Graduate Students' Union boycotts MUN Convocation

Graduate Students' Union boycotts MUN Convocation

GSU Press Release: Graduate Students' Union boycotts MUN Convocation

Graduate Students' Union of Memorial University of Newfoundland News Release

For immediate release

October 21st, 2005

The President of the Graduate Students' Union at Memorial University of Newfoundland will not be attending a session of convocation at which Scott Hand, Chief Executive Director of Inco, will be awarded an honourary doctorate from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

"Giving Mr. Hand an honourary degree tarnishes the reputation and credibility of the university," said Leisha Sagan, Vice President of Communications and Research of the Graduate Students' Union. "We congratulate and commend all students convocating. This was a decision that was not taken lightly given that convocation is a celebration of students' hard work and personal academic achievement. However, giving Mr. Hand an honorary degree shows disrespect by the university to the outstanding achievements of its graduates."

The official convocation procession regularly includes representation by the Graduate Students' Union, which is comprised of 2200 graduate students at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Inco has been widely condemned by international, national and community groups for its poor environmental, social and human rights record. Students' groups at Memorial University have condemned the corporate partnership between Memorial University of Newfoundland and Inco, which led to the construction of the Inco Innovation Centre.

"We are concerned about the university's corporate agenda with Inco. Increasingly, corporate partnerships with universities across Canada have resulted in questionable results, and researchers being stifled when their results did not agree with the goals of their corporate sponsors," said Sagan.

For more information contact:

Stefan Jensen
President of the Graduate Students' Union at Memorial University of Newfoundland
(709) 737-4395

Leisha Sagan
Vice President Communications and Research
Graduate Students' Union at Memorial University of Newfoundland
(709) 737-4395 or (709) 689-5657