Members of the
Université de Montréal community are extremely worried
and disturbed by rumours of the Quebec governments failure
to observe an agreement it signed recently. At the University-wide
assembly held on February 5, representatives of the entire community
unanimously adopted a motion demanding that all commitments made
by the Quebec government to the university community be honoured.
Community members
now question the Governments will to honour the commitments
it made at the Quebec Youth Summit. In his budget speech, Bernard
Landry stressed the fact that the Summit had laid out excellent
guidelines for concrete action for the future. This led to
a broad consensus on the urgent need for massive investment in education,
which was reflected in a firm commitment by Quebec to invest 600
million dollars, including 300 million on a recurring basis, to
finance the Quebec university system for the 2000-2003 period. While
nobody seems to have noted the fact that this re-investment will
only enable Quebec universities to make up part of the ground they
have lost relative to their counterparts in North America, everyone
applauded the hope this re-investment kindled among members of the
university community.
According to
Education Minister François Legault, the investment program,
which culminated in the signing last December of a performance contract,
was designed to give Université de Montréal the
tools it needs to adequately play its appointed role in North America,
a university that has a mission to grow, develop and help shape
the Quebec of tomorrow. By suspending this performance contract,
which was signed less than three months ago, the Quebec government
has now jeopardized Université de Montréals
future growth, thereby depriving Quebec of a vital force in its
own development.
All of the groups and associations that make up the university community
join with the Universitys administration in demanding that
the government honour its promises, so that the university community
can in turn meet the future needs of Quebec.
Signatories:
Robert Lacroix, Recteur, Université de Montréal
Jean Wilkins, President, Association des médecins cliniciens
enseignants de Montréal (AMCEM)
Yves Lépine, President, Syndicat général
des professeurs de lUdeM (SGPUM),
Chantal Gamache, President, Syndicat général des
chargées et chargés de cours de lUdeM (SCCCUM)
Michel Ducharme, President, Syndicat des employés de lUdeM
(SÉUM-1244),
Hans Glaude, President, Syndicat des employés dentretien
de lUdeM (SÉEUM-1186),
Germain Lalonde, President, Association des cadres et professionnels
de lUdeM (ACPUM),
Robert Martin, President, Association générale
des étudiantes et étudiants de la Faculté de
léducation permanente (AGEEFEP)
Patrick Lebel, Secrétaire général, Fédération
des associations étudiantes du campus de lUdeM (FAÉCUM)
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