McGill to award invalid diplomas in law
Le Devoir reports that McGill is about to hand out invalid diplomas to law graduates, the ceremony to take place at the Bell Centre because of the encampment on the university’s front lawn. Law professors have been on strike since April 24 so have not handed in final marks, leaving academic numbers incomplete and diplomas invalid according to the university’s own rules.
[Edited to add: but see comments below.]
Le Devoir also posted an open letter from representatives of the law profs’ union, deploring the university’s refusal to negotiate, and slamming its willingness to go so far as to distribute invalid diplomas as a statement. In the end, it’s the students who will suffer, but McGill already has their money.
azrhey 14:08 on 2024-05-28 Permalink
I can’t really talk about it…but I work at McGill in a department that is handling that ( the diplomas, not the strike thing ) and there is a article in the Senate rules that allows for diplomas to be validated with the last grades missing and how they will be added after the fact …so no, university rules don’t say what Le Devoir says it says. If it did, I believe the association of law students would be up in arms and complaining about it… they are eerily quiet about it…..
(this is not to say that I don’t have opinions on the whole strike, negotiations,encampment, and McGIll admin in general.. 😉 )
bob 15:28 on 2024-05-28 Permalink
It isn’t Le Devoir, but the law professors’ union (AMPL) that says so, but they’re wrong. They’re mad because they hoped they could delay the conferral of degrees as a pressure tactic. Anyways, that ship already sailed, because afaik the graduation lists were already approved by the Senate 2-3 weeks ago. Convocation is a show, and the diplomas handed out are props. A degree is a record in a database.
Joey 15:38 on 2024-05-28 Permalink
Moreover, the Quebec and Ontario bars will allow McGill grads can take their respective bar exams in the interim. As far as pressure tactics go, this one seems like a bit of a dud. I would also venture that the juxtaposition between the law faculty strike and the encampment is probably not helping the union out…
Paul 16:51 on 2024-05-28 Permalink
Although I try, I cannot muster any sympathy for the poor McGill law professors who have working conditions that most professionals could only dream of. I just hope their strike pay isn’t coming off the backs of working-class union members.
Ian 17:59 on 2024-05-28 Permalink
Instead of being jealous of the agreement negotiated by someone else’s union, pressure your union to negotiate harder next time your contract comes up. Unionization is about solidarity, not internicene envy.
Except cops, they shouldn’t be allowed unions given their history as strikebreakers and enemies of the workers.