I’ll start by thanking the entire UNBC community for the work you are doing to not only respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, but to continue providing an exceptional post-secondary experience for our students in challenging times.

The situation is changing by the day, if not the hour, so answering every question immediately is a challenge. That said, we continue to add content to this website and will continue to do so as the situation unfolds.

It’s important to understand that many decisions we may have to make will not be ours to make alone. We are working in collaboration with public health agencies and various government ministries to ensure that the response from the post-secondary sector is coordinated and consistent across the province.

Today, I’m providing some key updates for you in a number of areas. Some of these are relevant to employees only, and some are relevant to students as well. I’m providing this update for all members of the community so you understand the University’s response and planning efforts.

Travel

Yesterday the Provincial Health Officer announced that people who choose to travel outside Canada will be asked to stay away from school or work for 14 days upon their return. UNBC departments such as Human Resources, Safety and Security, and International, will reach out to affected students, faculty and staff to provide guidance. In addition, the University is going to temporarily discontinue approval of all new university-sponsored outbound international travel. For those with already approved international travel plans that have not yet occurred, the university strongly discourages the continuance of that travel. The safety office and supervisor will work with those identified to ensure an informed decision is made.

As for domestic travel, again, we strongly encourage that you cancel all non-essential travel. Please review our website for more information and links to items such as current travel advisories.

Course delivery

As of today, UNBC continues to offer in-person courses at all our campuses. However, our academic leadership will work with program chairs, faculty and the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology to investigate options for moving course content to an online platform. More details will be provided in the coming days, including information on how we support faculty in this process, and how we support students who are unable to access online delivery for any number of reasons.

Gatherings and events

Yesterday the Provincial Health Officer also announced that event organizers are to cancel events or gatherings larger than 250 people. Fortunately, we have no planned events of that size that we know of until Convocation, but we are looking at that event and developing contingencies for a worst-case scenario.

Health and wellness

We can all contribute to helping prevent the spread of this disease:

• Pay close attention to advice coming from public health agencies.
• As outlined in BC Centre for Disease Control guidelines, wash your hands regularly.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough, and cough into your elbow.
• Avoid traditional greetings, such as handshakes or hugs.
• Practice social distancing – keep your distance from other people when practical.
• Those with pre-existing medical conditions should work with their supervisor and human resources to develop plans.
• For our employees, we are preparing more information regarding sick time, working from home and other measures, and will circulate that in the coming days.

In closing, I ask that as a community we come together to support the institution’s response. If you see an area you can provide expertise or help, offer it. If you have questions, reach out to your supervisor who can collect them and send them on to our coordinating committee. Perhaps, most importantly, I ask that we be patient and kind during what is a stressful situation. Some units are taxed right now, and may not respond to questions or requests as quickly as normal. As always, advice, suggestions and constructive feedback are always welcome!

Thank you again for all your hard work.

Geoff Payne
Interim President and Vice-Chancellor