We are publishing regular updates on the situation facing Canada’s universities with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Editor’s note: please check back regularly for more updates.

September 18, 2020

Outbreak at Western grows to 28 cases

Western University says a total of 28 students have now tested positive for COVID-19. That’s a steep rise in cases since Monday, when 5 students were reported to have tested positive. (See our update published on September 14.) All but one of these students live off campus. The student in campus housing is self-isolating in residence. Shortly after noon on Thursday, Western president Alan Shepard announced that the university has cancelled “non-academic activities” on campus, such as athletics, in response to this spike. On-campus courses will continue as planned. An estimated 25 percent of Western classes are taking place face-to-face.

That same day, the president released a direct appeal to students to follow common COVID-19 safety measures (don’t attend house parties, wear a mask inside and outside, stay home if you’re sick, etc.) or risk jeopardizing the hybrid course-delivery model. He also listed several potential side effects of COVID-19 in young people: “[T]wo of our key student health leaders – Dr. Sidney Siu and Dr. Sonya Malone – have told me how this virus can have significant medical consequences, even for young, healthy adults. Permanent lung injury, neurological damage such as long-term cognitive impairment or stroke, and cardiac disease such as heart failure. These can happen to young people as a result of COVID-19.”

The London Free Press has been closely following the outbreak. One story details the events that helped the virus spread, including clubbing, working out at a gym together, playing basketball in a group, attending a house party, sharing drinks, e-cigarettes and rides. The story is based on a visualization of the outbreak prepared by the Middlesex London Health Unit.

How does #COVID19 spread? Check out this visualization of a #WesternU student outbreak. Every day interactions like sharing car rides, playing basketball, watching sports/TV and meeting up with friends can spread this virus. It’s not just parties. #LdnOnt #TakeCareWesternU /1 pic.twitter.com/wfFCadLa8m — MLHealthUnit (@MLHealthUnit) September 18, 2020



On Thursday, Free Press reporters gathered reactions to the outbreak from students on campus. More than one student said the spread of COVID-19 their demographic was “inevitable” with the return of students to the campus town. “Coming here, I knew it was a risk to be taken. I knew there would be people getting COVID and spreading it. It’s kind of inevitable at this point.”

Ken Steele also published a timeline of the outbreak in today’s Eduvation Insider blog.

COVID-19 cases associated with student and staff at Brock , McMaster and U of Ottawa

Brock University says a student living off campus has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has not visited campus and is self-isolating.

McMaster University was notified by the local health authority on September 12 that a university employee had tested positive. The institution said that staff member was last on campus on September 8 and any affected areas have been thoroughly cleaned. Earlier in the month, the university reported that a graduate student tested positive (see our September 2 update).

An employee at the University of Ottawa has tested positive for COVID-19. CTV News reports that the employee had worked in the university’s Tabaret Hall within a week of the positive test result. Tabaret Hall houses central administrative offices including the registrar, admissions and financial services as well as administration for the faculty of social science. According to U of Ottawa’s case tracker, 12 active cases of COVID-19 have been traced to individuals who have been on campus within the last 14 days.

City opens COVID-19 testing site at Queen’s

Kingston Health Sciences Centre has teamed up with Queen’s University to open an assessment centre on campus. Located in Mitchell Hall, the campus centre is open to Queen’s students. It’s intended to ease traffic at other community assessment centres and has the capacity to test 50 to 60 people every weekday.

BHER launches work-integrated- l earning program focused on post-pandemic comeback

The Business + Higher Education Roundtable has developed the Comeback Challenge, a competition that will create up to 10,000 work-integrated learning opportunities for postsecondary students and new grads. With support from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry, BHER is setting up an online competition in which student teams will work together and with professionals on pitching solutions to “real-world problems facing employers in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Participating students will compete for a chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of Canadian leaders, receive mentorship from experienced professionals, and gain exposure to unique challenges in different sectors.”

The Comeback Challenge grew out of a need for new student placement options.

Quebec cancels fall university football, rugby seasons

Quebec’s network for student athletics, RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec), has finally decided to cancel university-level sports programs until the end of 2020. In a statement, RSEQ said its members came to this decision “based primarily on the [province’s] regional alert system, which may limit the participation of universities, even if said institutions effectively manage health-and-safety best practices.” The network will, however, allow “activities involving at least two different teams” in cross-country, golf and soccer. “However, due to universities level of risk management, no inter-team activities will be permitted in football and rugby,” the network added.

