The only visitors to the Grebel campus these days have feathers. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, students, faculty, and staff have settled into a new normal of working and studying from home.
Academic departments remain open, supporting current students and attending to inquires from prospective students. Student Services has switched to virtual tours and online interviews for incoming students. Administrative services, including finances, are also carried out remotely, and donations continue to be processed. Grebel’s library and archives are still accessible through the website, and staff are attending to the needs of students and researchers at a distance.
Grebel’s academic departments are showing great agility in the shift to remote learning and examinations this term, as well as in their preparations for several online courses in the spring term. Dean Troy Osborne noted, “We are optimistic that we will see above-normal academic enrolments for our newly on-line courses. For example, both sections of Simon Wood’s Popular Music and Culture are heavily enrolled.”
The residence is empty now and will remain so throughout the spring term (May to August), but the College’s apartments will house about 18 upper-year students in the spring. “We are glad, even in these difficult times, to provide some housing for our students,” explained Director of Student Services, Mary Brubaker-Zehr. “The spacious four-bedroom apartment units have two washrooms each and independent kitchens so we feel that students can keep their social distance.”
Students are staying remarkably connected in spite of being off campus. The Chapel Committee arranged a virtual chapel service last week, and plans are underway for an online term-end banquet, complete with senior reflections and a talent show. One tradition that will not be switched to a virtual event is Convocation. Plans are underway to host an event in Waterloo on Sunday, October 25, the same weekend as the University of Waterloo’s Fall Convocation.
The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement is still active – from a distance – and continues to support Epp Peace Incubator participants and visitors with digital tools. Also rising to the challenge, the Conflict Management Certificate Program has pivoted to offer synchronous online workshops in conjunction with Credence and Co.
“Our people are working hard – and they’re working with grace and good cheer,” reflected President Marcus Shantz. “We’ll keep adapting to deliver our programs as best we can, and to connect with people in new ways.”
As a direct response to the needs of students who have lost co-op and summer jobs and who are facing adverse conditions, Grebel has established the Emergency Bursary Fund. Donations to this fund can be made online or in the mail. Donations will directly support students and allow them to continue their studies.
Grebel will continue to synchronize its programs and activities with the University of Waterloo, taking cues from decisions made on campus. For full details on UWaterloo’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit their Coronavirus website.