During ASFA’s ‘Ask Why’ week, come ask why about Tuition Increase, Bottled Water, Corporate Influence on campus and anything else you can think of!

Where: CSU Lounge, Henry F. Hall Building, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve, 7th floor – Metro Guy-Concordia (map)

When: 5:00pm to 8:00pm Wednesday 17 November 2010

Featuring:

Tuition 202
The continuation of Tuition 101 from October...

A Q&A with Martin Robert (Research Committee of ASSE) & Rodd! y Doucet (Advocacy Manager of the GSA)

Keynote Speaker:
David Bernans
Con U Inc: How Your Fee Increases Keep Corporations in the Black.

In 2001, the Concordia Student Union published a book written by David Bernans, the union’s very own Researcher/Archivist. The book was called Con U Inc: Privatization, Marketization and Globalization at Concordia University (and beyond).

Con U Inc contrasts Concordia’s claim to offer public education and research in the public interest with the reality of an institution whose campus increasin! gly resembles a shopping mall, whose students are increasingly! treated as “customers” and “human resources” and whose corporate partners increasingly influence research and even curriculum, using public resources for private gain.

Dr. Bernans will discuss developments that have taken place at Concordia in the decade since Con U Inc was published. In what ways have private interests succeeded in remaking the university in their corporate image? What strategies have been used to resist privatization and how successful has such resistance been? And most importantly, what is the way forward? Come and participate in the discussion about the past and the future of your university.

Post-Talk Libation

 After the talk, continue to Ask Why over Beer with Bernans at Reggie’s!

*Organized by Free Education Montreal (FEM) with ! the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA)

Universities in Britain are under attack by neo-liberals - "austerity" measures, fee hikes, funding cuts, and an unprecedented attack on the humanities have inspired the largest student protests Britain has seen in more than a generation. 50,000 people turned out to tell the British government that they will not accept the destruction of the British university system without a fight.

In our own struggles against the Quebec government's plans to privatize and reverse the gains of the Quiet Revolution, we should remember that the neo-liberal program is a worldwide movement, affecting people everywhere, and that we are not alone!

• IMT – Britain: Biggest student demonstration in decades - and this is just the beginning
• The Guardian - Student protests set stage for winter wave of unrest

Some background:

• The Guardian - A blow to philosophy, and minorities (a case study in neo-liberal anti-intellectualism)
• The Guardian - My fears for the arts and humanities (showing that this is not only about the money)
• The Guardian - I was a student protester, but this generation faces a harder future (showing that even "moderates" see the problems)

If you some more general background on how neo-liberals and conservatives want to transform the world, check out:

Adam Curtis - The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom

Part 1 - F**k You Buddy
Part 2 - The Lonely Robot
Part 3 - We Will Force You To be Free

David Harvey - A Brief History of Neoliberalism (YouTube but audio only)

November 17th marks the "International Students' Day". Details on the history behind that day check out wikipedia, International Union of Students and/or youtube.

November 17th will also be a highlight of the "Global Wave of Action for Education", which kicked off on October 7th and already saw massive protests for free education in Austria, Italy, the Ukraine and U.S.A. among others.

The international "joint statement", which is the result of monthslong discussions, is the basis for united protests for that day, just like it is the basis for the "Global Wave" as a whole.

For more information:

• Global Day of Action
• ISM web page
• ISM Facebook page
• GDA Facebook Group

• NOW Concordia – Judith Woodsworth named to business board - Birds of a feather!
• cyberpresse.ca – Le vieillissement de la population moins coûteux que prévu - More evidence that the justifications for budget cuts are fraudulent.
• The Guardian – Trade unions plan student coalition to fight public spending cuts - See also Quebec's version: Non Aux Hausses!