Matthew Daldalian

Concordia Master of Fine Arts students call out administration at open studios event

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Concordia University’s annual Open Studios event for MFA students took place on Feb. 19. Photo Matthew Daldalian

Matthew Daldalian,
Local Journalism Initiative

Statement to administration condemns police presence, teaching assistant wages and more

At Concordia University’s annual Open Studios event on Feb. 19, Master of Fine Arts (MFA) students unveiled an anonymous collective statement condemning the university administration’s treatment of artists and its reliance on police presence to suppress student organizing.

The annual Open Studios event provides MFA students with an opportunity to display and sell prints of their work. But this year, a paper letter addressed to Concordia’s administration was attached to several venue walls. 

The collective statement was titled, “Concordia Administration Does Not Support the Arts.”

The anonymous collective cited Concordia’s reliance on police and private security to manage student protests as the reason behind their statement, describing it as “creating a climate of fear and anxiety that is not necessary.”

The statement highlighted several events that students said created a “climate of repression” at the university. The events cited include the university calling police on an arts event screening of Palestinian film Resistance, Why?; the firing of the previous Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery director; the detention of students in the same gallery during a protest; and Concordia’s ban on political statements from departments.

The statement also tied these concerns to ongoing issues in academia, specifically the exploitation of teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs).

“I love the work, I really like the students,” said first-year MFA student and TA Marius Gnanasihamany. “But we are in negotiations as TAs and RAs. It is kind of bittersweet to be showing work when I know that part of my labour that I contribute to Concordia is so underappreciated and so undervalued.”

Concordia TAs currently earn $29 per hour. According to Gnanasihamany, that number is far lower than their counterparts at other institutions. 

“And Concordia has so far not been very interested in giving us a fair deal,” they added.

Second-year MFA student Abi Hodson, who participated in the event with their textile and video-based work, echoed these frustrations. 

“We make so much of a difference in teaching and research,” Hodson said. “The quality of education that Concordia says they’re proud of? We’re a part of that.”

Hodson emphasized the disconnect between Concordia’s branding and the lived reality of MFA students. They pointed to an increasingly restrictive and hostile environment for artists and researchers at the university. 

For Yuki Tam, a print media MFA student and TA, the event was a reminder of the multifaceted roles that artists play within the institution. 

“We wear multiple hats,” Tam said. “This event is a great way for students to see what their TAs and RAs do outside of the classroom and how the things we’re teaching them can be put into practice.”

Tam said that Open Studios is an important space for critical dialogue, particularly regarding Concordia’s treatment of its workers. 

“It is also a space where we want to have honest conversations about what it’s like being an artist in an institution,” they said.

With Concordia’s TAs and RAs currently bargaining with the university after more than 1,000 days without a raise, Tam said that the open studios showed that artistic practice is inseparable from the conditions of artists’ labour. 

“We do incredible work. We make great research,” Tam said. “And none of us are served well when Concordia’s priorities are underpaying their employees and policing them.”

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CSU sends Concordia a cease and desist

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Photo Matthew Daldalian

Geneviève Sylvestre,
Local Journalism Initiative

The student union accuses the university of restraining freedom of speech, cites concerns with upcoming election

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) sent a cease and desist letter to Concordia University on Feb. 20 following the university’s announcement that it would launch an investigation into the student union.

In the cease and desist letter, the CSU claimed that Concordia’s actions will cause “irreparable harm” to the union. As such, the CSU has given Concordia 72 hours to rescind its suspension or they will undertake legal recourse against the university.

Concordia first informed the CSU of its investigation on Feb. 6 following claims of alleged breaches of university policies during the Jan. 29 special general meeting (SGM). At the SGM, a significant majority of undergraduate students voted for the union to adopt a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) motion and for the union to bring the motion to Concordia’s Board of Governors.

Primarily, Concordia pointed to alleged breaches of the Policy on Student Associations and Groups, the Policy on the Temporary Use of University Spaces, and the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. 

The university specifically outlined allegations that the auditorium was overfilled during the vote and that the CSU used the mezzanine to accommodate additional student voters without proper authorization. Concordia also pointed to allegations that the CSU permitted intimidation during the SGM, claiming that it received reports of “heavily masked individuals” creating “an intimidating climate.”

As a result, the university suspended the CSU’s ability to book spaces on campus and rescinded all the union’s past bookings. 

In the cease and desist letter addressed to Concordia provost and VP of Academic Anne Whitelaw, the CSU outlined how the alleged accusations “are very serious and are made without specifically referring to any articles of the three policies mentioned.” 

The cease and desist also claims that the university failed to provide details on the formal complaint that prompted the investigation.

“Limiting CSU’s rights on this basis goes against the CSU’s freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly and association, which are guaranteed to all students in section 1.3 of Concordia’s Code of Rights and Responsibilities,” the cease and desist reads.

The CSU also claims, contrary to Concordia allegations, that organizers counted and registered each student coming inside the building for the duration of the SGM. 

The union’s lawyer also wrote that Concordia Campus Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) officers raised no concerns with organizers using the mezzanine as an overflow space to accommodate additional students. The cease and desist claims that CSPS officers even helped organizers install chairs in the mezzanine. 

“Accusing the CSU organizers of using space without authorization while, in reality, security personnel employed by Concordia helped them use this space constitutes an attempt to intimidate and stop students from being active in politics,” the cease and desist reads. 

The CSU also claimed that it provided students at the SGM with masks to ensure safety, claiming that concerns were raised by immunocompromised students who wanted to attend the vote. The union also noted that students were able to communicate their concerns through an anonymous text line to the moodwatcher throughout the SGM. 

“No concerns of discrimination or intimidation were brought forward beyond requests to mitigate cheering and prevent attendees from filming each other, both of which were then directly addressed by the chair,” the cease and desist reads. 

The CSU claims the administration did not try to get the CSU’s version of events or communicate with CSU executives except to clarify the effects of the suspension. 

The union’s concerns with the suspension come as the campaigning phase of the CSU General Elections is set to begin on March 3 at 9 a.m. 

The union claims that Concordia is causing “serious and irreparable damage to student democracy and freedom of speech” by preventing the union from booking the spaces needed to hold the elections. 

The cease and desist continued by stating that it is inconceivable for the union to hold “proper and valid” elections and organize debates in accordance with the CSU bylaws without access to the requisite spaces on campus. 

The letter also states that the governance and decision-making power of the CSU would be rendered null if the general election results were deemed illegitimate following the university’s actions. 

“The CSU is a multi-million dollar non-profit for students by students, so if these services were to be rendered null it would mean that millions in student funds would be put to waste,” the cease and desist reads. 

Concordia spokesperson Julie Fortier told The Link that the university does not comment on pending legal matters and that it “is not restricting freedom of speech or student democracy on campus.” 

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Concordia’s austerity measures threaten another victim

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SFCUCCR General Meeting on Nov. 1. Photo Matthew Daldalian

Geneviève Sylvestre,
Local Journalism Initiative

Students are mobilizing to save the CUCCR amid risks of permanent closure

The Students for the Centre for Creative Reuse (SFCUCCR), a new student coalition, has formed at Concordia with the goal of saving the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) from its permanent closure. 

The Students for the Centre for Creative Reuse (SFCUCCR), a new student coalition, has formed at Concordia with the goal of saving the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) from its permanent closure. 

The CUCCR is a used material depot that connects students with free materials collected from Concordia’s various waste streams. The depot is fruitful with various materials like wood, fabric, ribbon, binders, kitchen supplies and more that students can use to work on various projects. 

SFCUCCR created an appeal form for students to sign “to prove the CUCCR’s importance to the members of Concordia’s community.” According to the appeal, the university has yet to renew the centre’s contract and, if it is not signed by December, the CUCCR will have to close its doors in April. 

SFCUCCR member Jonah Doniewski said that the coalition wants to show the university that students believe the CUCCR is worth keeping alive. 

“We’re not trying to attack the university. We understand it comes from a place of really tight money constraints and funding constraints,” Doniewski said, “but ultimately [Concordia not signing the renewal contract yet] is a choice.” 

On top of being a coalition member, Doniewski is also a volunteer at the CUCCR. He said that students are often baffled that all of the materials inside the depot are free. 

“We live in a world [with] a lot of scarcity and competition, so free stuff doesn’t really make any sense to a lot of people,” said Doniewski. 

