Despite the four years of negotiations on the lease, most students know relatively little about the new contract signed by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the McGill administration for the SSMU Building. More recently, the lease has prompted criticism from the student body, following the failure of[Read More…]
Articles by Erica Friesen
Leaked documents shed light on Khan presidential invalidation
Documents leaked to the McGill Daily allege that Tariq Khan’s campaign for the presidency of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) included 15 bylaw violations. A petition was submitted to the SSMU Judicial Board (J-Board) following Khan’s March 21 win. The documents name Elections SSMU Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)[Read More…]
Tariq Khan’s presidency invalidated due to multiple bylaw infractions
Elections SSMU has invalidated Tariq Khan’s presidential win due to multiple bylaw infractions during the campaign period. As a result of the invalidation, runner-up Courtney Ayukawa has been declared the president-elect for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). Ayukawa lost the presidential race to Khan by 78 votes on[Read More…]
Anonymous grading sparks debate at Senate
The possibility of anonymous exam grading gave rise to debate at Senate last Wednesday. Discussion stemmed from a report by the Academic Policy Committee, which concluded that there should be no university-wide policy on anonymous evaluations. Anonymous grading policies have been implemented at other universities worldwide and in McGill’s Faculty[Read More…]
Understanding unpaid internships
Considering working for free this summer? In a grim labour market, unpaid internships seem to be a bizarre trend that has made life after graduation more even difficult. As internships are part of a grey zone often undefined and unregulated by legal frameworks, it’s important for students to be aware[Read More…]
TaCEQ executive resigns citing “degrading situation“
The resignation of an executive from the Quebec Student Roundtable (TaCEQ) last Friday marks the continued disintegration of the student federation. Guillaume Fortin, vice-general secretary of communications and internal affairs, announced his departure from the organization, which currently represents the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and two associations from[Read More…]
Does proximity yield progress?
While the Quartier de l’innovation (QI) has generated considerable interest since its announcement in January 2012, the concept of the innovation district is far from new. From Silicon Valley to 22@Barcelona, cities and governments today are investing billions of dollars in urban redevelopment projects that bring people and businesses together[Read More…]
Advice on navigating advising
As we settle into another semester, many students find themselves facing looming questions they put off over the holidays. What’s the best way to find a summer job or internship? Do you have enough credits to graduate on time? How can your budget accommodate another semester’s tuition fees? One of[Read More…]
McGill responds to sexual assault policy critiques
The creation of a co-ordinator position and a public forum on the topic of sexual consent were two measures announced by the administration last Thursday in response to recent criticism of McGill’s policies regarding sexual assault. Thursday’s announcement follows criticism from members of the McGill community about the administration’s response[Read More…]
Student of the week: Eirn Boparai
Eirn Boparai is well-versed in the the art of being a good listener. As Vice-President Public Relations for McGill Students’ Nightline, Boparai helps spread the word about the various situations that volunteers at the phone line are trained to assist with—whether that’s helping a first-year student understand Minerva, recommending a[Read More…]
Should I stay or should I go?
Whether you’re interested in learning another language, gaining work experience, or simply experiencing another culture, McGill’s student exchange opportunities provide a vastly different student experience from the one in Montreal. Currently, McGill has over 150 exchange partnerships with universities across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. Although each location offers[Read More…]
Parents Weekend merged with Homecoming due to budget cuts
Last weekend marked the first year that McGill’s Parents Weekend was fully integrated into Homecoming, an annual three-day event that welcomes alumni back to the university. Although the two occasions were advertised separately in previous years, parents were informed this year that McGill would not be hosting a seperate Parents[Read More…]
Birks Reading Room proves good things come in small packages
Best known for its quiet, intimate atmosphere and its no-shoes policy, the Birks Reading Room is one of the smallest libraries on campus. Located on the second floor of the Birks Building, the reading room currently holds approximately 20,000 items from the Religious Studies’ collection including texts on biblical studies,[Read More…]
Asbestos conference examines ethical research at McGill
A conference designed to address past criticisms of research on asbestos at McGill and to discuss the role of privately funded research at universities was hosted by the Faculty of Medicine on Oct. 1 at McGill. The conference, titled “Asbestos: Dialogue for the Future,” was organized following a controversy in[Read More…]
Asbestos conference participants question role of corporate funding in research
On Oct. 1, the Faculty of Medicine hosted Asbestos: Dialogue for the Future, a conference designed to address past criticisms of research on asbestos at McGill and to discuss the role of privately funded research at universities. The conference was organized following a controversy in February 2012, when a CBC[Read More…]
Student of the week: Kinsey Brockie
This week’s Student of the Week was nominated for her role as the founder of It Is Well, a charitable initiative raising money for the construction of a well in Utoo, Kenya.
