On Nov. 14, the McGill Senate met to discuss student disciplinary cases during the 2011-2012 academic year. Interim Dean of Students Linda Starkey presented the Committee on Student Discipline’s (CDS) annual report.

The Senate also heard a presentation by Vice-Principal Research and International Relations Rose Goldstein on how McGill could expand its funding for research.

The Report

The CSD report notes that the total number of allegations was slightly higher this past academic year—427 compared to 408 in 2010-2011. The non-academic allegations made against students increased by 48 per cent, from 193 to 286.

“This increase can be attributed to improved reporting of e-mail harassment or inappropriate use of McGill posting sites, the growing number of residence spaces, and the campus atmosphere last year,” the report said.

Last year, several students faced disciplinary allegations after McGill Security Services videotaped students at protests on campus, including an occupation of the James Administration Building’s sixth floor. Science Senator Moe Nasr questioned the role of McGill Security Service within the disciplinary procedure at McGill, specifically with regards to cases where students express political opinions on campus.

According to Starkey, the mandate of Security Services is not to accuse a student of violating a specific protocol, but to report alleged violations to a disciplinary officer.

“I’m not aware that the notion of student politics is a factor [in what Security Services reports to a disciplinary officer],” she said, noting that the only time that someone from Security Services would mention political leanings in a case is when describing words on signs used by students on campus.

Catherine Lu, an associate professor of political science, expressed concern over whether there was equity in CSD’s punishments.

“There were different penalties that came out of similar offenses,” Lu said. “What needs to be done institutionally to correct this for the future?”

In response, Starkey explained that CSD does not issue standard sanctions, and that every case is heard and assessed individually.

Several students attended the Senate meeting to observe Starkey’s presentation. Some held a large red sign that read ‘McGill’s Committee on Squashing Dissent.’

“We are here because the University’s rules and procedures related to student discipline are interpreted and applied inconsistently and with bias against known student activists,” read a flyer that the students distributed at Senate.

Research Funding

Senators also voted to endorse McGill’s new Strategic Research Plan (SRP) for 2013-2017. The plan is intended to improve McGill’s research capabilities. An SRP is required for many external funding programs, such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The previous plan was adopted in 2006.

Almost 75 per cent of McGill’s current research funding comes from both the federal and Quebec governments. Presently, McGill is the second-ranked university in research intensity, according to the Tri-Council Agencies, the federal agencies which provide a majority of research funding in Canada. Goldstein said the new plan aims to diversify research funding, and should help McGill surpass the University of Toronto as the top-ranked University for research intensity.

“We need to reorganize funds if we are going to be competitive in the next few years,” Goldstein said. “Provincial and federal pools are not growing … we need to diversify.”

Several senators expressed concerns over the SRP’s logistics, including the source of the potential new funds. According to Goldstein, McGill plans to launch a Business Engagement Centre to reach out to new businesses for funding.

Brendan Gillon, associate professor of linguistics, expressed concern that dependency on external organizations like private businesses for funding might affect the topics chosen for research, and that McGill may consequently see less curiosity-driven research.

Senate also passed a motion to broadcast their sessions on the internet for a one-year trial period, starting in January 2013. These broadcasts will only be available to members of the McGill community, and will be accessible through a password-protected login.

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Recording and Transmission of Senate Meetings brought this motion forward with the intention of making Senate meetings more accessible to the McGill community.

“We want to have engagement from the broad university community,” Chandra Madramootoo, chair of the committee and dean of agricultural and environmental sciences, said.

Last Tuesday, McGill announced its decision to pursue legal action against Dr. Arthur Porter, the former director general and chief executive officer of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). McGill seeks the reimbursement of $317,153.89—a total that includes a $285,000 loan granted to Porter in 2008, and $30,131.63 in salary overpayment following his resignation in December 2011.

According to the Montreal Gazette, McGill originally lent Porter $500,000 at one per cent annual interest in 2008. When Porter resigned from his position at MUHC, he had paid back $214,409 of the loan.

