Tuesday, March 17, 2020

COVID-19 causes modifications to campus operations

"The University is continuing to take steps to safeguard our people, enable employees to work from home through the delivery of alternative and online services and maintain critical on-campus functions," wrote President Feridun Hamdullahpur in a memo circulated to employees last night.  

University administrators have taken the unprecedented step of closing most campus operations in light of the evolving COVID-19 situation while continuing to provide critical functions.

"Where possible, we are making services available through alternative formats, for example online, with reduced hours or staff, or over the telephone," the president wrote. "Co-operative Education, Information Systems and Technology, the Registrar’s Office and Human Resources are examples of units that have confirmed their physical locations will not be open and they will continue delivering services online."  

A list of amended services is available on the COVID-19 website. 

As of March 17, most Food Services outlets are closed on campus. Exceptions include residence food outlets in Village I, Ron Eydt Village, and Claudette Millar Hall and Catering and Event Services. "Effective today (March 17, 2020) all Food Services locations on campus will be closed until further notice," says a note from Food Services. "This includes all franchises, The University Club and Catering & Event Services. This decision was not made lightly and is due to measures taken in regard to COVID-19, taking into account the safety of staff and students, and the significantly reduced population on campus. Our residence eateries will remain open. We thank you for your understanding during this time of uncertainty. We will keep our website up to date with any further changes to hours of operations."

The Library reports that beginning Tuesday, March 17, Library instruction, digital collections and research support services will be provided on an online-only basis. “Library facilities will be closed to the public until further notice,” is the official word. For the most updated information, check out the Library’s website.

“In response to the University’s outbreak protocols, Print + Retail Solutions has made the difficult but important decision to close all W Store and W Print locations until further notice,” says a note from Print + Retail Solutions.

“In order to meet the needs of our campus community, we will continue to process online orders placed via wstore.ca. Additionally, for as long as on-campus classes are suspended, we will offer $3 flat rate shipping for all deliveries within Ontario, and $10 flat rate shipping for the rest of Canada. Note that on-campus pickup for online orders will not be available at this time.”

“Please be aware that this process could change at any time, as the situation continues to evolve. Feel free to reach out to us at wstore@lists.uwaterloo.ca should you have any questions.”

Human Resources has closed its reception area in EC1 and has posted a comprehensive list of changes to its operations.

Athletics and Recreation have closed the CIF and PAC facilities, with no open rec, registered programming, or varsity activity taking place.

"In-person operations of The Centre are closed indefinitely due to COVID-19," says a note from the Centre. "Please connect with us at askthecentre@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 42268. Official documents can be ordered online for mail or courier only."

Health Services remains open, though more screening is being done over the phone so that students don’t have to come to campus. Campus Wellness is moving as many appointments to phone-based assessments as possible.

Counselling Services is also open, though Needles Hall appointments will be moved over to the main Health Services building in the coming days.

Campus Wellness has confirmed that all groups, workshops and mental health training sessions will be cancelled for the rest of March. "We will re-evaluate and make decisions about future groups, workshops and training, coinciding with direction from the University," says a note from Campus Wellness.

AccessAbility Services is offering student appointments by phone. In-person appointments are available at this time by request. The Technology lab is closed from March 16 to 20. Accessible transportation service will be discontinued while in-person classes are suspended, and in-person workshops are now only available on AccessAbility Services’ LEARN Course.

In-person support at the three IST service desks closed yesterday at noon.

The Turnkey Desk in the Student Life Centre (SLC) remains open 24/7 as is their custom. Open areas in the SLC, including the Great Hall, cafeteria seating, and space on the second floor remain open as well, however the study rooms, third-floor study room, piano rooms and the multi-faith prayer space are closed.

WUSA-run businesses in the SLC, including International News and Feds Used Books, closed at the end of day on March 16.

The CIBC, Student Health Pharmacy, and Lifetouch Photography are currently operating with regular hours. Campus Dentist, SOS Physiotherapy, and Kim Rau & Associates will be closed until April 6.

Update: Lifetouch Photography has closed until April 6. The Turnkey Desk has begun selling a few packaged food and drinks as other food outlets in the SLC have closed their doors.

