First step towards a progressive return on campus

While most of us have been working from home since mid-March, many members of our university community are looking forward to being able to resume their normal “professional life,” namely their regular research and teaching activities on campus.

For the past several weeks now, many efforts have been put toward assessing all possible scenarios for a progressive return to campus while respecting the public health directives still in place.

The first step of a progressive return on campus will be the remobilization of our research activities on campus. As a research-intensive university, it is vital that we restore our ability to conduct research in our labs as a first step in recovery efforts. Recovery will be carried out in a progressive, phased approach over the summer months and will see a third of our research activities resumed over the next few weeks.

Resources for individuals returning to campus have been developed, including an online COVID‑19 orientation training module, and description of other health and safety and sanitary precautions that have been implemented on campus such as new signage.

Specific activities have been identified as part of this first phase and faculty members will be allowed to access the University premises with the authorization of their dean. For the safety and wellbeing of all employees returning to campus, we require everyone to have completed the orientation before doing so. In addition, all essential staff who have been working on campus, must also complete the orientation.

We trust this procedure will enable the University to proceed with a return on campus, in line with all public health directives applicable. The ramp-up of activities, once we are confident that we can continue to provide a safe and secure campus, will progress to two-thirds of our labs over the summer and will ultimately reach 90% of normal activity by end of August.

As preparation for the fall semester is underway, we are all looking forward being able to see each other on campus in a near future. But only a coordinated approach will allow us to do so while protecting members of our community.

Thanks for your cooperation.

---

Spring 2020 Convocation: A unique virtual experience!

In the life of our university there is no more significant moment than Convocation. Its arrival means that a cohort of uOttawa students has successfully achieved its academic goals and that our institution's fundamental mission has been fulfilled.

Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, our Spring Convocation will still take place.

Regrettably, public health guidelines will not allow us to gather together in person. Instead this spring we will share in a virtual Convocation that will nonetheless be an inspiring opportunity for our graduating students to come together, to be recognized for their efforts and accomplishments, and to have your degrees legally conferred upon them by uOttawa’s Chancellor, Calin Rovinescu.

The University of Ottawa's virtual convocation ceremonies for its 10 faculties will begin on Monday, June 15 and will roll out over the course of the week. Students will receive an invitation specific to their faculty. When the week of virtual convocation has concluded, diplomas will be sent to them by mail.

All our graduating students truly earned their degree and deserve to celebrate, and to be celebrated. They should be every bit as proud to participate in this unique Convocation ceremony as they would in any other.

The University is committed to acknowledging their achievement as fully as possible. If public health guidelines permit, 2020 cohort students will be invited to attend a special in-person ceremony next spring. At that time, all of this year's graduates will be invited to walk across the stage in cap and gown, and in the presence of friends and family, to be congratulated and celebrated by their Dean, the President and the Chancellor.

In the meantime, we ask students to remember that COVID-19 is no match for their minds, their hard work, or their dreams. This is their world, and despite the challenges we currently face, we know that they will find their place in it, and in their own way change it for the better.

Jacques Frémont,
President and Vice Chancellor

---

Updates from Gee-Gees camps

uOttawa Gee-Gees camps are happy to announce that they will be expanding their virtual Gee-Gees camps programming in the coming weeks to provide new and creative interactive sessions. Virtual programming is currently free of charge and available in both official languages.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has significantly delayed the mandatory maintenance and repairs scheduled to occur at the University’s sports facilities. The pool, gyms and ice rinks will remain closed until all repairs and maintenance work can be completed.

As a result, we have made the difficult decision to cancel in-person Gee-Gees camps. If you have any questions, would like to sign your kids up for our virtual activities or require more information,feel free to contact the Gee-Gees camps team at ggcamps@uOttawa.ca.

---

---

All buildings on campus are currently closed except the following:

Building	Hours of Operations
Centre Universitaire / University Centre (UCU)	6 am - 4 pm Dining Hall doors only
Pavillon Colonel By / Colonel By Hall (CBY)	6 am - 11 pm Sunday to Saturday (Computer lab CBY B105 available to students)
100 Marie-Curie (MCE)	7 am – 9:30 pm Monday - Friday 9 am – 3:30 pm Saturday - Sunday
Pavillon Roger Guindon / Roger Guindon Hall (RGN)	Perimeter locked (Links unlocked 6 am - 11 pm)
Pavillon Vanier / Vanier Hall	7 am - 7 pm Monday to Friday (Computer lab VNR 2015 available to students)
Pavillon Sciences sociales / Social Sciences Building	7 am - 7 pm Monday to Friday
Édifice MINTO/ MINTO building (MNO)	7 am - 7 pm Monday to Friday (For the clinic)