RSEQ should have a decision on winter-term leagues by October 15.

Chem prof calls COVID-19 “fake emergency” in syllabus

Michael Palmer, a faculty member in the chemistry department at the University of Waterloo, called the pandemic a “fake emergency” in the syllabus for a fourth-year course. He made the statement under the section “evaluation” while explaining to students why exams have been cancelled for the fall term. The syllabus was posted to Reddit. The university told media that it supports faculty’s right to freedom of expression, though it doesn’t agree with Dr. Palmer’s comment.

“Our response to the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be based on the best available advice from public health officials.”

According to the CBC, this isn’t the first time Dr. Palmer has called the COVID-19 pandemic fake. This summer, he accidentally sent an email to his entire faculty calling the health crisis a “faked-up scare.” The dean of science responded to the email saying he was “disappointed by the tone.”

U of Guelph goes cashless

Cash is no longer king on the University of Guelph campus. From now on, the university will only accept debit, credit, and ID cards for payment at food outlets, the library, the bookstore, parking and other stores in the university centre. U of Guelph says it made the decision as an “extra layer of safety and security during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

COVID-19 p uts disability rights at risk: Human Rights Commission

The pandemic has disproportionately affected the financial, emotional and physical health of disabled people, says the Canadian Human Rights Commission. In a statement released this week, CHRC urged the federal government to include Canadians with disabilities in their discussions about the next phase of pandemic recovery and public health protocol, and to offer targeted financial relief for this population. The commission points to several issues that create new barriers and risks for people with disabilities, particularly for those with visual impairments who “must rely on touching non-sanitized objects and surfaces,” or for those who rely on lip reading.

“We are asking Canada to incorporate the diverse voices and lived experience of people with disabilities, their families and caregivers into the difficult decisions that are being made during this unprecedented time. All responses and recovery efforts must be intersectional and inclusive of the diverse needs of all people with disabilities.”

September 16, 2020

U of Windsor student tests positive for COVID-19

The University of Windsor announced yesterday that a student living off campus had tested positive for COVID-19. The student is self-isolating at home and did not attend classes on campus. It’s the first case identified among the student population at U of Windsor. The local health unit has not traced any exposure back to campus. In a press release, university president Rob Gordon extended “sincere wishes for a quick recovery to the affected student.”

More cases among Western students

Two more cases of COVID-19 have been reported among Western University’s student population, bringing the total to 7. The local health authority says the two cases are not related to the community outbreak we reported on in Monday’s updated.

The London Free Press is also reporting that Western “is not ruling out using its enhanced code of conduct to discipline students who break COVID-19 public health regulations at off-campus gatherings, penalties that could include expulsion.” The university recently expanded the scope of its student code of conduct to allow for disciplinary measures to be taken against students who contravene the policy off campus. In an interview with the newspaper, Jennifer Massey, Western’s vice-president of student experience, said that “If there is a complaint filed under the code, we’ll review that complaint carefully and we’ll have conversations, if necessary, and implement sanctions where appropriate.”

NSERC releases guidelines for explaining how the pandemic has impacted research

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council has released a new set of guidelines to help applicants explain to reviewers how the pandemic has adversely affected research and training activities. NSERC says it prepared these guidelines as a way of recognizing that researchers will experience the impacts of the global health crisis differently based on their unique situations.

“NSERC recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting researchers’ and students’ capacity to conduct their regular research and training activities. NSERC also recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exacerbate inequities in the natural sciences and engineering research community. Certain identity factors are associated with greater impacts for some members of the research community (e.g., gender, race, Indigenous identity, geographic location, rurality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, career stage, family responsibilities, etc.).”

📣

⚠️ NEW #guidelines for the #NSERC community. ⚠️

RE: impacts of the #COVID19 pandemic on #research. Guidance on how to describe the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in an NSERC application. Details ▶️ https://t.co/Jj9cjB2S0M pic.twitter.com/sLuqsshkKY — NSERC / CRSNG (@NSERC_CRSNG) September 14, 2020

September 14, 2020

Local health unit declares outbreak after 5 Western students test positive for COVID-19

Western University confirmed that five students have tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. The students live off campus and as of this writing, no on-campus exposure has been found by the Middlesex-London Health Unit or the university, which is helping to conduct contact tracing. However, the students visited downtown bars and restaurants, and had interacted with other student households. The MLHU has declared a community outbreak on Sunday and said it anticipates more cases will come to light in the next few days.

