Concordia's Thursday Report

Pledges to the university rolling on in

Advancement Officer Paul Chesser reports that “the pledges to Concordia continue to roll in, as does feedback from our graduates.

“The call centre has secured more than $153,000 in pledges thus far, but we have also dealt with a lot of concern over the Concordia Student Union controversy. Of the more than 6,500 graduates we have spoken to, fewer than four per cent of previous donors said that they will not support Concordia this year.

“Some have indicated that we should call them back after the CSU elections, and others said that they’ll keep a close eye on Concordia.”

Rector Lowy, Karim Boulos, Lorraine briscoe

Rector Frederick Lowy, Karim Boulos and Lorraine Briscoe

Photo by Christian Fleury

Graduate Awards celebrated

The Robert J. Briscoe MBA Award was one of nine new awards to graduate students presented Nov. 7 at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, along with many others.

Lorraine Briscoe (seen rightmost, photo at left) is the daughter of Robert Briscoe (BSc 67, MBA 73 SGW), who funded the award. Karim Boulos, the recipient (in the center, next to Rector Frederick Lowy), turned out to be the former manager and coach of a swim team that included Ms. Briscoe’s children.

Here are the awards inaugurated this year:

• Armand C. Archambault Fellowship
• France and André Desmarais Graduate Fellowship
• Power Corporation of Canada Graduate Fellowships • Renata Hornstein Graduate Fellowships
• Fondation de Sève Graduate Entrance Scholarship in Cinema
• Morrie and Diane Cohen Graduate Scholarship in Art History • Andrew Murphy Graduate Award in Special Education
• Robert J. Briscoe MBA Award
• Romek Hornstein Memorial Awards

McQuaig vs. new capitalism

It was fitting that Linda McQuaig chose Concordia to launch her latest book in Montreal, since it was inspired by the late political thinker Karl Polanyi, whose papers form the basis for Concordia’s Karl Polanyi Institute of Political Economy.

At the launch of All you can Eat: Greed, Lust and the New Capitalism on Nov. 7, McQuaig told an audience of about 100 that international trade agreements pose a serious threat to education and to all Canada’s public institutions.

“NAFTA, FTA, WTO — all of these are really about limiting the power of government while creating more rights for corporations,” McQuaig said. For example, UPS is challenging Canada Post’s right to offer competing courier services because it is supported by government, and wants $230 million in compensation. UPS thinks it is unfair competition, but according to McQuaig, the company only wants to be competitive in key market areas, such as Toronto and Montreal.

McQuaig believes the UPS case has implications for “our ability to organize public systems that are most beneficial to our own interests, including health care and education. Of course, decisions will be made in secret tribunals, and I see that as undermining democracy.”

An award-winning journalist, McQuaig writes for the National Post, and is the author of several successful books on left-wing economics, including The Wealthy Banker’s Wife and Shooting the Hippo.

Enrolment of international students at Concordia is up again

Professor Balbir Sahni, director of Concordia’s Centre for International Academic Cooperation, reports that “thanks to the hard work at all Faculties and Schools,” enrolment of international students (i.e. students studying here as the result of exchange agreements) has increased by 15.5 per cent, from 1,740 to 2,009, out of total enrolment of some 25,000 students.

The Faculty of Arts and Science saw a 16.2-per-cent increase, from 670 students last year to 779 students this year. In the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, there was an 18.3-per-cent increase, from 395 to 467 students. The Faculty of Fine Arts experienced a 17.6 per cent increase, from 125 to 147 students. The John Molson School of Business had a 12.6-per-cent increase, from 485 to 546 students.

Independent students (not enrolled in a program, taking a minimum number of courses) rose by 7.7 per cent, from 65 to 70 students.

Concordia’s Annual Food Drive for Montreal’s needy is on

Lise Tavares (Information Services) announces that the Annual Concordia Food Drive is under way, and will run until Wednesday, Dec. 6. As in past years, proceeds will be distributed to Maison Chez Doris, for women, and Benedict Labre House, for men.

Lise says that volunteers are collecting non-perishable food (such as jam, cookies, tea, coffee, herbs, staples and cleaning products), toiletries (such as soap and toothpaste) and warm clothing. The clothing should be separated by gender and this should be indicated on the bags.

Drop-off centres for donations are downtown at SGW Information Desk, and in the Fine Arts Dean’s Office, in Visual Arts Building. On the Loyola Campus, donations may be dropped of at the Department of Psychology in the PY Building.

The big-hearted guys in Distribution Services have again agreed to pick up donation boxes from your offices. Please allow them three working days’ notice.

Donations of cash to the Campus Ministry Student Emergency Food Fund are welcome all year round. Please make your cheque payable to Concordia University and indicate on the description line: Student Emergency Food Fund.