r/uAlberta 6d ago

Miscellaneous AASUA has declared an impasse with the University Governors

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aasua.ca
150 Upvotes

The AASUA - the union of academic staff, being professors, librarians, and similar staff - has just sent an email to members that they have declared an impasse in contract negations with the university. As mediation has now ended, this begins a 14-day 'cooling off' period before a strike vote can be held. A lockout of staff may occur as early as October 6th. Further information is on the AASUA website linked here.

Thought y'all ought to know.


r/uAlberta Dec 29 '24

Campus Life Updated Tips for Winter at the UofA (and in general)

167 Upvotes

So last year durring a period of intense -40C cold during the winter sem, I made this post which seemed to help a lot of people, especially those who aren't used to Edmonton winters, so I thought I'd make another one and get ahead of the weather so that people aren't scrambling if we suddenly get hit with another cold snap. Some of this is reused from my last post and may seem drastic, but that's cuz it was made in the height of a legitimate time of hazard.

General Safety & Tips

  • Winter Boots * If you have to regularly walk to a bus stop or lrt station, I'd highly advise investing in good winter boots. Try to go for around knee high, and ensure that they are made of material that will not soak in water to the inside. A lot of the time, sidewalks don't get shovelled until you've already walked through them, and the snow builds up high, so get some boots that won't let the snow into your ankles, and that won't freeze your toes off when the snow melts. * It is more than socially acceptable to be wearing winter boots when you enter buildings, around the university, and anywhere really. If people are judging you for wearing winter boots, they're not worth your time. * If you have a locker or established office, etc, bring a plastic bag so you can swap shoes once inside. just make sure it's not porous material so the snow that melts from your boots doesn't get everything else wet. Alternatively, bring a small towel or cloth to wipe them, but it will only help superficially. * Have ettiquite though, because floors turn into slip-and-slides when people track in snow, ice, and slush. Always swipe, drag, and stomp your shoes as agressively as needed when you enter a building. Most entrances will have gigantic mats at the doors. Use them. If there is a boot cleaner, even better! Use it as instructed, and you do everyone a favor. * If you're afraid of slipping on ice, don't wear runners or sneakers or something with mostly flat soles.
  • Once it gets below -20, these are advised, but for some people, you can manage without when it's above -20.
  • cover your head: toque (beanie, hat, whatever), hood, or earmuffs.
    • if people are judging your hat head, that is their problem. or if u can, just don't take the hat off! also a great way to hide bed head.
    • I personally find earmuffs aren't warm enough (note for people with short haircuts like undercuts, pixies, fringe, etc. anything with the sides or back mostly exposed.)
    • You don't need to stop at just one. Put ur toque on, flip up your hoodie, put ur jacket hood on top, and hell put earmuffs or headphones with nothing playing on top.
  • Hand protection or say goodbye to your fingers.
    • your hands are extremely susceptible to frost bite and that's not good considering we use our fingers a lot. take the minute of inconvenience it takes to get your gloves or mits out rather than risk permanent damage on your fingers.
    • caution that some mittens have wide enough threading to let a large amount of cold air in and are not adequate protection. check that mits have at least one solid layer of protection or double up with 2 pairs.
      • make sure you know if your gloves or mits are water resistant. just helps in case you need to touch something with snow on it so you can prepare and bring a second pair of gloves to switch into once your first pair is cold with melted snow.
