The architecture school was given permission to hire more teaching staff. (Photo: Heather Gilis)
Architecture to hire more teachers
(1)The wait is over.
The faculty of architecture and planning at Dalhousie University is looking for more teaching staff.
Christine Macy, Dean of architecture, said the administration will also allow them to advertise for a new director.
The students walked out of class at 11 a.m. on Friday in support of their overworked professors. They carried neon signs sporting slogans like "Thaw the hiring freeze," and "More profs, stronger foundations."
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Architecture students sported signs with slogans to support their professors. (Photo: Heather Gillis)
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The architecture faculty is experiencing a staffing shortage: three professors on sabbatical, two are on medical leave and two positions are vacant.
Quality of education compromised
The students said the quality of their education was suffering as a result of the shortage.
"I'm a little bit more uncomfortable approaching [the professors] asking for things because I can obviously see they already have too much on their plates," said master's student Graeme Verhulst.
The staff shortage means that some master's level architecture students could not complete all their degree requirements at the school.
"It requires people to go for elective courses at other departments or other universities even. That has really affected a lot of my colleagues," said Verhulst.
Kaley Kennedy, a representative from the Canadian Federation of Students, said the architecture students are experiencing the impact of government underfunding in the classroom.
Administration response positive
The students sent a letter to the Dalhousie administration requesting the university immediately hire two replacements.
The Dahousie administration responded to the students' request late Thursday.
"The students were totally delighted. We definitely have an agreement that everyone is content with," said Macy.
"We asked for immediate action, we're still asking for that. But since the response has been positive, I think things will move very quickly from now on," said Verhulst.
Macy hopes to fill two 12-month positions for May 1 and two tenure track positions for the 1st of September.
No one from the Dalhousie administration was available to comment on the walkout.
Comments on this story are now closed
Your second article on same topic still has no comment from the administration? Come on, did you even actually try? They have a communications staff.
Posted by Herc Menk | Jan 30, 2011