mandate and name

Here is the mission statement. the “mandate” can be seen specifically in the first sentence, while organizational/tactical stuff can be seen followed

WORKING MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE COALITION

_______ is a coalition mandated to redistribute power equally to all those affected by the decision-making processes at Concordia University.
We seek to empower all members of the community (students, staff, administration, faculty, and the general public) by demanding/establishing/upholding transparency, accountability, and consultation in these processes.
We operate in a consensus-based, non-hierarchical, and oppression-free manner, welcoming all who strive for change.

POSSIBLE NAMES

after MUCH discussion we have provided two possible names, scrapping CAC

- People’s Campus Coalition

- Action For Empowerment

- Beard Allowance Coalition (we got your BAC)

these will both be formally decided up at friday’s meeting (6pm, 7th floor of hall building)

“students have never had access to this information and they will not now” says Concordia Administration

October 27^th:

“students have never had access to this information and they will not now” says Concordia Administration

(in response to CSU request for details of the new exclusivity contract with Pepsi to be signed this friday)

 

In the wake of today’s rally and sit-in protesting the new exclusivity contract between Concordia and Pepsi set to be signed this friday- it has been made undeniably clear that the admin has no desire to hear student voice or follow through with legally mandated methods of public consultation and transparency on this issue.

It has also become clear that the rights and voice of the Concordia community will only be heard on this issue if we, as a community, actively stand up and demand they be.

 

Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we come together as a community and created a unified movement towards retaining those rights and reclaiming public control and administrative accountability

.

To do so we will meet tomorrow at the:

Public Assembly On Corporatization of Concordia

October 28^th, 2010

6pm-9pm @QPRIG Concordia

1500 Maisonneuve

(or meet at 5:30 in the Hall building Lobby)

 

Now, more than ever, we need to send a clear message that the public will no longer take this disregard and abuse on the part of the University administration and Corporate bodies.

 

We must stand up for our rights, and we must set a precedent NOW that this is not accapetable and will NOT be tolerated.

see you tomorrow.

concordia students sit-in in protest

October 27, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Concordia Students Occupy Secret Meeting Between Corporate Executives and School Administration
Demand student consultation and consent for beverage company exclusivity contract

Montreal – At 2:30 p.m. today students from Concordia University began a peaceful occupation of a meeting between representatives from Nestle Inc. and Concordia Administration. Stemming from an earlier rally, over 70 students attempted to march into the meeting to voice their concerns over a lack of student consultation and transparency in the negotiation of a new corporate contract for student services. Students were locked out, and began a sit-in that is currently ongoing.

“Universities are supposed to exist to serve students, these negotiations leave the student voice out and invite corporate voices in,” said Alex Matak, a Concordia student currently sitting in. “We are here to make sure administration cannot ignore the student voice.”

The meeting between Nestle and the school administration relates to ongoing negotiations between beverage corporations and the school to replace an expiring exclusivity contract with Pepsi.

“What started as a campaign to kick bottled water off campus is growing into a fight to reclaim student control and bring a more accountable and transparent process to school administration,” Laura Beach, an organizer of today’s action explains. “We don’t just want a ban on bottled water, we want an open dialogue with the student body for all decisions that affect their campus.”

Students and representatives with campus organizations are also pointing out that these types of negotiations are dangerous to Concordia’s reputation as a national leader on environmental issues.

“Concordia likes to promote itself as a leader in sustainability,” said Pawel Porowski, a representative of Sustainable Concordia. “These sorts of exclusive contracts, done without student consultation threaten that reputation, locking the University into long term contracts to provide unsustainable products.”

Students are holding a public assembly build collective strategy to continue the campaign tomorrow evening.

- 30 -

Media Contact
Email: campusagainstcorporatization@gmail.com

URGENT PUBLIC RALLY WED. Oct 27th

WE NEED YOU TO RALLY TOMORROW
outside of the GM building on Concordia’s downtown campus
from 1:30 to 2:30pm
to protest a despicable lack of transparency and accountability on the part of our administration.

(see below)

Today certain student groups received word from Michael Di Grappa, VP Services that the Concordia administration will be signing a new beverage contract THIS WEEK.

This is in direct violation of the recommendations of Concordia’s Environmental Advisory Committee, which include a clear, democratic and transparent negotiation process in keeping with Law C65.1 (a Quebec provincial law governing contracts within public institutions). 35 members of Concordia’s faculty have signed on to these recommendations, these objectives are also supported by student associations, community groups and individual students on campus. The recommendations also include a non-exclusive contract with environmentally and socially responsible products, health conscious products and NO bottled water.

Secret negotiations have been taking place between administration and Pepsico for the past three months despite a promise made to TAPthirst (one of the student groups) and Faisal Shennib of Sustainable Concordia that no movement would be made on negotiations until after a meeting had been held with students and Pepsico.

This meeting never happened, negotiations have been taking place behind closed doors and Michael Di Grappa has confirmed that a contract will be signed on Friday.

This is a blatant disregard for the recommendations put forth by the University’s Environmental Policy and the voice and concerns of the student population and Concordia community.

We need to send a message that these kinds of behind-closed-doors negotiations are NOT what the concordia community wants and that we will not sit idly by while they make these decisions about OUR space, OUR money and OUR lives

COME OUT TOMORROW, FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS

TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS

Public Assembly on the Corporatization of Concordia – October 28th

A Call To Action For All Concerned Members

Of the Concordia Community

In December, Concordia’s decade long exclusivity contract with Pepsi Co. will come to an end. The details of this contract, which directly ties student money, choice and power to a Corporate bottom-line, have never been made public and are currently being re-negotiated behind closed doors without student consultation or consent.

This period of time signals a unique opportunity for the Concordia community to re-asses if these systems of Corporate funding at Concordia are truly beneficial or respectful of those who are forced to live with the repercussions of them.

We believe they are not.

This is hereby an open invitation to all concerned members of the Concordia Community
to have your voice heard at the
Public Assembly On Corporatization of Concordia
This Thursday, October 28^th
6pm-9pm @ QPIRG concordia (1500 Maisonneuve)
in order to go to the assembly as a group, we will meet
@ 5:30 in the Lobby of the Hall building
and travel to the assembly together.

(Otherwise meet at QPIRG)

We believe any negotiations regarding corporate funding welcomed into Concordia should

-be based on student consultation and consent

-be transparent, both during and after negotiation periods

- never be based on exclusivity rights or quotas that remove the right to choice or the right to similar services from free sources

- based first and foremost on the well-being of the community and NOT a corporate bottom line

We must come together and open discussion around these issues in order to mobilize in unison, against “corporatization” and towards student power and control.

it’s time that control over the university shift back into the hands of those who live within it