Thanks for this, Steve. I agree.
On Oct 10, 2023, at 9:55 PM, Steve DiPaola <sdipaola@sfu.ca> wrote:
IMHO:
The most important thing to remember is these are our graduate students in this terrible situation. Many that came from far and wide to work with us ( literally our specific individual faculty reputation brought them here) - a huge commitment (and
trust) on their part for us. We and SFU generally promised them some level of respect and normalcy in what university research life was, if not specifically offered them funding for their time with us and expectation of what our lab life and grad life was.
Some of that was via TAships ( and sessionals). Some of the best even moved to being Sessionals, teaching our undergrads. This was how they survived in an expensive area. They are now not getting that TA/sessional money and have to stand in the rain Picketing
to get a little bit of money. They are quite upset with how they have been treated. They are trying to make ends meet in a very expensive town to be with us. We need to support them and push for a fair settlement. And on top of what our grads are facing --
there is our undergrads - also who came from far and wide and are not getting the education we promised them especially with our missing TAs ( labs and hours and marking and ...) and full classes not running where TSSU sessionals were running them and classes
not running during campus picketing for most of us. Besides those sessional classes not running at all, the strategies we faculty have been using in our current "under strike mode" classes ( without TAs) where we might have switched things around and delaying
assignments because of no labs or TA sessions will start collapsing as we hit week 7, 8 , 9 ... and our students at all levels will suffer. This is a crucial time - where we all lose the semester for our grads and undergrads or not. If this continues for
more weeks, we have grads without money to pay rent and eat and we have undergrads losing the education they deserve. Again we need to support them and push for a fair settlement ASAP.
Again just my opinion and why I have joined them on the picket line at times including with members of my faculty buying food for them while there.
Steve
- Steve DiPaola, PhD - -
- Prof: Sch of Interactive Arts & Technology (SIAT);
- Past Director: Cognitive Science Program;
- - Simon Fraser University - - -
our book on: AI and Cognitive Virtual Characters
At Simon Fraser University, we live and work on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)
and in SFU Surrey, Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm), Qayqayt, Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Tsawassen, and
numerous Stó:lō Nations.
On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 7:55 PM Gerardo Otero < otero@sfu.ca> wrote:
Then there’s the “limbo” cases of chairs and directors: they are SFUFA members but sometimes they mostly represent the administration in their units, although
they could also represent their colleagues with the administration. It’s a gray area on where they stand.
Best regards, Gerardo
The survey memo to faculty from the VP-F and VP-A/Provost is addressed to "Dear SFU Employee." I mention this to point out that wherever
one stands on the current managagement/labour dispute between the administration and the TSSU, clearly the administration sees employer/employee as the meaningful categories at SFU, with no middle ground. This may make it easier for faculty members to think
about which side we will support.
|