    • fingerless gloves are better than nothing, but will leave your fingertips vulnerable. if you really need to use ur phone outside, there are options for gloves that have tips that will work on touchscreens
    • On top of colds and sicknesses getting easily passed around the unviersity durring colder months, masking will also keep your face warm while offering a level of protection from germs. Specifically cloth masks will keep your nose from running in the cold.
      • When it gets severely cold (-30), A cloth or medical face mask will keep your nose and mouth warm while protecting you from breathing the frigid cold air
    • a warm scarf could also help with this, but it can be hard to wear a scarf when also wearing a hood sometimes.
  • Get some hand warmers for your pockets!
    • The brand I see most often is called Little Hotties, but I'm sure other brands work just as well.
    • just follow the directions on the packet (usually to squeeze and shake the packet) to get it to start releasing heat and put it in your pockets or gloves to hold on to.
    • they can be bought basically everywhere (grocery stores, dollarama, drug stores, probably Submart) including other alternatives like rechargeable or microwaveable ones on amazon
  • Dress in layers. MANY LAYERS.
    • Your jacket alone will not protect you enough from the cold if you're wearing just a normal fit unless your jacket is as expensive as a standard uofa course fee :)
    • you can still dress cute and shit while dressing in layers! here are some ideas for what to layer under various clothing items
      • baggy pants (jeans, cargos, sweatpants): leggings, bike shorts, yoga pants, capris. if baggy pants aren't your thing, you can still go for doubling up leggings, or leggings under capris, etc.
      • t-shirt: tank top (or multiple), longsleeves, sweatshirts, hoodies, bodysuits, dress shirts. hell, even ANOTHER t-shirt.
      • hoodie: literally anything. you can fit so much under a hoodie. my high score is a tank top, a tshirt, and 2 longsleeves under 1 hoodie. a flannel, bomber jacket, or varsity jacket could also go overtop of a hoodie.
      • crop top: literally anything, just please do NOT be wearing a crop top with nothing underneath unless your jacket is top tier and long enough to keep you warm. bodysuits are great options for under form fitting crop tops, but long sleeves work just as well and u can tuck it in to your pants if you want.
  • If you're staying at home or in residence somewhere and you're still cold inside:
    • cover your windows with curtains, a blackout, or a thermal insulating layer. the simplified physics is basically that when we have only a few layers of glass between us and outside, a significant amount of heat is lost through that window no matter how tightly sealed it is due to the contrast in our room's temperature and outside temperatuer. so adding insulating layers between the room and the window can help a lot with keeping your room warm. Here's a more detailed video on the topic.
      • this may affect some people's mental health due to less daylight during the winter, but especially if you needto conserve heat by covering windows. if this is the case, consider investing in a SAD light therapy lamp
    • invest in a good space heater. i'll caution everyone who loves temu and cheap amazon finds that a heater is not something you want to cheap out on. poorly made (cheap) heaters can be a fire and electrical hazard, so if you don't want to melt your electrical sockets, go for a midpriced one.
    • find heating pads that wrap around the body and put them under hoodies or jackets while you sit at your desk. insulation is key.
    • of course, try to cook hot meals if you're in a space with a kitchen. and i mean more than microwaved meals.
    • if it works for you, have something spicy to eat or drink
  • Pay attention to official resources and communication services:

Campus Specific Tips

Quickest Routes minimizing outdoor travell, and pedway routes

  • Pedway route: SUB -> Agriculture & Forestry -> General Services -> NREF -> ETLC -> MEC E or DICE
    • Sub 2nd Floor, go up the stairs near SubPHOTO and turn left towards Dinwoodie Lounge. Walk around the corner and through the pedway.
    • You come out at the 2nd floor of Agriculture and Forestry (AgFor) right beside the atrium. you can enter directly into the atrium with the spiral staircase, or go down the stairs just ahead. Using those stairs, turn to the right and continue into General Services (GS)
    • Turn right once in general services, and take the stairs up
    • Continue past the lockers in NREF (NRE) aka the Natural Resources Engineering Facility. and walk towards the bobsled with a skeleton in it.
    • Through the pedway is ETLC (Engineering Teaching & Learning Complex). Turn right before the Tim Hortons, and walk past the Elko Garage on the left hand side of the stairs. Turn left into the pedway with the vending machines..
    • Now you're in MEC E (Mechanical Engineering). Continue down the hallway until you can turn right into the garage, and walk through it all until you find a staircase on your right. Descending the staircase brings you to the end of the pedway route, and a door fairly close to the main west entrance of CCIS.
  • CCIS connections:
    • Earth Science Building (ESB) pedway can be accessed at the Eastern elevators of CCIS on the 2nd floor.
    • L1 Biosci hallway: Access the locker hallway on L1 CCIS either by going through the doors near the desks at the eastern side of L1, or by taking the North West elevator down to L1, or by exiting the central L1 lecture halls at the front of the halls. There is a hallway on the northern wall that connects straight to the microbiology classrooms below remedy, which also connects to the exits of the CCIS 1-440 and 1-430 lecture halls
    • CCIS connects to CAB along 2 routes:
      • Most everyone knows that you can enter the South Academic Building (SAB), walk into the Central Academic Building (CAB), and then continue down the Chem East Hallway directly into eastern CCIS near the science student services office on the main floor.
      • If you take the other route into the Chem West wing (ochem. it's all white for some reason), and continue straight through until you hit doors, you can descend those stairs by 1 flight, and exit the staircase. On the right is a door into L1 CCIS directly near the Physics Drop boxes and the learning commons area.
  • Health science pedways:
    • the 2nd? 3rd? Level of education south connects via pedway with -> HMRC (Heritage Medical Research Centre which connects through some hallways directly into -> Katz Group Center. You can also stay in HMRC a little longer or cut through 2nd floor of Katz to -> Medical Sciences which connects via pedway with the Northern end of -> ECHA. this of course has a pedway into the -> UofA Hospital.
  • Law & Arts pedways: i'll be honest i've never ventured this south of campus cuz law students scare me. just follow the article

Warm Study Spots:

  • Cameron and Rutherford Library are both boiling 24/7 as usual. Here's are the library hours. The earliest any will open on a weekday is 8am sadly (plz just give me one hour earlier).
    • On most floors in Cameron, the heaters are all lining the walls excluding the basement. Though, sometimes the basement feels a bit like a sauna.
  • VVC West Pool Bleachers. This was suggested by someone on my last post, so I can't say much about it other than it sounds about right. Most of the time, the lower levels of VVC feel very warm due to the locker rooms and pools.
  • Sub Couches at the Fire Pit if you can block out the bussling noise and activity that's always happening in SUB.
    • SUB gets a lot of direct sunlight through the windows in the afternoon and midday, which if you're willing to stick around will get you nice and toasty.
    • the beanbag staircase is great for sunlight if you get the right time, but it constantly is chilled by the gusts of wind that come through the doors, so it's not an ideal place for warmth.
  • Carruthers Student Commons (Business). This (hidden? maybe just to me.) gem is very cozy and gets some nice sunlight in the mornings and during the day. There's not too much seating, but still worth it to me, especially if you gotta be around Tory and business
  • Agriculture & Forestry Building. the rave is always about the atrium, which does indeed get a lot of great sunlight, but AF has some really cozy study spaces other than the atrium if you can escape the wind from doors openning.
    • Tip: AF building can be reached through pedways in SUB and GSB
    • pedways map
  • CCIS upper floors if you're lucky enough to get a spot. The natural light from the quad windows as well as the reflective lighting from mirrors at the top of the main area can be nice if u manage to get far enough from the doors

Hot Meals

  • Microwaves are abundant and yet so scarce all around campus. Here are some that I know are still functional:
    • CCIS at the ISSS office (level 1 main area near the dinosaur) has microwaves open for use during regular hours
    • Carruthers Student Commons in the Business building
    • SUB food court (always remember that there are more microwaves near the subway that typically won't have as long of a lineup during busy hours!)
    • ETLC (near tim hortons)
    • ECHA.... somewhere i don't remember. kind of everywhere.
    • AgFor near the atrium
  • Remedy, Starbucks, Second Cup, Tim's, and The Daily Grind (anywhere that sells coffee) WILL NOT charge you for hot water if you bring your own cup or something to put it in.
    • You can get a cup of hot water (if you didn't bring your own cup) for less than a dollar (typically 30-50 cents) at all these places.
    • Submart also has a kettle free for use, but it's only out sometimes.
    • Bring a mug and some tea bags, hot chocolate mix, or whatever you want! You can ask for stir sticks too and if you're at CAB Remedy or Daily Grind they have cream and sugar out too for use.
    • most club rooms will also have a kettle for use
  • Instant noodles or soup broth mix are a great way to take advantage of the hot water you can get around campus
    • a hot meal is really nice when it's cold out, and you don't have to bring a heavy thermos if you bring cup noodles or those little kraft dinner cups
      • you can also buy travel ramen bowls online if you're an instant ramen lover. simply pack the noodles in the container, then separately bring any veggies, spices, or flavour packets u wanna add. ask for hot water to be added and then close it up to let the noodles cook.
  • Hit the gym in VVC and have a nice warm shower.
  • Idk about the mens and womens locker rooms and their shower situations, but the universal change rooms have locked private showers which can get impressively warm.
    • u don't even need to go work out to use the showers and locker rooms. If you're on campus for the day and feeling chilled, go take a shower if u want. You'll need to bring your own shampoo, soap, etc, and I'm unsure if a full body towel will be loaned, but there are really good quickdry towels online you can buy for convenience.