“Despite the fact that [Porter] had promised to reimburse the university, the amount owing remains outstanding,” McGill’s press release read. “The university has therefore decided to take action to ensure the prompt repayment of these sums.”

McGill has not disclosed the reason for the loan, nor any information regarding the university’s loan policy to date.

According to the Gazette, evidence suggests that the loan is related to Porter’s real-estate investments. Porter allegedly purchased a penthouse apartment in downtown Montreal for over $500,000 in September 2004, and his wife bought a penthouse condominium for over $1 million in December 2007.

In March 2008, Porter received the $500,000 loan from McGill, and signed a promissory note acknowledging it. The loan was signed again three months later in the presence of a notary, at which point it became a “housing loan agreement.”

Further investigation by the Gazette has revealed that, in addition to his nearly $350,000 salary as the head of the MUHC, Porter earned a second salary at McGill for teaching as a professor of oncology in the faculty of medicine. However, when the Gazette inquired into Porter’s position as a professor, none of 12 professors in the department of oncology who responded could admit to ever having seen Porter teach.

“I was surprised to learn … that Dr. Porter was receiving a salary as a professor of oncology,” Dr. Vincent Giguère, professor in oncology and biochemistry, told the Gazette. “He is not listed as a professor of oncology on our department website … and I have never seen him at departmental functions.”

McGill has refused to disclose Porter’s professorial salary to the public, saying that information about professors’ salaries is “private.”

Quebec’s anti-corruption squad is also seeking to question Porter about MUHC’s procurement of the $1.3 billion superhospital contract. However, Porter’s current whereabouts are unknown. Porter’s most recent communication with McGill was an email dated Oct. 23, in which he promised to pay back the loan.

McGill has stated that it will make no further comment on the lawsuit, as the case is currently under review by the Quebec Superior Court.

 

Two weeks ago, the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Legislative Council approved a trial run of the Student Advocacy Resource Committee (SARC). The new committee aims to guide students through McGill’s  bureaucracy and to help make students’ voices heard within the administration and SSMU, according to David Benrimoh, who presented his vision of SARC to Council on Nov. 1. The trial run will end March 15, 2013.

SARC is Benrimoh’s creation. He is a first-year medical school student who has previously worked with SSMU and First Year Council. He said he saw the need for a service to help students navigate McGill’s institutional infrastructure.

“We felt that a lot of students at McGill have a lot of ideas, questions, and things they want to see changed, but they don’t necessarily know how to go about doing it,” Benrimoh said.

The group began this year as an interim club. Now that Council has passed the motion to create SARC, the club has achieved SSMU Committee status, in order to increase its credibility and make it more accountable to SSMU Council.

“[Now], we’re directly accountable to Council, and people know that we have the support and backing of [SSMU],” Benrimoh said.

Benrimoh is SARC’s head steward, which means he is responsible for supervising the committee and establishing its long-term vision. He said he hopes SARC can act as a liaison between students and those who can help address an individual student’s needs on campus, like SSMU’s elected representatives and administrators.

The Committee works on a case-by-case basis. Cases are divided under the categories of services, student government, and campus issues, and are dealt with accordingly by SARC.

“We [will] develop a campaign plan based off of [each] case,” Benrimoh said. “Some cases might have a need for events or setting up meetings with campus administrators. There’s all sorts of different venues we can help students take advantage of.”

After roughly three weeks of existence, SARC is currently dealing with a total of seven actual and potential cases.

“Potential cases [are those] where we have identified an issue or met with a requestor and where we have not yet signed the case but we are confident that we will in the very near future,” Benrimoh said. “We are very new and we haven’t yet had time to do the kind of outreach that is necessary to accrue a large number of cases … until now, we have been focused on actually getting set up.. . and training our stewards.”

SSMU Vice-President University Affairs Haley Dinel helps supervise SARC on behalf of SSMU, and will also sit on the Committee. Dinel said Benrimoh reports to both her and  Council, and explained how committee members were chosen this year.

“The [current] stewards were chosen, and they went through their own internal application process,” she said. “[If SARC becomes a permanent committee], the names will be given to the SSMU nominating committee, and they’d be screened and interviewed.”

According to the motion presented to Council, stewards are  committee members responsible for dealing with and writing reports on individual cases. In addition to the head steward, there are individual triage, services, campus issues, and student government stewards. The Committee also includes three councillors from SSMU.

At the Nov. 1 Council meeting, some SSMU councillors expressed concern over the creation of SARC as a permanent SSMU Committee. Arts Senator Max Zidel questioned the sustainability of the Committee.

“This proposal requires a lot of man power and a lot of interest and time, and although it’s wonderful that right now we have a group of students who are really fond of this idea, what happens when they graduate?” Zidel said. “I see trouble … finding enough students every year to fill the necessary positions.”

Despite his reservations, Zidel said he hopes the Committee will succeed.

“I think good things will come out of it,” he said. “The idea itself is good, which is that you want to make it easier for students to understand the way that the university works. I’m pleased that people want to fill this gap.”

Last week, McGill’s Scholarships and Student Aid Office launched the Frugal Scholar Money Management Program—a service that helps students create a financial plan by using online tools to track expenses and deal with student and government loans. The launch was part of Financial Wellness Week, which featured workshops and student-run activities covering topics such as student loans, taxes, and affordable living.

Evelina Balut, associate director of scholarships and student aid and one of the organizers of the week, emphasized the Frugal Scholar Program’s open-door policy, stating that students are always welcome to confidentially discuss their finances with advisors.

“Part of my job is to be here for students [and] let them grasp control over their finances so we can teach kids to become smart consumers now, and for later in life,” Balut said.

The program also features an anonymous live chat system, which allows students to chat confidentially with peer advisors. Since this service is partially run by peers, Balut said it is more approachable for students who may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by their current financial situation.

The Scholarships and Student Aid Office offered a workshop on the program as part of Financial Wellness Week. Other workshops included last Thursday’s “Living Thrifty” workshop, run by Shelby Levesque, a student ambassador for the Frugal Scholar Program. Levesque gave tips on how to spend less money, and encouraged students to spread awareness of the financial services McGill offers.

As a student paying her way through school, Levesque shared her outlook on money and how to maintain a healthy relationship with it. She emphasized the importance of keeping track of finances—short-term as well as long term—and keeping receipts to maintain a budget.

Levesque outlined many basic ways to save, in areas such as grocery shopping, gym memberships, and traveling.  Some tips for groceries included collecting coupons and buying in bulk. While students may think it is convenient to go to grocery stores close to McGill, Levesque suggested taking the extra time to go to thriftier places such as Segal’s Market could help save a lot of money in the long-term. For travelling, she suggested couch surfing or staying with friends instead of paying for a hotel room.

Levesque emphasized that the Frugal Scholar Program can serve as an outreach to students, who remain unaware that McGill provides financial services.

“As a freshman, I wish I knew that McGill offered entrance bursaries,” Levesque said.

She said it is important for students to know that entrance bursaries are provided on the basis of need—they are not exclusive to students with high marks.

Anne Marie Trickey, U0 arts, said that it is difficult to deal with money matters while having a student’s social life.

“Going out is expensive,” Trickey said. “I can’t squander away money like all my friends, so most of the time I find it easier to stay home and watch movies instead.”

Levesque, however, discouraged students from feeling guilty about spending money.

Levesque said that every now and then, a small reward—like buying coffee instead of making it at home—can be satisfying, and can reduce chances of extravagant spending in the future. She also emphasized that living thrifty becomes easier over time.

“There are many ways to save,” Levesque said. “Once you start, it becomes a habit, then, a way of life.”

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 from the Charbonneau Commission. When his party, Union Montreal, did not vote for him as their choice for the mayoral election, Applebaum quit the party to run as an independent candidate.

Applebaum has faced criticism over the quality of his French, but defends himself as capable of conducting business in both languages. Since his election, Applebaum has emphasized the need for a collaborative council to reduce tension between parties, and for increased transparency for the city’s governing bodies.

“Now is the time to re-establish our bridges, to work together and to ensure that Montrealers can be proud of what we do as elected officials,” Applebaum said. 

B.C. suspends visa program

Last Friday, the British Columbia government suspended a program that fast-tracked visas for investors who had committed to establishing a business in the province. The decision came following a suspiciously high increase in the submitted number of visa applications.

The program offered business applicants speedier access to permanent residence status in exchange for a $125,000 bond. The initiative was part of a larger provincial plan to address B.C.’s demand for more skilled immigrants.

According to the Globe and Mail, a review of the fast-track program found that very few nominees were running a business as promised, and that the program’s success rate was under 20 per cent.

Government officials have suggested several explanations for the surge in applications and the program’s poor performance. One explanation is that some applicants hope to take advantage of the program’s conditions in order to secure permanent residence status.

“We require [that] people actually set up a business and actively manage it,” a senior government official, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “You cannot just put up money and collect a permanent resident’s visa.”

Chinese ambassador denies espionage allegations

During an interview on CBC Radio last Saturday, Chinese Ambassador to Canada Zhang Junsai criticized anyone who speculated about Chinese firms’ involvement  in espionage without providing evidence for their allegations.

Zhang’s comments came following a report released by the U.S. Intelligence Agency in early October, which urged American companies to avoid using Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. The committee suggested that Huawei could serve as a front for Chinese espionage, and could be used to cause interference with power grids and banking systems during a time of conflict.

Huawei currently provides networks for several Canadian companies, including Bell Canada. Zhang said these speculations are unfounded, and result from a “Cold War mentality.”

These concerns come at a time when the federal government is reviewing the proposed takeover of Nexen Inc. by China National Offshore Oil Corp. Members of Parliament, including NDP and Official Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair have criticized the deal, saying it is not in Canada’s best interests. The review period ends Dec. 10.

Retail giants take Quebec gov’t to court over language law

Last Sunday, several major retailers—Best Buy, Costco, Gap, Guess, Old Navy, and Wal-mart— announced their decision to pursue legal action against the Quebec government. The dispute involves a new interpretation of language laws governing the use of French in business names.

According to the CBC, the Office Québécois de la Langue Française, the province’s language watchdog, has requested that the companies in question either create a generic French name for their business, or add a French slogan that communicates the products for sale.

Section 63 of Quebec’s French Language Charter requires that all business names in the province must be in French. Traditionally, however, this clause has not been applied to trademarked names. The six retailers have argued that this particular language law has not been formally changed, and challenge the validity of the office’s  demands.

Critics of this new rule include Nathalie St-Pierre, the vice-president for the Retail Council of Canada’s Quebec branch—a not-for-profit advocacy association representing retailers across the country. St. Pierre questioned the purpose of imposing such changes on these retail giants, and said that the brands “stand on their own” and “need no description.”

Government inspects veteran’s facility following complaints

The federal government ordered an audit of Sunnybrook Veterans Centre last Thursday, following weeks of scrutiny and complaints over the quality of care at the Toronto facility.

Sunnybrook is the largest veteran’s facility in Canada, containing 500 beds. In early November, some families of Sunnybrook residents raised concerns about incidents that occurred at the hospital. Allegations included veterans left in unsanitary conditions and delays for vital services, like feeding.

These allegations led to a government inspection of the facilities on Nov. 9. Families have since expressed concern about the inspection’s effectiveness as Sunnybrook was warned about the inspection about a day before it occurred.

Although the hospital receives money from the both the Ontario and federal governments, it reports only to the federal government. While provincial rules mandate that long-term care homes be inspected at least once a year, Sunnybrook’s last inspection by the Ministry of Health occured in 2005.

Officials say the audit will focus on how the facility uses taxpayers’ money, as well as on the quality of the care provided, and should be completed in early 2013.