In a media release, Jennifer Massey, Western’s associate vice-president of student experience, confirmed the university’s intention to continue with some limited in-person classes, but noted that this could only happen if students adhere to public health measures.

“We know our students value the opportunity to be on campus and have some in-class experiences – and for this to continue to happen, everyone must play a role in keeping themselves and the community safe by following public health guidelines,” she said. “We know students want to be together and socialize, and we strongly encourage them to avoid parties and large gatherings and ensure their social circles include a maximum of 10 people.”

The news of the community outbreak came a couple days after Western opened a mobile testing centre on campus.

Starting today, #Westernu students, faculty and staff can get a #COVID19 test without an appointment at Western’s new COVID-19 Testing Trailer Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and this Saturday only. It is located in the Social Science Centre parking lot. #ldnont pic.twitter.com/6af7xiclx8 — Western University (@WesternU) September 11, 2020

The CBC spoke with students waiting in line at another testing centre in town. One of the students interviewed had been to a bar identified by the public health unit. “I’m worried, but at the end of the day, I mean, we should have been more careful,” said Mia, a Western student from Windsor. “Everyone was so excited to go back and you do feel a sense of being invincible. And then something like this really just snaps you right out of it.”

Université Sainte-Anne expels student for failing to self-isolate

The small francophone university in Church Point, Nova Scotia, has expelled a student for contravening the institution’s COVID-19 Code of Conduct, its student code of conduct and public health measures. Both require students from outside the Atlantic provinces to self-isolate for 14 days once they have arrived in the Atlantic Bubble. The university says that the student in question endangered the health and safety of others by not properly self-isolating. In a public announcement released Friday, the university said that it’s important for community members to follow public health orders on hand hygiene and physical distancing, but also to show empathy during this difficult period.

“Université Sainte-Anne wishes to remind everyone that we are experiencing a time of crisis. There are numerous stress factors, and everyone reacts differently to triggering events. We can all actively choose to be understanding and compassionate in these challenging times.”

Police in the Atlantic provinces have been handing out large fines to students who are not self-isolating properly.

Student parties make headlines

Western might be the first Canadian university to be associated with a COVID-19 outbreak this fall and U Sainte-Anne the first Canadian university to expel a student under a COVID-19 code of conduct, but if recent news coverage of student parties is any indication, they won’t be the last institution to face these challenges.

So far, local and national news outlets have reported on unsafe student parties at Trent University, Dalhousie University,the University of Victoria and Queen’s University, among others.

COVID-19 case in Carleton’s campus housing

A student living in residence at Carleton University has tested positive for COVID-19. On Saturday, the university said that this is not a case of community transmission. The student is self-isolating and the university is performing a “deep disinfection cleaning” to areas in the affected residence complex.

Students at StFX get green bracelets to mark end of isolation

St. Fracis Xavier University has devised a way to identify students who have either come to campus from within the Atlantic Bubble or who have finished their self-isolation periods. Students and staff must be wearing the bracelets in order to access academic buildings on campus.

According to the CBC, “students will be issued a green wristband once they have submitted a signed waiver, signed the university’s student community protocols, completed the isolation period and pass a general COVID-19 screening questionnaire at the time they go to get their bracelet.”

The CBC also reports that an estimated 3,200 postsecondary students have arrived in Nova Scotia and 6,000 tests have been completed. Each student from outside the Atlantic bubble is required to do three COVID tests during their 14-day quarantine.

September 11, 2020

Some preliminary enrolment numbers

As the first week of classes comes to an end at most universities in Canada today, here’s a snapshot of how fall enrolment numbers are looking so far:

Preliminary numbers at the University of Regina reflect a modest increase of 1.7 percent compared to this time last year (that’s 16,754 students, up from 16,468). U of R identifies COVID-19 as the reason for a slight decline in new domestic student enrolment and a 50 percent decrease in international student enrolment this fall. “These reductions were largely offset by increases in continuing students, leaving us with approximately three percent overall growth in domestic students and an approximately four percent overall decrease in international students.”

The University of Manitoba reports that part-time enrolment is up 18.2 percent this term, with 4,828 students registered this year, up from 4,084 in 2019. Full-time enrolment is only slightly up – by 1.4 percent (26,060 students in 2020 compared to 25,709 students in 2019). The university says undergraduate enrolment is up 4.2 percent, to 26,679 students, graduate enrolment is up by 1.1 percent, and international enrolment is up 7.5 percent (from 5,811 students in fall 2019 to 6,249 students).

