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Our Events Dawson Brushes off the Welcome Mat for Old and New Students Alike Dawson Brushes off the Welcome Mat for Old and New Students Alike Read More A Successful Covid-Era Halloween Just like that October came to an end, but not without some fun and treats. Celebrations around Halloween 2021, despite being a little different from previous years, remained a central part of the college’s campus life. From spooky kahoots to haunted attractions to costumes, there was plenty to do during this year’s Halloween week. Read More Another Successful Geek Week for The Books Among the many events the Dawson Student Union has hosted, Geek Week holds a special place in the heart of many students. In October 2021, a huge number of students, from talented artists to cosplay enthusiasts worked hand in hand to spread the Geek spirit throughout campus. There were a huge variety of activities: Kahoot competitions, exciting raffles, fabulous loot prizes, cosplay contests, WII games, anime dubbing, fandom trivia and so much more. Geek Week was a fabulous opportunity to learn about Dawson’s diverse geek community and talented artists. For more information about Geek Week, please visit Read More Climate Justice Week Summary for newsletter: on the 24th of September was Climate Justice protest. Dawson has a very vibrant community of environmentalists grouped together in unity, having made posters and preparation all week for that day. An important cause that deserves to be remembered every day of the year. Click here to read more. Read More Food for volunteers during podcast Read More Know About Our Past Events Read More Mask Awareness and Frosh Week and Club Fair, oh my! Summary for newsletter: The beginning of semester started off with many activities to welcome students back on campus. The DSU organised frosh week by setting carnival games and cafe karaoke that allowed students to socialise, the clubs presented themselves to this year’s student body and started collaboration for possible events in the near future. Finally, a mask awareness campaign took place to ensure safety persists through the semester. Click here to read more. Read More Reconciliation Day Summary for newsletter: the 30th of September 2021 at Dawson was a very significant day for it was a day to honour those who had to go through the trauma of residential schools under the government's orders. But the lessons, knowledge and intentions embodied that day should and must last eternally as several students pointed out. Many different branches of the school helped organize it so that students could become better-informed and show their support through small gestures such as signing a pledge, donating to charities, wearing an orange t-shirt, supporting Indigenous businesses and going to the march. To read the full article, click here. Read More Stress Free Week: A Break from The Chaos On December 29th and 30th, the Dawson Student Union hosted one of their last events of the fall semester: Stress Free Week. It was the perfect opportunity for the students to relax and take a moment away from their studies. Students were welcomed to join activities such as yoga, art sessions, Zootherapy and board games. They all took place in 5B.16, the 3C cafeteria and Conrad’s. Read More

Dawson Student Union rejects MES Investigation Report and calls for Minister Déry’s Resignation 2 sept 2025 Updated 9:56 PM In the 2024-2025 academic year, the Dawson Student Union (DSU) took significant actions to advocate for its members, notably supporting a student-led strike for Palestine in November 2024. This event triggered tensions, leading to a politically biased investigation by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur (MES) into the safety of students at Dawson and Vanier Colleges. The resulting June 2025 report covered various issues, including a Special General Assembly (SGA) and its resulting student union strike, the legitimacy of campus prayer rooms, and threatened student associations’ financial independence by attacking the core principles behind the Act respecting the accreditation and financing of student associations. As a student union, it is our main objective to represent the entirety of our members. The DSU assures the safety of all students and is dedicated to protecting their rights. The SGA and November strike resulted from a democratic process initiated by a petition submitted in accordance with our rules by DSU members (who are all Dawson students). In response, the DSU followed all established procedures and acted accordingly to its legal obligations. This report is deeply flawed, the main discrepancies are outlined as followed: The prayer rooms on campus are open to all students, regardless of background or belief. They are intended to support the religious and spiritual needs of the student body and are not tied to or promoting any ideology or doctrine. They are there to ensure respect, accommodation and accessibility for all. The DSU stands in solidarity with all faith-based groups we oversee, and we are committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive and respectful environment. There is no link between prayer rooms and violence or intimidation on campus. Claims suggesting otherwise reflect the CAQ’s agenda of extreme secularism and its ongoing efforts to undermine charter-protected rights. Additionally, the report criticizes both associations for allegedly acting beyond a “non-political”mandate. Within the DSU structure, “non-political” means