ConU Academic Plan Approved by Senate

Students’ Concerns Dismissed

NewsAdam Kovac — Published November 7, 2011

After an hour of debate, Concordia’s Senate voted by secret ballot to adopt a new five-year academic plan for the university, despite rampant student opposition.

In total, 26 Senators voted in favour of the plan, and 19 voted in opposition.

“I understand that the great majority of those who chose to vote against the plan were doing so not so much because they disagreed with the plan as a whole, but because they may have disagreed with portions of it [and also] particularly because they wanted further discussion,” said Provost David Graham.

Most opposition came from student representatives who, at a Concordia Student Union council meeting last week, expressed concerns regarding graduate student financing and a possible veto of the plan by Concordia’s next president.

Councillors are concerned that too much emphasis of the academic plan is on bringing in higher-ranking graduate students at the expense of Concordia’s current students.

Concordia Provost David Graham disagrees with the students. “I think it’s good for all of us if we could attract more good students for all kinds of reasons,” he said. “Not just because they attract good faculty, but because they provide great role models for other students.”

Graham also dismissed the possible veto of the plan by the new president, saying, “The idea that the next president would come in and just veto or jettison the plan seems absurd to me.”

Early in the meeting a motion proposed by students to table the plan for further consultation was voted down by administration and some faculty members.

“We were really hoping to get [the plan] tabled to January, but I think we managed to make our point,” said Chuck Wilson, a senator and student in the Engineering and Computer Science faculty.

Graham told The Link that the next step is for the plan to be approved by the Board of Governors.