Updated SGPS Statement on Masters QGA

Dear Queen’s Community, 

In response to the proposed cuts to the Queen’s Graduate Award (QGA), we published a public call to action last week. Losing the QGA would have far-reaching consequences for our university’s ability to support graduate education, research, and teaching at all levels, and we need your continued support in opposing these cuts. 

The SGPS is joining the community in calling for a walkout from noon to 1 pm on Friday, September 27th, at Richardson Hall. We encourage all members to participate in solidarity with those affected and to demonstrate our unified opposition to these measures. The SGPS executive and I will personally be there to stand with you. 

Community Support and Collective Efforts 

We are not alone in this work. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the tremendous engagement from across our community: 

• Students, Senators, Trustees, Deans and Associate Deans, Faculty 
• Alma Mater Society (AMS) 
• Queen’s Coalition Against Austerity (QCAA) 
• Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) 
• PSAC 901 
• Queen’s Students Vs Cuts 
• The Queen’s Journal 

These groups, alongside many others, have taken collective and unified action to make their voices heard. This broad-based support is exactly what we need to show the Board of Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team that the Queen’s community stands against this short-sighted decision. We are all showing support for our students and the members of administration (Deans, Associate Deans, Program Heads, Grad Chairs, Faculty) that have risen together in opposition to this decision. 

As we highlighted in our initial call, this proposal would disproportionately affect equity-deserving groups and further entrench systemic barriers based on race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. These cuts risk undermining Queen’s University’s commitment to fostering a climate where all individuals can participate fully and equally in graduate education. The decision also threatens to weaken Queen’s as a research and teaching institution, particularly in disciplines heavily reliant on master’s-level work, such as STEM fields, and it will have a cascading effect on PhD recruitment (90% of Psychology PhD students start as master’s students at Queen’s) and research output. 

We have compiled a FAQ that outlines what we know. Please find it attached here. 

Widespread Opposition and Unified Action 

It is important to underscore that everyone outside of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT)—and frankly, many within it—believes that this cut is a bad idea. We have seen grassroots opposition spring up from every corner of the university. Students, faculty, and staff are writing to their graduate program chairs, and departments across the university are sending letters to the Board of Trustees. Their message is clear: cutting Master’s funding would be a catastrophic blow to equity, teaching, and research at Queen’s. 

Who is the SLT? 

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is a small group of university executives who make key operational decisions for Queen’s. The SLT includes: 

• Principal Patrick Deane 
• Provost Matthew Evans 
• Vice-Principal (Research) Nancy Ross 
• Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) Donna Janiec 
• Vice-Principal (University Relations) Michael Fraser 
• Vice-Principal (Culture, Equity, and Inclusion) Stephanie Simpson 

This team was solely responsible for the decision to propose cuts to Master’s student funding, and it is equally capable of reversing this decision on its own. 

The community has questions, and this is the only group of individuals at Queen’s that can currently answer them. Therefore, we are asking that the SLT address the community in an open forum. 

We Have Over 200 Testimonials—But We Need More 

So far, we’ve received more than 200 testimonials, and they tell a compelling and moving story about the devastating impact these cuts would have. But we need more voices to build an even stronger case. We believe that showing how much the community cares and demonstrating the personal toll this will take on individuals will show the Board of Trustees that this decision is not viable—morally or strategically. 

Next Steps 

In the coming days, we will continue to act on this issue: 

• Thursday – Senate: The SGPS and others will oppose the cuts during the Senate session. However, the Senate is expected to be deemed unsatisfied jurisdiction on this matter. We will challenge this as a community. 
• Friday – Board of Trustees Open Session: I will deliver a speech opposing the cuts to the Board of Trustees and answer their questions. 
• Next Week: The AMS and SGPS will host a town hall to explain and share what happened in these meetings and what the next steps will be. Date and location TBA. 

How You Can Help? 

If you haven’t submitted your testimonial yet, there is still time. Submit your testimonial here by 11:59PM on Thursday. 

Encourage your peers to join this effort as well: students, faculty, staff —especially those with influence such as alumni or donors. Reach out to your Grad Chairs (or us by replying to this email) if you want to submit a letter. 

Once again, thank you for standing with us and making your voices heard. Together, we are sending a powerful message about the future of graduate education at Queen’s. 

Sincerely, 

Emils Matiss 

President, Society of Graduate and Professional Students
On behalf of the 2024-2025 SGPS Executive Team