Concordia University

Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction. For the 2008 to 2009 school year, total enrollment was 45,963 making the university the sixth largest in Canada.

According to a worldwide ranking by the École des Mines de Paris, Concordia ranks first among Canadian and 33rd among world universities in terms of graduates occupying the rank of Chief Executive Officer at Fortune 500 companies. The university is also home to the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema.

Concordia has well recognized programs and ranks highly in Canada and internationally in fields such as fine arts, social science, journalism and engineering. In the THES - QS World University Rankings of the top 500 universities in the world for 2010, Concordia University placed 401-450, and 19th overall in Canada. The university's John Molson School of Business is consistently ranked within the top ten Canadian business schools, and within the top 100 worldwide.

History
Concordia was created with the 1974 merger of Loyola College (1896) and Sir George Williams University (1926).

Loyola College
Loyola College was founded on Sherbrooke Street West in 1896 as an English-language program of the Jesuit Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal (since merged into Université du Québec à Montréal). It was originally located at the Sacred Heart Convent in downtown Montreal. The college moved into the present west-end campus in 1916. Although founded as a collège classique (the forerunners of Quebec's CEGEPs), Loyola began granting university degrees through Université Laval as early as 1906. By 1940, collège classique programs were gone and Loyola became a four-year university, although it never obtained its own charter, granting its degrees through Laval or, after 1920, the Université de Montréal.

Loyola Chapel
The Loyola College chapel is a place of Catholic denomination worship for students, personnel as well as their families. The chapel is a classic example of gothic revival architecture. Charles William Kelsey created a twelve light stained glass war memorial window (1933) in the Loyola chapel. The windows depict the torture of the priests by North American Indians. In the dedication panel is written: "To the Greater Glory of God and In Memory of the Officers and Men of the 55th Irish Canadian Rangers." The Loyola Chapel has been converted in to a theatre named the F.C. Smith Auditorium.

Sir George Williams University
In 1851, the first YMCA in North America was established on what is now De Maisonneuve Boulevard in Downtown Montreal, in a district now known as Quartier Concordia. From its early years, the YMCA offered evening classes to allow working people in the English-speaking community to pursue their education while working during the day. In 1926, the education program was re-organized as Sir George Williams College, named after George Williams, founder of the YMCA. In 1934, Sir George Williams College offered the first undergraduate credit course in adult education in Canada.

The College became Sir George Williams University (SGWU) in 1948, when it received a university charter from the provincial government, though it remained the education arm of the Montreal YMCA. SGWU expanded into its first standalone building, the Norris Building, in 1956. It established a Centre for Human Relations and Community Studies in 1963. SGWU continued to hold classes in the YMCA building until the construction of the Hall Building in 1966. The university gained international attention in 1969, when a group of students occupied the Hall Building's 9th floor computer lab (see Sir George Williams Computer Riot).

1974–present
The merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University was recommended in 1969 by the Parent Commission, as part of the secularization of Quebec's educational system (see Quiet Revolution). In August 1974, the two schools would follow the commission's recommendations and merge, thus creating Concordia University. The name was taken from the motto of the city of Montreal, Concordia salus (meaning 'well-being through harmony'). In 1968, in the wake of the Parent Commission Report, the Quebec government asked Loyola and Sir George Williams to consider some form of union. Negotiations began in 1969 and continued on and off over the next four years.

While a number of possible models were considered, including that of a loose federation, the solution finally adopted was that of an integrated institution, Concordia University, operating under the existing Sir George Williams charter. The legal existence of Concordia dates from August 24, 1974.

Today, the school is one of three English-language universities in the province of Quebec. The other two institutions are Bishop's University in the Lennoxville borough of Sherbrooke, and McGill University, also in Montreal.

Logos
Concordia University has changed its logo four times in its history.

Campuses
The university has two campuses, set approximately 7 km apart: Sir George Williams Campus in the downtown core of Montreal, in an area known as Quartier Concordia (at Guy-Concordia Metro station), and Loyola Campus in the residential west-end district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. They are connected by free shuttle-bus service for students, faculty and staff.

