As students work through the makeup (remediation) period, we wanted to follow up with more details about the tuition credit opportunity (TCO) and undergraduate bursaries, shared on the April 12 announcement.

Tuition credits for courses that were dropped (Undergraduate)

York’s request for exemptions to the OSAP requirements, if students withdrew from a course due to the labour disruption (on or after February 26 until May 17, 2024), has been approved by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities. Undergraduate students who have withdrawn from a course during the labour disruption or will withdraw during the remediation period are eligible to receive a tuition credit to be used in the upcoming terms (Summer 2024, Fall 2024 or Winter 2025), if they meet the necessary requirements. For more information about TCO eligibility, visit the Course Completion Resources webpage.

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities approved exceptions are to ensure OSAP students are not penalized for withdrawing or dropping courses due to the labour disruption. Details about the tuition credit opportunity’s impact for OSAP recipients and funding have been added to the Course Completion Resources FAQs webpage. Just a reminder that the deadline to drop a course is Friday, May 17, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Undergraduate bursary

If you experience unforeseen costs during the revised period after the labour disruption ends (remediation period), you may apply for an undergraduate bursary. This bursary can assist with non-tuition related expenses. The deadline to apply for the undergraduate bursary is June 14, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Details on how to apply can be found on the Course Completion Resources webpage.

Exam period for the remediation period

Just a reminder that the examination period will run from Tuesday, May 21 to Sunday, May 26. For those who will have exams during this period, the exam schedule has been published on the .

Find out about course completion options
Interactive tool: Understand your eligibility

If you need additional assistance, reach out to one of our or if you need support for your mental health and well-being, we recommend connecting with our well-being resources.

Wishing you all the best,

Nona Robinson
Vice Provost Students
York University

Helpful Resources

• Course Completion Navigator Tool
• Course Completion Resources
• Senate Executive Communications (Remediation Options)
• Student Updates on the Labour Disruption
• Labour disruption FAQs

As a result, the Executive Committee of Senate has declared that the disruption of academic activities that began on February 26, 2024 has ended. The full announcement can be found on the Senate Executive website.

Important information for students

You likely have questions about what this means for you in completing your courses, specifically about the makeup (remediation) period, and what supports and resources are available. Please read the information provided below carefully, and a reminder that you can always reach out if you have further questions.

Next steps for courses

The makeup (remediation) period for the Winter term will begin on Monday, April 22 and will last for five weeks until Sunday, May 26. This includes four weeks of classes/assessments, and a week for final exams. Your instructors should be contacting you shortly with details about your course.

Below is a breakdown:

* If the course does not have a final exam, the makeup exam period could be used to support additional coursework.

Please note: Faculty of Education students in the Bachelor of Education program (Year 1 and Year 2) who are currently in their in school practicum placements will receive an email communication from the Faculty of Education on Monday, April 22 with plans for their return to classes. In the meantime, they should continue in their practicum placements.

For Monday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 23, classes that are resuming will be held virtually. Instructors may be able to resume in-person classes starting on Wednesday, April 24 and if this is the case, they will advise their students.

Updated course completion options and supports (Undergraduate)

A number of course completion options are available to most students. A summary of these options and deadline dates are provided below. For more information on eligibility, details and next steps, visit the Course Completion Resources website.

** Students: please check your eligibility to choose these options on the Course Completion Resources website.

Updates on summer terms

• The first summer term (S1) will start as normally scheduled on Monday, May 6 to Monday, June 17, with exams between Wednesday, June 19 to Friday, June 21.
• The second summer term (S2) is delayed to Tuesday, July 2 to Wednesday, August 14. The exam period for this term will take place on Friday, August 16 to Friday, August 23. The list of course offerings for the S2 session will be available on the York Courses website in the coming weeks. The list of available summer courses will be found on the York Courses website. Students will be notified when the updated offerings become available.
• The full summer term (SU) has been adjusted to Tuesday, May 21 to Wednesday, August 14, with exams running from Friday, August 16 to Friday, August 23.

Residence and Meal Plan Extensions

To help students complete their winter term courses, undergraduate students living in York’s residences  will have their agreement extended, at no extra expense to the student. The option is available to students completing suspended courses. As well, students with mandatory dining plans will be able to continue using their plans during the remediation period and carry over unused funds from the labour disruption period to the Summer and Fall 2024 terms and the Winter 2025.

Details have been shared directly with those living in residence, and more information will be shared next week for undergraduate students in residence and students with meal plan dollars.

Additional Support

If you need to talk to someone, connect with staff from across the University at one of our Student Community Drop-in sessions, either in-person or virtually. You’ll have a chance to ask your questions to staff from various student services.

When:
April 22: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vari Hall Kiosk, Keele campus
April 23: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vari Hall Kiosk, Keele campus
April 24: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vari Hall Kiosk, Keele campus
April 25: 11 a.m. to noon through (For Keele students)
April 25: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. through (For Glendon students)

Upcoming sessions and additional support resources can be found on the Course Completion Resources website.

Find out about course completion options
Interactive tool: Understand your eligibility

If you need additional assistance, reach out to one of our or if you need support for your mental health and well-being, we recommend connecting with our well-being resources.

The agreement between CUPE 3903 and the University includes renewal collective agreements also address retroactive salary increases for the Bill 124 moderation period.

As a result of the ratified agreements with CUPE 3903, York’s Senate Executive Committee has announced a five-week combined remediation and exam period that will run from Monday, April 22 through to Sunday, May 26, 2024. The first two days will be online to allow for a transition period, and the last week will be used for the purpose of scheduling final exams. For courses that do not have a final exam, further course remediation may also take place in the final week of the remediation and exam period.

Please note that all of the rights and options available to students to complete their courses, as defined by Senate Executive, continue in effect post-disruption. 

There will be a short overlap between winter term exams that are currently underway, the remediation period, and the beginning of the first summer term, on May 6. Courses for both winter and summer terms will run concurrently until the end of the remediation period.

More detailed information will be shared directly with students, faculty, instructors, and staff beginning later this evening and next week. For now, we look forward to welcoming you back and wish everyone a smooth transition.

We have heard from students about a number of financial concerns over the course of the labour disruption. As additional supports to students, the below options are now available to help you complete your Winter 2024 courses.

Tuition credits for courses that were dropped (Undergraduate)

Undergraduate students who have withdrawn from a course during the labour disruption or will withdraw during the remediation period will be eligible to receive a tuition credit to be used in the upcoming year. The tuition credit opportunity (TCO) will waive course tuition fees in summer or fall 2024, or winter 2025, equivalent to the total number of credits you chose to withdraw from. For example, if you withdrew from two courses worth 3.0 credits each, your tuition credit will be equivalent to the value of 6.0 credits (cost of 3.0 credits x 2 courses = value of 6.0 credits).

More details about the tuition credit opportunity will be added to the Course Completion Resources webpage soon.

For students receiving OSAP, the University is working with the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities to determine impacts for OSAP recipients and their funding. We recommend that students wait to drop any courses until this further information is available, and a reminder that there is time as the last drop date has been extended to the final day of classes during the remediation period (which will be announced once suspended classes resume).

More emergency undergraduate bursaries

To support undergraduate students during the revised period for assignments and exams (remediation period), the University has increased the amount of emergency bursaries available to students. This bursary will help cover non-tuition related costs, such as additional living expenses, travel or childcare costs.

Students can apply for emergency assistance at any time, and the application period and more details for this specific bursary will be determined once the labour disruption ends.

As a reminder, we recommend undergraduate students review the course completion resources website for more details and considerations about your options. To support you in making an informed decision about completing your courses, we encourage you to explore your eligibility and options based on your course status with the Course Completion Navigator (Undergraduate) tool.

Our various  remain available to support you and if you need personal help, we encourage you to access well-being resources.

Extended deadlines in choosing assessed grades

For all undergraduate students, whether your course is continuing or suspended, the deadline to take your current grade as your final grade (an assessed grade) in all full term (Y-term) and winter term (W-term) courses has been extended. You will be able to choose an assessed grade up until the last day of the revised (remediation) examination period, which will be scheduled once the labour disruption ends. 

We encourage you to continue to do what you can to review materials and complete assignments so that you have an easier time completing courses once the disruption is over.

As a reminder, we recommend undergraduate students review the course completion resources website for more details and considerations about each option. To support you in making an informed decision about completing your courses, we encourage you to explore your eligibility and options based on your course status with the Course Completion Navigator (Undergraduate) tool. More resources for grad students will be added shortly and resources will continue to be reviewed and updated with the latest information.

Our various remain available to support you and if you need personal help, we encourage you to access well-being resources.

Additional flexibility in choosing assessed grades

For students in courses that are continuing:

Students considering the option to take their current grade as their final grade (an assessed grade) now have additional options, if less than 70% of their course work has been completed and graded. 

1. If students have 60% of their course work completed and graded, instructors have been provided the option to reweight assignments to meet the 70% threshold. Students should confirm with their instructors whether this has occurred. For an example, please refer to the course completion resources website  for more details.
    
2. If students are below the 70% threshold of completed and graded course work, they may request an assessed grade due to exceptional circumstances that would mean you wouldn’t be able to complete your coursework during a remediation period if it is after the end of term. A few examples of exceptional circumstances include the following:
   - Expiring study permit/visa for international and exchange students;
   - Students graduating in the spring;
   - Students with inflexible study or employment start dates 

Please note, exceptional circumstances are not limited to the above examples. Reach out to your instructor with information about your personal situation and reasons and instructors will evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis. If you encounter any difficulties, please contact your associate dean of students. 

For students in suspended courses:

The above options will all be available once courses resume and will be part of the remediation planning. Details will be shared about deadlines once the labour disruption has ended. We encourage you to do what you can to review materials and complete assignments so that you have an easier time completing courses once the disruption is over.

Extensions for course withdrawals

For all students, whether your course is continuing or suspended, the deadline to drop a course (course withdrawal) has been extended. You will be able to drop a class as late as the last day of the course completion (remediation) period, which will be scheduled once the labour disruption ends. This also now includes all full-year (Y) term courses.

Updates on the summer term

The start of the full summer term (SU) will be delayed to May 21, 2024 and the term will end on August 14, 2024. The exam period will run from August 16 to 23, 2024. The list of course offerings for the SU session will be available on the York Courses website in the coming weeks. Students will be notified when the updated offerings become available.

As shared previously, the first summer term (S1), which runs from May to June, will proceed on the original schedule and will start on May 6, 2024. The list of available summer courses can now be found on the York Courses website.

Understanding course completion options and eligibility

We understand that you are considering a number of choices to help you complete your courses. To support your decision-making, we have launched and will continue to update our Course Completion Resources page to help you comprehend the different accommodations, things to consider, your next steps and frequently asked questions about each option.

To help you determine eligibility for course completion options, use the interactive tools on our Course Completion Navigator, which helps you navigate the assessed grades and pass/fail grading options. We will continue to update resources to keep you informed. 

If you still have outstanding questions, we encourage you to continue reaching out to vpstudents@yorku.ca. Resources and FAQs are added and updated to provide additional clarification where needed. Your feedback plays a crucial role in this. We will be in touch with any updates and more details. 

Our various remain available to support you and if you need personal help, we encourage you to access well-being resources.

Updates on Labour Negotiations

On March 24 and 25, the bargaining teams for York and CUPE 3903, Units 1, 2, and 3 resumed bargaining with the assistance of the provincially-appointed mediator. An agreement has not been achieved as of March 27, and the University wrote to CUPE to express concern. We will await further guidance from the mediator to let both parties know when bargaining can and should resume. More information and updates will be shared with you as soon as they become available.

