Academic officials are looking into the possibility of academic accommodation for students in the event of a transit strike scheduled to begin on Monday.
John Doerksen, Vice-Provost (Academic Programs and Students) [Registrar], raised the possibility during The University of Western Ontario Senate meeting today.
A meeting of associate deans scheduled for Friday, following Senate, was to discuss the issue. Leaders will develop processes for managing hardships some students may experience getting to campus for classes and exams during the strike.
Speaking in advance of the meeting, Doerksen said, “I think what we are looking for is as much flexibility as possible.
“My guess is the question of undue hardships will be examined on a case-by-case basis.”
At this point, it is undecided whether it will be up to the deans or individual faculty members to decide on individual academic accommodation.
Doerksen said “there certainly is a great deal of concern” about students being adversely affected by the possible strike.
During a transit strike in Ottawa, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University offered students academic accommodation, said Doerksen, noting Western is likely to follow suit.
With a transit strike anticipated to begin Monday, Western’s administration and the University Students’ Council (USC) are strongly urging all students and employees who normally take the bus to and from campus to make alternative transportation plans now.
Talks between the London Transit Commission (LTC) and the Amalgamated Transit Union (Local 741) are scheduled to resume on Saturday in the hopes that a settlement can be reached before the strike deadline set for Monday, Nov. 16, at 12:01 a.m.
“We continue to follow what is happening,” said Western President Amit Chakma at Senate. “We are trying to deal with it to the best of our abilities.”
In the event of a transit strike, Western will remain open and classes will continue. Students are expected to continue attending classes during a transit strike. Employees will be required to report to work unless alternative arrangements have been discussed with their leader.
The university and the USC are putting several contingency plans in place to minimize disruption during a strike. These include:
Share A Ride program: A password-protected website is being developed to help students, faculty and staff arrange rides with other members of the campus community who are traveling to and from campus.
Flag A Ride program: Members of the campus community who wish to participate will receive a flag/tag to mark their vehicle or their backpack to identify themselves as a student, faculty or staff member willing to provide or receive a ride to and from campus.
On-campus shuttle service expansion: The King’s University College / Brescia University College campus shuttle service will be expanded in conjunction with the university.
Limited off-campus shuttle service: Areas of the city with high concentrations of students will have limited shuttle service. Details regarding hours of operation and locations are still to be determined. This service will be limited by the availability of vehicles and volunteer drivers.
Details on these plans will be available as soon as they are finalized. In the meantime, Western students and employees should consider transportation alternatives.
Regular updates on Western’s response to the transit strike, including information regarding alternative transportation options, can be found at https://communications.uwo.ca/transitstrike/. Visit this site regularly for the latest information.
