MONTREAL/September 18, 2002—
At this morning's meeting of Concordia University's Board of Governors, in response to the disturbance on September 9, 2002, which resulted in the cancellation of a speech by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Board mandated the administration of the University to promote and enforce zero tolerance for violence, racism, intimidation and verbal threats.
One of these measures is a temporary cooling-off period, the purpose of which is to reduce tension on the campus as well as the potential for further disruption of academic activities. Effective immediately, and until the end of the cooling-off period, the following activities are prohibited on University premises:
1. Public meetings or speeches, whether by people from within or outside the Concordia community, dealing with Israeli-Palestinian issues.
2. Exhibits or installations dealing with these issues.
3. Information tables with pamphlets or other material dealing with these issues.
4. Posters dealing with these issues.
The Board has also decided that, all information and display booths, regardless of their nature, will also be prohibited in the lobby and on the mezzanine of the Henry F. Hall Building.
The cooling-off period, which will be reviewed no later than December 15, 2002, will also facilitate efforts to find constructive avenues of dialogue among students and organizations with strong views on the subject. The University encourages meetings be organized to bring the contending sides together; the publication of articles and letters in edited newspapers and periodicals; and class discussions when approved by the professor or instructor as appropriate to the subject matter of the course.
The University has also approved a policy, which clearly outlines what is, and what is not, acceptable behavior at Concordia. Acts prohibited include discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, threatening or violent conduct, offenses against property and other acts of a serious nature that prevent members of the University from pursuing their work and studies in a safe and civil environment.
The new policy also outlines the treatment of student disciplinary matters in exceptional cases. Upon the recommendation of any Vice-Rector, Dean or Director of an administrative unit, the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors may issue a written decision that the policy be invoked in a particular case or to deal with a particular situation.
The Rector may then take immediate action to impose one or more of the following sanctions:
1. A written reprimand
2. Imposed conditions
3. Payment as compensation for loss of property or to otherwise rectify a situation which the student helped to create
4. A fine not exceeding $500
5. The continuation of the temporary suspension for a fixed period of time
6. Expulsion
The student will have the right to request a review of the Rector's ruling by a panel of the Board of Governors.
The entire Concordia community, especially those students who have assumed responsibility of office are asked to cooperate with the University to ensure an environment of tolerance and civility.
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