chad Walcott and Gonzo Nieto, who don’t even know me personally, thought it was appropriate, as board of directors, to smear my character both during meetings and publicly on Facebook,” she wrote.
Walcott said in an interview with The Concordian that while Gallardo’s situation is unfortunate, it disqualifies her from maintaining her position on the CSU.
“I’ve been raising issues, not slandering her name,” said Walcott. “I’m not attacking her personally.”
Following Gallardo’s public resignation, Arts and Science Councillor Juliana Ramos announced her departure from council. Ramos felt Gallardo was dismissed when she deserved respect, criticizing former executives turned councillors for taking such a strong stance against Gallardo.
“After having seen what I saw on that meeting I was truly disappointed by the lack of understanding councilors have towards such a delicate situation, especially since in few days it was to be resolved. Councilors did not act in good faith towards Lucia and neither to their student community; they acted based on personal preferences and rivalries that exist between them: this does not build a better university,” read Ramos’ letter of resignation.
Ramos went on to criticize former executives for the way they dealt with last year’s VP advocacy Morgan Pudwell, who was found not to be a registered student in the spring of 2012.
“I find it very hypocritical that several councilors who were in favor of [dismissing Gallardo] were holding executive positions last year when Pudwell was found not to be a student, yet then they did absolutely nothing to ‘defend the students.’”
As for Gallardo, she closed her letter by saying that she too had lost faith in the CSU.
“It is disappointing to see the blatant disregard for the student body and the money it pays its union, for weekly special council meetings full of personal hidden agendas,” she wrote.
When CSU President Schubert Laforest commented on the situation as a whole, he emphasized a need for change within council.
“We need to change the political culture,” said Laforest. “We need to get over this hurdle.”
Laforest expressed his concerns about Gallardo’s resignation but said that the executives haven’t reached a decision about her vacant position. He suggested the possibility of the executive fulfilling Gallardo’s mandate themselves, and not appointing a new VP to replace her, but nothing has been decided.
Gallardo said she would not be returning to politics even if her student status is resolved.
“I don’t see myself getting involved in CSU politics anymore,” Gallardo told The Concordian. “The CSU needs completely new blood to serve the students.”
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Juliana Ramos’ letter of resignation:
Dear Concordia Students,
I am sad to write to you this letter today, but after several days of thinking I have finally decided that I am resigning from my current position as an Arts and Science Councilor. I have always been a passionate student about Concordia. Since I started my degree I became fascinated by student affairs and I got involved in various associations in order to become more active and give something back to my fellow students. With the previous experiences I had as President of the Latin American Student Organization, and with my involvement in the International Ethnic Associations Council, I believed that sitting on the CSU council would make my last year memorable, and it would help me close this university experience with great pride. Unfortunately, what I have witnessed in the past several council meetings has really changed my view on the role of council and I have been tremendously disappointed by the games that are being played without really wanting a better university for us students.
As many of you know, our VP Academic and Advocacy, Lucia Gallardo was caught up in a very difficult situation: her complicated international student paper work, combined with difficulties to pay university and a health problem affecting her family, did not allow her to register for classes this semester. Without any knowledge on Lucia’s issue councilor Chad Walcott introduced a motion to ask for Lucia’s immediate resignation. This was done so based on Bylaw 10.2, which states that in order for representative of the CSU to hold their position they must be registered students. Council voted on the motion and it successfully passed. Last week, Lucia explained and proved with documentation the reasons for not being able to register, and clearly stated that she would have an answer to her issue in few days. Notwithstanding Lucia’s clarifications several councilor still pressured Lucia to resign. After having seen what I saw on that meeting I was truly disappointed by the lack of understanding councilors have towards such a delicate situation, especially since in few days it was to be resolved. Councilors did not act in good faith towards Lucia and neither to their student community; they acted based on personal preferences and rivalries that exist between them: this does not build a better university.
