Hypothesis: McGill Admin is f$%king messed up.
Evidence: Accounts of all kinds of stupidity, stupidity never before known!
#1:
McGill Admin evicted the Muslim Students' Association from their allocated prayer space. McGill's main assertion is that it is a secular institution and that they have no obligations to provide space for any religious purpose. The students started praying outdoors in the summer months and even out in the snow as winter approached, prompting them to launch a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission. Almost one year into the brouhaha for a multi-faith space, one common area for people with any religious obligation, the Provost maintains that McGill has no 'legal obligation' to do so.
OMFG, it's not like they're asking you to build a mosque on campus for them. What is a secular institution? Is it one devoid of all religion? NO, it is not. It is about not having a religious basis of operations, about not allowing religion to dictate administrative affairs, not favoring the adherents of one religion over another. While it is true that other major religions have their own off-campus prayer space, Islam is the only faith that requires its believers to pray at 5 specific times of the day, a few at which they are likely to be on campus. Legal obligation my ass, be a human for once.
#2:
18th January was break-your-neck day, when Montreal experienced freezing rains and EVERYthing was iced over. Considering how slopy this city and the university is, inch-thick slab of ice on the pavements and roads meant that even if you did not slip and break your neck by yourself, a car could very easily skid and crash into you. No joke. And of course, McGill did NOT cancel classes.
Not a single word for the Admin, no email no announcements no diddlysquat. Professors and students alike risked their lives going to school that day. As a university, I seriously advise against dead professors and students. It's just not a good idea.
#3:
I don't know how McGill Admin schedules exam finals, but they can't be putting very much brainjuice into it. Explain to me how it makes sense to schedule a 85% final on a Wednesday when the last lecture was on Monday, the very Monday 2 days before the final. I won't even be surprised if there were finals scheduled for the day after the last class. Explain to me how that makes sense.
And if they're gonna schedule an exam, explain to me how they can allocate only enough room for half the class? They missed out half the alphabet of last names and this is supposed to be one of the top universities in Canada! Ok they know their ABCs i'll give them that, but only up till L. 15 mins before the exam and nowhere to go. Invigilators' job seems to consist of chatting and telling bewildered students to go search for the Admin to settle their own problem. Right. Brilliant job guys.
#4:
The Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students' Society has been evicted from its confidential night office. AGAIN. It is a volunteer student-run operation that provides free service and counselling to sexual assault victims. It has entertained several hundred calls within the last academic year to listen and comfort after business hours, without need for identification or waiting lines. The Faculty Advisor for SACOMSS is the Head of McGill's Psychiatry department, lending credence to its professionalism despite its voluntary nature.
Sad as it is, sexual assault happens and it can happen even on campus and in the residences. Without sliding into any generalizations, women tend to be the victims of sexual assault. (Face it, if a woman walked around in a trenchcoat flashing guys on campus, the guys would gawk. Except for saggy lumpy crinkly... ok I'll stop there.) Already victimized once by the assailant and now a second time by McGill Admin by their unwillingness to allow proper space for support service? The students who run it can death threats for goodness sake! Overcrowding schmovercrowding. Evicting a key student welfare society like SACOMSS to 'make more space' is bullshit considering they only need '70 square feet, a desk, two phone jacks, a filing cabinet – in a different building from the day office' and only at night. It doesn't take much to take a day-only office for night use. How about the childcare centre? How about the Accomodations office?
#5:
It's been 5 months since we've registered for Winter courses, 2 weeks since we've ended Winter Term and 3 weeks to convocation for some. Most people are preparing to up and go, their family is flying in for the occasion aaaand a friend has been told he's 2 credits short for graduation. His family is flying in real soon and the for sale sign is already on his apartment. This after the advisor told him he needed only 4 credits in the last term to complete his undergraduate studies. He signed up for 6 and apparently he needed 8. Now we know that McGill Admin don't know their ABCs, now we also know they can't count. 'This ain't shit hittin' any old regular fan, this is explosive diarrhea hittin' the industrial fan.'
Conclusion: McGill Admin IS f$%king messed up. Boy am I glad to be getting out from this shithole.