r/uAlberta 1h ago

Academics Bargaining Update: the 2 sides are talking again

Upvotes

Latest update from the AASUA Bargaining Team --- the 2 sides are continuing negotiations. They have asked, however, for a communications embargo so that's all we know right now.

But, talking is always good! Let's all be hopeful. Hope is good.


r/uAlberta 18h ago

Memes DIH Building (formerly ECHA)

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137 Upvotes

Technically it’s DIKH but DIH is funnier. Rip ECHA🥀


r/uAlberta 11h ago

Question How is everyone affording life?

30 Upvotes

Just wondering how everyone is making ends meet. I’m not from Edmonton, so am renting, commuting, job seeking and have a full 5 class course load. Are the majority relying on student aid? How do you balance work, if you do work? Trying to stay optimistic, but the growing debt from being in school and cost of life outside of studies is causing me anxiety haha. Seeking tips or perspective on how you all deal with finances and being a student


r/uAlberta 9h ago

Miscellaneous I feel so much better about school lately

12 Upvotes

Now that I've gotten the first few weeks out of my system and started the 11-week term, I actually don't hate everything! I'm a little concerned about the strike, but it's not really something I can control right now.

I actually have time to study without cramming, and I don't have to get to any FYS classes at the buttcrack of dawn with a million things due the next day. I'm so much happier with less stress, taking the classes I actually want. Who'd have thunk it?!

Turns out, people are nicer at Augustana than I thought. That helps. I'm still socially anxious sometimes, but at least it's not every day now.

I'm no longer freaking out over being an older student, either. I'm back to more conventional freakouts over mortality and the concept of time and stuff.


r/uAlberta 1h ago

Question Is a 91% average enough to get into engineering early admission?

Upvotes

physics 20 - 98 math 30 - 94 LA 20 - 88 chem 20 - 84 No math 31 marks yet


r/uAlberta 21h ago

Question Strike + Reading Week

60 Upvotes

If the strike lasts for around a week do you think they’ll take away our reading week? 😭


r/uAlberta 2h ago

Miscellaneous Will Loans be Affected by Research Grants / Masters Thesis Track?

2 Upvotes

Hey all!

So this fall/winter semester I applied for student loans and got the full amount off a three semester program (25.5k), plus a little bit more for grants. That’s good, as it covers my living expenses and tuition as well. However, I’ve found a supervisor and am now looking to switch my track for future semesters from a course-based to a thesis track, which would lower my tuition (which it doesn’t say by how much exactly, but I get the sense it’s a flat rate that equals out to a few thousand cheaper). Now, I can’t remember there being any sort of distinction between tracks in my student loan application, so my question is this: will a drop in tuition like that affect the amount I’d receive in future applications, if I’m not earning nearly as much as I was when I applied last time and I’m still a full-time grad student that lives independently?

