The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council met on Oct. 1 to discuss motions regarding improvments to student life, the resignation of vice-president (VP) Internal Affairs Lola Baraldi, and a SSMU climate change policy. Resignations of executive positions The loss of general manager Jennifer Varkonyi in August is[Read More…]
McGill
SSMU, CKUT host Federal election candidates debate
On Sept. 30, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and CKUT hosted a debate between six candidates running to be members of parliament in the upcoming federal election. Rachel Bendayan represented the Liberal Party of Canada from the Outremont riding, Daniel Green the Green Party from the Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs[Read More…]
AGSEM ratifies McGill’s Global Offer of Settlement at GA
The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) voted at a General Assembly (GA) on Wednesday to ratify the Global Offer of Settlement from McGill. The vote passed 172 to 101. The decision brings to a close a negotiating process that has been ongoing since the expiration of the[Read More…]
SSMU, Anti-Austerity McGill stand in solidarity with Quebec teachers’ unions
On Sept. 30, around 34,000 supporters of the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE) protested austerity measures imposed by the Quebec government by marching to Square Victoria. The FAE represents eight teachers’ unions, and encompasses teachers from elementary and high schools in Montreal and its surrounding region. The 2015-2016 provincial budget[Read More…]
Understanding Quebec’s role in the Syrian refugee crisis
On Sept. 9 the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis was declared the worst humanitarian crisis of our time by the Secretary General of the United Nations. Over 11 million Syrians have been displaced as a result of the current civil war. While the majority of refugees have fled to the Middle[Read More…]
Indigenous Awareness Week focuses on truth and reconciliation
The Social Equity and Diversity Education Office (SEDE), held its fifth annual Indigenous Awareness Week from Sept. 21 to Sept. 25, with events focusing on themes such as truth and reconciliation, sovereignty, and resisting gendered and state violence. The week was hosted in partnership with on-campus indigenous student groups, including[Read More…]
MCLIU ratifies first collective agreement
On Friday, Sept. 18, the Special General Assembly of the McGill Course Lecturers and Instructors Union (MCLIU) met to vote on the proposed version of the union’s first collective agreement. The agreement outlines a number of important points between the employer, McGill, and the MCLIU, including seniority, hiring processes, salary[Read More…]
Senate raises concerns over the future of research funding
Senate held its first meeting of the year and received reports on the medical program’s probationary status, biomedical research funding, and cases of sexual assault and harassment at McGill. Undergraduate medical program probation Dean of Medicine and Vice-Principal of Health Affairs, Dr. David Eidelman, praised the Faculty of Medicine’s response[Read More…]
Divest McGill brings Fossil Free Week to James Administration
From Sept. 21 to 25, Divest McGill held Fossil Free Week, a series of workshops, professor talks, and rallies to ask the university administration to divest from oil and gas industries. Divest McGill is an organization whose goal is to urge the university to divest its endowment from fossil fuel[Read More…]
The dirt on Lower Field: Budget cuts prevent maintenance
The Lower West Field of McGill’s Downtown campus— commonly known as Lower Field among students— has, over the past two years, developed a large area of the field that is barren of grass. McGill Grounds and Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor Franco Nardi explained the origins of the damage. “The Lower West[Read More…]