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Labour Relations

Latest updates

Sept 16 - Suspended classes to resume Tuesday, September 23

Sept 16 - Labour disruption ends, tentative agreement reached

Sept 11 - Message from Vice-President Finance and Administration Gitta Kulczycki about the arena, surplus and more


All DFA updates



LABOUR DISRUPTION ENDS

CLASSES EXPECTED TO RESUME TUESDAY, SEPT 23.



Labour disruption ends: Dalhousie Board of Governors and DFA reach tentative agreement

Update on classes and dates: Suspended classes to resume Tuesday, September 23

We continue to work through the many other decisions and logistics of returning faculty and students to learning and research. We ask everyone’s patience as these important details come together. Further communication will follow over the next week.

The information and FAQs on this webpage will be updated as those details become available. 

Events and programming for students

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

These FAQs are only beginning to be updated following the ending of the labour disruption. New information will be added as details become available. 

Updated September 16, 2025

Students

Classes, courses and programs

When do suspended courses resume? Pending ratification of the tentative agreement, classes will resume on Tuesday September 23, 2025.
What is happening with courses at the University of King's College? All classes at King’s resumed Monday, September 15 with a small number of exceptions that will resume when all Dal courses resume. .

When will I receive my summer course final grades?

 If you took a summer course and do not yet have your final grades, you have been assessed a “pending” grade. This is a temporary status and will be replaced over the next few weeks with your final grade.  
Where do I go if I have questions or concerns about my accommodations plan? Please contact the Student Accessibility Centre team with any questions.

Academic dates and deadlines

Pending ratification of the collective agreement

Will the fall term be extended?

 No, the fall term will not extend beyond December 2025.

Is there going to be a fall break?

Decisions regarding the fall break need to be approved by Senate, which is scheduled to meet on Monday, September 22. Any changes will be communicated as soon as possible to all students, faculty, and staff.
Will there be a refund for suspended classes? Dalhousie will engage in all efforts to ensure students can fulfill their academic requirements within the term, as to not affect degree progression. Refunds will not be offered when academic requirements for the term can be preserved and completed.
Is the December exam schedule going to change? Decisions regarding the December exam schedule need to be approved by Senate, which is scheduled to meet on Monday, September 22. Any changes will be communicated as soon as possible to all students, faculty, and staff.
When is the add/drop date for courses? October 7, 2025
When is the honours application deadline? October 22, 2025
When are the withdrawal dates for courses?

The last date to drop fall courses without a “W” will be October 22, 2025.

The last date to drop fall courses with a “W” will be November 20, 2025.  

Tuition, fees, student loans

When are tuition and fees due?

October 7, 2025
Will tuition fees be reduced (or refunded, if already paid) as a result of the labour disruption? Tuition reductions/refunds will not be offered when academic requirements for the term can be preserved and completed. Dalhousie is engaging in all efforts to ensure students can fulfill their academic requirements for the fall term, as to not affect degree progression.
How do I confirm the status of my student loan?

There have been some delays in loan processing this month, but a dedicated team continues to work to process loan confirmations as quickly as possible. If you’re awaiting your loan confirmation and experiencing temporary financial hardship, please consider exploring our Temporary Loans Program and Bursary Program.

To be eligible for a full-year loan, you must be registered for full-time studies in both the Fall and Winter terms.

For detailed questions about loans contact awards@dal.ca.

Other questions

What does ‘ratification’ mean?  When bargaining teams reach a tentative agreement, the Board and DFA members must vote to ratify or accept the tentative agreement. An agreement needs to be ratified before the negotiation process can conclude and the new agreement can take effect.

Faculty and staff

DFA members

What is return-to-work protocol and what does it cover? A return-to-work protocol is a formal negotiated agreement between the parties that sets the terms of the employees’ return, detailing how employees will resume work after a labour disruption (strike or lockout), covering issues like timelines and the general process for reintegrating into the workplace to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.
Do DFA members have access to their Dalhousie email, as well as digital services such as Brightspace, myDal, OneDrive, etc.? Effective Sept 10, DFA members' NetIDs have been reactivated. This includes access to their dal.ca email accounts and many other digital services. Access to any remaining services will be restored following ratification.

 

Research

Research FAQs

When will DFA members be able to resume access to Research Services? The Office of Research Services will provide regular supports to DFA members once an agreement is ratified.
When will DFA members have access to ROMEO, including ROMEO checklists? Effective September 10, DFA members’ access has been restored to their email and digital services, including ROMEO. Review and approval of ROMEO submissions will recommence upon agreement ratification.
What steps should be taken to safely resume laboratory or workshop activities following the end of the labour disruption?

As laboratory and workshop activities resume, the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Office recommends that Faculty use the Laboratory Start-Up Checklist — . This tool helps ensure that equipment, materials, and procedures are properly in place and that spaces are safe for use, whether you are restarting after a pause or setting up a new laboratory.

In addition, it is important to confirm that required safety training is up to date. Anyone who works with, or in proximity to, hazardous products in the workplace must have valid WHMIS training. Faculty, principal investigators, and supervisors are also strongly encouraged to complete the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) training, which helps ensure they are aware of their responsibilities and liabilities as supervisors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and are better prepared to support their teams effectively.

Both WHMIS and OHS training, along with other environmental health and safety courses, are available free of charge for faculty, staff, and students: .
I submitted an application to the Research Ethics Board before/during the labour disruption. When can I expect to hear back? DFA members are not be able to access Legal Counsel’s Office or Research Services during any period of labour disruption.
When will regular Research Ethics Board meetings resume? The Research Ethics Board meeting schedule will resume in October. Submission deadlines can be found here.
I submitted an application to the University Committee on Laboratory Animals before/during the labour disruption. When can I expect to hear back? Please plan for at least four weeks from the time the University Committee on Laboratory Animals resumes its review activity until you will receive a response. The University Committee on Laboratory Animals is making every effort to address the backlog in a timely manner.
When will the regular University Committee on Laboratory Animals meetings resume? The University Committee on Laboratory Animals meeting schedule will resume in October on the third Thursday of the month. Submissions deadlines can be found here.