Libraries
Concordia University has two library locations, Webster Library located in the McConnell Building of the Sir George Williams Campus and Vanier Library on the Loyola Campus. Concordia Libraries house several special and unique collections including the Azrieli Holocaust Collection and the Irving Layton Collection. Most Special Collections are located in the Vanier Library. The Libraries also maintains the University's institutional repository, Spectrum. The Concordia Libraries are members of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries.

New buildings
Completed in 2009, the MB Building houses the John Molson School of Business. In 2001, Concordia embarked on a mission to develop and expand the quality of the downtown campus, and to revive the west end in Montreal. The development is set to conclude by 2010 (though construction is currently behind schedule).

The university has also acquired the historic Grey Nuns property near its Sir George Williams Campus, for $18 million. Built in 1879, it would alone double the size of the current downtown campus. From 2007 to 2022, the university will begin occupying the building in 4 separate phases. The large property will house the faculty of Fine Arts and possibly the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, and other departments. Currently the Grey Nuns building is only partially owned by Concordia (about 1/3 of the building on Saint-Mathieu Road), however full control of the building will be given to Concordia University in 2011. Concordia Residence Life currently houses nearly 250 students each year in the Grey Nuns building. The dorm-rooms are among the largest in the country, as many of the rooms have been transformed from when the section of the Grey Nuns building was occupied by the Grey Nuns.

The Integrated Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex at Saint Catherine Street and Guy Street was opened in September 2005. The building is directly connected to the Guy-Concordia metro station and also houses Le Gym, a facility of Athletics and Recreation. Across the street, the 100-year-old TD Canada Trust building was donated to Concordia in 2005 by the Toronto-Dominion Bank. The university had planned to begin using this space in 2006.

Construction of the new John Molson School of Business Building that is located on the corner of Guy and de Maisonneuve streets began in February 2007. The Quebec Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Jean-Marc Fournier, on October 30, 2006 announced an investment of $60 million towards the construction of the new building. The minister made the announcement during a ceremony at Concordia. The government's $60 million represents about half of the total construction costs. Construction started on January 22, 2006 and the building was completed and opened in September, 2009. The fifteen story building now houses the JMSB's 6,000 full and part-time students under the same roof for the very first time. The dance and theatre departments at Concordia have also moved into the new JMSB building. It is connected to the EV building by a tunnel under Guy Street.

In April, 2010, a 120-metre tunnel completed the underground connections of the Guy-Concordia metro station with the Hall Building and the McConnell Library building.

Quartier Concordia
Quartier Concordia is a neighbourhood redevelopment project centred around Concordia University's Sir George Williams campus in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Bordered by Sherbrooke Street, Saint-Mathieu Street, René Lévesque Boulevard and Bishop Street, the district is designed to be a green urban campus that will improve the use and quality of public places and spaces, student life on campus and transportation.

As part of the redesign, the small Norman Bethune Square has been redesigned and enlarged. Sidewalks in the area will also be widened, with additional trees.

As of September 2010, an underground tunnel links the university's Hall and J.W. McConnell buildings with the Guy-Concordia metro station. The hallway was completed in Spring 2010. However, a project to create a green space on Mackay Street has been put on hold.

Academic programs
Concordia has more than 180 undergraduate programs, divided into four faculties:
 * Faculty of Arts and Science
 * Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science (ENCS) students can choose to specialize in the following disciplines: Building Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems Security, Mechanical Engineering, Quality Systems Engineering, Software Engineering
 * Faculty of Fine Arts, including The Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema.
 * John Molson School of Business (formerly the Faculty of Commerce and Administration)

Students are normally enrolled in one of these Faculties, but they may take courses from any of the others as part of their studies. Many programs also offer a 'co-operative' component, whereby students get work experience while they study. Class sizes vary from 85-400 students.

In addition, the School of Graduate Studies offers about 70 programs leading to Master's and doctoral degrees, as well as graduate diplomas and certificates for professionals seeking to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

The School of Extended Learning offers programs and services designed to make it easier for students to attend the university and be successful at their studies.

