GMUFA

Working Conditions are Learning Conditions #stopPSEcuts

The cuts to the Campus Alberta Grants from the Government of Alberta have placed severe strain on all students, faculty, and staff that are trying to maintain quality post-secondary education in Alberta’s universities, colleges, and polytechnics

The government's cuts have resulted in an unprecedent number of layoffs all over the province.  This means that students are forced to navigate their institution without the support staff that were in place to guide them, and faculty have lost important technical and research supports to accomplish both their teaching and research.

The negative impacts of the cuts have been compounded by the COVID-19 crisis, which has placed even more strain on many sectors; in post-secondary education, it has provided University administrations with a pretext to increase class sizes and has forced staff and faculty to work long (many unpaid) hours to maintain quality education.  Efforts to get support for students, staff, and faculty have fallen on the deaf ears of our institutions’ administrators and the provincial government. This situation clearly demonstrates that working conditions are learning conditions. 

The #stopPSEcuts campaign is the effort of a coalition of organizations – including the GMUFA! – that represent over 154,000 undergraduate and graduate students, over 11,000 faculty members, and over 13,000 support staff in Alberta’s post-secondary education system.

How can you get involved? A number of actions are in the works, but if you have 5 minutes right now, you can:

• Let your representative know that you are opposed to damaging cuts to Alberta’s Universities and Colleges
• Fill out the Public Interest Alberta Survey

Watch for further updates from the campaign in the coming weeks and months!