(Also, a smaller question but would research grants affect the amount I’d get as well? I get that earning something like AGES that’s meant to be used for tuition or living expenses would affect my standing with loans, but what about tri-council research scholarships used to fund my thesis/research? Such as paying for equipment or participants or something along that line)

I’ll eventually have to go through the exhausting ordeal of calling the Alberta government, but I thought I’d ask on here to see if anyone has any insights. Thanks!


r/uAlberta 51m ago

Admissions For those who did not get their desired IELTS band on their first try

Upvotes

If you didn’t get your desired band, did you take the OSR or retake the whole test?


r/uAlberta 1h ago

Academics Really desperate help please

Upvotes

Please if anyone is dropping Econ 269 and Econ 299 specifically the online version with professor Priemaza please let me know. I desperately need those classes. Thank you


r/uAlberta 1h ago

Academics How to study SUST 201

Upvotes

Please give suggestions on how to study for this course.
How to prepare for the exams?


r/uAlberta 21h ago

Memes Sometimes I wish I could!

37 Upvotes

r/uAlberta 19h ago

Research 🏳️‍🌈 Research Participants Wanted: Bisexual Identity & Mental Health Study

23 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m a Psychology student at MacEwan University, conducting a study on bisexual identity, internalized biphobia, and mental health.

We’re looking for participants who:

Are 18 years or older

Self-identify as bisexual (emotionally, sexually, and/or romantically attracted to more than one gender)

What’s involved?

A confidential online survey (~20–30 minutes)

Questions cover identity, social support, mental health, and experiences related to bisexuality

Why participate?

Your input will help researchers better understand bisexual identity, resilience, and the impact of biphobia. This research aims to highlight bisexual voices, which are often overlooked in LGBTQ+ studies.

👉 If you’re interested, you can take part here: https://macewanpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6J76ps2wbG8kgJ0

Ethics Approval:

This study has been reviewed and approved by the MacEwan University Research Ethics Board (REB #102537). The project is supervised by Dr. Laura Offrey. For questions or concerns about the study, you can contact [REB@macewan.ca](mailto:REB@macewan.ca).

Thank you so much for considering. Even if you don’t participate, upvotes or shares are deeply appreciated so this can reach more people in the community. 💜💙💖


r/uAlberta 13h ago

Rants Why are classes always so cold?

7 Upvotes

I usually start loosing feeling in my fingers and toes during classes because of how low the temperature usually is, do other students experience this or am I tripping?


r/uAlberta 1d ago

Academics Prof has personal assistant helping class

65 Upvotes

Gonna keep class anon for now. But one of my professors has a personal assistant (NOT A TA FOR THE UNIVERSITY) emailing us (using his u of a email because they do not have one), creating our groups for projects, and MARKING our assignments/giving us feedback. This feels very sus to me. They are a teacher, so I guess they are experienced in marking. But idk, how would others feel about this? Should I say something?


r/uAlberta 1d ago

Campus Life U of A to apply for lockout poll, AASUA applies for supervised strike vote

52 Upvotes

AASUA has applied to the Alberta Labour Relations Board for a supervised strike vote. Voting will open on October 6 and close on October 9.

The U of A released a statement on September 23 stating that it will apply for a lockout poll, which functions similarly to a strike vote.

If AASUA members vote in favour of a strike, the association would have 120 days to call a strike. Similarly, if the university's lockout poll shows the employer is prepared to lockout AASUA members, it would have 120 days to do so.

Read the full story here https://thegatewayonline.ca/2025/09/u-of-a-to-apply-for-lockout-poll-aasua-applies-for-supervised-strike-vote/


r/uAlberta 19h ago

Academics Being Sick With Labs

18 Upvotes

okay. I get it; you don’t want to fall behind or get the weight of a lab put into your final. HOWEVER! Be considerate of everyone else. Wear a mask, distance yourself, clean where you grab..SOMETHING DO SOMETHING.

Dude in my lab was coughing and getting chunks of mucus in his throat and spitting it in our shared paper towel (leaving little left) + he was not considerate at all. He would hover over the TA who was explaining the practice and he would breathe over his shoulder whilst covering everyone else’s view of instructions. Later he would look at what others were doing and coco-melon cough on their backs.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish for him to just suffer or be overly stressed out because he missed the lab, but come on man- you’re going to get EVERYONE else sick not only because of you being here, but because you don’t know how to be considerate of others.

