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.