Students enter the university in September, or, in some cases, in January or May. An undergraduate degree normally takes three or four years studying full-time to complete, a Master's takes from a year and a half to three years, and a Ph.D. is at least four years long. Certificates and diplomas usually take no longer than a year and a half to complete.

In addition to regular academic programs, Concordia University has five outstanding units (three colleges, one school and one institute), which aim at introducing students to special topics in a more intensive and intimate setting:


 * Liberal Arts College
 * Loyola International College
 * School of Community and Public Affairs
 * Science College
 * Simone de Beauvoir Institute

Loyola International College
Loyola International College is an interdisciplinary college of Concordia University on the Loyola campus, the original site of Loyola College. It offers minor programs in "Diversity and the Contemporary World" and "Sustainability Studies".

Campus media
Concordia University has student-run media outlets, including newspapers The Link, The Concordian and L'Organe; radio (CJLO); and TV (CUTV) stations.

The university presses, The Concordian, The Link, and L'Organe are members of CUP.

The Concordian
The Concordian is an independent student newspaper published by and for the students of the university. The newspaper provides the Concordia University community with regular information of interest to the Concordia community. A non-profit, the Concordian was founded in 1984, in an effort to create a more balanced and less biased newspaper at Concordia. Its funding is via a fee levy as well as advertising. The editorial office is located at the Loyola campus and the business office in downtown Montreal at the Sir George Williams campus. The paper covers news, arts, sports, music, life and opinions at Concordia University and around the city of Montreal. It enjoys a healthy rivalry with Concordia's other student newspaper, The Link.

Athletics
Concordia University's athletic teams are called the Concordia Stingers. They compete with other schools in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and more specifically, in the Quebec Student Sports Federation and the Quebec University Football League. The university has ten varsity teams. In the fall, teams compete in Canadian football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's rugby union and sport wrestling. There are female and male wrestlers on the team from year to year, however they compete as one team. In the winter, teams compete in men's and women's ice hockey and men's and women's basketball.

Concordia won a national championship in 1999, when the women's hockey team beat the University of Alberta in the final game of the season. Recently, the Stingers beat Cape Breton University Capers 12-2 and won the 2009 National Baseball Crown.

Bridge Building Competition
The Troitsky Bridge Building Competition brings together engineering students from across Canada and parts of the United States. Teams of students representing their universities must build a 1-metre-long bridge using only regular popsicle sticks, toothpicks, dental floss, and white glue. A panel of judges grades the bridges based on originality and presentation while a hydraulic loading device is used to determine the maximum load and performance.

Fraternities and sororities
Concordia University is home to local and international fraternities and sororities. These organizations exist under, and intercommunicate through the Interfraternal Council, known as the "IFC". In Greek alphabetical order, they are:

The Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority Beta Pi chapter was founded in 1994 at Concordia University, it is the only sorority at Concordia that is International, i.e., with chapters in both the United States and Canada. The continuously growing group of ladies, commonly referred to as Deephers, pride themselves for incorporating the Five S's into their daily lives that make the sisterhood unique and well-rounded: Sisterhood, Scholarship, Service, Social and Self.

Mu Omicron Zeta fraternity, commonly referred to as MOZ (pronounced like "moes"), was founded in 1992. In addition to Concordia, MOZ fraternity has members from McGill and the Université de Montréal.

The Zeta Tau Omega sorority (ZTΩ) is one of two sororities at Concordia. Based mainly in Concordia, the sorority was founded in 1968 by six women of Loyola College. It now has a large network of sisters, commonly referred to as ZETs (pronounced as zaytes). As a local sorority, they govern themselves, with a Board of Control outside of their active chapter.

The Brotherhood of Omicron is another locally based fraternity at Concordia. Their name is based on the Greek letter Omicron (Ο). They accept members from Montreal Universities.

Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity has its Kappa Chi (KX) Chapter at Concordia. TKE has the most active chapters of any other fraternity in North America and is the only international fraternity at Concordia. Founded in 1965 at Loyola College, TKE is the oldest fraternity at Concordia. The KX chapter is famous for its annual "Teke-in-a-Box" and "Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction" charity fundraisers. TKE also has its own scholarship, for which all active Undergraduate members are eligible.