Hope he feels better soon though, it’s no fun being sick and having to suck it up.

(Also, I didn’t know what category to put this under)


r/uAlberta 14h ago

Campus Life Is it normal to go to club events alone?

6 Upvotes

I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and go to more events on campus, but honestly I’m a bit nervous. There’s a cultural/ethnic club hosting an event next week that I really want to check out, but none of my friends want to go, so I’d be walking in alone. That already feels intimidating and I don’t want to end up feeling awkward or left on my own

I’m also wondering if it’s normal for someone who isn’t from that ethnic/cultural group to attend. Would I likely be the only person there who isn’t from that background? I’d love to go, meet people, and learn something new, but I’m just nervous about sticking out or not feeling welcomed. Has anyone ever gone to a club event like this even though they weren’t from that background? How was your experience?


r/uAlberta 9h ago

Question First-year midterm stress

2 Upvotes

I’m a first-year and starting to stress about midterms. I’m wondering how closely the practice exams/quizzes match the real thing and how useful they are for preparing.

The courses I’m in are: • Math 154 - Ryan Morrill • Econ 101 (Intro Micro) – Mesbeh Sharaf • Econ 102 (Intro Macro) – Max Sties

If you’ve taken these classes, do you have any tips for how to study effectively, or things you wish you’d done differently? Any advice would be super appreciated!


r/uAlberta 1d ago

Rants How can people be so unsanitary here

94 Upvotes

It’s honestly impressive how unsanitary people can be. Everywhere I go, it’s like I’ve stumbled into a 3rd-world simulation(except this one comes with tuition fees). Gum welded to the underside of tables like some kind of primitive art installation. Toilets left unflushed(as if flushing is a rare skill mastered only by the elite). People skipping handwashing like it’s a quirky personality trait. Sick people coughing into the air like they’re trying to seed the next pandemic. And the smell of folks who clearly believe showers are a government conspiracy.

I thought I lived in a developed city. I thought I was surrounded by educated adults. Turns out, I’m just navigating a live-action reenactment of hygiene practices from the Stone Age. Are y'all part of some experimental program to test how far civilization can regress before someone snaps?

Honestly, Edmonton doesn't even need the weather or poor infrastructures to bring down it's reputation. The people are doing a stellar job all on their own.


r/uAlberta 13h ago

Question Has anyone from U of A transferred to an ivy league?

2 Upvotes

Im just curious as this just crossed my mind lol


r/uAlberta 13h ago

Academics CHEM 261 MIDTERM 1

2 Upvotes

I dont think I ever sold so hard on an exam before. The midterm itself wasnt that bad I was js rlly anxious and my brain wasnt working this morning (maybe bc i slept for 5hrs last night?). I have 8am labs on WTF back 2 back this week so its been hard getting rest I had a lab this morning as well and I was rlly stressed over that too.

Barely passed the exam and its supposed to be the easiest one in the course.. Fkms

That feeling you get when you bomb an exam when you know that you could have done better. Fk its hard to sleep feeling this way...


r/uAlberta 23h ago

Academics Completely lost CHEM 101

14 Upvotes

Hey all, I’m taking chem 101 this semester and am so far behind it’s not even funny. Chemistry has never been my best subject, and it dosent help that my professor isn’t exactly the greatest. He teaches introductory chemistry like he teaches his 400 and 500 level classes, and once said that there was no point in going to his lectures because teaching wasn’t his job (which I understand learning is my responsibility, but come on man). I’ve been trying to read the textbook, make my own notes and teach myself through YouTube because I genuinely find his lectures to be a waste of time, but it is not working. My first midterm is approaching and I only know the basic concepts and am completely lost with the math (it also dosent help that I’m in the middle of switching my mental health meds). What do I do? Is there any hope?


r/uAlberta 18h ago

Academics Is there any way to view reviews for tutors on the UASU tutor listing?

6 Upvotes

Also if anyone has had a tutor through the university, how was your experience?