University rankings: what are they worth?
Last Tuesday, McGill lost its claim as the top university in Canada to the University of Toronto, according to the 2013 Quacquarelli Symbols (QS) World University Rankings. With the release of more rankings approaching next month, the Tribune set out to understand what university rankings actually mean, and how students—both current and prospective—should approach them.
New Deputy Provost outlines his objectives for five-year term
On Sept. 1, Ollivier Dyens officially began his five-year term as McGill’s second Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) (DP (SLL)). Created in 2005, the DP (SLL) position aims to improve student life at McGill and to act as a liaison between the senior administration and students. Last week, the Tribune sat down with Dyens to discuss his goals for the year and his approach to the portfolio.
University continues to grapple with budget cuts
As the Fall semester starts up, McGill students return to a campus that has been altered by the university’s continuing attempts to address $38.3 million in budget cuts this year.
Meet your SSMU executives
Katie Larson: President What have you accomplished this summer? This summer really felt like it got going around the end of July. Transitioning into the role of a SSMU executive is not easy, and I think we all finally have the basics under our belts. In my portfolio, the main[Read More…]
The people behind the portfolios
Every year, six McGill students invest vast amounts of time and energy into the events and operations of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). For this special ‘Behind the Scenes’ issue, the Tribune brings you the personalities behind the portfolios. With elections for the 2013-2014 SSMU executive team just[Read More…]
BoG discusses need for communication on budget cuts
Last Tuesday’s Board of Governors (BoG) meeting included updates on the provincial government’s $19.1 million budget cuts. The Board also discussed the damages from the flooding of the downtown campus that occurred Jan. 28, and the administration’s intention to replace the provisional protocol on protests with two documents: a Statement[Read More…]
McGill begins to plan for $19.1 million budget cuts
On Feb. 11, Provost Anthony Masi hosted three Town Hall meetings to provide the McGill community with information about the university’s current financial situation, and to receive feedback about how to deal with cuts of $19.1 million to McGill’s 2012-2013 operating budget. The Quebec government announced these cuts last December,[Read More…]
McGill releases new documents on how to deal with protests
McGill released the latest set of documents regarding protests and demonstrations on campus on Monday. Originally a draft protocol on demonstrations, these documents consist of a Statement of Values and Principles on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and a set of Operating Procedures regarding demonstrations, protests, and occupations[Read More…]
McGill still recovering from flood
The cleanup of McGill’s downtown campus continues this week after severe flooding occurred on Jan. 28. Several buildings remain inaccessible to students and staff, and several hundred people have been relocated until building repairs are completed. The flood occurred when a 48- inch water main at the McTavish Reservoir broke,[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
MUHC links to Kuwait questioned The Montreal Gazette has raised questions about the transparency and resource management of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), after unearthing details about its role in a five-year agreement between Montreal Medical International Inc. (MMI) and the government of Kuwait. The agreement, which was signed[Read More…]
Dean of Arts addresses student concerns over course cuts
Last Tuesday, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi listened to students’ concerns about cuts to arts courses, during a Town Hall hosted by the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). AUS Vice-President Academic Tom Zheng invited Manfredi to speak about the faculty’s decision to cut up to 100 courses and reduce the number[Read More…]
Burst water main damages buildings
Severe flooding from a 48-inch water main break Monday evening caused widespread damage to buildings on campus, confirmed Doug Sweet, Director of Internal Communications of McGill’s Media Relations Office (MRO). “[The damage is] very extensive to James Annex, where water broke windows in the back of the building and rushed[Read More…]
Water main break in McTavish Reservoir floods campus and downtown Montreal
McGill’s downtown campus suffered severe flooding after a 48-inch water main burst under Doctor Penfield Ave. in front of the McTavish Reservoir on Monday. Campus buildings were evacuated and all evening classes were cancelled. The flooded area stretched from Dr. Penfield Ave. to Ste. Catherine Street, and from Union Street[Read More…]