Our bylaws exist to safeguard student interests and keep the union running in a respectful and organized manner, but lets not forget these are not absolute and in certain circumstances their application can bring unfair results. I believe that in Lucia’s case, the application of bylaw 10.2 was unjustifiable, mainly because student interests would not be harmed and her issue was to be resolved SOON (this last fact being the most pressing) . If solved she was going to register for classes, if not she promised to resign. Yet, they still chose to leave an empty executive position as important as Lucia’s that require significant amount of training and knowledge. Taking such a risky decision could eventually affect the overall well-being of the Academic and Advocacy agenda. In my eyes, asking Lucia’s resignation did not represent or safeguard students, instead it defended personal interests.
I find it very hypocritical that several councilors who were in favor of such motion were holding executive positions last year when Morgan Pudwell was found not to be a student, yet then they did absolutely nothing to “defend the students”. Pudwell’s situation was much worse because she actually claimed money from the union while Lucia clearly showed us that she did not touch any student money.
It is not in my interest to sit down with a council governed mostly by individuals who play power games, but don’t realize that their potential can be used to actually serve the student community: that you can only do so by putting personal interests aside. What happened with VP Academic and Advocacy, allowed me to see that not only we have a representative body working for themselves, but unable to truly support its students. Executives are students too, and they deserve to be treated with respect.
I believe we were elected as student representatives to sit down and actually look for ways in which we can make Concordia a better place. I believe there is so much potential in our school for it to be better every single day, but if we keep having rivalries between us and if we keep forgetting that we are not there to serve our own interests but to serve others, council will not achieve anything.
I want to thank those students who voted for me and gave me the opportunity to be a student councilor. Even though I resign from council I will keep working towards building a better university, because that I am truly passionate about.
If you wish to contact me, please don’t hesitate to do so. My e-mail address is: Juliana_ramosb@hotmail.com
Sincerely,
Juliana Ramos
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Lucia Gallardo’s letter of resignation:
Dear Concordia Students,
This is my letter of resignation. While I have not yet received the results of my late registration application, and could very well be a registered student on Monday, the manner in which this whole situation has played out has shown me a side to the CSU that I can no longer be a part of.
At the end of the day, every person involved with the CSU is just a student, with equal rights to representation and advocacy. I am an international student in financial need, and yet, while the CSU spent all of last year allegedly advocating for the rights of students with need, when the moment came to truly demonstrate that they supported access to education, personal interests became more important, and I was therefore denied the time to resolve my financial situation with the university. I’m actually partially grateful that this ended up happening to me, because I would have been embarrassed to be part of a CSU that treated any student in need by closing doors and turning a deaf ear.
But it was me, and even after an entire summer of doing my job to the best of my abilities and putting endless effort into my projects (see CSU Agenda for reference), Council would rather lose an executive than wait for the result of my late registration application; prefer no one to the job than someone, and that shows the amount of respect and consideration they have for their alleged constituents.
Ever since campaigning, my personal information went out into the open, my university file stolen, used against me, and leaked to the media. While I received bad news from home about my mother’s critical health, Councilor Laura Glover thought that I should set my emotional well being aside and attend a council meeting. Councillors Chad Walcott and Gonzo Nieto, who don’t even know me personally, thought it was appropriate, as board of directors, to smear my character both during meetings and publicly on Facebook. I received an email from Councilor Melissa Kate Wheeler with lines like “I’m concerned that if you continue to refuse [to resign], things will turn sour quickly and publicly.” I now find it easier to understand why so many students decide to stay away from our school politics.
You should pay attention Concordia. Because half of last year’s executives sit on this year’s Council, and demand answers without asking questions, take up seats on committees that prevent newly involved students to take up that chance, try to place their old president on BOG even after their year is over. In my situation, the relevant by-law was incomplete (it stops mid-sentence), but Council refused to take this opportunity to spare the CSU the loss of an executive member. They were however, more than willing to officially disregard the CSU’s Standing Regulations in order to appoint their ex-president to the Board of Governors. They also don’t like providing answers where questions were asked. After hiding her status for an entire year, Morgan Pudwell still walked away with over $20,000 of student money. And when I worked on the handbooks, I could not find a single reason why last year’s agendas cost over $68,000 when this year’s MUCH more elaborate books cost us $58,000.