Navigating Course Completion Options

A new Course Completion Resources page has launched with additional resources that can help you understand the options available, depending on whether your course has been continuing or is suspended, as well as important considerations that should be taken into account before making a decision, such as taking an assessed grade. You are encouraged to review these resources for additional guidance. We will continue to add more resources as they become available.

Assessed Grade Tool

As an update to the email sent to you last week (March 22), the online tool for opting into the assessed grade option is now available on the . Please review the Course Completion Resources website for important considerations, including eligibility criteria, next steps on requesting assessed grades, and contact information.

Please continue to send questions to vpstudents@yorku.ca if they are not addressed by the above information. Additional resources and FAQs will be added on an ongoing basis to share necessary clarifications, informed by the inquiries received. As the situation evolves, we will be in touch with more updates and details.

As always, our are here to support you – if you need personal help, we encourage you to access well-being resources.

In addition to the previously provided options and accommodations, below are updates that were approved by the Senate Executive Committee during their recent meeting on March 19, 2024.

Another option for course completion: What are assessed grades?

If you have already completed and received grades for 70% of your course work, according to your course syllabus or in eClass, you may choose an assessed grade, where your current grade becomes your final grade. This option may not be available in certain programs.

If you’re interested in an assessed grade, you must:

1. Contact the course director to indicate your desire for an assessed grade, AND
2. Indicate your choice via the online tool available through the Office of the University Registrar’s website, which will be available starting the week of March 25. You will receive additional details once this option is live.

If your courses have continued: Students have until April 9, 2024 to choose this option.
If your courses have been suspended: Once courses resume, students will have until the first day of the Remediation Final Examination Period (which will be announced once the labour disruption ends) to choose this option.

What changes have been decided for the winter term?

For courses where lectures have continued, but labs were suspended, instructors may determine if it is appropriate for students to write the final exam in the existing examination schedule with the requirement that students complete the labs when they are held in the remediation period.

For courses that have been suspended:

• The revised class schedule (remediation period) will be up to 4 weeks.
• There will also be a shortened examination period after the remediation period ends.
• Exact dates of the revised class schedule and exam period will be announced following the end of the strike.

What changes are being made for the summer term?

The first summer term (S1), which runs from May to June, will proceed on the and will start on May 6, 2024. The list of summer course offerings will be available to students by the end of March. Delays are expected for the second summer term (S2) and the full summer term (SU) and details will be shared once the labour disruption ends.

As the labour disruption progresses, you will continue to receive email updates on remediation options and other accommodations to help you complete courses and finalize grades. Please make sure you check your emails regularly for the latest information, and use the helpful links below.

More information and resources will be shared with you next week, which will provide more clarity to help you make informed decisions. With the variety of options available to students, we strongly encourage you to stay on top of course materials. If you need additional assistance or support, connect with your course directors, program administrators/directors, or your associate dean. Any unanswered questions can be sent to my office at vpstudents@yorku.ca.

York’s correspondence can be read here.

For those interested in making use of alternative transportation options to attend campuses, detailed information can be found here.

As announced by Senate Executive, the S1 summer term, representing the first six week term, will begin as planned on Monday May 6, 2024. SU (full term) and S2 sessions are expected to be delayed and the start dates will be announced at the end of the labour disruption.

The S1 summer course offerings and schedule will be available for students on eClass and by the end of March.

The University remains committed to achieving a renewed collective agreement with CUPE 3903. For the latest information regarding the collective bargaining process, please visit York’s Labour Relations website. In this time, the University continues to ensure that students’ learning needs remain the top priority and all courses that can continue are running.

During these times many students, faculty, and staff, may find themselves in uncomfortable situations when accessing campuses or on university grounds. Anyone coming to one of our campuses is exercising their legal right to attend classes, report to work, or to conduct other business or appointments. Please remember to display patience, be respectful and remain calm with fellow community members.

We also encourage those who need support to learn more about the well-being resources available. For faculty and staff in need of support, please call the Employee and Family Assistance Program toll-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate, confidential help at 1-800-268-5211; TTY Service is available at 1-800-363-6270.