McGill seeks to bar students from filing Access to Information Requests
McGill is seeking to prevent its students from filing Access to Information requests (ATIs) through a motion submitted to the Commission d’accès à l’information, the organization responsible for ensuring that public institutions comply with Quebec’s ATI laws. The motion targets 14 individual McGill students and alumni, but also asks that[Read More…]
McGill’s faculty of arts puts 100 courses on the line
McGill’s faculty of arts plans to offer up to 100 fewer courses for the 2013-2014 academic year by reducing the number of faculty and course lecturer positions, according to an announcement at last Wednesday’s faculty meeting. The faculty offered 1,200 courses this year. Funds made available by the 8 per[Read More…]
PGSS Council votes not to support permanent SEDE funding
The McGill University Post-Graduate Students’ Society’s (PGSS) Council voted against supporting permanent funding for the Social Equity and Diversity Education (SEDE) Office last Wednesday. Discussion centered on whether PGSS should send a letter lobbying the administration to ask that SEDE receives permanent funding for two positions previously funded by Student[Read More…]
Budget cuts could increase McGill deficit to $30 million
On Dec. 6, the Parti Québécois (PQ) announced that it expects Quebec universities to cut $124 million from their cumulative operating budgets by April 2013. According to McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum, the cuts amount to 5.2 per cent of universities’ operating grants, but their introduction, two-thirds of the way through[Read More…]
PGSS hosts education summit to prepare for PQ summit
Students, faculty, administrators, and other members of the educational community within, and outside of McGill debated diverse aspects of the role of post-secondary education in Quebec, and at McGill, in early December. The two-day education summit was organized by the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS), and the Students’[Read More…]
To be or not to be
Every semester, McGill students encounter flyers, emails, and campaign slogans that draw their attention to issues that are the subject of the current referendum period. For some student groups and services, referenda are a valuable opportunity to request an increase in student fees. But referenda can also be a source[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
Classified document reveals Harper’s new foreign policy Last Tuesday, the CBC announced it had obtained a confidential document prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, urging the federal government to focus on economic, rather than diplomatic and humanitarian concerns when dealing with emerging markets such as China.[Read More…]
Students and faculty reflect on Nov. 10 and student movement
Last Friday, students gathered in James Square to hear a series of presentations on the historic and present challenges faced by McGill. Student and faculty speakers presented on topics including unions, disciplinary charges from last spring’s student demonstrations, and the question of the democratic nature of the university’s structure. The[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
Montreal interim mayor selected Last Friday, city councillors voted in Montreal’s first Anglophone mayor in 100 years. As the new interim mayor, Michael Applebaum will hold the position until the next municipal election in November 2013. Applebaum replaced former mayor Gerald Tremblay, who resigned Nov. 5 following allegations of corruption[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
Gerald Tremblay resigns as Montreal mayor Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay resigned on Nov. 5, following allegations of corruption made at the Charbonneau Commission. Tremblay stepped down, despite repeatedly denying the allegations made against him. Quebec Premier Pauline Marois pressured Tremblay to resign as a result of accusations that the former[Read More…]
PGSS discusses education summit
Last Wednesday, the Council of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS) approved plans for a two-day series of panels and discussions as part of the McGill education summit this December. Other topics of discussion included the rights of graduate students as members of the Legal Information Clinic at[Read More…]
McGill refunds tuition increases for Quebec students
Last Friday, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson announced that McGill would refund tuition increases for Quebec students over the weekend. The university will wait to hear from the provincial government before crediting the accounts of out-of-province and international students. Last year, the former Liberal Quebec government implemented[Read More…]
J-Board upholds AUS Referendum
