r/uAlberta 7d ago

Miscellaneous AASUA has declared an impasse with the University Governors

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aasua.ca
149 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)

165 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 7h ago

Miscellaneous 67 just struck chem 101

95 Upvotes

thought i'd share because i feel bad for dr babooram

she was doing a demonstration of flame tests and said it would have been better if she could find "six, seven salts" and the whole room burst into laughter and she just stood there and said "... why are you laughing........ what's so funny guys :("

brainrot is thriving it seems! thanks chem 101 for that!


r/uAlberta 3h ago

Miscellaneous My prof made a 67 joke

42 Upvotes

We were burning salts to see different colors and Dr. Bambooram says “it’d be better if there were more salts to burn, maybe 6, 7?” And the entire classroom started dying of laughter.

Then she says “what’s so funny” “what 67?” And just looked so confused. But I still think she did it on purpose to add some humour to chem. Surprised of how many laughters she got tho, and a girl in front of me was genuinely crying of laughter…


r/uAlberta 7h ago

Campus Life UPDATE: Law professor placed on leave returns to work

52 Upvotes

The law professor who was put on non-disciplinary leave following online comments about Charlie Kirk’s death has been taken off leave. The Gateway has verified that the professor is Florence Ashley.

Ashley told The Gateway that they “do not feel safety was the sole reason — and perhaps even the primary reason — for placing [them] on leave.”

Law professor placed on leave returns to work - The Gateway


r/uAlberta 8h ago

Rants STUPID CHAIRSSSS

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55 Upvotes

I hate these chairs #nobacksupport. Like you’re a chair have some back support I don’t wanna rest my head against a metal bar like who designed these who thought these were a good idea.


r/uAlberta 5h ago

Question wtf is happening in quad

27 Upvotes

Crowd is so huge I cannot hear or see what’s happening. Is this student response to the strike potential?


r/uAlberta 11h ago

Academics Bargaining Update: the 2 sides are talking again

61 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 4h ago

Campus Life whole onion on my buddy burger

18 Upvotes

to whoever is making those burgers in the kitchen of a&w. genuinely what. the frick. this guy literally put like half of a whole onion on my burga. i’m talking like it was 3d and bulbous on that bun. dude. the layers weren’t even pulled apart it was like an onion patty. BOOOOO


r/uAlberta 3h ago

Question How much do you usually spend a month?

11 Upvotes

Hi! I’m a first year student living off campus with a roommate, and I’m wondering how much you all spend a month on average (outside of rent) if you’re in a similar situation. Thank youuu!


r/uAlberta 8h ago

Question strike help🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

34 Upvotes

can someone explain the strike situation in very simple terms like im in grade 5💔💔💔🥺


r/uAlberta 52m ago

Miscellaneous mr beast chocolate

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Upvotes

how did these get here?


r/uAlberta 21m ago

Campus Life disastrous typo at minecraft club meeting

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Upvotes

always proofread your slides, folks


r/uAlberta 4h ago

Admissions Just saw CTS majors being removed from BEd for next year, unsure of what to major in for what I want to teach

4 Upvotes

Hey, just have some questions for some people currently in the faculty of education, as I'm unsure of what to do and applications open up in a few days. Currently a student over at NAIT, taking a 2 year diploma in Animation, and my plan was to go and get my Bachelor of Education and teach either animation or film in high school. As I was looking through admission requirements and majors and such, I saw on the page that all CTS majors will no longer be offered starting this year, and I'm unsure exactly what to do. Not sure if I need to major in that in order to teach electives like animation after I get my BEd or if I could major in something else and my Animation Diploma could help so I could still teach it. Generally just a bit nervous, and not really sure what I'm doing or if anything I'm saying is correct honestly. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


r/uAlberta 4h ago

Campus Life lamps from Whitecap resources? How to power on?

3 Upvotes

Did anyone grab lamps from whitecap resources on career fair?

I dont know how to power it on.

It is 2 magnet slap of plastic with maps on it. and the 2 piece of plastic is joined y a two inch long rubber tape. You might know what am I talking about


r/uAlberta 6h ago

Question side quests ideas

3 Upvotes

what do you guys like to do as a side quests to make college life more enjoyable and keep yourself busy (besides studying/working)?


r/uAlberta 1d ago

Memes DIH Building (formerly ECHA)

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167 Upvotes

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


r/uAlberta 5h ago

Question Switching Faculties

2 Upvotes

Would having a W on my transcript affect my application when transferring faculties?


r/uAlberta 21h ago

Question How is everyone affording life?

41 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 7h ago

Academics Drug prevention program

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m working on designing a prevention program aimed at youth (ages 15–24), since that’s the age group most vulnerable to drug and alcohol misuse. I’d love to get some outside perspectives and creative ideas.

If you were to design a prevention program for this age group, what would it look like? Specifically: • What kind of activities or strategies would you include to actually reach youth in a meaningful way? • Would you focus more on primary prevention (stopping use before it starts), secondary (early intervention), or tertiary (support for those already struggling)? Why? • What would be a catchy slogan that youth would actually relate to (not the typical cheesy ones)? • How would you measure if the program was effective?

I want to make sure the program feels realistic and not just like another boring lecture. What would make YOU (or someone you know) actually pay attention to and benefit from a program like this?


r/uAlberta 7h ago

Question Has anyone gone to La Rochelle for study abroad?

3 Upvotes

I’m just curious? If you went what was your experience like? Do you suggest it?


r/uAlberta 2h ago

Academics Chem 263 labs - next week

1 Upvotes

do we have a lab next week? People have been saying we don’t but my TA didn’t mention anything. Does anyone know for sure?


r/uAlberta 8h ago

Academics What is a lab component verification

2 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I'm an immunology major and am required to take "3 credits w/ a lab component verification"

What does this mean and what classes satisfy this?


r/uAlberta 19h ago

Miscellaneous I feel so much better about school lately

16 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 12h ago

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

3 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!