What is currently happening at CSU Council is a disservice to students. It is disappointing to see the blatant disregard for the student body and the money it pays its union, for weekly Special Council Meetings full of personal hidden agendas. When the opportunity came for your councilors to work for you, to volunteer at Orientation and help make it more successful, they didn’t step up. They were happy to Facebook share their criticisms, after having both the responsibility and means to have made it better. But regardless, OAP had record-breaking attendance, and bursaries for students in financial need were created from Orientation for the first time in CSU history.
I ran to serve the student body, but unfortunately, too many Councilors have interests that do not align with the desire to help students that drove me to run in the first place. I wish you the best of luck with your semester, and I hope the CSU can one day remember its sole purpose: to help the 30,000 + students that pay for its existence.
Concordia Student Union VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo released a statement Monday, Sept. 24 in response to a motion put forth by the CSU council asking for her resignation.
At the first regular CSU meeting of the year held Wednesday, it became clear that Gallardo was not in fact a registered student and was therefore unable to maintain her position as a member of the executive. Gallardo was not present at the meeting but CSU President Schubert Laforest explained that, because of “circumstances beyond her control,” she was unable to register in time for the fall semester.
In her statement, Gallardo explained that she is “an international student in financial need,” which makes her student status complicated. This is not the first time Gallardo experienced issues with her international status, for when she first submitted her candidacy for the CSU last year, she and Laforest were both rejected as ineligible due to registration.
“This has affected many aspects of my life and my academic career,” explained Gallardo. She went on to say that due to financial issues as well as challenges in her personal life, it was not possible for her to sort out her status.
“I have spent this summer trying to put together the money to afford to continue at Concordia, and the [Did Not Enter] deadline came too soon for me to succeed.”
At council, members made the decision not to allow Gallardo a 15-day period to try and resolve her student status. In the letter, however, she stated that she “may still be able to resolve the issue,” and she will continue to work toward a solution throughout this week.
“I wholeheartedly ask Concordia students to grant me the opportunity to work on this solution for the week, before giving up the portfolio I feel so passionate about,” she wrote.
A special council meeting will take place this Wednesday, which will cover appointments to various CSU bodies, as well as Gallardo’s resignation. She told The Concordian that she would be in attendance at that meeting and hopes to sway council with her statement on the particulars of her registration issues.
“If it cannot be resolved by Friday, of course I will step down,” she said. “I would be more than happy to help train my replacement if it comes to that.”
At the meeting on Wednesday which began at 6:30 p.m. and ended at 1:30 a.m, some councillors expressed concern over the information coming to light and the manner in which it was done.
Chad Walcott, CSU councillor and former VP external for the CSU, stated that he was “extremely disappointed with the events that [had] transpired.”
Following the decision regarding VP Gallardo, President Laforest made a statement in closed session addressing his own status issues and explaining privately to council why he is unable to sit on Concordia’s two major administrative bodies: Senate and the Board of Governors.
Laforest then explained that his issue was not of status but of an academic nature, and that VP loyola Stefan Faina would replace him on Senate. Councillors initially raised concerns when it became apparent that Faina had never attended a Senate meeting before. It was decided that VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon, who already sits on Senate, would help to prepare Faina for the position.
As for the BoG, Laforest proposed that Lauzon be appointed to take his place on an interim basis until his eligibility can be dealt with. According to university by-laws, the reasons why a student would not be allowed to sit on the Board of Governors are that either they are not in good academic standing, or that they have violated the Academic Code of Conduct or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities within the last three years.
Walcott was quick to criticize the plan, saying that he was “not confident at all that [Lauzon] will be able to do any of his external work, while sitting on almost seven committees.”
Ultimately, council decided that alternate governor and former CSU president, Lex Gill, would be appointed primary governor until Laforest is able to reclaim his seat.
Concordia University officially dropped the formal complaints launched against striking students under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities following a meeting between President Alan Shepard and the Concordia Student Union today.
President Shepard addressed the issue in an open letter, emphasizing it was time for a clean slate and that the student protests were an unprecedented situation for the university. Shepard explained that he felt the administration acted appropriately but charges are officially withdrawn.
“As president of the university, I also believe it is time for our community to turn the page and focus on the future together. I acknowledge that some members of the community will not agree with this approach, and I respect their point of view on the matter,” the letter read.