Manitoba’s Canadian Mennonite University, one of the few universities in the country running a fall term of in-person classes, says total enrolment sits at 617 students. Enrolment (both undergraduate and graduate) is down 1.9 percent at the Shaftesbury campus. CMU is also reporting lower than usual first-year numbers – down by 20 percent – which the university attributes to a significant loss of international students. It’s worth noting that 152 students are living on campus and, though the university is offering all courses face-to-face, some eight percent of students are attending classes online.

Enrolment at the University of Saskatchewan is “on track to be the highest on record” for the institution, according to a report by Global News. Overall student enrolment has increased by two percent since fall 2019.

Mount Royal University says its enrolment is up 1.4 percent from last year. Nearly 15,000 students are pursuing undergraduate degrees so far this fall, with more registered in the university’s diploma and continuing education programs.

CBC has reported that Memorial University has 500 more students enrolled at the university this fall than at the start of fall 2019. The university is still projecting an $11-million loss due in large part to a decrease in international student enrolment.

Although Ryerson University hasn’t widely released its numbers yet, the Toronto Star reports an overall increase of four percent for undergraduate enrolment for the institution. Ryerson has, however, published a news release announcing a huge spike in enrolment at its Chang School of Continuing Education. Enrolment grew by 51 percent for fall courses, which are being delivered entirely online.

A Global News article reports that enrolment “appears to be up” at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. (The article also notes that the Ontario Universities Application Centre website has seen 107,001 prospective students accept offers of admission, up from 104,635 last year.)

Official enrolment numbers are typically released later in the fall.

Granting councils will accept unofficial transcripts for some fall 2020 competitions

The pandemic has created a backlog for transcript requests at several universities. With fall scholarship and fellowship competition season here, the three granting councils – the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (known collectively as the “tri-council”) – will accept unofficial transcripts as part of application packages this year.

“Applicants should contact their faculty of graduate studies to determine whether an official transcript can be provided. Submission of an application will continue to serve as a formal attestation that the applicant has provided true, complete, and accurate information in the application and its related documents.”

Tri-council releases statement on ethical research involving humans (TCPS 2) during pandemic

The tri-council’s Panel on Research Ethics, the Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research has published new interpretations to support researchers using the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, TCPS 2 (2018) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The “COVID-19 interpretations” clarify the additional risks that the pandemic brings to research involving human participants, how researchers should address these risks in their applications to and consent forms for ethics review boards, and what research ethics boards should consider while assessing applications during the current health crisis.

September 9, 2020

With no update posted this past Monday due to the Labour Day weekend, we’ve got a lot of COVID-related news to catch up on today.

Quebec earmarks $375M for postsecondary students

Late last month, Quebec’s minister for higher education, Danielle McCann, announced $375 million in financial support for the province’s postsecondary students. About $300 million will go to a financial aid program, which includes a one-time boost of $200 million for the 2020-21 year in recognition of the hardships posed by the pandemic. The government says the new funding envelope will help cover the cost of materials such as new technology and an internet connection for online learning. Some $75 million will be dedicated to direct support to students in the form of rapid financial aid as well as academic and psychosocial supports during the pandemic. The province estimates that these changes will make financial aid accessible to more than 20,000 new student applicants.

McMaster partners with Air Canada for study on international travellers

McMaster Health Labs, Air Canada, and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority have teamed up to study the effectiveness of various quarantine periods for travellers coming through Pearson International Airport.

“Our study will provide data to help determine if an airport-based COVID-19 surveillance program is feasible, whether self-collection of COVID-19 testing is effective, and to explore options regarding the 14-day quarantine for international travel,” said John Gilmour, MHL’s chief executive officer, in a press release. Researchers are looking for “the number and percentage of arriving international travellers who test positive for COVID-19 during the federal government’s quarantine period” with the goal of providing advice to policymakers on how to ease or adapt the current restrictions in place for international travellers.

Starting September 3, study participants arriving at Pearson’s Terminal 1 will volunteer samples before leaving the airport, and will provide two more to researchers on day seven and day 14 of their quarantine period.

