The Scoop! Archives
Victory! Academic Amnesty on November 5th!
Good news folks, uOttawa students will NOT be penalized for missing class to demonstrate on November 5th!
A unanimous vote at the University' Senate means that students cannot be sanctioned for missing a test, submission of an assignment, or lose class participation points on the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario's Provincial Day of Action to Drop Fees for a poverty-free Ontario. So join us on MRT Terrace on November 5th, at 10am, to ask our provincial government for better funding to post-secondary education.
With a month left in the build-up to November 5th, students across Ontario are up in arms over tuition fee increases during a period of economic recession.
Stay tuned for more details on the fight for affordable and quality education!
- Your Student Federation
* There is unfortunately no flexibility with labs and co-op programs
The Task Force on Campus Racism was a success!
The SFUO and the CFS-Ontario's Task Force on Campus Racism went wonderfully. With two consultative town hall events, students from all faculties got to share experiences and speak out about racism-related issues at the U of O. From now on a committee will be working on a full report with recommendations.
You can still email us your comments, at vp.university@sfuo.ca or leave an anonymous voicemail message at extension 3830.
The Anti-Racism Campaign will be very visible in the Fall, is we publish the report of the Ontario-wide consultations!
SFUO and GSAÉD denounce Carleton University’s response to sexual assault case
The Student Federation of (SFUO) and the Graduate Students’ Association (GSAÉD) the University of Ottawa are disturbed by the comments made by Carleton University with regards to the sexual assault, which took place on August 31st 2007. Carleton has argued that the victim is to blame from negligence. We wish to echo the dismay expressed by the Carleton University Students Association (CUSA), and the Carleton University Graduate Students’ Association.
Carleton University has responded to the sexual assault case by shifting the responsibility of the institution to provide a safe space for all students to blame the victim by alleging that she had not kept a “proper lookout” for her safety. Given the response by Carleton’s student body and the outcry raised following the horrific incident, it is disappointing to see Carleton’s administration squander an opportunity to create a safer and more inclusive campus and instead displace the blame onto an already victimized individual.
Instead of addressing the security concerns raised by Carleton students and engage in a public campaign to challenge violence against women, Carleton’s administration has regressed to the indefensible position of blaming the victim. We hope that Carleton’s administration will retract the statements and issue a public apology to the victim and to the community at large. We also hope that the administration will adopt the position of its own Equity Centre, which recognizes that “People who commit sexual assaults are responsible for these crimes, not their victims. If a woman is sexually assaulted it is not her fault.”
It is now more pressing than ever that the Sexual Assault Centre, that Carleton students overwhelmingly voted in favor of, is needed to combat this type of sexist mentality, present even in their own administration. Carleton’s administration must engage in an honest process to address violence against women and start delivering on their obligation to provide a safe space for students, faculty and staff.
The SFUO and GSAÉD stand with students at Carleton University in their efforts to build a welcoming, safe and inclusive campus for all students.
Download PDF of press release here
We ride… We won!
Students of all ages are once again eligible for a student bus pass. If you are 28 and over and paid full time price for your September pass, you can go to any OC Transpo outlet for a refund, or save your pass and receive a double discount in October.
