The 鶹Ʒ Board of Directors sends this email to our membership on the subject of removing Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) as a club of the 鶹Ʒ.
On July 10, McGill’s Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Angela Campbell sent the 鶹Ʒ executives a notice of default regarding our Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).1 This notice is available for you
The MoA has a default section that allows either party to declare that the other has violated a clause. If that happens, and the violation is not remedied within a prescribed period, McGill can put the 鶹Ʒ’s student fees into a trust.2 Trust management of student funds would represent an interference with the 鶹Ʒ’s use of student funds and therefore poses an unacceptable risk to the 鶹Ʒ’s operations.
In order to rectify the claim of default, McGill asked for the 鶹Ʒ to:
- sever its relationship with SPHR, at a minimum by removing SPHR’s status as a 鶹Ʒ club and ceasing any funding to this group; and
- publicly communicate this decision to its membership.
The 鶹Ʒ Board of Directors made the difficult and split decision to revoke SPHR’s status as a 鶹Ʒ club, effective Thursday, September 5th. The 鶹Ʒ’s legal counsel does not agree that the 鶹Ʒ was in default. This decision was taken due to the repercussions of McGill proceeding with the default process prescribed by the MoA, which would make it very difficult for the 鶹Ʒ to support its members, clubs, or services while fighting McGill regarding the MoA. Disputing McGill’s decision to put the 鶹Ʒ’s funds in trust would also cost the 鶹Ʒ substantial legal fees.
One of the reasons that the 鶹Ʒ is renegotiating the MoA is to reclaim the 鶹Ʒ’s political autonomy. The 鶹Ʒ is currently working on renegotiating the terms of the MoA with McGill with this goal in mind. Those wishing to join the committee to negotiate the MoA should contact the VP University Affairs, ua@ssmu.ca.
We communicate this decision and Deputy Provost Campbell’s letter to ensure transparency to our members.
Signed,
The 鶹Ʒ Board of Directors
1The 鶹Ʒ is an accredited student union, a status that is enshrined by law. The MoA is the contract which governs the relationship between McGill and 鶹Ʒ. While it is not essential, it gives the 鶹Ʒ certain unique privileges, such as use of the McGill name and logo while also allowing the administration to threaten 鶹Ʒ’s direct access to student fees for perceived violations of either McGill’s policies or the 鶹Ʒ’s.
2 A trust is a legal relationship where money is managed on behalf of someone else. The trust clause allows McGill to place student fees in a trust, meaning the 鶹Ʒ would lose direct control over its funds and require approval from McGill and a third party before carrying out any financial transfers.