Evidence: Accounts of all kinds of stupidity, stupidity never before known!
#1:
McGill Admin evicted the Muslim Students' Association from their allocated prayer space. McGill's main assertion is that it is a secular institution and that they have no obligations to provide space for any religious purpose. The students started praying outdoors in the summer months and even out in the snow as winter approached, prompting them to launch a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission. Almost one year into the brouhaha for a multi-faith space, one common area for people with any religious obligation, the Provost maintains that McGill has no 'legal obligation' to do so.
OMFG, it's not like they're asking you to build a mosque on campus for them. What is a secular institution? Is it one devoid of all religion? NO, it is not. It is about not having a religious basis of operations, about not allowing religion to dictate administrative affairs, not favoring the adherents of one religion over another. While it is true that other major religions have their own off-campus prayer space, Islam is the only faith that requires its believers to pray at 5 specific times of the day, a few at which they are likely to be on campus. Legal obligation my ass, be a human for once.
#2:
18th January was break-your-neck day, when Montreal experienced freezing rains and EVERYthing was iced over. Considering how slopy this city and the university is, inch-thick slab of ice on the pavements and roads meant that even if you did not slip and break your neck by yourself, a car could very easily skid and crash into you. No joke. And of course, McGill did NOT cancel classes.
Not a single word for the Admin, no email no announcements no diddlysquat. Professors and students alike risked their lives going to school that day. As a university, I seriously advise against dead professors and students. It's just not a good idea.
#3:
I don't know how McGill Admin schedules exam finals, but they can't be putting very much brainjuice into it. Explain to me how it makes sense to schedule a 85% final on a Wednesday when the last lecture was on Monday, the very Monday 2 days before the final. I won't even be surprised if there were finals scheduled for the day after the last class. Explain to me how that makes sense.
And if they're gonna schedule an exam, explain to me how they can allocate only enough room for half the class? They missed out half the alphabet of last names and this is supposed to be one of the top universities in Canada! Ok they know their ABCs i'll give them that, but only up till L. 15 mins before the exam and nowhere to go. Invigilators' job seems to consist of chatting and telling bewildered students to go search for the Admin to settle their own problem. Right. Brilliant job guys.
#4:
The Sexual Assault Centre of McGill Students' Society has been evicted from its confidential night office. AGAIN. It is a volunteer student-run operation that provides free service and counselling to sexual assault victims. It has entertained several hundred calls within the last academic year to listen and comfort after business hours, without need for identification or waiting lines. The Faculty Advisor for SACOMSS is the Head of McGill's Psychiatry department, lending credence to its professionalism despite its voluntary nature.
Sad as it is, sexual assault happens and it can happen even on campus and in the residences. Without sliding into any generalizations, women tend to be the victims of sexual assault. (Face it, if a woman walked around in a trenchcoat flashing guys on campus, the guys would gawk. Except for saggy lumpy crinkly... ok I'll stop there.) Already victimized once by the assailant and now a second time by McGill Admin by their unwillingness to allow proper space for support service? The students who run it can death threats for goodness sake! Overcrowding schmovercrowding. Evicting a key student welfare society like SACOMSS to 'make more space' is bullshit considering they only need '70 square feet, a desk, two phone jacks, a filing cabinet – in a different building from the day office' and only at night. It doesn't take much to take a day-only office for night use. How about the childcare centre? How about the Accomodations office?
#5:
It's been 5 months since we've registered for Winter courses, 2 weeks since we've ended Winter Term and 3 weeks to convocation for some. Most people are preparing to up and go, their family is flying in for the occasion aaaand a friend has been told he's 2 credits short for graduation. His family is flying in real soon and the for sale sign is already on his apartment. This after the advisor told him he needed only 4 credits in the last term to complete his undergraduate studies. He signed up for 6 and apparently he needed 8. Now we know that McGill Admin don't know their ABCs, now we also know they can't count. 'This ain't shit hittin' any old regular fan, this is explosive diarrhea hittin' the industrial fan.'
Conclusion: McGill Admin IS f$%king messed up. Boy am I glad to be getting out from this shithole.
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