Official update for faculty and staff on student protests

Earlier this week, we shared Concordia’s official position regarding the action launched by students in protest of the increase in tuition fees, as announced by the Quebec government in last year’s budget.

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) and the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) recently passed motions to support boycotts of classes. Protest actions began March 5, with a province-wide day of action planned by different student groups for Thursday, March 22. It is unknown at this time how many students will actually choose to boycott classes or to participate in protest actions.

However, each student has the freedom to decide whether or not to attend classes. The university will continue regular operations during these protests. Standard services will remain available and all instructional activities, including classes, tutorials, labs and studio sessions, will be held as scheduled.

We respect the freedom of students to express their views on important issues. We remain in ongoing discussions with student leaders, and continue maintaining open lines of communication to ensure the safety of faculty members, staff and students. Security agents are present throughout the university’s two campuses to monitor the situation.

It is our expectation that protest activities will not disrupt the functioning of the university nor prevent people from entering the university’s premises (buildings, classrooms, etc.), as provided by the Code of Rights and Responsibilities (Policy BD-3) and Security Policy (VPS-20).

Information is now available on Concordia’s home page for students, faculty members and staff (link to FAQs). We encourage you to refer to this information, which will be updated on a regular basis as new questions arise.

Stay tuned for more information in the coming days.

Bram Freedman, Vice-President, Institutional Relations and Secretary-General
David Graham, PhD Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs