TORONTO, May 2, 1997 -- The York University Senate voted today to adjourn debate on undergraduate summer school, postponing a decision until next Wednesday in the hopes that the current labour dispute will be settled before then.

Since the possibility of a May 14th start date died with the passage of the motion to adjourn, Vice-President (Academic Affairs) Michael Stevenson moved to make unanimous the motion for a Wednesday Senate meeting to decide the fate of the summer session. Stevenson added that he accepted that the spirit of the motion to adjourn is to add urgency to this weekend's negotiations.

"The administration's preference was to be in a position today to announce the start of the summer session May 14th to give those 12,000 students waiting to get on with their education the assurances they need," said Stevenson. "We will do all we can to salvage summer school for students, professors and the institution itself which stands to lose $10 million," he said. This means that Senate needs to confirm Wednesday that summer session will start May 20th.

Stevenson said the consequences of cancelling the summer session are severe. "I am concerned about the 12,000 students who require summer school courses, about the 2,500 students whose Ontario Student Aid Programme funding is contingent on registration at summer school, and about the teaching assistants and contract professors who rely on summer teaching for income," he said.

About two-thirds of summer session classes are taught by professors who are not part of the striking York faculty. The administration was planning for a May 14th summer session start date with the understanding that no one would be hired to replace striking faculty (i.e. courses scheduled to be taught by course directors on strike would not be offered) and on the understanding that students would receive a full fee refund for courses which did not proceed.

At the request of the University administration, mediator Kevin Burkett has agreed to convene the parties on Saturday, May 3. At that time, the administration will present the union with new proposals. The administration will continue to concentrate on reaching a fair and reasonable settlement, said Stevenson.

For more information, please contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor for Media Relations
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
YU/044/97