Algonquin steps up during strike

By Maureen Lamothe

lamo0164@algonquincollege.com

Now approaching the end of its second month, Algonquin students continue to struggle to figure out their mode of transportation from day to day. They are not alone, however, and the Students’ Association is working with college administration to alleviate some of the stress caused by the transit strike.

“We’re trying to do whatever we can so that students can get to class,” said Kent MacDonald, vice-president of academic services. Over the course of the past few weeks, Algonquin and the SA have organized several initiatives in order to help the student body cope with the transit strike.

The SA ride board is one such project. It was developed over 10 years ago as a bulletin board outside the SA office to help students going home for the weekend catch a ride with someone traveling the same distance.

But since the strike, the volume of students looking to the ride board for help has increased dramatically.  In January of 2008, the site received 377 views. As of Jan. 16 this year, the site had already received 63,574 views.

According to Annie Thomlinson, the SA’s manager of marketing and communications, this has meant huge changes for the ride board.

“It wasn’t set up for this kind of volume,” Thomlinson said. Coming back from the Christmas holidays, the SA revamped the system to alleviate some of the stress students are facing. The site has become colour-coordinated: red entries indicate ‘I can give a ride’, and green entries are students or faculty who need a ride.

But the ride board isn’t for everyone. The relative anonymity of the service leaves some wondering about safety issues.

According to Rick Guthrie, security supervisor, it is a use-at-your-own-risk service. “The best advice I can give is if something doesn’t feel right - get out,” he said.

The college reported there have been no security incidents with the service.

Another option for stranded students is the shuttle bus organized by the college in co-ordination with the SA. The shuttle buses started with four main routes, servicing the downtown core, Orleans, South Keys, Nepean, and Kanata.

On Jan. 20, the college introduced additional buses, stops and routes. Buses and stops were added to the Orleans route, which now stops near Gloucester Centre and St-Laurent.

Barrhaven students were also given access to the shuttle service with a new route extending to Greenbank Road and Fallowfield station.

Kim Taylor, 22, a professional writing student at Algonquin, is hoping to take advantage of the new buses. For the first 40 days of the strike, Taylor didn’t know how she would get to school each day. “I think it’s good that the school is taking a stand and helping students,” said the second-year student before the new shuttles were added. “They’re good initiatives, but unfortunately they don’t benefit me.”

Thanks to demands made to the SA, Taylor, who lives in Gloucester, will now be able to get a ride to and from school each day on the shuttle bus.

The shuttle service is currently servicing approximately 1,200 students at the cost of $5,000 a day. “Hopefully we’ll be able to do it until they [the buses] come back,” said Bob LeDrew, director of communications at Algonquin.

Deborah Rowan-Legg, vice-president of student services, agrees. “There is commitment to continue this until the issue is resolved,” she said.

Even if the city and the union come up with a resolution within the next week, Ottawa residents will have to wait months until transit service is fully running.

City council estimates that in order to get the full fleet of 1,000 OC Transpo buses reinstated, it could take up to 14 weeks.

That means that Algonquin students could have to find alternative ways to school for at least another three and a half months.

The first few days of school were still a struggle for students because the shuttle service wasn’t running until Jan. 9. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get it out as soon as we wanted to,” said SA president Rob Nettleton. “But we’re proud to have it set up now.”

Even with its relative success, the first few days of service were a bit rocky. “We’re always working at the kinks,” said Nettleton. Common complaints for the shuttle service included that buses were late and often unreliable.

Despite the many difficulties students face in getting to class, they are managing to keep a good attendance record. According to MacDonald, even though students are missing more classes than average, the transit strike is not significantly affecting attendance.

From an academic perspective, Algonquin faculty has shown tremendous flexibility and sensitivity towards students struggling to make it to class. Whether it be posting more material on Blackboard or offering a ride to students who live nearby, teachers are lending a helping hand.

Rowan-Legg is excited about the initiatives the college has put forward to help those struggling.

“This is an integrated, robust response we’ve made,” she said. “And that’s the best kind. There are enough pressures on our students, it’s really tough for them to have to worry about how to get here."