Last week, the Judicial Board (J-Board) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) ruled to uphold the Winter 2012 referendum for the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). Chris Bangs, U3 arts, filed the case against former AUS president Jade Calver and former AUS Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Victor Cheng last[Read More…]
Daily Publication Society to hold existence referendum in winter
The Daily Publication Society (DPS), the student-run publisher of the McGill Daily and Le Délit, will not run its existence referendum until the Winter semester, at which time it will do so independently of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). McGill requires student associations to hold existence referenda every[Read More…]
Global Food Conference opens with price volatility lecture
The fifth McGill Conference on Global Food Security opened on Oct. 16 with Jean Lebel’s keynote speech on price volatility. Lebel, the Vice-President of the Programs and Partnerships Branch of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), spoke about the challenges created by the unpredictability of food prices, and how to[Read More…]
Quebec losing race to attract international students
Last Friday, McGill Principal Heather Munroe-Blum called for Quebec to increase its enrollment of international students in a speech hosted by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. Munroe-Blum drew attention to a topic that has been the subject of much debate in recent years—the place of international students in Canada[Read More…]
SSMU fall General Assembly marked by low turnout
Despite efforts to make the General Assembly (GA) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) on Oct. 15 more accessible to students, the assembly lost quorum after passing two motions. The revamped GA showcased several new features, including the introduction of online ratification. Although motions still need to be[Read More…]
Campaign McGill leaders discuss fundraising strategies
Last Thursday, reporters from campus media met with Marc Weinstein, McGill’s Vice President (Development and Alumni Relations) and Derek Cassoff, Director of Communications (Development and Alumni Relations), to discuss McGill’s History in the Making campaign—the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history. Launched publicly in 2007, the campaign has raised[Read More…]
FEATURE: McGill Then and Now…
86-year-old Betty McCullough watched the televised celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee this summer and thought back to one of her fondest memories as a student at McGill’s graduate school for nursing. At 25 years old, she’d clutched her camera as she waited amongst a crowd of students, staff,[Read More…]
Judicial Board hears case on AUS Winter Referendum period
On Oct. 2, the Judicial Board (J-Board) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) heard the case of Bangs vs. Calver and Cheng, regarding the results of last winter’s referendum period for the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). The J-Board has 15 days to deliver a verdict on the case.[Read More…]
Philosophy Students’ Association to Seek Financial Independence from AUS
The Philosophy Students’ Association (PSA) is looking into the possibility of separating their finances from the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). The PSA’s announcement came after the AUS’ decision earlier this semester to internalize faculty associations’ bank accounts. This means that the AUS would act as the PSA’s bank account, holding[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
XL Beef Recall Largest in Canadian history Canadian officials have come under scrutiny over their handling of the largest recall of beef in Canadian history when Albertan beef packer XL Foods continued running its plant for two weeks after the U.S. determined that its meat was unfit to cross the American[Read More…]
First Board of Governors discusses enrollment, innovation
On Sept. 27, McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) convened for the first time this fall to discuss the university’s goals this academic year. Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum opened the meeting with some remarks regarding enrollment strategies at the university. “We got the year off to a good start,” Munroe-Blum[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
Justin Trudeau to run for leadership of Liberal Party Last Wednesday, reports surfaced that Justin Trudeau is to announce his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada at a press conference today. The son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau has held a seat[Read More…]
Senate meeting addresses effect of tuition freeze on students
Last Thursday, McGill Senate convened for the first time this academic year. The meeting included discussion of the Parti Québécois’ (PQ) education platform and its impact on McGill, improvements to the academic advising system, and the annual report on McGill’s policy on harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Principal Heather Munroe-Blum[Read More…]