non-partisan politics, and the same interpretation applies to our affiliated bodies. As a student union, we are inherently political in that we advocate for the diverse interests of our members through democratic processes, regardless of whether these interests align with those of other institutions. The investigators were given that information and they chose to ignore it and apply their own false interpretation. In this regards , during our Annual General Assembly (AGA), the DSU membership democratically adopted two new positions: we stand in support of students, teachers, and professionals who condemn the decades-long occupation and genocide in Palestine. We equally strongly condemn anti-Palestinian, islamaphobic and antisemitic hate. Furthermore, we uphold the right to self-determination for all oppressed peoples worldwide. Finally, the report also talks about the Plant student newspaper and its constitution. The Plant was at its origins part of a course given at Dawson College. It is no longer the case and has operated as an unincorporated entity. They are currently being restructured to be an independent student newspaper formed as a not for profit, a process which was completed earlier this month. An outdated version of the constitution was provided to the investigators in good faith, with clarification that it was no longer in effect and that the structure would be updated in the current academic year. The investigators decided to spin this narrative, claiming they don’t follow their constitution, ignoring the provided context. The DSU remains committed to supporting and amplifying the voices of those we represent whereas the Ministry has made it clear it is committed to pushing an oppressive narrative, aiming to limit academic freedoms, and student expression. This report is purely political to justify the policies and actions of the CAQ. The DSU stands firm in its rejection of the investigation recommendations and we hope to assure all Dawson students that our main goal remains to support those at the heart of our operations. The DSU demands that Pascale Déry resign from her position as Minister of Higher Education due to a clear conflict of interest and general incompetence in protecting higher education in Quebec. If she refuses, we urge the premier to reassign the ministry to someone more qualified and move Pascale Déry to the backbenches during the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. Lastly, call on the Quebec government to reject all recommendations from the report.

In recent months, the Dawson Student Union has noted a rise in incidents of a discriminatory nature, particularly against DSU Clubs and independent student groups operating on campus. The Muslim Student Association, Islamic Relief, and Al-Raya have been continuously experiencing verbal violence, intimidation, and harassment while organizing on-campus events. Recent incidents targeting these groups, notably the Sisters of the MSA and Al-Raya during their Palestinian events, have brought to light the presence of gender-based discrimination, Islamophobia, and xenophobia. Such occurrences clearly demonstrate the urgent need to address these issues head-on. This persistent harassment has been extremely overwhelming to the targeted club members and created an atmosphere of anxiety and fear. As your student union, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a campus environment free of any form of violence, harassment, and discrimination. We stand in solidarity with our Clubs, fully support them, and actively encourage them to participate to enhance student life. Should any Dawson community member have serious concerns about a club event, they ought to communicate them with the executives of the Dawson Student Union. The DSU firmly condemns all forms of discrimination. We are dedicated to protecting our members affected by situations of this nature and will take the necessary measures to counter these acts. May we remind you that every student needs to adhere to all regulations and policies of the College and the DSU. We urge all students to denounce any form of discrimination to the DSU and ask that respect and civility be upheld by all members of the Dawson community. The DSU urges any student implicated in situations related to violence, harassment and discrimination to make use of the DSU Hive’s and Dawson College’s services. You are encouraged to consult professional counselors at the College as well as the intervention workers below for support. For immediate or planned psychosocial interventions, contact the intervention workers below: DSU Hive Senior Coordinator: Extension 1082 - Office 2D.1A - hive_sr.coordinator@dawsonstudentunion.com Social Worker at the First Year’s office: Extension 1183 - Office 2D.01 - ychukhovich@dawsoncollege.qc.ca Social Work Technician at the First Year's office: Extension 1182 - Office 2D.0 - hphotopoulos@dawsoncollege.qc.ca Social Service Officer for Code of Conduct: Extension 1209 - Office 4E.2-6 - aleblancflorent@dawsoncollege.qc.ca First Year's Office Social Service Officer: Extension 1130 - Office 4E.3-2 - edunne@dawsoncollege.qc.ca If you are Muslim and would like to have a safe zone or talk with members of your community, you can contact the Muslim Association via : msa@dawsonstudentunion.com For immediate intervention in situations presenting signs of aggression, immediately contact Dawson Security: - Extension 1500 Office 2E.14 Subsequently, an intervention worker should be notified in order to ensure a proper follow-up.

