“My biggest concern as I face down another 25 years or so in this profession is not that I will become disaffected or stalled in my research. It’s whether or not I can convince my fellow tenured colleagues to agree that we not pull the ladder up behind us and abandon the others in the interest of careerist gain.” Tenured and Happy by Cynthia Wu on Inside Higher Ed.
Monthly Archives: March 2015
Statement of Solidarity from the Queen’s University Geography Graduate Student Council (GSC) Reply
Government mandates and university administrative demands force graduate enrolment to grow at unsustainable rates, despite departments’ inadequacy to support such enrolment. Academic career opportunity upon graduation is increasingly dismal. The use of graduate and sessional labour for cost-cutting in course delivery is deeply troubling and shameful. The corporatization of Canadian universities is resulting in increasing economic inequality between high-level administration and academic staff, as well as rising tuition rates despite stunted education quality. Amidst this environment of inflated tuition and decreasing quality of education, graduate funding remains relatively stagnant in the face of the steadily-rising cost of living in cities like Toronto.
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Brief statements by department on remediation Reply
The following are brief statements from York units and departments regarding remediation and return to classes.
University protests around the world: a fight against commercialisation Reply
Once considered a radical institution, York now pursues aggressive divide-and-conquer strike-breaking tactics. On March 9, the university made a ‘final offer’ that largely appealed to senior contract faculty, a clear attempt to split the union. Teaching assistants and graduate assistants rejected the offer and remain on legal strike More…
Statement by Science & Technology Studies Graduate Program Executive Reply
On March 24, 2015, the STS Graduate Program Executive unanimously passed the following motion:
Having reviewed the graduate courses and consulted with current course directors, STS Graduate Exec has determined that under present conditions it is impossible to maintain academic integrity; therefore graduate classes are suspended until a settlement is reached and the strike is over.
Letter from Dr. Peter Flaherty (CUPE Unit 2) to President Shoukri and Provost Lenton Reply
Dear colleagues,
It is with the greatest respect and a full appreciation of the complexities and difficulties you face that I write to express my concerns about the current situation we are all coping with. I am a member of the York contract faculty (CUPE 3903 Unit 2) and teach in the Faculty of Education. I am also a former secondary school teacher and department head with many years of classroom experience at that educational level. York University has been a significant part of my life – academically, professionally, and even personally – since I first entered Glendon College as a member of its founding class in 1966. Over my years as an undergraduate and graduate student, I earned the majority of my degrees including my doctorate from this great university, where I had the honour and privilege of studying with some of its finest professors.
Speech by Elizabeth Dauphinee to LA&PS Faculty Council Reply
The following is the speech by Elizabeth Dauphinee to LA&PS Faculty Council as the mover of the first motion.
Motions passed at the special meeting of LA&PS Faculty Council on March 23, 2015 Reply
Motions passed at the special meeting of LA&PS Faculty Council on March 23, 2015 More…
Statement from Coordinating Committee of the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Reply
March 23, 2015 statement:
Given the recommendations of LA&PS Faculty Council of March 23, we have conducted a review of our courses and concluded that the academic integrity of all courses is compromised. As such, we have revisited the remediation plan of March 17 and have determined that as of March 23, all undergraduate and graduate courses at both Keele and Glendon campuses are suspended until a settlement is reached and the strike is over.
School of Social Work Response to Remediation Framework and Announcement Reply
See below for the School of Social Work Response to Remediation Framework and the School of Social Work Announcement.
YU Talk 