On Friday, March 13, 2020, Jeff Casello, associate-vice president, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs shared the following notice with the graduate studies community:
As you are aware, the University continues to plan for and implement changes to advance public health in light of the COVID-19 situation. I write with guidance specifically related to graduate studies, following the March 13 memo from the President regarding in-person course activity.
With the endorsement of the Provost and the University’s senior leadership team, today I am implementing the following changes, with an overarching guiding principle that we are ensuring that you are safe and are able to continue to progress academically whenever possible.
Students or supervisors seeking guidance on research travel should consult their Associate Dean, Graduate Studies.
- The University has made it possible for students who are demonstrating symptoms consistent with COVID-19 to self-declare that they are unwell.
- While the University courses are suspended from March 14 to 23, planned graduate research milestones may continue as planned. These include but are not limited to comprehensive exams, research proposal presentations, and Ph.D. defences.
- The University is relaxing the restrictions on remote participation for graduate students to complete these milestones. The University’s normal practice of limiting to one person is suspended until further notice. The Associate Deans, Graduate Studies in the Faculties now have discretion to approve remote participation by multiple parties, as necessary, to achieve public health objectives. The minimum expectation is that the chair and the student will be present in the same location. In addition, attendance at these events may be limited to essential participants – typically the student, supervisor and committee members. For your reference, GSPA has compiled a list of locations on campus that are well-equipped to manage multiple remote participants. If you are feeling unwell, the defence or comprehensive exam should be postponed.
- On-campus research activities may continue. Students conducting research in laboratories and other settings should take steps to minimize public health risks such as implementing social distancing (1 m). Decisions on whether to begin new research endeavours that may require high intensity of activity should be discussed among students, supervisors and, where appropriate, Associate Deans, Graduate Studies.
- When course activities resume (if appropriate) on March 23, graduate student teaching assistants will be expected to support the delivery of courses through a variety of means, but not through in-person interactions with students.
- Graduate student funding will not be influenced by changes to the University’s activities for the winter 2020 term.
- The President’s memo from March 12, 2020 establishes limits on travel by members of the University community to essential travel and to non-restricted destinations. For graduate student researchers, essential travel is such that:
a. failure to complete the travel will introduce substantial delays to the student’s academic progression;
b. the research activities do not introduce risk that in the judgment of the student’s Associate Dean, Graduate Studies exceeds the benefit to the student’s degree progression.
Students or supervisors seeking guidance on research travel should consult their Associate Dean, Graduate Studies.
- GSPA will not be supporting non-essential international travel through the Graduate Studies Research Travel Assistantship program. For the International Experience Award program, GSPA will be contacting all of those who have submitted applications to verify that the proposed travel meets the essential standard. If students have made arrangements with financial commitments to travel with support from the Research Travel Assistantship program, they should contact Laura Frazee or for the International Experience Award program, contact Elena Machado to explore possibilities to mitigate cost implications (as necessary) of this decision.
- With respect to graduate internships and experiential learning opportunities, where possible, I encourage graduate supervisors to discuss the existing and future opportunities with their graduate students and vet each case individually.
- The University’s International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) program has been suspended, effective immediately and until further notice. Students who are currently in Canada as part of the IVGS program are unaffected.
- I invite graduate supervisors and students to conduct (when appropriate or possible) regular advising (committee) meetings through video / electronic conferencing.
- The University is carefully monitoring both student residences and support services such as Campus Wellness. You are encouraged to access the University’s Coronavirus information website for updates.
- Following the University guidance on events and gatherings, apart from the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) university competition, all GSPA events that have been planned for the winter term have been cancelled. The 3MT competition will be held without audience members present. We will digitally record the final presentations and share them online for the campus community.
I am grateful to all members of the University community for their support as we continue to monitor and adapt to changes made necessary by COVID-19. Please note that all decisions are made in consultation with stakeholders and are intended to advance the well-being of the University community, especially students.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I also remind you that the University’s Coronavirus information website contains important and regularly updated information.
