Algonquin College is telling students the fall term may be extended due to the ongoing strike by college faculty.
Negotiations are set to resume today to end the 18 day strike by more than 12,000 college professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians across Ontario.
In a message to students, Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen says “the fall term may be extended” depending on how long the strike lasts. Jensen adds the college will try to avoid extending the school year into the summer, but that will depend on how long the strike lasts.
Algonquin says students who have already made travel arrangements for the Christmas break that cannot be changed can speak with the college about the break. Algonquin College says the college will be closed from Friday, December 22, 2017 until classes resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.
Classes at Algonquin College and La Cite have been cancelled since the strike began on October 15.
Jensen says once a deal is reached, classes will resume on the second weekday after the strike ends to give professors time to review and finalize semester completion plans. Jensen says once faculty return to work, they will develop a plan to make-up for the classes lost during the strike.
There have been no talks between the two sides since the strike began.
The colleges’ bargaining team says it asked the mediator to bring both sides back to the table. Sonia Del Missier says she believes a settlement can be reached quickly and classes could resume early next week.
Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen's letter to students can be found here
