As promised, I’m happy to provide this week’s update regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s impact on our community. We have a number of important topics to report on today, including a couple of good news items for students regarding your financial situations.

In today’s update:

• Federal Government Support for Students
• Fee Reductions for the May Semester
• Added Mental Health Supports
• Getting Through Finals

Federal Government Support for Students

We awoke this morning to a terrific announcement from the federal government, in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed plans for a new $9 billion emergency fund for post-secondary students. This includes the proposed Canada Student Emergency Benefit program, through which students will receive $1,250 per month from May through August. Those with disabilities or who have dependents can receive up to $1,750. A new Canada Student Service Grant was also announced, which is meant to help students gain work experience by doing national service and serving their communities during the pandemic, providing up to $5,000 for education this fall.

A number of other components were included in the official announcement, including additional support for Indigenous students, expanding Canada Student Grants, and extending federal graduate research scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships. Legislation will be required to implement the benefits, with talks about how quickly a bill can be brought forward already taking place, according to media reports.

This announcement adds to the support provided by the provincial government recently, as well as UNBC’s ongoing commitment to support students through the more than $3 million in scholarships and bursaries we award each year, thanks in large part to the generosity of our many donors.

Fee Reductions for the May Semester

We’ve been working closely with the Northern Undergraduate Student Society and the Northern British Columbia Graduate Students’ Society to reduce or eliminate some fees charged to UNBC students for the May semester. You can read more details about the fee eliminations and reductions on our website, but some of them include the Intramural and Fitness fee, and the Athletic Intervarsity and Junior Varsity Program Fee. In addition, the Bus Pass fee is being removed for the May semester, as BC Transit is temporarily suspending its U-PASS programs across the province. We’ll keep working with other bodies to see if we can implement further fee reductions for the May semester.

Added Mental Health Supports

Late last week, the Government of British Columbia launched Here2Talk, a new mental-health counselling and referral service for post-secondary students.

The service offers confidential, free single-session services by app, phone or online chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students can access chat sessions by downloading the Here2Talk app or visiting the Here2Talk website.

This is in addition to the already outstanding supports provided by UNBC’s Wellness Centre staff, including counselling, health services, and urgent support. In times of strain or stress, you are not alone – reach out for support!

Getting Through Finals

I remain impressed by how people are adapting to this semester’s wrap-up. Students and faculty alike have embraced change and are tackling issues head on. I know we experienced some technical bumps last week with some finals, and I’m sorry for the added stresses our community felt as a result. I must add, however, that our community, in particular the teams at the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology and Information Technology Services, reacted swiftly to find workable solutions, and I know our faculty are working to ensure the best possible experience for our students. Thank you to the university community for being so understanding and demonstrating leadership when things don’t go as smoothly as hoped!

I know the uncertain future is worrying for all of us, but if there’s a takeaway from the last six weeks for me, I know that regardless of the circumstance in which we find ourselves, this community is ready and willing to adapt to change. We will continue to provide an exceptional post-secondary experience for our students, while also pursuing research initiatives that contribute to the global scientific community.

In the meantime, please continue to visit our Coronavirus (COVID-19) website, follow UNBC on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn), and continue to send your questions to unbccommand@unbc.ca.

Stay safe, and thank you!

Geoff Payne,
UNBC Interim President and Vice-Chancellor