After collecting their supplies, students use the check-out system to weigh their items and assess their value, allowing the CUCCR to keep track of its impact live on the Concordia website. 

“It’s not like we’re getting new stuff,” Doniewski said. “We’re just finding the home for the old stuff.” 


So far this year, the CUCCR has already diverted 6334.42 kg of waste and saved students $43,394.10. Over the 2023-2024 school year, the centre saved students over $100,000. 

Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) finance coordinator Ryan Assaker has been very active in the movement to save the CUCCR, in part due to ASFA contributing a yearly fee-levy to the centre. 

“The CUCCR has been so vital in helping out the student community,” Assaker said, “and so, for ASFA, we can’t just see an organization such as the CUCCR disappear in front of our eyes.”

Reuse programming and sustainability specialist Anna Timm-Bottos is the founder of the CUCCR and the only employee. 

According to her, without the CUCCR, most of the waste that the centre currently diverts would end up in a landfill, as it usually comes from departments with limited storage space. 

For Doniewski, volunteering at the CUCCR helped make him more aware of the abundance of waste at the university and globally. 

“Interacting with that abundance has completely changed the way that I sort of see the world and see the community,” he said, explaining that the sense of joy these items bring people gives him a sense of hope.

Assaker added that while he understands that Concordia needs to implement different financial measures, he takes issue with the administration making these decisions unilaterally.  

“We’ve had it happen with the shuttle bus, and now it’s happening with the CUCCR and it’s concerning [not only] as a student leader, but also as a student,” Assaker said. “You’re making these decisions, you’re not consulting the student base and then you’re just basically pulling the rug [from] under our feet.”

For Timm-Bottos, the support has been overwhelming.“It really shows how much of a community project this is,” she said. “I may have been a leader in starting it, but it’s really the community that is around us, the students, that make the project what it is.” 

Concordia University spokesperson Vannina Maestracci explained that no decision has been made about the future of the CUCCR and that the university values the CUCCR’s service to the community. 

Looking forward, the SFCUCCR is looking to host an art fair with work made using material from the depot to fundraise and raise awareness for the CUCCR. 

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 5, published November 5, 2024.

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Concordia creates new task force to tackle racism on campus

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Due to rise of racism on campus, Concordia has created a new task force which promises to create a safe campus space. Photo Matthew Daldalian

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The university promises to create a safe campus for students of diverse backgrounds

On April 3, Concordia President Graham Carr informed students by email that a new task force called Standing Together against Racism and Identity-based Violence (STRIVE) has been formed. 

The creation of the task force comes after months of increasing tension on campus. On Nov. 8, 2023, a confrontation in the Henry F. Hall building between Israeli and Palestinian students turned violent. More recently, on March 13, a few students from the Muslim Student Association (MSA) expressed that they do not feel safe on campus, due to claims of Zionist students verbally harassing them on a regular basis. Several members of MSA accused students of calling them terrorists, pro-Hamas supporters and MSA terrorists. 

According to Carr, since October 2023, there has been an increase in “manifestations of hate, acts of intimidation and other instances of identity-based violence.” In his statement, Carr said these incidents are unacceptable. 

The university created STRIVE as a result of increasing identity-based violence on campus. According to the university’s website, the task force will aim to address identity-based violence, strengthen anti-discrimination efforts and develop new policies and initiatives to combat discrimination at Concordia. 

The task force will consist of one overseeing body and six subcommittees. Each subcommittee will consist of one lead and three members representing staff, students and faculty. The subcommittees will tackle key issues, including antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, anti-Asian racism, transphobia, as well as campus climate and campus engagement. 

For each subcommittee, the university will examine existing campus policies and systems in place for complaints. The university will also evaluate the community’s access to campus services and speak to the relevant Concordia and Montreal communities to deduce what measures are needed. 

According to Concordia’s website, the committees are seeking participants to join the task force. 

This isn’t the first time the university has created a task force. Concordia currently has one task force, the Task Force on anti-Black Racism. Alongside the task force, Concordia also created a committee on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence in 2018—the latter of which has been heavily criticized by students. These criticisms involve being non-student-centric and unable to adequately deal with cases or listening to student complaints. 

Carr promises to notify the student body of any advancements or progress made by STRIVE. 

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