The study is co-directed by Vivek Goel from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and Marek Smieja from the department of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University. In an interview with the CBC, Dr. Smieja noted that the 14-day quarantine was put into place soon after the pandemic was declared, when very little was known about COVID-19. “Today, we know an awful lot more about this disease, we have excellent lab tests to help guide us, and we think it’s a good time to ask the question: do we need a long quarantine?” he said.

(The postsecondary sector, for one, should be very interested in the results of any review of travel restrictions: international students contribute millions of dollars to postsecondary institutions and their absence on campuses this fall is widely felt.)

Student in N.S. fined for failing to self-isolate

It’s not just the federal government that has mandated quarantine periods for travellers. The Atlantic provinces require anyone entering the “Atlantic bubble” from outside of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in the region. Universities in these provinces have made it clear that students coming to campus from outside Atlantic Canada must follow this policy. And now we’re seeing the consequences for those who don’t: the RCMP has fined a university student in Antigonish, N.S., $1,000 for failing to self-isolate.

Ontario folds performance-based funding announcement into back-to-school message

The Government of Ontario officially welcomed postsecondary students back to class for the fall term and thanked postsecondary institutions for their cooperation in safety planning and in sector-wide consultations over the summer. At the end of this welcome back message, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities noted that it would be delaying plans for a performance-based funding model for two more years. The plan was initially shelved this spring due to the pandemic (see May 7 update).

“To support postsecondary excellence and accountability, Ontario remains committed to moving ahead with performance-based funding. In response to COVID-19, the government is delaying the activation of performance-based funding for up to two years to provide financial stability and predictability to Ontario’s publicly funded colleges and universities.”

Some student athletes return to training under new safety rules

The University of Guelph is one school that’s welcoming student athletes back to campus for training. However, the Gryphons varsity teams will be practicing under some different conditions this year, including outdoor-only sessions, strict limits on the number of people who can participate and less contact.

The training sessions at Guelph are all in the hopes that Ontario University Athletics and other collegiate sports leagues will reinstate some variation of their leagues this academic year. Indeed, many provincial and national collegiate sports leagues in Canada have cancelled their seasons out of respect for COVID-19 safety measures, but not all. Le Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), has said its member institutions will likely resume local league play as of September 14, the start date set by the province. Last week, the network published a guide for managing a return to university-level game play during COVID-19 [PDF] (a second guide geared towards both colleges and universities was released simultaneously). La Tribune reports that 10 doctors helped develop the documents in line with public health policies and guidelines.

UAlberta prof offers tips for breathing easier in a face mask

Many of us have had about six months to get accustomed to wearing face masks out in public, but not all of us have taken to the new face coverings like ducks to water. Respirologist Christopher Ewing, a faculty member in the medical school at the University of Alberta, offered some tips to Folio for breathing a little easier while wearing a mask – plus, how to get your kids to keep them on!

Concordia introduces social distancing circles for outdoor spaces

Concordia University has launched a pilot project that will allow staff, faculty and students to book green space for outdoor meetings for four to 17 people. Six outdoor meeting spaces have been prepared with social distancing circles (which look suspiciously like hula hoops) to encourage appropriate physical distancing during gatherings.

September 4, 2020

COVID-19 case at U of Calgary facility

The University of Calgary has confirmed a case of COVID-19 in one of its facilities. According to the U of Calgary’s COVID-19 dashboard, the case has been tied to the SMART Technologies building at the university’s research park near the main campus. Exposure would’ve occurred four to seven days ago.

CAUT tracks back-to-school plans

The Canadian Association of University Teachers is tracking fall course-delivery plans in a publicly available spreadsheet. The database lists the plans of more than 110 institutions, and includes public and private universities and colleges. In a press release, CAUT noted that 55 percent of the institutions they’re tracking will mostly deliver courses online with some in-person options, 25 percent have opted for a hybrid or blended model, 16 percent are only offering online courses and two percent are offering courses primarily in person.

Redeemer and CMU release return-to-campus frameworks

Both Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ontario, and Winnipeg’s Canadian Mennonite University are both offering hybrid courses that prioritize face-to-face learning this fall. To give students and staff an overview and guidance for returning to campus, the small, faith-based institutions recently released detailed plans for the academic year.

Redeemer’s plan is founded on “Redeemer CARES,” which stands for clean, assess, respect, educate, support. It also outlines some of the safety measures the institution has adopted, including the addition of hand-washing stations around campus, a new UV air filtration system, a nurse hired to handle COVID-19 assessment and case tracking, and personal protective equipment, such as face masks and face shields, for each student and employee. A Global News report notes that nearly 360 students live in on campus in townhouse units. During the pandemic, each townhouse unit is considered a “bubble of eight.”

