The Four Best and Worst Ways the Strike Affected Student Caucus
As a Student Caucus representative and 1L student, I found myself thrown into discussions in a context I hadn’t contemplated in my legal education: a labour dispute. In my personal political adventure on Student Caucus in the midst of crisis, I partook in Osgoode’s quest for exemption from the academic activity ban and for the holy grail of remediation plans. Along the way, I learned about the best and the worst of what the strike has brought upon Osgoode Hall.
4. Our Plans Were Altered
The Worst: Student Caucus got side-tracked. Lots of projects pick up the pace in second semester after data has been gathered and meetings have gotten meatier. We probably won’t accomplish as much as we had wanted due to the disruption.
The Best: The strike was a catalyst to getting some crucial concerns on the agenda. This is especially true for 1L concerns that were summarized by the 1L reps just before the strike started. Mental health? On the docket. Lecture recordings? Got it. Critical reflection on course content and exam parameters? In progress. Concerns that professors might not have addressed until preparing for their fall courses are being taken seriously now. The policy window is open and drafts of student-led reforms—we hope—will follow. We have a precedent for student-led discussions to shape academic decisions, and this can only be encouraging for student government going forward.
3. Mental Health Mattered
The Worst: “The strike happened but it didn’t really affect me,” said no Osgoode student ever. Our academic year was abruptly disrupted. We all felt it. We lived day by day, waiting for the next update. Was the time off a saving grace for catch-up or a trap to study in vain? Only time would tell. Student Caucus members kept busy with meetings, collecting student concerns, and figuring out the next steps to advance student interests. We ended up missing out on nine days of legal education we paid for. “But no one cares about that,” said one solitary soul, in a daydream of a land where law school is free. I think it would be safe to say that for many students the days of cancelled classes were characterized entirely by anxiety, frustration, and TV shows, and this seriously cramped our academic abilities.
The Best: Students’ mental health became a clear priority in the development of academic plans and policies. It was top of mind at Student Caucus meetings and at the heart of students’ contributions to Faculty Council discussion. Where it was truly crucial, though, was in the deliberation between Student Caucus, the Osgoode Strike Support Committee, and the Administration. That elephant in the room who once stood in the corner stepped onto the table as students echoed the need for attentiveness to the psychological impact of resuming classes. Indeed, the need to address mental health in academic decisions was heard and felt around the table. As a result, we have a strike remediation plan that expresses concern for students’ well-being, a suite of choice as to when and where we proceed with our studies, and an option to declare that a grade can’t represent our efforts in these unique circumstances. Can students capitalize on the pass-fail option to benefit their GPA? Yes. But Scumbag Steve’s scheming is a small price to pay for equity for everyone else.
2. Accommodations Became a More Prominent Priority
The Worst: Excellent intentions and thorough plans are necessary but not sufficient for successful lecture recordings. We continue to experience technical difficulties with lecture recordings at the time when they are being relied upon more than ever.
The Best: Lecture recording quality and accessibility are now top priorities. They may not be in an ideal state, but we are compensating for their shortcomings better. Recordings are being more closely monitored, professors are openly acknowledging when technology has maliciously refused to function, and students are arranging for substitute laptop recordings. We are so poised to pounce on every word in every classroom with our newly bought devices and stack of fresh batteries that my Privacy professors should probably be concerned. This is defiance of the notion that law students will sabotage each other to succeed, at its finest.
1. We Tested Our Professionalism
The Worst: The strike has brought out some unprofessional conduct. The most obvious transgressions were nasty online comments denigrating the labour dispute and targeting various members of Student Caucus. Needless to say, this was unwelcome behaviour, ignorant of the effort every representative put into having students’ concerns addressed. At times, it was not only upsetting but demoralizing to realize that classmates—and future lawyers—were clearly careless about or callous to civility. They were also foolish enough to prove it in writing. Some Osgoode students have also been bumped by cars, yelled at profanely, and threatened with violence on the picket lines. This is more than unprofessional.
The Best: For the most part, students have risen to the challenge of being collegial in these divisive times. This has been especially true on Student Caucus. The spirit of our meetings has been one of civility and solidarity. Some members support the union while others walk with fellow students to class. We all put aside our personal decisions to work cohesively as representatives of students’ interests. We have done our best to serve all students, respecting the legitimacy of each student’s strike decisions. We coordinated between classes and years to represent a quite unified student position that values autonomy and equity, despite our different primary concerns (think 3L graduation vs 1L examination). Personally, for every offensive comment of which I caught wind, I received at least two personal thank-yous. I did my small part collecting concerns and keeping students informed, and learned in the process that my section is even more thoughtful than I had thought.
Now I’ve learned less about civil procedure and more about strike protocol than I had expected. But I also learned that short-term disruptions can bring long-term benefits—in promoting students’ interests at Osgoode.