'Standing up as a community for calm and respectful exchange'

A message from Concordia President Graham Carr

Dear Concordians,

Those of us arriving on Concordia's downtown campus this morning saw smashed windows and graffiti on the outside of the Hall Building.

Unfortunately, this incident follows another on September 25, when protesters blocked traffic, vandalized property and even assaulted one of our campus safety agents.

Montreal police have made arrests in both incidents. Concordia is also assessing these events and will take appropriate actions against any additional criminal activities or violations of our Code of Rights and Responsibilities we identify.

I am extremely concerned about the violent escalation of recent protests. Concordia students, faculty and staff can certainly express themselves in a civil and respectful manner, but we cannot, as a community, tolerate intimidation or hatred in any form on our campuses.

This is an extraordinarily painful moment for the world and a difficult period for higher education. Society is badly polarized. Many in our community are feeling deep pain, hurt and fear. We need to be especially mindful of this as we prepare for how the anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel, as well as the wars and violence in Gaza and elsewhere the Middle East, will be marked.

Whatever political or ideological differences exist between us, we have a larger collective responsibility to maintain a climate of respect - one free from hate and intimidation - on our campuses and, ideally, to promote dialogue and curate the difficult conversations that will be needed to move us all forward.

Sadly, as we experienced over the last week and on other occasions in the past, this can be particularly challenging when individuals and groups, including those who are not members of our community, act in ways that deliberately aim to be disruptive to our academic activities, to provoke or harass others, and to cause damage to the reputation of the university. Together, we need to categorically reject those behaviours, which are not welcome and have no place at Concordia.

Behaviour that contributes to a climate of intimidation cannot be tolerated, and the university will seek to sanction members of the community who engage in such activities. We will also collaborate with authorities to take the necessary measures if outside individuals are involved.

If you have a concern, witness unacceptable behaviour or would simply like more information about the resources available to community members who feel they have grounds to lodge a complaint, contact the Office of Rights and Responsibilities. They provide impartial, confidential and independent advice and support. Every founded complaint is formally investigated, and the outcomes are acted upon.

Moreover, anyone who feels threatened should immediately contact a security agent or call Campus Safety and Prevention Services, available 24/7, at 514-848-3717.

As a community, we have the opportunity, but also the responsibility, every day, to foster a healthy campus culture where disagreement and peaceful protest can happen, but where respect for the dignity that each of us deserves is paramount. This means we must all do our utmost to make sure everyone feels included and heard whether in our classrooms, labs, studios, meeting rooms, corridors or other gathering places.

As Concordians, we should do everything possible to actively resist the forces that are intent on reducing us to stereotypes or dividing us. Let us instead open a new chapter of campus life by working to model the best of civic discourse and behaviour that is grounded in empathy, evidence-informed positions and respect for all of humanity.

Graham Carr
President and Vice-Chancellor

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