News

Dear Members,

The McGill administration, without consultation from Course Lecturers or any other members of the McGill community, has communicated its intention on moving forward with an adhoc action plan that involves a distance teaching approach. The Union supports all efforts to make sure our students receive the necessary instruction to complete their courses and semester successfully. But the Union cautions against any plan that puts its members in any precarious situation where their rights and health are put at risk.

All members were asked to consider alternate modes of teaching, meaning online. This raises a few concerns. First, we recommend that you choose the method of online delivery that you are most comfortable with and will deliver the necessary instruction for your students. McGill will be providing information and training concerning the Zoom online platform, but we encourage each member to reach out to their Hiring Unit administrator to receive all possible assistance they feel is necessary. Second, the technology available to members may not be adequate in meeting the need to transition to online. Again, we recommend that all members contact the administration to make arrangements to access the necessary tools. Third, it is the Union’s position that all material produced by Course Lecturers and put online are the property of that Course Lecturer. We recommend that members choose the means they have the most control over and if any materials are put online that they include the following disclaimer: “All content is property of Member Name and no use by McGill University is permitted without prior consent.”

Additionally, McGill administration sent an email on March 14 to all instructors indicating that the circumstances make it possible for Course Lecturers “to adjust the remainder of their course outlines, including any outstanding assessments, from what was originally communicated at the start of the term.” We believe this gives our members the flexibility to adjust the amount of content to be delivered and related grading. Members, especially those with final sit-down exams or who are having difficulty with going online in such a short period of time, to come up with a plan and consult with their Hiring Unit administrator. Please make sure all communication with the administrator is by email.

In this time of uncertainty, we encourage our members to fulfill their contractual obligations as best as possible and support the needs of our students, but we ask you to report to the Union any excessive demands placed upon you or that put you in any unnecessary health risk.

MCLIU would like to share with you the following emails:

a. Email from the Associate Provost (Teaching and Academic Programs) provost states:

“We are cancelling all classes for two weeks, online and in-person, including exams and assessments.”

b. The Deputy Provost – Student Life and Learning (Fabrice) sent out another email that states:

“All classes, teaching labs, exams and other assessments are suspended for two weeks – except theses defenses. We will continue to work on resuming most teaching and other academic activities online by the end of this two-week period. Instructors will be in touch with students during this period to prepare for resuming academic activities.”

c. The email of March 14, 2020 from Fabrice, Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning:

“As per clarifications from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, McGill will remain operational during the two weeks, but only necessary functions and activities will be provided on campus. Where possible, employees will be expected to work remotely, unless otherwise notified. Supervisors will reach out to employees with instructions and next steps. IT’s guidelines for remote work can be found at www.mcgill.ca/it/work-remotely. All academic and administrative staff, including casual employees who were scheduled to work over the period, will be paid.”

Please monitor McGill administration emails, the situation has been rapidly changing and our agility is being put to test. Together we will prvail and overcome this unfortunate sitution.

MCLIU Executive