Dennis Bayazitov | Assistant News Editor
Featured image: Your student rights during this now-apparently triennial event. | Basma Elbahnasawy
Once again—for the fifth time since 1997—the students of York find themselves as the red marking on a rope in a game of tug-of-war. On one end, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3903: your faithful union that grades your papers, leads your tutorials, locates your texts, and refines your academics. On the other, York: the institution whose pockets ultimately fund such privileges.
Be it CUPE 3903’s stark, near-fiery language on their official site and social media, or York’s optimistic, often more vague releases on their own respective platforms that influence your allegiance when it comes to crossing picket lines or not, one thing, for now, is certain: you can attend class, but you don’t have to.
If you’re reading this in a physical newspaper, chances are you’ve likely encountered honking, stationary vehicles, and experienced a test of true patience at the picket lines this morning (unless you are fortunate enough to exclusively subway and take night courses). Maybe you’ve been approached by a passionate teacher’s assistant, letting you know exactly why you should not attend class.
First thing you should consider is: when you do not attend, you bring power to CUPE 3903’s cause. Naturally, the fewer students actually being taught, the worse York looks; therefore, the more incentive it might have to start giving CUPE 3903 what they want.
So what are your rights, as York students, during this strike?
The flier you might have been handed singles out the bit in York’s Senate Policy most likely to motivate you not to cross: Section 2.2: Fairness to Students. It reads:
“Students who do not participate in academic activities because: (a) they are unable to do so owing to a disruption; or (b) they choose not to participate in academic activities owing to a strike or lockout on campus; are entitled to immunity from penalty, to reasonable alternative access to materials covered in their absence, to reasonable extension of deadlines, and to such other remedy as the Senate deems necessary and consistent with the principles of academic integrity.”
In other words, you, as a York student, have entered a unique time of the year—one, that in most York students’ experiences, now seemingly shan’t occur for another three years.
If a long-overdue vacation is what you need most right about now, right about now would probably be the best time to take it.
However, do beware, as York makes explicit on their Labour FAQ page online: “These rights do not relieve the student of the responsibility for mastering materials covered, nor guarantees students the same learning experience that they would have received.”
York prefaces its Senate Policy on the Academic Implications of Disruptions of Cessations of University Business Due to Labour Disputes or Other Causes, by defining what a disruption exactly is.
To York, it is “when academic activities are substantially interrupted or impeded as a result of strikes, lockouts, demonstrations, natural disasters, or other like causes.”
Academic activity, they specify, pertains to “any work subject to evaluation or necessary for a student to meet the requirements of a course or programme of study.”
Factors contributing to the substantialness of the impediment include: when, in term, the disruption has occurred; if physical and instructional resources are available; what the impact is on attendance and, in particular, on the timing of evaluations like exams, practica, assignments, and presentations.
Further, other than Fairness, during a strike, students are entitled to (2.3) timely information. This means, despite the strike stunting academic activity, “students, staff, and faculty have a right to be informed in a timely manner of changed requirements, rescheduled academic activities, and procedures to be in effect at the conclusion of the disruption.”
But how might this play out this year?
For what are known as short disruptions, which specify disruptions of six days or fewer, classes will proceed as normal. While quite unlikely, if past disruptions are of any indication, this is a possibility—so don’t hit ‘book’ for that Cancún trip just yet. Individual faculty are responsible for gauging “the extent to which their courses, seminars, graduate supervision, labs, practica, et cetera, have been affected […] and what remedial action is required.”
Section 3.2.3 notes if a course director feels remedial action justifies rescheduling in order to preserve course integrity, he or she is free to do so, as long as it does not violate the aforementioned student rights of academic integrity, fairness, and timely information.
If we make it past the seventh-day mark into what will be considered a long disruption, the Senate Executive Committee will receive reports from Faculty Councils and the Vice President Academic and Provost Lisa Philipps. Then, Chairs of Academic Standards, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and the Senate Appeals Committee (SAC) take part in the Senate Executive Committee, voting for disruption-related issues until the strike’s end.
At the seven-day mark, all quarter- and half-courses will require substantial remedial action, and will be altered with any necessary changes to their exam schedule. If another week is lost—on strike for 14 days—students enrolled in a full-year course or its equivalent, the SAC will modify their exam schedule as well.
Understand that long disruptions do have the authority to extend a term and authorize that exams be rescheduled. The SAC can reduce the length of the term by seven days or less for half-courses, and 14 for full-year ones.
The worst-case scenario? If this long disruption drags on for so long that no possible agreement can be made and still satisfy students’ right to academic integrity, the SAC has no choice but to recommend to the Senate that credit not be given to the student.
In other words, from a student’s perspective, it will either have been a waste of time—or free education.
Sick of this already and want to appeal? Because we are still in a short disruption, your petitions and appeals concerning academic issues will be processed as they normally would be. Pass that seven day mark, however, and the SAC “shall monitor petitions and appeals to ensure fairness and reasonable consistency of outcomes.”
So, what does this mean for you?
It means that so long we are in a short-term labour disruption, not much changes. More than anything, coursework, deadlines, and evaluations will depend on the professor. But as soon as we pass this seven- and 14-day mark—depending on the respective courses they influence—students will be afforded more flexibility and accommodation.
Naturally, certain students may be concerned whether they can even graduate at all this spring. More than anything—right now, at least for this first week— it seems it’s better to wait.
The Labour FAQ page says York “is committed to taking all possible steps to enable students to complete their program requirements in a timely fashion, and is aware of the particular needs and concerns of students intending to graduate this spring.
“Accommodations will be determined for any work that remains incomplete, how the term will be completed, and when examinations will take place in courses that experience some interruption.”
At any rate, however, assuming the strike will come to an end, which is likely, while coursework may be adjusted, it will still be due. Would it not be better to get it done now? By their very nature, be it with their opportune freedoms, or frustrating inconveniences, labour disruptions will inevitably distract students.
But what that ultimately means for you is a fairly good chance of fewer people in your classes. If you’re one to take advantage of such an environment—one more conducive for learning and getting work done— you should cross the picket line.
If you hit “book” way back and haven’t even made it this far, well—you already have your answer.