Kris Szabo, an undergraduate student who faced seven formal complaints from Concordia, is relieved to know it’s over.
“I’m incredibly relieved, I thought this may happen,” Szabo told The Concordian. “This would have been a disaster for administration.”
Szabo spoke to Shepard personally and said the president understood his concerns. Since June, Szabo attended several meetings with other charged students to strategize and organize a plan to have the charges dropped.
“The Advocacy Centre and the Concordia Student Union gave us a lot of peace of mind,” Szabo said. “They really helped us.”
“I think this happened because we were resilient.”
“It’s good to see how all of our collaborative work is becoming fruitful,” said CSU President Schubert Laforest.
“I was surprised, I had a little ray of sunshine when Shepard said he would think about it,” said Laforest. “I had never heard that before.”
“I have to tip my hat to Dr. Shepard for taking this decision,” added Laforest. “I felt that dropping the charges is the act of goodwill to prove that Concordia is changing direction for a brighter future.”
Several students received formal charges from Concordia for allegedly violating Code 29G for obstructing or blocking classrooms during March 26 2012. The striking students, 23 undergraduate students and three graduate students, opposed the proposed tuition fee increase by the provincial government.
The concert to wrap up the Concordia Student Union’s two-week long Orientation ended early due to thunderstorms Friday evening, Sept. 14.
The concert for accessible education featured BadBadNotGood, KRNFX and Azari and Ill in the Loyola Quad. The CSU sold bracelets for a dollar donation to contribute to the bursaries.
Azari and Ill never took the stage because of a windy, torrential downpour that forced undergraduate students to take cover underneath the tents that sold food and beer around 9 p.m. The CSU decided to end the concert early and told students to go to The Hive or board the shuttle busses waiting outside the Quad.
CSU President Schubert Laforest confirmed that approximately 810 students came to the concert, which is significantly smaller than previous concerts organized by the CSU. In 2011, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 students gathered for the free show featuring Stars and Mother Mother. In 2010, more than 2,500 students showed up to see K’naan perform at the Quad despite the rain.
“Our main concern was the weather,” said Laforest.
Nicolas Abou, a Concordia undergraduate student at the John Molson School of Business, felt the music was good but the closing event could have offered more.
“I like that it’s outdoors and that the music is not bad,” said Abou, “but I expected to get more.”
“Overall though, it was cool,” added Abou.
Riikka Aspergen, an international student from Finland, attended the concert but left when it started to rain. Aspergen expected a larger crowd but thought the reason for the small turnout was due to the weather or the musical artists headlining the event.
“I thought there would be more people,” said Aspergen. “I don’t know if it was because of the rain or the bands.”
“The atmosphere was okay at first but the rain pretty much ruined the evening,” explained Aspergen.
CSU VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon, who sold tickets for food and refreshments, was pleased with the number of undergraduates that came to the Loyola Campus on a Friday night. Lauzon echoed Laforest’s sentiments, looking on the bright side, despite the rain.
“I had low expectations,” said Lauzon. “So I’m happy with how this turned out.”
Concordia University announced that it will not be modifying the current tuition fee arrangement, which includes the increase tabled by the outgoing Liberal government, until it receives directives from the new Government of Quebec.
In a press conference following the Parti Québécois’ minority government victory, Premier-designate Pauline Marois announced her government will abolish tuition hikes by decree and annul Law 12.
Universities province-wide are waiting on official instructions from the newly formed government on what kind of adjustments will be made. Marois will officially become Premier Wednesday, Sept. 19.
Concordia University spokesperson Chris Mota explained that the setting of fees is not within the university’s discretion nor is the timing. The government decides it and universities must comply. In accordance with the increase set by the outgoing Liberal government, Concordia charged a surplus of $254 per student for the academic year.
“Once the new fees were mandated, the increases went into effect,” said Mota.
Université de Montréal spokesperson, Mathieu Filion, confirmed that tuition fees for the 2012-13 academic year were decided before the elections, and that like Concordia, U de M is waiting on the government’s instructions. McGill University spokesperson Julie Fortier also confirmed with The Concordian that McGill took a similar stance.
