Quebec colleges remained firmly entrenched in the pure classicism of prerevolutionary France until well into the twentieth century. Formal Roman Catholic Church control of Laval University, a Jesuit university, ceased in 1965 at a time when the institution and its administration were expanding greatly, and the faculty quickly began to resent the rule of bureaucrats over their affairs. Major changes had already been set in motion by the 1963 royal commission of inquiry into education in the province. Access to education was democratized, faculty was expanded, and budgetary economies and accountability were imposed. One result was the lowering of Laval's previously high faculty salaries. Unionization occurred, but in a haphazard fashion. There were several faculty concerns at Laval: the absence of collegial governance, the extremely precarious position of untenured faculty, and the lack of a fixed salary scale. A faculty union was established in early 1975 at Laval, but collective bargaining was slow, and a 108-day strike begain in September 1976. The sharing of power that the administration was willing to grant was minimal in real terms, even after the strike gained in intensity. A return-to-work agreement was signed on December 23, 1976, and the collective agreement was signed in January 1977. The contract runs until the end of May 1978, and represents a compromise on issues. A fixed salary schedule has been established, the faculty have been granted much greater job security, procedures for selection and hiring are spelled out in great detail, and the right of appeal of promotion and contract renewal decisions is specified. (MSE)