January 19th, 2012

Chartwells presently has an exclusivity agreement with Dawson College as the sole Food Service Provider on campus. This means that a Multinational Fortune-500 company has the authority to shut down anything from a bake sale to plans for an alternative student-run café on campus. We don’t think this is right, and we are prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure that food services not be a monopoly on your campus.

Thankfully, Chartwells' contract is up for renewal in June 2012. This is a great time for students to stand up and demand a contract that will respect the rights of students and faculty to organise to shape their school.

In recent years, tensions has escalated between the Dawson Student Union and Chartwells, and we are prepared to call for a boycott of their services as of February 6^th 2012 should Dawson College not take steps to meet the following demands:

1. That an assurance that future Food Service Provider contracts contain no “exclusivity” or "non-competition" clauses; and
   
   
2. That Public Consutations be held with the Dawson Community on our needs from any future Food Service Provider; and
   
   
3. That any future Food Service Provider hire the current employees of the Dawson College Cafeteria; and
   
   
4. That Dawson Dinin’ remain an independent and autonomous service offered by the Dawson Student Union; and
   
   
5. That Chartwells and Dawson College sign a protocol agreement outlining their intentions to progressively eliminate the sale of Bottled Water on Campus.   

We will be posting updates over the coming days to keep you informed as to the status of our negotiations with Dawson College and Chartwells.

November 4th, 2011

On November 3rd, students held a Special General Assembly calling for a strike vote for November 10th. Quorum was obtained and a very large majority of students voted in favour of holding a 1-day strike. 

The Dawson Teachers' Union will be advising its members to either cancel their classes or to not cross the picket line on November 10th.

The DSU is in negotiation with the College to sign a 'strike agreement' that would grant students Academic Amnesty on November 10th. This would mean that even if a teacher chose to hold a class, a student could not be penalised  for missing said class/an exam/handing in an assignment.

What should students do? 

Check in with your teachers to ask what their teacher's intentions are for the strike. Check in with the DSU for continued updates as to the agreement being signed between the College and the Union.

Picket lines will be held between 6:30 and 13:30. Students will then move towards BERRI-UQAM to join the other tens of thousands of students on Strike that day. 

Why are we striking? 

The Québec Government has decided to increase University Tuition Fees by $1,625. This goes against Québec's long history of being a pillar for accessible education. Student debt would double to an average debt of $30,000 per student. Tuition Fees are the #1 barrier to accessing Post-Secondary Educations and students are demanding that the government return on their decision to increase these up-front User Fees.

August 17th, 2011

As new students move their way through Welcome Week and learn more about their Union, they may be wondering, "hey, what's up with this website?".

In the past, the DSU has been left to be lost in the realm of dusty digital archives. This year's exec are committed to making better use of this service, so you should expect more frequent blog posts. Our revamped website will be ready on August 24th, so if you're looking for any info that isn't there yet (ie: our INDIA TRIP!!!), then just be patient, it should be up very very soon.

Enjoy your last few days of summer and we hope you start getting pumped for our wicked wicked orientation activities!

August 27th, 2010

Wow. What a whirlwind of a first few days. In the last week the DSU has gone out full force in establshing itself as a centre for Student Power. 

On Friday, over a dozen clubs attended a meeting in order to get the ball rolling on 2010 club registration. But, there are still many storied clubs at Dawson that are seeking new leadership, including: Green Earth; Mixed Martial Arts; Classics & the Chess Club. If you're interested in starting one of those puppies up, please come see us in our office.

You can check out the full-list of clubs registered in 09-10 to get an idea of what exists in the DSU and what doesn't.

And if what you want doesn't exist yet, well then engage yourself. Do something. Make it happen. Make some noise. Play. Laugh. Love. Live. Make A Life. 

Did you click on the link? Hot, eh? This video showcases the artistic, cultural, religious, political, recreational, and social clubs that are the heartbeat of the Dawson Student Union.

All new and returning clubs have until September 3rd to hand in their application package.

February 24th, 2010

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the DSU as an accredited independant Student Union.  This anniversary was celebrated with the launch of our brand new website & by serving a 'big ass' cake to over 500 students.

The last 5 years have served as an important reminder that it is our collective responsibility to work together towards proper student representation.

The students, united, will never be defeated.  And when we work together, we will ensure that a more socially just learning environment is created and sustained for future generations of Dawsonites.

Much love goes out to Phil Jones, Ben Lewis & Emily Coffey for their tireless work on building the new website and the DSU makeover.  

February 23rd, 2010

Today, former Québec Premier Lucien Bouchard, alongside business leaders, former University rectors & former "student leaders" called for the current Québec government to drastically raise tuition fees for Québec students.

The DSU is appalled by this attack to one of the most accessible models of post secondary education in the world.  And while it is true that Universities & CEGEPS are under-funded, Québec institutions have continued to be amongst the top-performng Universities in the world.

And studies have shown that for every additional tuition fee dollar, provincial governments have reduced their own part of the funding.  Those who have the pretense of stating that the quality of our education will be improved through additional student funding are misleading the public.

Education is a basic human right, and we will continue to lobby to ensure that Québec's post-secondary institutions are both highly accessible and of exceptional quality. 

Read the CFS reaction to the Proposed Financing Pact.