Lecturer holds class outside after picketers bar entrance to U of T hall

TORONTO – A class of University of Toronto students took in their lecture amidst picketers Tuesday after a senior lecturer held his lecture outside Convocation Hall.

Senior Lecturer Dan Dolderman held his psychology lecture outside after he and his students were allegedly kept from going inside by picketing teaching assistants, according to an email from the school’s assistant vice-president of Strategic Communications and Marketing.

University students on Twitter generally welcomed the move and congratulated Dolderman.

Teaching assistants have been on strike since February 27 and rejected the university’s latest offer by a vote of 1101 to 992 over the weekend.

“We’re doing hard pickets on Convocation Hall and Simcoe Hall today,” Craig Smith, a spokesperson for CUPE 3902 said during a telephone interview today.

Smith said the hard pickets shut down certain buildings – today, the union chose Simcoe Hall and Convocation Hall.

The pickets are in response to a report that some faculties are moving to allow students to complete courses with significant changes, despite the course not being taught or completed.

A letter allegedly written by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences David Cameron and posted on the school newspaper website lays out all the options, and says that the exam period will continue as scheduled, though some exams may be significantly changed or cancelled.

“I know that this has been a stressful and frustrating period for many of you, and I deeply regret that the disruption in your academic studies caused by this labour dispute will continue,” Cameron wrote.

But Smith says the changes compromise the school’s academic integrity.

“That basically takes away any of the academic content of the course, changes the exams over to multiple choice exams which students routinely do far worse on,” Smith said. “It basically takes away any of the academic integrity of course instructors.”

Smith said the school’s tenured faculty is planning a protest Wednesday at 3 p.m. in response to the changes, with plans to march from Simcoe Hall to the Intercontinental Hotel dress in full regalia.