Cégep de Sherbrooke professors concerned about funding for fall semester

The teaching staff of Cégep de Sherbrooke can now breathe a little easier after leading the institution’s nearly 5,000 students to the end of their winter session despite COVID-19. It was quite an adventure, according to Julie Dionne, president of the Syndicat du personnel enseignant du Cégep de Sherbrooke (SPECS-CSN), “but thanks to the commitment and responsiveness of our members, we made it happen!”
The president went on to say that this is no time to stop and celebrate. In these exceptional circumstances, many questions remain about the fall semester.
A number of concerns are widely shared by the Fédération Nationale des Enseignants et Enseignantes du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN). “The main concern of our members is to ensure that students in all programs of study are provided with a framework that will allow them to develop and commit to their studies. In particular, for those who have just graduated from high school, the transition to college is an important time for personal and professional orientation and our members want to make sure that everything is in place to ensure that everything goes smoothly. It involves maximizing face-to-face meetings,” explained Dionne in a recent press release.
“For several years now, we’ve been experiencing a major problem with the funding of teaching resources. We are asking the ministry to help us in this particular situation,” Dionne explained. “First of all, we need a significant increase in the envelope for students with disabilities, who will need special support from their teachers as well as professional and support staff. In addition, we are hoping for additions to the envelope intended to fund classroom activities and the envelope for coordination and supervision. There are review activities to be planned for those coming from secondary school and those who have had a shorter winter session, and we must pay particular attention to the holding of laboratories and internships,” the president pointed out.

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