Board of Governors highlights: June 2025
The Board of Governors held its last meeting of the 2024-2025 academic year on June 19.
President Graham Carr added to his written report by thanking the teams involved in the organization of the Convocation ceremonies held from June 9 to 11. The teams include staff from the Office of the Registrar and from the different faculties, as well as from Hospitality, Advancement and the President’s Office.
Close to 6,300 students graduated from Concordia this spring. The president noted that the eight “joyous events” were well attended by graduating students and their friends and families. He also praised this year’s valedictorians and the “outstanding” honorary doctorate recipients recognized by the university.
Carr added that Chancellor Gina Cody also received an honorary doctorate the same week. The recognition from the University of Waterloo is the second honorary doctorate bestowed on the chancellor.
The president also mentioned that a few members of the Concordia family are among the latest group of individuals named to the Ordre national du Québec.
Campaign close to reaching $350M goal
Carr spoke about two recent major gifts to the Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen Now, which is steadily progressing toward its $350M goal.
Power Corporation of Canada has donated $1 million to Art Volt, the university’s unique platform that helps recent graduates of the Faculty of Fine Arts transition into their professional lives. The gift will expand their access to collectors, industry professionals and the broader creative ecosystem.
The other donation came from CMA CGM, a global shipping and logistics company whose CEO, Rodolphe Saadé, is a Concordia graduate. CMA CGM has given the university €1 million to support 20 international students, including five from Lebanon, with full scholarships to pursue master’s and PhD degrees.
Legal challenge of tuition policy changes
On the recent decision of the Superior Court on the tuition increase for out-of-province students, the president explained that on June 9, the last day an appeal could be filed, the office of the Minister of Higher Education said the government would not appeal the court ruling. However, the next day, Minister Pascale Déry tweeted that she planned to maintain the tuition increase for out-of-province students, rejecting the interpretation that the court judgment ordered it to abolish the 33 per-cent hike.
“We are at a loss as to what the government may be intending,” Carr said. “Our offer remains that we want to put all of this behind us and search for a reset on government relations and higher education, especially given the mounting challenges all universities in Quebec are facing.”
On a related note, he shared that the university recently won a prestigious prize for its public relations work around the tuition policy changes. He congratulated the communications team as well as government relations and finance colleagues who supported the activities behind the 2025 Executive Communications Award. Past winners of the United States-based awards include Google and Intel.
Deputy Provost Hardy returning to teaching
The president concluded his remarks by thanking Nadia Hardy for her contributions since joining the Office of the Provost almost ten years ago, most recently as deputy provost and vice-provost of enrolment and student experience.
Hardy, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, has announced she is returning to teaching. Carr also thanked Sandra Gabriele for her work as vice-provost for innovation in teaching and learning. Gabriele leaves Concordia this summer for a senior academic role at another university.
