The Writing Centre at York University is facing major cuts as part of the broader budget reductions and restructuring initiatives, with reports indicating that nearly all the cuts are impacting CUPE 3903 Unit 2 contract faculty.

This puts a crucial service at risk—one that supports students across the university through one-to-one writing support, graduate application assistance, workshops, course-connected programming, and outreach to both students and faculty. It also comes at a time when the Centre is actively expanding its programming, including faculty and instructor drop-in hours, graduate application support sessions, workshop planning, and orientation partnerships, making clear that this is a growing and needed academic resource.

Students should know that the educators most affected are highly experienced and skilled contract faculty whose work is central to equitable learning. They support diverse students with different linguistic backgrounds, educational experiences, accessibility needs, and levels of confidence, and they do so through specialized, relationship-based teaching that cannot simply be replaced or absorbed elsewhere.

There are indications that the Writing Centre may be relocated or restructured as part of wider institutional changes, but no restructuring plan should move forward without protecting jobs, preserving the Centre’s pedagogical mission, and ensuring students retain meaningful access to high-quality writing support. York University students and faculty have every reason to speak out now, before it is too late, because cuts presented as administrative or budget decisions will have real consequences for learning conditions, academic success, and access to the kind of individualized support that helps students thrive. 

Please sign this petition to help protect the Writing Centre and the high-quality academic support it offers to all York University students. 

Note: This petition is is endorsed by the CUPE 3903 Executive Committee. It is member-initiated and re-uses the original text from the CUPE 3903 website with permission.