Summary of changes and news (updated April 13, 2021, 3:30 p.m.)

IMPORTANT: Stay-at-home order and special emergency measures

The government of Ontario has announced a provincewide declaration of emergency and stay at home order for 4 weeks starting Thursday, April 8, 12:01am. The government of Quebec maintains special emergency measures in the city of Gatineau until April 25 for now.

Overall, these new directives will have limited impact on our current activities. Most of our courses are already being delivered via distance learning; most of our employees are teleworking; and our research activities can be pursued under the controlled conditions we have already put in place.

You are strongly advised to continue following public health directives in effect in Ontario and Quebec. Please visit the Government of Ontario’s website and the Government of Quebec's website for more details. Stay vigilant!

Letter of authorization for essential travel

Only essential travel will be authorized by the Ontario and Quebec governments. In particular, you may be required by your manager to perform functions on campus, to attend a face-to-face course or to work in a laboratory.

Please contact your faculty or supervisor to discuss whether a letter of authorization to travel to and from campus is necessary for you. While they are not required in Ontario, in certain situations they may be helpful. With Quebec’s curfew, there is a higher likelihood that you may be intercepted by law enforcement and the letter will assist you with this interaction as it indicates that you are required to travel to and from campus.

COVID-19 Daily Assessment tool

All employees, students, and visitors coming to campus are required to use the tool to conduct a health self-assessment every day prior to arrival. Find the tool on SecurUO or access it from the self-assessment tool webpage.

Planning for the Fall 2021 term

The University has an ambitious plan to provide a full, enriching on-campus experience with an increased number of courses to be delivered in person or using hybrid formats. Currently, only a limited number of courses are being offered in-person, due to current health measures.

What this means for:

• students
• faculty members and support staff
• graduate students

Updates

• Students: The FAQ has been updated in the new section Qualitative grading.
• Services and resources: The list of buildings open on campus is up to date. The other buildings will be accessible with access cards.

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