By: Jessica Barclay and Aleister Gwynne
The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation, and over the course of two weeks UFV has progressed from cancelling large events to slowly closing its campuses. Here is everything the university has done to address the pandemic so far:
Classes
Two days before the B.C. government declared a state of emergency on March 17, UFV paused classes for the week in preparation for a shift to online, remote learning.
Classes started up remotely March 23 for all departments except welding, which will be paused until face-to-face instruction resumes. This includes all classes in the College of Arts, trades, health studies, and continuing education.
The Teaching and Learning Centre has been offering resources and guidance in managing Blackboard to help faculty make the transition to remote learning, including in-person seminars and a “road map” online tutorial.
As of March 15, students currently participating in off-campus clinical placements, internships, co-ops, and practicums may continue with the permission of the host institution, except for clinical dental assistant placements, which are cancelled. Visual arts students who require access to labs will have access to the rooms at specific posted times.
Face-to-face exams for the Winter 2020 semester are cancelled and examinations will take place in a format to be determined by faculty, in coordination with the department’s dean. Students are advised to contact their professors for questions regarding specific classes, including remote learning and examination format.
The summer semester will proceed with online classes only for the early, full, and late summer sessions. Some courses previously on the timetable will be removed and others will be added. Registration will continue as usual.
Students looking for more information about their specific classes should contact their professor. UFV has set up a FAQ page and a number of frequently updated resources that have been linked throughout this article. Questions not answered in the FAQ can be emailed to UFV Environmental Health and Safety at covid19@ufv.ca.
Events
On March 16, the B.C. government limited gatherings to under 50 people and is strongly encouraging everyone to engage in social distancing. To comply, all events and in-person appointments have been cancelled at UFV.
“UFV is working with provincial ministries and others to ensure we align with the direction set by the Provincial Health Officer,” the March 23 COVID-19 blog update said.
For students graduating this semester, convocation is set for the first week of June and will continue as planned. Grad photos are ongoing with social distancing measures in place.
Services
UFV’s services are still available in a remote format, as university employees transition to remote work. The list of how to contact each service at the university can be found on the UFV Blog.
“In order to help protect the health of UFV faculty, staff, students, and the broader UFV community, and comply with the Provincial Health Officer’s advice, UFV is implementing a phased approach to working remotely for employees,” according to the March 17 COVID-19 UFV update.
Sections of campus remain open, including the campus card offices and print services. However, many other areas are closed, and other places that remain open are operating under modified hours. Campus libraries are now closed, but online library services will continue. Materials can still be returned via book drop, and no late fees will be charged going forward.
Three computer labs, two on the Abbotsford and one on the Chilliwack campuses, will remain accessible “for students who may not have a computer or device readily available,” according to the March 23 blog post update.
The university has also set up Wi-Fi hotspots in the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campus parking lots for social distancing-friendly internet access.
Since students and faculty will likely have greater need of technical services in the new online environment, IT Service Desk hours for all remote channels are being extended to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday. The exceptions are the walk-in IT Service Desk and the student device repair service, which are temporarily suspended.
Students seeking counselling or advising services may access them by email or telephone.
A number of fact-based, online resources are available regarding COVID-19, including the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Fraser Health, and the Government of Canada COVID-19 page. Over the phone, non-medical questions regarding COVID-19 can be asked at 1-888-COVID19. For text, 1-604-630-0300. Medical-related COVID-19 questions can be answered at 811.
Article was updated March 28 to correct computer lab availability.