It is not clear yet on how university students will be compensated across the province, whether it be by a credit system applicable to the following term or by full refund.
“The university certainly budgeted with the increase in mind,” said Mota. “However, we were prepared to adjust the budget in the event that the increase was reversed,” she explained. “All Quebec universities have been quite vocal about the need for increased funding. Where that funding comes from is up to the government to decide.”
Along with educational institutions, many student groups also voiced their concern over the fact that the increase was implemented before the election campaign began. Concordia Student Union President Schubert Laforest told The Concordian that he hopes Concordia administration has a backup plan to deal with this turn of events.
“I hope the university has a bulletproof plan to deal with this roll back in a sustainable way for when it does happen,” said Laforest, “as opposed to [having] the situation crash and burn because it wasn’t planned for.”
Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec President Martine Desjardins expressed that it’s a troubling situation with the repeal of the tuition fee increase.
“I think the majority of students were surprised to see the tuition increase on their bills while we were in the middle of an election campaign,” said Desjardins. “To see that they were so eager to have students pay will only cause [universities] more administrative headaches to in turn refund students.”
VP external affairs of the Student Society of McGill University, Robin Reid-Fraser explained that there was a lack of communication between the institution and students regarding the tuition increase.
“McGill was very much planning that the increase was going to happen and fit it into their budget. It is not clear that McGill was really considering a plan B despite everything that was happening with the strike,” said Reid-Fraser.
According to Desjardins, representatives of the FEUQ plan to meet with the Minister of Education in the days following his or her appointment. She estimates it will take up to a week before they will be able to transmit any new and clear information about the current situation. Desjardins said she believes that the PQ will not back down on its decision to cancel the tuition fee increase.
“It wasn’t just a promise; it’s a commitment,” said Desjardins. “A government that pledges so forcefully simply can not backtrack.”
UPDATE – 8:30 p.m. 18/09/2012
Concordia University announced it is dropping all charges against the striking students after meeting with the Concordia Student Union this afternoon. More details to come.
Discussions concerning the formal complaints launched by the University against striking students this past June involving administration, students and student unions has reached an impasse this month.
The university filed the complaints against 23 undergraduate students and three graduate students for allegedly violating Code 29G of the Code of the Rights and Responsibilities for obstructing or blocking access to classrooms following the events on March 26, 2012.
In a formal letter to President Alan Shepard, the Graduate Students’ Association claimed Concordia acted irresponsibly when they sanctioned students under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities and students were unfairly targeted.
“This brings us to an essential point: at the GSA, we are all strikers. If the administration charged these students, why didn’t they also charge the GSA, and every student who attended our assemblies, not to mention those students who did not show up to vote and who are thus equally responsible for our strike vote? It is unfair to target individuals whose actions were based on a collective, democratic decision,” stated the letter.
The Concordia Student Union President Schubert Laforest said he believes that the current negotiations between the administration, charged students, and the CSU reached a deadlock when the University requested a formal letter of apology from those charged.
“What they seem to be looking for is a letter of apology for obstructing classes but I don’t think it’s fair to demand them to apologize,” Laforest said. “Most students aren’t interested in it and I am not either.”
“It’s something they believed in and something they fought for, ” added Laforest.
According to VP Advocacy and Academic Lucia Gallardo, the letter of apology divided talks between the university and the charged students. Gallardo also believes that the initial strategy of the CSU trying to represent students as a whole failed to work because individual students wanted different solutions.
“We are stuck,” admitted Gallardo. “The university wants some things that we can’t give them. We’re not giving up, we’re not going to stop trying, we just have to find more creative ways to find a solution,” she said.
Laforest said he plans to present a motion to council during the upcoming CSU meeting on Wednesday.
“It’s not political, it’s personal and it’s something that affects me personally,” Laforest told The Concordian. “If we can’t get the charges dropped, we’ll have to go outside the system.”
Confidentiality prohibits student associations and administration from addressing the issue in detail but the affair is ongoing according to University spokesperson Chris Mota.
“The process is proceeding,” said Mota. “Hearings will be held, though information about the hearings and their outcome will be considered confidential.”
