Students at the University of Lethbridge have returned to their studies
According to Student Union President Holly Kletke, returning to classes after an unprecedented interruption is a relief for students.
Students at the University of Lethbridge (ULFA) have returned to study after a six-week break caused by a faculty strike. The university's governing body agreed to approve a revised academic schedule for the rest of the semester last Tuesday. In doing so, classes will be extended by two additional weeks, pushing the semester's end date to May 5. In addition, the university has eliminated exam week, allowing faculty to administer final exams right during classes. According to student leader Holly Kletke, the revised schedule should allow students to finish the semester as planned.
"I think the problem we all face is that students are in such different situations that it's just not possible to make a decision that satisfies everybody," he said, "so the key here is flexibility, and we think this plan has enough flexibility.
According to Kletke, students are relieved to be back in class after an unprecedented interruption because it was uncomfortable to be "in the middle of a labor dispute."
The ULFA faculty association went on strike Feb. 10, and the university announced a lockout a few days later. Work resumed on Monday after 91 percent of the faculty voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the school's Board of Governors.
The new agreement was reached after the two sides met with an independent mediator last week. The four-year contract is retroactive. It runs from June 2020, when the previous agreement expired, through June 2024. Salaries are expected to increase by 2.75% over the term of the contract. An additional 0.5% increase is possible, depending on GDP Alberta.
In addition to the extended semester, students will have the opportunity to apply for course grades in the form of a pass/fail grade instead of the usual letter grade. A similar decision has been made at other Alberta institutions of higher education since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out 2 semesters ago. The problem of students losing practicum hours during a work stoppage will also be addressed.
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