Student activism


Concordia has made media headlines for issues involving politically active students. The first major incident was SGW Computer Riots in 1969, before the merger that created today's university. Concordia supports a vibrant student and community level civil society including well over 60 academic, environmentalist, socialist, international development, anarchist, feminist, religious, gay rights and hacktivist organizations, as well as cultural clubs and federal political parties. The level of politicization and activity of student groups is dependent on the group and its purpose, and varies according to changing membership from year to year.

In 1989, Concordia students voted in a referendum to directly fund their PIRG with a fee-levy. With the support of this social-justice organization, which now had stable funding and a staff of paid workers, student activism flourished in the 1990s. A number of organizations that are now based at the university have their origins as QPIRG Concordia Working Groups. These include The People's Potato, a vegan soup-kitchen; Le Frigo Vert, a non-profit natural food co-op; and Right To Move/La Voie Libre, a fully equipped, volunteer-run bicycle repair workshop. All of these organizations are open to the general public and have strong representations of non-student community members.

Concordia students took an active role in the province-wide student strikes of 1996, which resulted in the renewal of a tuition freeze which was later revoked in 2007.

As the 1990s progressed, student activism became more militant, coming to a head in 1999 with the election of the first in a series of radical slates to the Concordia Student Union. Under the presidency of Rob Green, a referendum regarding of another strike garnered 2,284 votes of support. This was an unusually strong show of support, as student governments at Concordia are often elected on the basis of less than 1000 votes in their favor. The strike lasted from November 3 to 5th and targeted a range of issues, including student representation in the university senate, corporate presence and advertising on campus, and government cuts to education. There were several demonstrations in which both protesters and police were reported to be injured.

Concordia students voted in favor of accreditation of their student union in a referendum in December 2000. As a result, the CSU is now legally accountable only to its student constituents.

Many incidents over the last several years have had their roots in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict has been largely represented as a one between two student groups: the pro-Palestinian Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights and pro-Israeli Hillel. In general most student activism is conducted at a lower profile level.

Netanyahu protest
On September 9, 2002, a scheduled visit from the then former (and now current) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was cancelled after Montreal Police and pro-Palestinian protestors clashed inside the Henry F. Hall Building. Five demonstrators were arrested, and an additional 12 faced internal disciplinary hearings under the University's Code of Rights and Responsibilities

The university instituted additional measures to avert future incidents, including the banning of any events related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as enabling the use of new student disciplinary rules in case of emergency.

Concordia University massacre
On August 24, 1992, Valery Fabrikant, a Mechanical Engineering professor, shot five colleagues on the ninth floor of the Hall Building, accusing them of stealing credit for his research work.

Civil Engineering professor Matthew McCartney Douglass, Chemistry professor Michael Gorden Hogben, and Mechanical Engineering Professor Aaron Jaan Saber died that day, while Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Phoivos Ziogas passed on a month later from his wounds. Elizabeth Horwood, secretary in the Mechanical Engineering department, recovered from her injuries.

Fabrikant was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The university erected a memorial to the slain professors (four granite tables) in the Hall Building lobby.

Notable alumni and faculty
Concordia's alumni and faculty have achieved fame for their accomplishments in many fields. Distinguished alumni include, a former governor general (Georges Vanier), a former prime minister of Dominica (Rosie Douglas), presidents and CEOs of major businesses (Dominic D'Alessandro, Mireille Gingras, Gerald T. McCaughey), internationally renowned authors (E. Annie Proulx, Mordecai Richler, Nino Ricci), political leaders and ministers, academics, scientists, actors, filmmakers (Will Arnett, René Balcer, Peter Lenkov, Alex Rice, Lynne Stopkewich, B. P. Paquette, Donald Tarlton, James Tupper, Steven Woloshen), and musicians (Emily Haines, Prita Chhabra, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, Amy Millan).

Awards

 * Loyola Medal