The CMU document stipulates that by registering for courses or agreeing to work at the university during the pandemic, students and staff automatically agree to “practice the principles, and protocols outlined in this ‘Education and Operational Framework for 2020-21.’” It outlines expectations regarding self-assessments, physical distancing, masking, hygiene, self-isolation if a case is detected, and more. The document also notes that each course has a continuity plan listed on its syllabus should a student no longer be able to attend in person, or if public health requires the university to close campus.

U of T faculty and librarians fundraise for financially vulnerable co-workers

University of Toronto faculty and librarians have raised $66,000 to help “part-time, contingent, seasonal and sub-contracted campus staff” who have been financially affected by the pandemic. Through the U of T Faculty and Librarians Solidarity Fund, employees are aiming to raise a total of $350,000 for staff who may not qualify for other aid packages or “whose hardships may have been compounded by the long-term impacts of systemic racism or sexism in society.”

“These are the people who make the university function on a day-to-day basis and facilitate campus life – they clean our buildings, make and serve food, attend to parking and make sure that everyday life on campus functions and works,” said Michelle Buckley, an associate professor in the department of human geography at U of T Scarborough and a fund co-founder. “Their work is absolutely vital to the operation of the university.”

She told U of T News that more than 120 people contributed $60,000 to the fund in its first week.

COVID testing centre opens at SMU

Saint Mary’s University in Halifax is now home to a COVID-19 testing centre. Nova Scotia Health is operating the clinic out of the university’s Homburg Centre for Health and Wellness. In a news release, the university says that it has worked closely with the health authority to “ensure that the testing centre is secure and appropriately spaced from campus activities.”

Residence move-in

Residence move-in usually makes some appearance in local news coverage each fall, but “in these unprecedented times” you can expect to see much ink and many pixels spent reporting on this fall’s return to campus housing. Media outlets in markets big and small have already produced some version of this story. Here are just a few:

Queen’s University is moving 400 students in at a time for a total of 2,000 this year (about half of what they’d usually house).

At the University of Lethbridge, 294 students will move in over the course of a week. Students are given 90 minutes to move in and are allowed one guest to help.

Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, is welcoming some 400 students in residence. Move-in is happening floor by floor and students will have two hours and two people to help. Residence halls each have “a designated self-isolation space in the event of a positive cases” and a specific hall has been designated a quarantine location for international students entering the country.

The University of Calgary’s on-campus housing is at less than half of its usual occupancy. The CBC says the university has organized a sort of drive-through setup for the 900 students moving to campus

Western University will see 70 percent occupancy, with 3,800 students moving to campus housing.

Something nice: Research kits for lab-based courses

Instructors for lab-based classes are getting more and more creative with their work-arounds for this school year of mostly remote learning.

The 70 students in Michael Naish’s second-year mechatronics systems engineering course at Western University will be getting custom-made robot kits as part of their course materials this January. And at the University of Guelph, some students in the department of integrative biology will be provided with field kits for sampling and testing freshwater from streams.

September 2, 2020

U Sainte-Anne to reopen today after COVID-19 case on campus deemed low risk

Université Sainte-Anne’s campus in Church Point, Nova Scotia, is set to reopen today after a student tested positive for COVID-19 this past weekend. The province specifically mentioned the university case in a statement released on August 31 alerting the public to two new cases and two probable cases of COVID-19. On September 1, the province added that the student in the U Sainte-Anne case “did not properly self-isolate” and the health authority was in the process of tracking down close contacts. (The two probable cases involved a student at Dalhousie University and a student at Acadia University. Both students received “indeterminate” test results and have been self-isolating since they arrived in the Atlantic region.)

Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, Robert Strang, noted in yesterday’s press release that the case at U Sainte-Anne underlines the value of the testing strategy that the province put in place on August 20 for postsecondary students coming from outside the Atlantic bubble (see our update published on August 21 for more information on the strategy). “It’s helping us detect and manage cases early,” he said. “The testing strategy does not replace the need to follow other public health measures. The combination of testing, self-isolating and digital check-ins will help to ensure the safety of all students, faculty and staff, and their neighbouring communities.”

In a statement sent out on September 1, the university said its Church Point campus had been given the green light to reopen following a determination that the student was at low risk of transmitting the disease to others.