Student-run café plans halted due to financial concerns
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has halted plans for the creation of a student-run café due to concerns about the financial feasibility of the project. SSMU executives say they are currently looking into alternate plans for a unique student space in the SSMU building. The student-run café project[Read More…]
SSMU General Assemblies to undergo substantial reform
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is preparing to implement an online ratification system for all resolutions passed at the upcoming General Assembly (GA), as per a referendum question passed last semester. Scheduled for Oct. 1, the GA will also undergo several adaptations aimed to facilitate students’ participation in[Read More…]
J-Board to hear case on AUS referenda
The Judicial Board (J-Board) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is preparing to hear the case of Bangs v. Calver and Cheng, regarding the potential invalidation of the 2012 Winter Referendum for the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). The petition was filed by Chris Bangs, an U3 economics, urban[Read More…]
Campus governing bodies
McGill Senate The Senate of McGill University is tasked with controling and supervising policies and guidelines on academic matters of the university. The Senate is composed of 107 members representing various actors of the McGill community at large, including 13 elected undergraduate student representatives, three post-graduate student representatives, 55 elected[Read More…]
Michael Szpejda: VP Internal
What have you accomplished this summer? Organizing frosh. We took a step forward significantly toward the integrated orientation model, in the sense that it was the first year it was truly a cooperative working relationship, not only between all the faculties and SSMU, but also with the First Year Office[Read More…]
Robin Reid-Fraser: VP External
What have you accomplished this summer? Over the summer, it’s been a lot of gathering information and putting out information and keeping track of what’s been going on, particularly around the student movement. We also put a letter together in regards to a potential change in federal policy regarding student[Read More…]
QPIRG, online GA ratification questions on ref. ballot
Polling for SSMU’s exceptional referendum period opened on Tuesday, April 10. The voting period features two referendum questions—one regarding the existence of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG), and the other concerning the online ratification of motions passed by the SSMU General Assembly (GA). Created following a two-thirds majority[Read More…]
2011-2012 Year in Review
MUNACA On the first day of classes, McGill students arrived on campus to the sound of picketing. MUNACA, the union representing roughly 1,700 of McGill’s non-academic staff, went on strike starting Sept. 1 after months of strained negotiations between the union and the university finally broke down. A better wage scale,[Read More…]
Top Chef judge Gail Simmons on her McGill experience
As the host of Bravo’s Just Deserts and a judge on Top Chef, Gail Simmons has come a long way from her undergraduate days at McGill. Simmons, BA ‘98 majoring in anthropology, became interested in food journalism during her undergrad, when she began writing restaurant reviews for the Tribune. Since then, she has[Read More…]
QPIRG, online GA ratification questions on ref. ballot
Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune Polling for SSMU’s exceptional referendum period opened on Tuesday, April 10. The voting period features two referendum questions-one regarding the existence of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG), and the other concerning the online ratification of motions passed by the SSMU General Assembly (GA).[Read More…]
Top Chef judge Gail Simmons on her McGill experience
Melanie Dunea As the host of Bravo’s Just Deserts and a judge on Top Chef, Gail Simmons has come a long way from her undergraduate days at McGill. Simmons, BA ’98 majoring in anthropology, became interested in food journalism during her undergrad, when she began writing restaurant reviews for the[Read More…]
2011-2012 Year in Review
MUNACA On the first day of classes, McGill students arrived on campus to the sound of picketing. MUNACA, the union representing roughly 1,700 of McGill’s non-academic staff, went on strike starting Sept. 1 after months of strained negotiations between the union and the university finally broke down. A better wage[Read More…]
Students mobilize in four-pronged protest
Last Thursday, March 29, a four-pronged student demonstration wound its way through downtown Montreal in a festively themed demonstration that aimed to disrupt the economic activity of the downtown area and highlight several political grievances of the students. The protest, called Manifestation la Grande Mascarade, was organized by la Fédération Universitaire et Collégiale des Étudiant-esRévolté-es (FUC*ER),[Read More…]
