Message from the president

On April 1, the Montreal Gazette reported that a Concordia student has filed a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission, complaining of sexual and racial harassment and discrimination against two former fellow executives of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA).

I am deeply troubled by the reports I read online last night and we are looking into the circumstances of the university's response.

Any sexist and racist behaviour is deplorable and must be condemned.

The safety of our community is paramount. This is why, in December, I requested a review of our sexual assault policy — a process that includes the issue of sexual harassment. Our review will provide recommendations on simplifying the process for reporting and combatting such behaviour.

The social media landscape is still relatively new territory for universities and we are all finding our footing. We are grappling with ways to deal with unacceptable behaviour within this new reality. Questions of what is private and what is personal, as well as where universities have the power to intervene, must be addressed.

Members of our community have resources available to them when such issues arise. Each case is different and there are different options for responding to these situations.

We regret that we may not have communicated these options clearly enough to our student. We have reached out to her to provide our support.

We are committed to creating a safe environment for everyone and combatting racist and sexist behaviour.

Alan Shepard
President