Reading Week Strike
Why should you vote to change your academic calendar?
Concordia has announced that starting in the summer of 2023, it will implement a 12-week term and a fall reading week. They state that the decision to implement a fall reading week has come as a result of “listening to student feedback across all faculties, and as an example of Concordia’s commitment to health and wellness”.
Instead of implementing this as soon as possible in order to lighten the load of students and faculty during the on-going pandemic, Concordia has decided that it will take another entire academic year to focus on creating awareness of the fall reading week and will only implement a reading day on October 11th. This is simply not enough!
1. We should not wait an extra year to have a reading week:
Due to the Covid pandemic, the past two years have been extremely challenging for many students' mental health. We deserve a week-long break from classes to rest, visit family and catch up on course work.
Concordia has altered the academic schedule in March of 2020, and December of 2021– students and faculty have continued to adjust to changes. We shouldn't have to wait another year for a scheduled break.
Most universities in Quebec and Canada have had a fall reading week for years. Limited adjustments to Arts and Science courses need to be made to accommodate this change.
Concordia’s admin has told ASFA the reason Arts and Science students will not have a reading week this term is because the University wants to raise awareness. We believe it is unnecessary for Concordia to take an entire year to inform Arts and Science students of the implementation of a reading week.
In 2019, students voted in favour of a fall reading week through a referendum question during the CSU elections with the understanding that this could be implemented as early as 2021.
Most of the students who voted for a fall reading week in the 2019 referendum are graduated or entering their final year and will not be able to benefit from a fall reading week if implemented in 2023.
2. What are the benefits of having a reading week?
Most universities in Canada have a fall reading week because it’s proven to improve students wellness and mental health and alleviate stress and anxiety by providing an opportunity for students to relax and decompress;
A reading week provides all students with time to catch up with their studies. This essentially can increase student success;
Enjoy family and friends; a reasonable amount of time off allows students to plan activities with their loved ones. A week-long break makes it possible for students from outside Montreal to travel home without taking time away from their academics;
The global cost of living crisis has forced many students to work more than they did before the pandemic. A full week off classes could give working students the opportunity to save up some money to pay growing bills, to take time off during midterms and finals, or to catch up on their school work.
3. How does voting for a reading week affect your fall semester?
ASFA is encouraging its members to vote to change their academic schedule to include a fall reading week the week before thanksgiving– from October 3-7, 2022;
By voting to change your academic schedule, you are collectively deciding that all classes in your department will be cancelled, and no assignments will be submitted from October 3-7, 2022. This means that your department association will ‘strike’ for that week.
4. How does this work?
Your members association can only vote yes to cancel undergraduate classes within your department; For Example, If you are a history student who is enrolled in a political science class and your department has passed the reading week motion but the political science department has not passed the reading week notion, you will only attend your political science class that week.
Even if your association votes yes to the reading week strike, your Professors have a contractual obligation to show up to their scheduled class. However, if students are blocking the entrance– they have a reasonable excuse to go home and cancel their class. This is why it’s essential to have a few volunteers to picket classes.
5. Other considerations
Although the 2023-2024 fall reading week will take place the week following the October long weekend, we decided that the week before would be best for the following reasons:
In order to ensure MA Executives and other volunteers can enjoy time with family over the holiday, we felt it would be easier to have the strike before the long weekend;
October 3 is the day of the Quebec Provincial Election, we hope any students who try to come to class can be redirected to the polls.
Member Associations on Strike
As of September 20, 2022
UPA
GUSS
CUBCAPS
BSA
JSA
SCPASA
COMS Guild
WSSSA
CUPA
LAS
