Senate is the academic governing body of UFV, with the university president and vice chancellor Joanne MacLean as the chair. They are responsible for making decisions on everything academic: approving new courses and programs, approving changes to programs, setting entrance requirements, and setting the academic calendar. The Board of Governors, which looks at the business side of the university, is advised by Senate on matters of mutual interest.
All at the university are welcome to attend Senate’s public meetings, which are usually held once a month at either the Abbotsford or the CEP campus, but are currently hosted online via Bluejeans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate makes decisions that impact the daily lives of both students and faculty.
Review of academic continuity task force recommendations
James Mandigo, provost and vice-president academic, presented a review of recommendations from the academic continuity committee that was established on April 9.
A draft of standards to support UFV’s continued efforts to provide education to students was presented, with points including mandatory physical distancing of two metres, sanitation of all classrooms and equipment between classes, and mandatory self-isolation of all staff and students who show any COVID-19 symptoms.
Afterward, there were several minutes of debate over how instructors can accommodate students who stay home due to COVID-19 symptoms. Given that the fall semester takes place during cold and flu season, some faculty expressed concern that student absences will be much greater than usual, and that vital class content will be missed.
All present were reminded that government guidelines emphasize that nobody should feel pressured to enter a public space at any point if they are experiencing any symptoms, but there was an acknowledgement that some learning outcomes, such as in chemistry labs, may be very difficult or impossible to achieve for absent students.
Recommendations for Fall 2020 in response to COVID-19
The provost’s presentation concluded with a series of recommendations for UFV’s Fall 2020 semester, with an emphasis on continuing to deliver courses remotely. According to the provost’s presentation, courses will be delivered online “wherever possible” in fall, and exceptions will only be made for courses with learning outcomes that are “impossible” to achieve in an online format. Examples mentioned included some technical and trades courses, as well as some courses that feature lab work, although it was made clear that not all courses in these fields will be exempt.
Mandigo also said that whenever possible, those courses that do require face-to-face interaction will be moved to the Winter 2021 semester.
The presentation concluded with a reminder that the specifics of UFV’s plan are still contingent on government approval, and that individual details may be subject to change as the government releases more detailed requirements for institutions to follow.