The Turnkey@DC location remains open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

The WatCard office has suspended in-person operations as of March 17. WatCard office staff will be working remotely and students can still contact them for assistance.

In-person operations at the Student Success Office closed as of March 16. Immigration consulting is being done remotely.

Theatre Centre operations on campus have also been suspended and no events are currently taking place.

Occupational Health is closed to foot traffic but services are available by telephone and email.

Alumni Relations has closed its office and its employees are working from home. "All Waterloo alumni events scheduled before May 1, 2020, are either cancelled or postponed," says a notification on the Alumni website. "If an alumni event is cancelled rather than postponed, and you paid an event registration fee, you will be refunded in the near future. You will also receive an email from the event organizer informing you of whether the event is postponed or cancelled." 

University issues work from home guidance to employees

Please note: the situation is evolving rapidly and updated directives will be circulated via mass email as appropriate.

"Following a number of the COVID-19 developments around the globe, I have asked members of Executive Council to make plans to enable employees to work from home, until further notice," wrote President Feridun Hamdullahpur in a memo circulated to employees yesterday afternoon. "You should expect guidance from your department head or manager on this direction today." 

"However, people in roles that leaders deem are essential to the ongoing and safe operation of our campus should report to work. The University will make sure that we can follow public health guidance for social distancing and cleaning protocols."

"We understand that this is an unprecedented time and we are committed to supporting our whole community, President Hamdullahpur writes. "I have been impressed by the sense of calm and co-operation exhibited by our entire campus community. We are implementing this change in response to new guidance late on Sunday from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Region of Waterloo Public Health. Health authorities have advised that everyone engage in social distancing, which means maintaining a distance from other people and avoiding places where large groups of people gather." 

Additional information and resources 

• We are keeping the University’s COVID-19 website up to date with information.
• If you have questions or concerns about coronavirus and Waterloo, please email coronavirus@uwaterloo.ca and our team will help find the right campus contact. 
• Work-from-home resources are available  

"Thank you for your continued commitment and patience, especially as we navigate our way through this difficult period," the president's memo concludes.

Co-op provides update on operations

Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) has provided an update on events and activities that are currently cancelled, postponed or going virtual.

• All scheduled co-op interviews will now take place via phone or webcam until the end of the continuous interview cycle. Students should check WaterlooWorks for details related to their scheduled interviews.
• Employer Information Sessions (EIS) scheduled between March 13 and April 30 have been cancelled
• Co-op Student of the Year Awards and Problem Lab Awards scheduled for Thursday, April 9 have been postponed (future date TBD)

Centre for Career Action (CCA) services are still available virtually. Students are encouraged to visit the Career Centre Events Tab in WaterlooWorks to book appointments and review available supports and events. The following workshops have been cancelled:

• Wednesday, March 18: Moving your career forward Community of Practice for women
• Thursday, March 19: Exploring careers in sustainability: Working for a better world
• Wednesday, March 25: Growing your career through reflection

EDGE:

• In-person advising has been suspended for the remainder of the term
• Capstone workshop & remaining skills identification and articulation workshops have been moved online
• To schedule a phone advising appointment or speak to an EDGE team member, contact edge@uwaterloo.ca

Remembering Rick Zalagenas

A message from Plant Operations.

Plant Operations received the sad news that Rick Zalagenas passed away on March 11. 

Rick began working at the University of Waterloo in 1988 as the youngest Chief Stationary Engineer in Ontario. After years of dedicated work, he was promoted to the Director of Maintenance and Utilities and started to manage a large portfolio of what is now over 9 million square feet of space. During his career, Rick was a strong advocate of sustainability at Waterloo and for many years he led the Energy group of the Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators (OAPPA).

In addition to his technical skills, Rick was admired for his dedication and strong leadership not only to his team, Plant Operations, but to many across our campus. We offer our sincere condolences to Rick’s family during this difficult time.

Further details can be found at https://www.henrywalser.com/memorials/richard-zalagenas/4133979/obituary.php. 

Tuesday's notes

Please be advised of the following updates on event cancellations across campus:

• All Music department end of term concerts have been cancelled.
• The Legal and Immigration Services "Foreign visitors, including IVGS" lunch 'n learn scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 has been cancelled.