Monday, March 23, 2020

Campus adjusts to the new normal

Classes are back in session, albeit online, and essential services are being maintained on the University of Waterloo campus. There are unprecedented times for the University as well as Waterloo Region, Canada, and the world.

Until further notice, employees are instructed to work from home. However, people in roles that leaders deem are essential to the ongoing and safe operation of campus should report to work.

Instructors, with the support of Information Systems and Technology, spent last week determining the best way to conclude Winter term classes using alternative methods. In-class activity is suspended for the remainder of the term, including in-person final exams. Instructors are working on alternate ways to deliver remaining course work and exams/assessments. Fully online courses will continue, but in-person exams for these courses are cancelled and may be replaced with alternative assessments. 

Most buildings on the University's main campus, as well as the connecting tunnels and bridges, will be locked by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24. The following buildings will remain open, Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.:

• Applied Health Sciences (AHS) (B.C. Matthews Hall (BMH) addition);
• Engineering 5 (E5);
• Engineering 7 (E7);
• the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC);
• Mathematics 3 (M3); and 
• the Student Life Centre (open 24/7)  

Researchers are asked to only maintain research on-campus if it is deemed critical research, until further notice. Critical research includes lab activities, that if disrupted, would result in serious loss of research data, material or equipment.  

All University-related international travel continues to be suspended.

"We know that there is a lot more information we need to share and we plan to communicate any changes to course offerings, the new set of academic and financial dates, and new enrolment appointments by Friday, March 27, 2020," says President Feridun Hamdullahpur. 

Photograph by Eugene Li.

Spring term to begin on May 11 online

President Feridun Hamdullahpur has provided campus with an update on how things are shaping up for the Spring term.

The term will being on May 11, a week later than previously scheduled, and run for 12 weeks, coming to an end on Tuesday, August 4. All in-class activity is suspended until the end of the Spring term.

"The University has made an important decision to continue with an alternative delivery system of operations for Spring Term," says the president in his memo, which was circulated to campus audiences on Friday. "This means that we are not going to deliver in-person course activity. All courses and exams will take place online."  

There will be a limited one-week exam period, ending, August 15, 2020, during which there may be online exams or final assessments due. 

"Employees will continue to work from home until further notice to help support the ongoing functions of the University and academic success for students," the president writes. "We believe this step is necessary to create some certainty during this uncertain time. We also need to be sure that we can continue to deliver what is most important – a great University of Waterloo academic experience."   

"To keep our students, staff and spaces safe, we will continue with our unprecedented measures for services in residence buildings," the president writes. "We have urged students to leave residences if they can to help us maintain best practises on social distancing – most students have left or decided to leave. Some students need to stay in the residences. We will continue to support students who need to stay in residences with essential services and support. We are not accepting new bookings for residence during Spring Term."  

"We are creating flexible pathways to help students complete the Spring 2020 work term," says the president's memo. "If your work term is affected by COVID-19, we are reducing the minimum number of work terms you need to complete by one with a minimum of three work terms in undergraduate programs. This applies to all programs except those in Pharmacy."

"I realize that this continues to be an exceptional time," the president writes. "We know we need to keep taking action that will slow the spread of COVID-19. We also know we have an important job that we must keep doing. There are people across the University community who are available to support our students along the way. We know we can’t provide you with answers to all your questions today, but there are people working tirelessly to make sure we can answer those questions soon. If you have questions, please continue to send them to coronavirus@uwaterloo.ca and our team will do their best to get you the information you need as soon as we can."

Monday's notes

Please note the following campus service modifications:

• CIBC has closed the banking centre in the Student Life Centre to clients until further notice. CIBC staff will be providing support to clients by telephone. Clients can call 519-884-4760 to speak directly with a team member.   There are two Automated Banking Machines still available in the SLC. Nearby branches are still available for in-person transactions. Update: the SLC CIBC branch will in fact remain open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Beginning today, the Student Health Pharmacy will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Check out the full list of campus service modifications on the University's COVID-19 website.

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) has had to get creative when it comes to hosting their annual general meeting, originally scheduled for March 30 before circumstances changed. 

"Due to Premier Ford's March 17, 2020 Declaration of Emergency to protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and UWaterloo President Hamdullahpur’s directives prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people, we will be unable to hold our Annual General Meeting in-person before March 30, 2020," says the note from WUSA. "Consequently, in accordance with the Ontario Corporations Act and our bylaws, which confirm that the Students’ Council is empowered to act as delegates to represent the members, our Winter 2020 General Meeting will be held on March 24, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. in the SLC Multipurpose Room and over teleconference. Your delegate Councillors will therefore attend on your behalf, represent your interests and transact the necessary business as listed on the Agenda."

"While you are legally invited to attend the General Meeting in person, we would encourage you in instead engage in the meeting via our livestream, where you can ask questions and watch debate!" says WUSA. "In the coming days, we will also be circulating a teleconference line to Councillors over our Council mailing list, which you can call into if you would like. WUSA will be strictly monitoring and enforcing attendance requirements to ensure that not more than 50 people are present in person at the meeting."

Check out the WUSA website for more details.