Mac campus issues heard at third Open Forum
On March 27, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi held the third of four open fora at Macdonald Campus. In addition to a group of about 30 attendees, most of whom were faculty members and staff, Provost Anthony Masi and Deputy-Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson were also present. The[Read More…]
Students mobilize in four-pronged protest
Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune Last Thursday, March 29, a four-pronged student demonstration wound its way through downtown Montreal in a festively themed demonstration that aimed to disrupt the economic activity of the downtown area and highlight several political grievances of the students. The protest,[Read More…]
Why I don’t speak French
I wish I spoke French. I really do. Back home in Ontario, everyone laughs when I tell them I’m studying English and German in Montreal, but yet can’t speak French and I have to be honest-I really don’t have a good reason for my apparent resistance to my country’s second[Read More…]
Richard Schultz on new NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair
thomasmulcair.ca At the New Democratic Party (NDP) leadership convention in Toronto last weekend, members of the NDP elected their new party leader, McGill alumnus and current Outrement MP Thomas Mulcair. On Monday, March 26, the Tribune sat down with Richard Schultz, Chair of the McGill department of political science and[Read More…]
Redpath Museum celebrates 130th anniversary
Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune On Thursday, March 22, McGill’s Redpath Museum celebrated its 130th Anniversary with the official launch of the Redpath Museum Club’s new publication, Behind the Roddick Gates. The event included presentations by student contributors to the journal and a retelling of the museum’s history. Completed in[Read More…]
Exceptional referendum to decide QPIRG’s existence
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) will host an exceptional referendum period from April 10 to April 16, featuring a question regarding QPIRG’s existence and a question that would require motions passed at General Assemblies (GAs) to be ratified online via referendum. QPIRG’s Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), a[Read More…]
Motion to strike defeated at AUS GA
Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune Arts undergraduates voted against entering an unlimited student strike at a special General Assembly (GA) held on Tuesday, March 13. The motion, which was defeated by a vote of 609 to 495 and included 16 abstentions, would have allowed the[Read More…]
Manfredi’s second Open Forum addresses student space
On March 12, McGill students, staff, faculty, and other community members assembled to discuss the issues surrounding the events of Nov. 10, in Christopher Manfredi’s (Dean of Arts) second Open Forum meeting. Around 30 people attended the event, including Principal Heather Munroe-Blum and Provost Anthony Masi. Mandated by Munroe-Blum, the[Read More…]
Independent Student Inquiry released to the public
The Independent Student Inquiry (ISI) presented its final report and recommendations concerning the events of Nov. 10 at last Thursday’s SSMU Council. The ISI was created following criticism of Principal Heather Munroe-Blum’s announcement of Dean of Law Daniel Jutras’ internal investigation of the events. Originally supposed to present their findings[Read More…]
Board of Directors ratifies J-Board ruling
Michael Paolucci / Organization During the March 1 SSMU Council meeting, SSMU’s Board of Directors (BoD) ratified the Judicial Board (J-Board) ruling that invalidated the results of QPIRG’s fall referendum question. In a report released on Feb. 14, the J-Board declared the question to be unconstitutional because it dealt with[Read More…]
Admin accepts J-Board invalidation of fall referendum
On Tuesday Feb. 14, the SSMU Judicial Board (J-Board) invalidated QPIRG’s fall referendum question. The J-Board ruled the question to be unconstitutional because it dealt with two separate questions, asking students to simultaneously support QPIRG’s continued existence, and a change to make the organization’s fees opt-outable only in person. In[Read More…]
McGill community reacts to sixth floor occupiers
Last week’s occupation of the James Administration Building received much attention, as students and organizations responded to the tactics and motivations of the occupiers. The protest, a reaction to the McGill administration’s rejection of the CKUT and QPIRG referendum results of last fall, came to an end when the[Read More…]
SSMU Council discusses changes to J-Board structure
