Queen's Budget cuts

Students line the sides of a hallway on the ground floor of an academic building. There is a stairway to the left of the picture and a mezzanine on the second floor.

Queen’s students host silent protest against budget cuts before staff and faculty Town Hall

December 15, 2023 by Christena Lawrie

Queen’s students participated in a silent protest at the Biosciences Complex before the last Monday’s Town Hall regarding recently announced budget cuts.

At the Dec. 11 meeting, Provost Matthew Evans and Dean Barbara Crow held a Town Hall to discuss the significant impending budget cuts for the Faculty of Arts and Science in 2024. This meeting came just over a week after the original leaked memo from Crow and the teach-in hosted by Queen’s Community Against Austerity (QCAA) regarding the cuts. Only faculty and staff were invited to attend, a controversial decision as students have been calling for more transparency from the university and to have their voices heard on the matter.

Protesting both their exclusion from the meeting and the cuts themselves, students lined the corridor leading to the auditorium holding signs reflecting their message, a loud presence despite their silence. Over 50 students, including representatives from the Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS) and the union for Graduate Student Employees (PSAC 901), attended the protest.

A view down university avenue at Queen's, there are blue skies and afternoon sun. the streets are fairly empty and the sides of the street are lined with buildings, the tall grant hall standing out amoungst them.

Queen’s community responds to incoming budget cuts for Faculty of Arts and Science

December 5, 2023 by Christena Lawrie

Leaked documents have revealed that drastic cuts will be made to the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University, and the Queen’s community is responding.

The bulk of the conversation began when a memo that the Dean of Arts and Science Barbara Crow sent to department heads was leaked, revealing drastic cuts planned for the department in the next two years due to the Queen’s financial deficit. Students, whose education will be greatly impacted by these cuts, had not been informed before this leak.

On Thursday, Matthew Evans, Provost and Vice-Principal, sent out a message to students regarding the cuts. The message stressed the financial challenges the university is facing, with costs for the university exceeding revenue to an “unsustainable level.” He attributed the deficit to the provincial government’s decision in 2019 to cut and freeze tuition costs.

Queen’s Community Against Austerity (QCAA), a cross-campus alliance working to advocate against these cuts, hosted a widely-attended teach-in from 12-2 p.m. today to inform the Queen’s community of the situation and spread their message.

Speakers at the event represented a variety of perspectives, including professors, staff, undergraduate students, and post-graduate students. Speakers discussed the university’s financial situation, the impact of cuts on students and employees, and possible alternatives to these cuts. They also launched a petition to the Board of Trustees urging them to pursue alternative measures.

Queen’s students host silent protest against budget cuts before staff and faculty Town Hall

Queen’s community responds to incoming budget cuts for Faculty of Arts and Science

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