Yukon U temporarily shuts down campus

Yukon University has closed its Ayamdigut campus in Whitehorse for 48 hours after learning from the territory’s COVID-19 compliance officers that two students in campus housing failed to self-isolate for 14 days as instructed by the government when they entered the territory. Although the risk of infection is low, the university has restricted access to the campus until Friday while contact tracing takes place.

The shut-down was announced on the first day of fall term – Yukon U’s first fall term as a university. With most of the term taking place online, the university has temporarily adapted campus spaces, including the cafeteria, to house student services.

McMaster confirms COVID-19 case

On Monday, McMaster University posted a message about a confirmed case of COVID-19 on campus. The case involves a graduate student and the university noted that “all areas where the student was on campus have been thoroughly cleaned and are open for normal operations.”

McMaster requires all faculty and staff members coming to campus to participate in an online training on COVID-19 safety and preparedness, and to complete “a COVID screening tool” any time they visit university facilities.

CanCOVID network wins millions in federal funding

CanCOVID, a transdisciplinary research and policy network co-founded by Canada’s chief science officer Mona Nemer this spring, has been awarded $1.25 million by the Government of Canada. (See the April 2 update below for more on CanCOVID.)

The network now counts more than 2,300 members – researchers, clinicians, policy advisors and others – who collaborate digitally in research and development areas related to the pandemic to advise policymakers as well as frontline workers. According to a press release from the network, this new investment will help to “establish thematic research networks, based on priorities developed in collaboration with the government” as well as the development of “partnerships with other networks such as the COVID19Resources platform and the Rapid Evidence Access Link (REAL) network, which both also originated as a COVID-19 response effort.”

The network also announced new leadership. Its secretariat will be led by academic and managing director Julia Zarb, an expert in health informatics, and scientific advisor Vivek Goel, a public health physician who recently stepped down as vice-president, research, at the University of Toronto in order to lead that institution’s pandemic response. The secretariat will be based out of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T, where both work as faculty members.

Something nice: U of Guelph’s O-Week boxes

Convocation-in-a-box was the first university milestone to be made mail-friendly during the pandemic. Now its orientation’s turn. The University of Guelph has prepared Guelph O-Week boxes for all new students. They include tea, an ebook link to this year’s Gryphons Read selection (Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai) and other “U of G-themed goodies, necessities and keepsakes” that have been packaged in a keepsake box bearing the university’s official colours.

“We think students are going to love these boxes,” said Rosanna Beattie, coordinator of orientation programs. “We know this is an unusual year and while we can’t meet each student face-to-face on campus, we wanted to provide them with a tangible welcome and introduction to the Gryphon family.”

August 28, 2020

New measures on work permit eligibility for international students

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced new measures on Wednesday to add more flexibility to post-graduation work permit eligibility for international students beginning their programs online from abroad. Three changes are being introduced:

Students may now study online from abroad until April 30, 2021, with no time deducted from the length of a future post-graduation work permit, provided 50 percent of their program of study is eventually completed in Canada.

Students who have enrolled in a program that is between 8 and 12 months in length, with a start date from May to September 2020, will be able to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.

Students who have enrolled in a program with a start date from May to September 2020 and study online up to April 30, 2021, and who graduate from more than one eligible program of study, may be able to combine the length of their programs of study when they apply for a post-graduation work permit in the future, as long as 50 percent of their total studies are completed in Canada.

Today IRCC announced changes that are being implemented to provide more flexibility on eligibility rules for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program for students who start their Canadian study program online from abroad. THREAD pic.twitter.com/W14yHq7vdg — IRCC (@CitImmCanada) August 26, 2020

To be eligible for these measures, IRCC said students must have submitted a study permit application before starting a program of study in the spring, summer or fall 2020 semester, or the January 2021 semester. “All students must eventually be approved for a study permit,” it stated, adding that the easing of COVID-19 related restrictions will depend on the progress made in Canada and around the world in containing the spread of the coronavirus.

The website The Pie News notes that IRCC has introduced a range of measures in recent months aimed at supporting international students affected by the pandemic, from fast-track processing and a temporary two-stage process to accepting incomplete applications for study permits and post-graduation work permits.

U of Ottawa to open on-campus COVID-19 testing centre

The University of Ottawa announced yesterday that it will be the first university in Ontario to open its own on-campus COVID-19 assessment centre. For now, the centre will only be open to students, staff and faculty members of the university. “Having an on-campus testing facility will support people working and learning on campus and will ensure they have all the tools and resources they need to stay safe,” says University of Ottawa president Jacques Frémont.

