Some students of Parkland College were affected by last week's SIAST workers strike, but the impact should be minimal if the employees do not strike again.
SIAST instructors and professional staff were on strike for four days last week, returning to the job tentatively on Monday when negotiations resumed between the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union and SIAST.
Thirty-two students are enrolled in SIAST distance learning courses at Parkland College's Yorkton campus. Those students missed their first televised live session as a result of the strike, but still had access to their coursework.
"We haven't heard if they're going to reschedule another face-to-face class to make up for this," says Sonja Gehl, Parkland College's director of programs.
Gehl was uncertain how many students are enrolled in SIAST courses at the college's other campuses.
Only distance SIAST courses are in progress at Parkland College currently, but conventional classes involving SIAST instructors are due to start in October. Those programs would be more seriously impacted if the strike resumes.
Access to curriculum support from SIAST instructors for Parkland College teachers would also be unavailable in that event, and various administrative tasks could be disrupted.
But so far, says Gehl, the impact has been minor.
"We're not too badly off."
