Fleming College students face disruptions as strike continues

Full-time college support staff went on strike across the province on Sept. 11, and students at Fleming College’s Frost campus are feeling the effects with lectures now online, and only some labs remaining in person.

Aiden Lohnes, a first-year conservation biology student, is frustrated at the situation. “I paid for hands-on learning. I paid for face-to-face discussions with my professors. I paid for field skills that are crucial in my career. I paid for the convenience of living on campus and the benefits that come with it.”

Lohnes wants to make it clear he’s not angry at those striking, saying they deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do. Many of his classes rely on these support staff as they help out with things like setting up the GPS which students use.

Many, like Thandia Lord, also a first-year conservation biology student, came to Fleming for the hands-on learning approach they offer. “I have learning challenges, so I learn best with hands-on experiences. Now that we’re not getting that and it’s the main reason I came here, it’s not ideal.”

For them, it’s reminiscent of their first years of high school, where classes were also made online in the wake of COVID. “If I wanted to learn online, I would have done online school from the comfort of my home,” Lohnes said.

Will Mackay, a first-year fish and wildlife student, said students had to buy backpacks full of course materials, but “because of the strike, we don’t have an opportunity to use all the materials.”

Even with labs in person, he doesn’t think it makes for a good learning experience. “I find that to be able to learn the lab material, I still need to be in person at a lecture, talking to the teacher face to face to learn the material,” he said.

“The decision to deliver many of our classes remotely was based around necessity and the safety of our students. We know it is not an ideal learning delivery model for all students, but it is currently the best solution available. There are certain labs and classes where plans are in development to switch back to in-person learning where possible,” said a spokesperson at Fleming College.

Lohnes said that the hands-on work is important in these types of classes. “Field skills are essential to work in conservation biology. This cannot effectively be taught online due to the practical skills of using tools and applying techniques in the field.”

Hannah McDonell is a senior residence assistant. She is grateful she had a normal first two years of college, but like many is feeling the anxiety of not knowing when things will get back to normal. Her class was the only one that did not receive any field skills classes before the strike started.  “We’re already behind,” she said.

“The biggest things that are cancelled are guided learning hours, which are hands-on experiences after our labs,” McDonell said, something students find pivotal in their learning.

To make matters worse, Lohnes and Mackay have been left without air conditioning since moving in, something they were only told about a couple of days before moving in. After being told it would be fixed, they’ve since received no updates.

“Unfortunately, due to external factors such as long lead times for the specialized equipment required to fix it, the work has not been completed as quickly as we’d like,” Fleming College said.

Now Lohnes is hoping the college will do something to make up for the loss of learning, and the heat, he’s had to face. “I think it would be fair if we could get some kind of reimbursement, or maybe some credit on our (campus cards). If you rent any place, you’re putting money towards amenities, and that includes AC,” Lohnes said.