Senate highlights: November 2024

At the university’s Senate meeting on Loyola Campus on November 8, Concordia President Graham Carr passed along recent news not covered in his printed report.

• 1,200 students attended the fall 2024 convocation ceremonies on October 15; and Concordia bestowed honorary doctorates to biotech entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, John Sicard, BCSc 88, president and CEO of Kinaxis, and Douglas Sanderson, Indigenous and aboriginal law expert.
• Ginath Yuh Yisa, who earned a PhD in geography, urban and environmental studies, won the Governor General’s Gold Medal for the top graduate student, and classics, modern languages and linguistics student Philip Smith took home the Governor General’s Silver Medal for the top undergrad.
• The John Molson School of Business convocation was the last for Jonathan Wener, BComm 71, as Concordia chancellor.
• At Open House on October 26, Concordia welcomed nearly 6,000 visitors, up 3.5 per cent from last year; this was the first year that all Montreal universities held their open houses on the same weekend.
• A record six Concordians are taking part in the Royal Society of Canada celebrations in Vancouver:
  • Ann English, distinguished professor emerita, David Howes, professor of sociology and anthropology, and Muthukumaran Packirisamy, professor of mechanical, industrial and aerospace engineering, are new fellows.
  • Xia Li, associate professor of chemical and materials engineering, joined the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
  • Catherine Mulligan, professor, building, civil, and environmental engineering, won the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal for her pioneering work in sustainable environmental engineering, and Steven High, professor of history, won the J.B. Tyrrell Medal for his outstanding contributions to Canadian history.
• 2022 Loyola Medal recipient Murray Sinclair, former senator, judge and chair of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, passed away on November 4.
• Carr, Pascal Lebel, Concordia’s executive director of government relations, and Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, principal of Bishop’s College, spoke at the Quebec National Assembly this week regarding the dangers of the proposed Bill 74, which would limit international student visas; Concordia also submitted a brief to the government explaining the crucial role international students play in the university system.
•  In the last 18 months, there have been 12 new or changed policies affecting universities at the federal and provincial levels, which has caused confusion and a negative image.
• Carr addressed an incident outside the GM Building on October 31:
  • Some 60 protestors demonstrated in the GM Building but left without incident; however, they eventually returned and entered the Guy-Concordia metro station and began to cause a disruption.
  • They then physically assaulted two Concordia safety agents; police were called to assist, and the protestors were dispersed.
  • Two protestors were arrested for assault and the agents were treated onsite for their injuries.
  • Some of the instigators were not members of the Concordia community.
  • Criminal acts such as the assault on security personnel are unacceptable; students can express themselves in a civil and respectful manner but Concordia will not tolerate violence, in any form, on campus.
  • Incidents such as this shouldn’t detract from the outstanding work happening on campus every day.
• In her academic update, Anne Whitelaw, provost and vice-president, academic, pointed out that students Isabella Walter and Louise van Oel are finalists for this year’s Rhodes Scholarships.
• Senate approved two new forward-looking Faculty of Arts and Science programs: the Minor in Black and African Diaspora Studies in the Canadian Context, and the Microprogram in Sustainability Principles.
• To provide background for Concordia’s upcoming strategic directions process, Carr described the lengthy process in 2015-16 to arrive at the university’s nine directions.
• The upcoming strategic directions process will be consultative and inclusive but lighter, looking to refresh the directions in the current context of political and technological changes: “How can we position Concordia to be the next-generation university of the future?”

Find out more about Concordia’s Board of Governors and Senate.