Contingency Plan Recommendations: February 2022 Strike + Lockout

Prepared by: The ULSU Executive Council, February 9 2022. Last edited February 28, 2022.

Student Semester Remediation Principles:

The ULSU believes that in order to ensure student success after facing such extenuating and unprecedented disruptions, the following principles must be upheld. 

That remediation strategies are: 

• Proportional to the disruption of job action,
• Consultative with students; parties shall make a concerted effort to consult with students directly in two ways; by engaging the Students’ Union, and the larger student body,
• Remediation and contingency planning must not be developed and approved by strictly non-students
• Considerate of the students’ needs (scheduling, financial, academic, mental wellbeing, etc.) because of the disruptions and instability,
• Special student circumstances must be reviewed and actioned upon on a case by case basis,
• An informational resource that is digestible and accessible to students

Recommendations:

Job action will deplete students’ resources. We have broken these down into four broad categories, and have included our specific recommendations for each.

Time: 

• Changes to the semester schedule must not exceed the dates laid out in the academic calendar, and that the breaks laid out in the calendar be maintained.
• No academic penalty can be imposed for students with work, travel, or other previously set plans, either for reading week or for the end of the semester.
• Excused absences should be extended to students with extenuating circumstances following job action.
• A strike and lockout must not impact a students’ ability to graduate.
• Students are to be given a 72 hour grace period prior to commencing classes or assessments of any form.

Finance:

• Tuition refunds for the spring 2022 semester should be considered, or an alternate tuition credit deferral model, must be offered.

Academic:

• Credit/non-credit designations must be made available, with no course limit, and at least a 4 week deadline following the end of the semester.
• Course material remediation should be decided upon mutually, in the classroom, with consultation from students of each individual course.

Mental Health:

• That mental health resources continue to be offered during, and after a strike and lockout. 
• That safe decision-making, with regards to public health, substance use, and inter-student relations, are promoted during a strike and lockout.

Schedules:

Job action is avoided before the strike deadline: (Before February 10th, at 11:00am)

We advocate that:

• An automatic extension be granted to any evaluations for deadlines occuring the week of February 6th, and extensions be granted at least until the 15th of February

Job action lasts 1 week or less: (Ending on or before February 17th)

We advocate that:

• Regular communications are given to students in an accessible, clear, and timely manner.
• Students are to be given a 72 hour grace period prior to commencing classes or assessments of any form.
• There are no changes to the academic schedule.
• Dates and deadlines for graded material be extended, at the discretion of the professor and students in the classroom.
• Credit/non-credit designations are made available, with no limit on the number of courses a student is eligible to apply for, and an extension to the deadline to apply.
• Coop, WIL, practicum, intern, applied, and independent study students do not face any academic or financial repercussions for missed time or hours.

Job action lasts 2 weeks: (Ending on or before February 24th)

We advocate that:

• Regular communications are given to students in an accessible, clear, and timely manner.
• A decision must be communicated regarding the modality of learning past February 28th.
• Students are to be given a 72 hour grace period prior to commencing classes or assessments of any form.
• If a strike lasts 2 or more weeks, changes to the academic schedule must be made. We request consistent student consultation prior to any changes being made to the academic schedule.
• That reading week is maintained, in its entirety, and that if classes must resume at any point during reading week, that excused absences be given to students with previous commitments
• Dates and deadlines for graded material be extended, at the discretion of the professor and students in the classroom.
• Credit/non-credit designations are made available, with no limit on the number of courses a student is eligible to apply for, and an extension to the deadline to apply.
• Coop, WIL, practicum, intern, applied, and independent study students do not face any academic or financial repercussions for missed time or hours.

Job action lasts 3 weeks: (Ending on or before March 3rd)

We advocate that:

• Regular communications be given to students in an accessible, clear, and timely manner.
• A decision must be communicated regarding the modality of learning past February 28th, and if in-person learning is pursued, administration should refer to the ULSU’s Fall 2021 recommendations on academic accessibility for in-person learning.
• Students are to be given a 72 hour grace period prior to commencing classes or assessments of any form. Excused absences are given to students who are not able to attend class in-person.
• Online learning must be made available to any students who need to access their class remotely, should classes be in-person.
• If a strike lasts 2 or more weeks, changes to the academic schedule must be made. We request consistent student consultation prior to any changes being made to the academic schedule. Dates and deadlines for graded material be extended, at the discretion of the professor and students in the classroom.
• Credit/non-credit designations are made available, with no limit on the number of courses a student is eligible to apply for, and an extension to the deadline to apply.
• Coop, WIL, practicum, intern, applied, and independent study students do not face any academic or financial repercussions for missed time or hours.

Job action lasts 4 weeks or more: (Ending on or after March 10th)

We advocate that:

• Regular communications are given to students in an accessible, clear, and timely manner.
• A decision must be communicated regarding the modality of learning past February 28th, and if in-person learning is pursued, administration should refer to the ULSU’s Fall 2021 recommendations on academic accessibility for in-person learning.
• Students are to be given a 72 hour grace period prior to commencing classes or assessments of any form. Excused absences are given to students who are not able to attend class in-person.
• Online learning must be made available to any students who need to access their class remotely, should classes be in-person.
• If a strike lasts 2 or more weeks, changes to the academic schedule must be made. We request consistent student consultation prior to any changes being made to the academic schedule. Dates and deadlines for graded material be extended, at the discretion of the professor and students in the classroom.
• Credit/non-credit designations are made available, with no limit on the number of courses a student is eligible to apply for, and an extension to the deadline to apply.
• Coop, WIL, practicum, intern, applied, and independent study students do not face any academic or financial repercussions for missed time or hours.
• Tuition refunds be seriously considered, and/or a tuition deferral model be officially adopted.