Volume No. 32 Issue No. 12
THE mcgill
TRIBUNE Published by the Tribune Publication Society
curiosity delivers
Stress P 10 nightmares p 12
student of the week p9
Player's theatre p 14
@mcgill_tribune • www. mcgilltribune.com
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Trottier Symposium serves up science to the public P 13
Dr. Walter Willett discusses weight gain and Canada’s dietary recommendations at the Lorne Trottier Public Science Symposium. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune)
McGill Senate discusses student disciplinary procedures
Senators also address plans for research funding from 2013 to 2017; concerns on corporate sponsorship of research Andra Cernavskis News Editor On Nov. 14, the McGill Senate met to discuss student disciplinary cases during the 2011-2012 academic year. Interim Dean of Students Linda Starkey presented the Committee on Student Discipline’s (CDS) annual report. The Senate also heard a presentation by Vice-Principal Research and International Relations Rose Goldstein on how McGill could expand its funding for research. The Report The CSD report notes that the total number of allegations was slightly higher this past academic year—427 compared to 408 in 20102011. The non-academic allegations made against students increased by 48 per cent, from 193 to 286.
“This increase can be attributed to improved reporting of e-mail harassment or inappropriate use of McGill posting sites, the growing number of residence spaces, and the campus atmosphere last year,” the report said. Last year, several students faced disciplinary allegations after McGill Security Services videotaped students at protests on campus, including an occupation of the James Administration Building’s sixth floor. Science Senator Moe Nasr questioned the role of McGill Security Service within the disciplinary procedure at McGill, specifically with regards to cases where students express political opinions on campus. According to Starkey, the mandate of Security Services is not to accuse a student of violating a specific protocol, but to report alleged
violations to a disciplinary officer. “I’m not aware that the notion of student politics is a factor [in what Security Services reports to a disciplinary officer],” she said, noting that the only time that someone from Security Services would mention political leanings in a case is when describing words on signs used by students on campus. Catherine Lu, an associate professor of political science, expressed concern over whether there was equity in CSD’s punishments. “There were different penalties that came out of similar offenses,” Lu said. “What needs to be done institutionally to correct this for the future?” In response, Starkey explained that CSD does not issue standard sanctions, and that every case is heard and assessed individually. Several students attended the
Senate meeting to observe Starkey’s presentation. Some held a large red sign that read ‘McGill’s Committee on Squashing Dissent.’ “We are here because the University’s rules and procedures related to student discipline are interpreted and applied inconsistently and with bias against known student activists,” read a flyer that the students distributed at Senate. Research Funding Senators also voted to endorse McGill’s new Strategic Research Plan (SRP) for 2013-2017. The plan is intended to improve McGill’s research capabilities. An SRP is required for many external funding programs, such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The previous plan was adopted in 2006. Almost 75 per cent of McGill’s current research funding comes
from both the federal and Quebec governments. Presently, McGill is the second-ranked university in research intensity, according to the Tri-Council Agencies, the federal agencies which provide a majority of research funding in Canada. Goldstein said the new plan aims to diversify research funding, and should help McGill surpass the University of Toronto as the top-ranked University for research intensity. “We need to reorganize funds if we are going to be competitive in the next few years,” Goldstein said. “Provincial and federal pools are not growing … we need to diversify.” Several senators expressed concerns over the SRP’s logistics, including the source of the potential new funds. According to Goldstein, McGill plans to launch a Business See “Senate” on p. 2