CUPE 3912 stands in solidarity with SUNSCAD in their fight to maintain 24-hour studio access for students. This is a struggle that directly impacts our TA and RA members, many of whom are students, with many having other commitments requiring that they commute from afar.
As mentioned by SUNSCAD, “disabled students at NSCAD continuously face egregious harms stemming from the structural, attitudinal (how we think about and interact with disabled people), and architectural barriers to accessibility present at the university.” Having uninterrupted access is a critical part of a studio-based arts education, especially for upper-year and graduate students. Not only is 24-hour studio access a long-standing and critically important part of the student experience at NSCAD, it is a key selling point that draws in students internationally.
On behalf of all ICA instructors, TAs, and RAs at NSCAD I would like to applaud NSCAD University administration and interim president David B. Smith on their commitment to engage in reasonable discussion on this issue, and on their decision to pause the implementation of limited studio hours until a satisfactory solution can be found.
CUPE3912 unequivocally supports SUNSCAD in their demand that 24-hour studio access be preserved.
I urge our members to support SUNSCAD and the students in whatever way they can, including emailing University administrators to make yourself heard on this issue.
Please find SUNSCAD’s statement here.