Last Thursday’s SSMU Council approved three referendum questions concerning the Judicial Board (J-Board), in a continuation of attempts to bring the J-Board’s activities into compliance with Quebec law while retaining its value as an unbiased student body. The J-Board was recently discovered to be working against Quebec law due[Read More…]
Day 2 of occupation: sixth floor occupiers remain
The protesters staging a sit-in in the lobby of James Administration left the building at around 11:20 a.m today, following a night inside without access to washrooms, food, or Internet. Over 20 occupiers remain in the sixth floor of the building, and half a dozen students spent the night in sleeping bags outside[Read More…]
Students occupy James Admin, call for Mendelson’s resignation
This is a developing story and the Tribune continues to monitor the situation. Developments will be added as they occur. Around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday Jan. 7, a group of about 20 students occupied the office of Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson on the sixth floor of the James Administration[Read More…]
Judicial Board reinstated despite legal concerns
Last Thursday, the SSMU Board of Directors (BoD) voted to immediately reinstate the Judicial Board (J-Board) in order to conclude the J-Board’s upcoming hearing as soon as possible. SSMU will also draft a student referendum question that will bring the J-Board into compliance with Quebec Law. The meeting followed the[Read More…]
Students occupy James Admin, call for Mendelson’s resignation
Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune This is a developing story and the Tribune continues to monitor the situation. Developments will be added as they occur. Around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday Jan. 7, a group of about 20 students occupied the office of Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson[Read More…]
Day 2 of occupation: sixth floor occupiers remain
Carolina Millán Ronchetti The protesters staging a sit-in in the lobby of James Administration left the building at around 11:20 a.m today, following a night inside without access to washrooms, food, or Internet. Over 20 occupiers remain in the sixth floor of the building, and half a dozen students spent[Read More…]
J-Board hears case regarding referendum
Madeline Richards Madeline Richards. Last night, the SSMU Judicial Board (J-Board) heard a case submitted by former SSMU President Zach Newburgh and co-founder of the Prince Arthur Herald Brendan Steven, against respondent Rebecca Tacoma in her function as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Elections SSMU. (Full disclosure: Newburgh sits on[Read More…]
Asbestos exporter takes leave from Board of Governors
Asbestos exporter and member of the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) Roshi Chadha announced last Wednesday that she will take a leave of absence from her positions on McGill’s BoG and that of St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, in a move that follows calls for her resignation by anti-asbestos activists. Chadha[Read More…]
AUS GA to vote on joining CLASSE
On Jan. 27, approximately 100 university and CEGEP students created a human barricade outside the Montreal offices of the Ministry of Education to protest the Quebec government’s proposed tuition fee hikes. The protest was organized by the Coalition Large de l’Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (CLASSE), a temporary coalition[Read More…]
Craig Kielburger puts philanthropy in a business context
Elisha Lerner / McGill Tribune Internationally renowned Canadian activist Craig Kielburger opened the Desautels Business Conference on Sustainability (DBCS) last Thursday, Jan. 19 with a keynote speech that addressed the importance of developing sustainable solutions to global issues. Currently in its ninth year, the DBCS is a three-day long[Read More…]
SSMU launches new Marketplace website
To coincide with the opening of a new year and school semester, SSMU has launched the SSMU Marketplace—an online resource designed to provide students with a new venue for the transaction of goods and services, including textbooks, furniture, tutoring services, and housing. SSMU VP Finance and Operations Shyam Patel was[Read More…]
Panel looks beyond the labour dispute
Ryan Reisert / McGill Tribune Last Wednesday, the Newman Centre and McGill Chaplaincy hosted a forum titled “The Strike and the Academy: A Forum on the Ethics of Conflict and Collegiality,” to discuss concerns regarding the ongoing MUNACA strike. The panel emphasized the strike’s effects on the university community, and[Read More…]
McGill Four on politics
Last Thursday, Nov. 10, NDP McGill presented “What’s Up on the Hill?”, an evening with the four McGill undergraduates elected to parliament during the May 2011 federal election. Held at Concordia, the event featured NDP MPs Charmaine Borg, Matthew Dubé, Mylène Freeman, and Laurin Liu, who spoke about their recent[Read More…]