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RACISM:

Concordian Staffer Takes Boss to

By Max Wallace

MONTREAL (CUP) - A (Concordia secretary is taking her boss and the university to the Quebec Human Rights Commis- sion, charging intimidation and harassment with racial overtones.

Physics department:secretary Lucy Roberts, a university em- ployee for 16 years, filed her com- plaint last month after a five-year internal struggle with physics chair Calvin Kalman.

According to Roberts’ com- plaint, the harassment began al- most immediately after Kalman became chair of the department

in 1983.

“It appeared evident that Dr. Kalman did not wish to work

with Mrs. Roberts,” states the complaint. “The quality of her work which had always been ex- emplary was, overnight, qualified by her new boss as unsatisfac- tory... Differences of opinion as to style of presentation of docu- ments, normally the province of a professional secretary, become occasions for berating and insult- ing her.”

In 1983, Roberts applied for a transfer through the human re- sources department without re- sults. That summer, she stayed home for three days, claiming the harassment became too much for her to accept. After mediation by the university, she returned to work.

Last year, she filed a formal complaint against Kalman with the Concordia Code Administra- tor, beginning a series of internal university hearings characterized by charges and counter-charges which are still continuing.

Roberts, 62, declined to com- ment on the situation while her case is pending but her attorney William Sloan called the situa- tion a ‘Catch 22’.

“There are no standards by which she can govern her pro-

- fessional conduct,” said Sloan. “This is a highly intelligent, com- petent woman who has worked as a court reporter in the U.S.A. and who for years was trusted to type confidential minutes for the Con-

EDITORIAL

Well, it looks like we are all back here for another wonderful semester at UPEI, and we on The Gem are quite excited about it hall. First of all, we would like to

elcome everyone back and tell you all that we have great hopes for the remainder of the year.

The Gem is planning a great recruitment drive for the months ahead, so be on the lookout for exciting posters, contests, and all the other fun stuff that we have planned for UPEI. Why not come down and join us? Add your cre- ative ability and halp us make The Gem even better! Our meet-

ings are on Tuesday nights at 5:30 in The Gem office (Main). Come and listen to what we have to

. say and ass your own innovative ideas. Find out what’s going on around campus early!! Then stay for production night, where we put The Gem together, eat pizza, and have a good time in general. We need your help, so come on down and try us out!!!

If you just want to come down

and see us, well, that’s fine too. There is usually someone here, so feel free to drop down or give us a call— we’d love to hear from you!

Each week we hear murmur- ings of discontent from the pop- ulus of UPEI, but people rarely come directly to us to voice their complaints. If there is something that you don’t like about The Gem, don’t hesitate— write a let- ter to the editor, a pet peeve, or, better still, come to our meeting. Who better to talk to than us? And if you’re really disappointed with the way we handle things, why don’t you come down and give us.a hand? We’d appreciate your input.

So don’t be shy!! We want to be the best we can be for you!!

- Believe it or Not!

For those students who are ptaduating this year, this is the ime to apply in order to spend he year abroad next year. for hose who will graduate in future tars, this is a good time to start sathering information by contact- Ng our awards officers.

Remember, our Faculty of ‘tts has 13 awards officers — one

each department — whose rai- on d’ etre is encouraging you to Pply for graduate awards, giv- 8 you the necessary informa- °n and assisting you in prepar- 8 you applications.

So, delay no longer. And bon oyage!

Foreign governments are Viting Canadian graduate stu- ents to study abroad, for a year, ll €xpenses paid by the host gov-

== Thursday, January 19 , ————>—————SSSS———_—____—_——==_—=

At UPEI, a call for applica- tions appeared at the beginning of October, in the Gem and in posters throughout: campus. The deadlines were October 31 and December 31. Some UPEI stu- dents did apply to commonwealth countries.

Obviously, the number of ap- plicants, throughout Canada, was very small. Three countries are taking the unprecedented steps of sending a second invitation and of extending the deadline. That’s practically begging for applica-

tions. ernment, and students don’t even

bother to apply.

Please! won’t some of you, out there, consent to spend a year, all expenses paid, studying in sunny Mexico, Spain, or Por- tugal?

1989

Here is the formal notice re- ceived by UPEI:

Due to the low number of applications received by Mexico, Portugal and Spain, the AUCC is sending another mailing...

The deadline for receipt of ap- plications in our office has been extended to February 1, 1989.

‘Please note that: Awards available from Mexico, Portugal and Spain have not been fully uti- lized in the last few years. Stu- dents interested in pursuing work in these countries should be par-

ticularly encouraged to apply. Conditions attached to those

awards: “Candidates must be Canadian citezens and must have obtained a Canadian university degree by the time the scholar- ship comes into effect.” In addi- tion, Spain requires knowledge of Spanish.

Rights Commission

cordia board of governors.

“Without any formal training, she mastered five software pro- grams all by herself after the de- partment gave her a computer. Yet her boss says she can’t han- dle her duties in the department. I think there must be other rea- sons she is being intimidated.”

During the past year, accord- ing to the complaint, “Kalman’s harassment has become more pronounced and has taken on racial overtones. He has a needle- point handicraft on his office wall which represents Black slave women working on a southern plantation. He has on several oc- casions drawn Mrs. Roberts’ at- tention to this piece.”

Sloan said it is difficult to ac- cuse Kalman of overt racism, ex- plaining, “It’s the little things that he does which are more sub- tle and therefore more insidious. She has never accused him of racism in any of the university hearings but Black people under- standably tend to be sensitive to issues like slavery.”

He stressed that Roberts’ complaints against Kalman have more to do with harassment and intimidation than racism.

In an interview attended by the university’s lawyer Richard Beaulieu, Kalman commented on Roberts’ allegations.

He said his conflict with Roberts only began in 1987 when he received a written complaint from a physics department pro- fessor about her.

“The record is clear that un- til late 1987, Mrs. Roberts was on extremely friendly terms with me. It was only after I formally dealt with the complaint against her that she began to have prob- lems with me.”

In fact, Roberts had applied for a transfer frorn the depart- ment a full four years earlier, soon after Kalman became physics chair.

“Mrs. Roberts has had prob- lems in the university almost since the time she got here,” said

Continued on Page 5

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