MONTRÉAL, QC (May 26, 2021) - On May 26, 2021, 51% of students (1519 students) voted in favour of striking. This strike was initiated by students and further approved in a Special General Assembly that took place on May 24, 2021. This strike will entail a complete student boycott of final exams taking place from May 27, 2021, to June 4, 2021. This means that students are asked not to attend their final exams in person in response to their neglect of student concerns previously made clear by the body. Here are some important points to consider: This strike was initiated by students with the intent of boycotting controversial in-person final exams after the college’s refusal to adapt their final examinations to a more suitable format. The goal of the strike is to pressure the school to shift their exams online. For the time being the college has continued to indicate they intend on holding exams in person. Considering that almost half of students do not intend to go to these exams, this sheds doubt on their seriousness to move forward with mass failings. Students who have in-person exams that require certain material only available at the College such as Nursing or Radiology may still access the college to do their evaluations as stated in the strike resolution adopted. Only exams that do not absolutely require in-person such as math, chemistry and physics are subject to this strike. Students who do not have in-person exams are not asked to strike but may do so in support of their peers. We have made several attempts to negotiate with the college and find a compromise. Despite our worst proposals being presented, the college has refused to accept any sort of proposal which did not come from their own administration. We ask that no student congregates in front of the school as this would pose potential health risks related to COVID-19 and would be contrary to our concerns with regards to the in-person presence on campus. If you voted against the strike and do not want to boycott exams, you are still entitled to attend exams. The boycott is a right, not an obligation. The College has no logistical capacity to fail all students who do not attend their final. These implications for universities that are waiting for students to graduate. There would be pressure from both Universities and the Ministry for the college to not fail these students considering this would cause major issues in the entire higher education sector of Quebec. There are about 3000 students (30% of the student body) who were expected to write final exams in person at Dawson. Considering the college has space issues as seen during admissions this year, it would be impossible for them to fail even 200 students who decide to boycott final exams since this would mean these students would need to remain at Dawson for another semester. Considering the college already fills all space in the daytime, they would have no choice but to rescind applications at the College. Let's not forget that the college's space issues this year were caused by their decision to not expel a few students on academic probation due to the pandemic. The number of students who weren`t expelled was inferior to the current number of students who want to strike. The College would have a serious issue on their hands and they know it. They have admitted to this potential issue in negotiations that took place over the last few days. Despite their best efforts to influence the vote in internal elections, they have failed to convince a sufficient number of students to vote against such a strike. For those who boycott, it is a possibility that exams would be deferred to a later date likely in August. There is also the possibility of exams being offered online as well. There is no certainty at this time but all options remain realistic. Students should focus on how they can best try to pressure the college to finally give in to their concerns. The point of a strike is to put enough pressure on the college to force their hand into giving in. If a plurality of students boycott, the college will quickly realize they are outmatched. That is what will make them change their minds and that is what is important to consider when making a decision. The ball is in their court. They could have listened to our concerns months ago but chose to ignore us and to move forward despite very valid issues with their plans. Do not blame students who have valid health and safety concerns, do not blame the DSU who is just doing its job, blame the college for a lack of clarity, a lack of reassurance and a lack of openness towards its student body. Overall, they mismanaged this situation from the start and have refused to try to reconcile any concerns of students. A compromise would have swiftly reassured those concerned. It is truly unfortunate it has come to this. If enough pressure is put on the college, they will have no choice but to backtrack for the reasons mentioned above. We encourage all students to boycott their exams to ensure the strength of our position. The college will try to scare or threaten students but you must all stay strong. We know they cannot make act on their threats. We also ask that everyone remain civil and that any protest (online) with regards to Dawson disregard of student rights be done peacefully and with respect. We understand this is a stressful time and that some are concerned about the possible impacts of this strike. We will continue to be as forthcoming as we can be with you all but understand that the situation is unfolding. The injunction will be addressed in a separate statement as we are still awaiting a decision from the Superior Court of Quebec. For the full results of the strike vote, please click here. Please contact general@dawsonstudentunion.com for any questions