The Student Centre

Posted by Pierre Chauvin in From the Archives on November 1, 2012

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Looking in the archives, it’s evident the issue of student space at Concordia and the project of a student centre is nothing new.

Jan. 29, 1985: Plans for a new Student Centre on the Mezzanine of the Hall Building, due to the new Library Building plan freeing up space.

2000: “The Space Plan” suggests Student Services, clubs and associations to move from Hall Building to the GM Building. The student associations rebel, calling for a student centre between the GM and the future EV building.

June 2003: The Concordia Student Union sends the Dean of Students a Space Plan Analysis for the Mezzanine, the Greening of the Hall Building Terrace—to be completed by August 2003. The budget for the mezzanine is $15,000 and the greening has a $10,000 budget. In other words, those four bench/planter hybrids you smoke and sit at are $10,000 worth of student space.

2003: The student body votes to institute a $1 per credit levy towards a student centre on the SGW campus.

May 29, 2009: After starting up the Student Centre project with a CSU/Admin working committee, former CSU president Keyana Kashfi signs an agreement with Concordia

March 2010: 72 per cent of Concordians vote against paying an additional $2.50 per credit to fund a Student Centre. No locations for the site of the centre are revealed by the CSU before the vote.

Nov. 2010: Sixty-nine per cent of voting students reject an increase to a staggered Student Centre fee levy. Over $7 million has been collected in fees to date. The Link reveals that the Faubourg shopping centre is the destination.

Throughout the Student Centre campaign, former CSU executives have been resolute that the building would give students greater decision-making power and autonomous ownership over our space.

But if you read the contract, it’s been made legally apparent how this space might actually work—the administration will retain 100 per cent control over it.

September 2011: The CSU council unanimously reject the Faubourg as a student centre. Council also voted to take the then $8-million-fund out of Concordia’s responsibility to Scotiabank.

October 2011: $160,000—the interest generated by the student centre fund in one year— is spent on a space study.

Today: The topic of the student centre is put back on the table by the CSU and reveal the results of a student space survey.

— with files from Laura Beeston