College strike still affecting Humber students

Dec 5, 2017 | Campus News

By: O’Niel Barrington Blair

Students remain out of the classroom as the strike continues. (Tyson Lautenschlager)

Today is the deadline to drop out of college and receive a full tuition refund, under special arrangements worked out after the five-week faculty strike.

One of the students who has chosen to drop out is Clint Kuci, a first-year journalism student, who said his routine was heavily disrupted by the strike.

Although many professors treated the first week back as a review, students were thrown right into tests and assignments in the second week.

“I need more than a week to get back into things,” Kuci said.

He said he still likes his program and plans to reapply in the fall.

In an e-mail sent to students on Nov. 20, students dropping out were informed that they wont receive special consideration when applying for semesters in the future. Their applications must be submitted by Feb. 1 for equal consideration with incoming students.

“There is no guarantee that you will be readmitted to your program for the Winter 2018, Summer 2018 or Fall 2018 intakes,” Humber’s e-mail stated.

Some of those choosing to remain in school are experiencing frustration over how to receive money from the Strike Relief Fund. A student can receive up to $500 dollars from the fund if they match the criteria.

In an email sent to all Humber students, the college said the relief fund isn’t for missed classes, but for support needed to assist with studies.

August Hoffman, a Humber international student, said the reimbursement is the least they can do for missed classes and added stress.

“Humber owes students – we paid for a set time [for our studies],” Hoffman said.

The break was so long Hoffman started to feel he was out of the college routine, and being thrust back into tests and assignments after a five-week break is jarring, said Hoffman.

To qualify for emergency relief funds, students must fill out the strike form on the website.

Hoffman said what is stressing students out is the need for receipts.

Students were first notified of the need for receipts to receive reimbursement on Nov. 20, the weekend the strike concluded.

“I didn’t hear anything about hanging onto receipts,” Hoffman said.

The forms for reimbursement state that receipts must be scanned and sent along with the Strike Relief application.  Some confusion also has arisen about how to claim missed work and upcoming January rent.

Humber news approached the financial aid department twice in search of answers but they refused to comment.