Good afternoon,

I hope you had some time over the weekend to relax and perhaps spend some time, even if only virtually, with those who are important to you. I have been contacted by many within our University community – students, staff and faculty – who say they feel connected through my updates. I recognize that these are challenging times but know we are all here for each other.  Dr. Henry’s message today was similar to her last many updates – stay home, practice physical distancing if you must go out for critical errands, and help us flatten the curve!

In today’s update:

• Upcoming Student Life Events
• A Request from the CTLT

Upcoming Student Life Events

The Student Life team is helping co-ordinate a wide range of online activities for students looking for a break. From trivia and yoga to healthy meal-prep and social media student takeovers, there’s something for everybody, all taking place in digital environments that help reinforce the importance of physical distancing. Follow the Student Life Instagram and Facebook feeds for details, or visit UNBC Events (we’ll promote the events on our main UNBC social channels as well).

A Request from the CTLT

The response from our faculty in moving to alternative modes of course delivery has been outstanding to date. As we move through the semester, we move closer to our new reality of the exam period. The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology issued a request earlier today for faculty to support preparations for alternative modes of assessment, which I thought I would echo here.

The CTLT is asking instructors for their plans for final assessments. Are you planning a scheduled exam online or an alternative method? The Office of the Registrar and Academic Success Centre need this information to support student success. And, as remarkable as the CTLT team has been throughout this situation, they are human, so will need 72 hours to help with online exam creation. Please send the course name, CRN and your choice of final assessment to scheduling@unbc.ca by April 3.

The CTLT team has also updated their website with useful resources; my sincere thanks to the CTLT team for continuously hitting it out of the park!

Over the coming days we will add to our attention the coming months at the University, including supporting the May semester and convocation.

As always questions can be sent to unbccommand@unbc.ca. We’ll keep updating our Coronavirus (COVID-19) website, and you can always follow UNBC’s official social media channels for information and updates.

Thank you!

Geoff Payne
UNBC Interim President and Vice-Chancellor