Friday, April 19, 2024 - Message from Lisa Philipps, Provost and Vice-President Academic
With the CUPE 3903 ratification vote held on Friday, April 19 the remediation period for the Winter 2024 term begins on Monday, April 22.
This letter is to provide you with some initial information regarding what to expect during the formal remediation period. We will also supply you with some follow-up information over the course of the next week and beyond.
Supporting Remediation
To help support you for remediation we have prepared Institutional Remediation Guidelines which provide guidance on the resumption of academic activities as well as some important information for Course Directors about planning for the remediation period and the completion of Fall/Winter 2023-24 and Winter 2024 courses. We strongly recommend that you use the online Remediation Plan tool to complete your remediation plan for any courses that require one.
Working with Teaching Assistants to help students complete the course.
A communication has already been sent out to CUPE 3903 members welcoming them back to work and indicating the key steps involved in their return to work. With regards to academic remediation, an important step will be for CUPE 3903 Teaching Assistants and Graduate Assistants to contact their Course Director or Supervisor, and we ask those of you who have tutorials, labs or studios associated with your courses to review with your Teaching Assistants the activities required of them to help students complete the course. An initial priority should be for Teaching Assistants to submit all work (grades, grade sheets, graded assignments) completed prior to the start of the strike on February 26.
Course Directors will also be required to approve the workload form produced by tutorial leaders, lab demonstrators, studio instructors and markers/ graders identifying any activities required for the completion of their work assignment. The Remediation Workload Form will identify any changes from the original Workload Form that they filled out with you at the start of the term and will provide the basis for assessing their remediation pay.
Making Options Available to Students for the Completion of the Course
In addition to the Institutional Remediation Guidelines, it will be helpful for you to review the Completion of Courses and Finalization of Grades from Senate Executive for important information about student rights, course completion options, alternate modes of course content delivery, and the finalization of grades. There may be students who will still want to opt for the assessed grade option approved by Senate Executive; also, some number of students may not be available to attend class meetings in person during the formal remediation period. We are confident that you will be as flexible as possible in the remediation options you make available to students in this circumstance.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts in support of our students over these many weeks and for ensuring that they are able to complete their 2023-2024 courses in preparation for the commencement of the 2024-2025 academic year.