It's been a while since they've hit the books but tens of thousands of York University students are eagerly awaiting Monday for their official return to class.

About 50,000 students were shut out from York for nearly three months because of a tense labour dispute between contract staff and the school's administration.

More than 3,300 contract faculty members, teaching and graduate assistants walked off the job on Nov. 6 to protest the conditions of their contract.

The Ontario government stepped in after negotiations stalled and tabled back-to-work legislation last week, essentially ordering workers off the picket lines and back to work.

Outstanding issues such as job security and benefits are now being negotiated through a mediator.

During the strike, many students worried their school year would go to waste but York has said that class schedules will be condensed and the academic year will be extended to June 2 to make up for the lost time. Reading Week has also been cancelled.

To help make the transition easier for students, York has said that for the first five days of instruction, no one will be asked to hand in assignments that were due during the strike nor will they be asked to take tests.

The university will also hold a First Days Back event until Feb. 5 where students will have access to a host of student services professionals who can answer questions and address concerns about the revised academic year.

"We've been working diligently throughout the labour dispute to continually provide student support programming," said Robert Tiffin, a vice-president with the Division of Students department at York. "These first days back will be a key part of the remediation period and we have put a program in place to help students."

Revised schedules and other important links have been posted on the school's website.

York is Canada's third-largest university. The recent labour dispute at the school is the longest strike in an English-speaking institution in the country's history.