The university says it expects to welcome back in September about two-thirds of its researchers, approximately 5,000 students who are enrolled in courses that have in-person learning requirements, as well as a small number of faculty members and staff. “Once the centre is up and running at full capacity, the hope is that the uOttawa assessment centre will also help lighten the load carried by other testing facilities in the city,” says Dr. Frémont.

The testing centre is a collaboration between the university and The Ottawa Hospital. It is projected to open in early September and will remain open for six months, with a possible extension depending on community need.

Don’t party, students are warned

Meanwhile, the mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, is urging university students to be “responsible and thoughtful” as they return to the city for the new academic year by avoiding large social gatherings that could act as a “petri dish” to spread COVID-19. “This is not the year to have keg parties with 100 of your closest friends,” said Mr. Watson in an interview with CTV News.

That message was echoed by Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Referencing the situation in the U.S., where large off-campus gatherings have led to subsequent COVID-19 outbreaks at numerous colleges and universities, he called it a “terrible example” for students to follow. He added, “you can party after,” once the pandemic is ended.

August 26, 2020

First COVID-19 case at Mount Allison Mount Allison University announced yesterday on Facebook that it was informed by New Brunswick Public Health of “a positive case for COVID-19 in our campus community.” There was no mention of whether the individual is a student; the public health department says simply that the case “is travel-related and the individual has been in self-isolation since their arrival in New Brunswick.” Public health says it believes the case poses a low risk to the campus community. The university says no other details will be released at this time “to respect confidentiality.” Like most universities, Mount Allison is offering a combination of online and in-person classes for the upcoming academic year. It has organized a phased three-week move-in period for students from August 14 to September 7. All students travelling from outside of the four Atlantic provinces must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. The university has prepared a 30-page COVID-19 guide for students explaining in detail its preparations for the new academic year. Meanwhile, the situation worsens in the U.S. As the start of the fall term approaches in Canada, university administrators here must be keeping a wary eye on the deteriorating situation south of the border. According to the New York Times, there have been at least 26,000 cases of COVID-19 at more than 750 U.S. colleges and universities since the start of the pandemic. Most of these cases have occurred since the beginning of August as students begin to return to campuses. Among the worst hit is the University of Alabama system, which has recorded 566 positive cases since August 19, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard. The university’s student newspaper, the Crimson White, reports on the chaos this is creating as some students are forced to leave their dorms so that the rooms can be converted into COVID-19 isolation facilities. Iowa State University has reported 130 cases in the week since courses started. The University of Missouri currently has 159 active cases since August 19. Auburn University has seen over 200 cases this week alone. The University of Miami reported 141 after the first week of class, and the University of Kentucky has seen 250 cases so far. (The latter three were included in this report from Inside Higher Ed.) The list goes on and on … The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill made national headlines when it announced on August 17, just days after in-person classes began, that it would revert to fully online instruction for undergraduates after 177 coronavirus cases were confirmed. The university has now seen at least 635 positive cases since August 10, according to its dashboard, including a cluster of 152 cases in a single residence. On August 18, Notre Dame University followed UNC’s lead and cancelled in-person instruction for at least two weeks to slow the spread of the disease. The university currently reports 471 positive cases since August 3. Something nice: Trent U provides 500 laptops to students Trent University announced last Friday that it will be providing 500 Chromebooks to students who may not otherwise have the financial or technological resources to fully participate in remote learning this fall. The university has raised $270,000 from donors for what it’s calling the Remote Learning Initiative. Speaking to Global News, Sherry Booth, director of philanthropy at Trent, said “not having the correct technology can directly translate to not having access to a quality education.” She also said the Trent program is unique because, unlike similar initiatives where institutions loan laptops to students, the Chromebooks will be a permanent gift.

August 21, 2020

International students face an uncertain fall term

With the new academic year fast approaching, “Canadian colleges and universities have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to find a path forward for international students seeking to study here,” writes Pierre Cyr, vice-president of public affairs at the communications firm FleishmanHillard HighRoad, in an op-ed published August 19 in The Hill Times (subscription required). But, he warns, changes in policy by the federal government have created much ambiguity, with the result that international students “still do not know if they can come to Canada in a couple of weeks to start their studies.”

The federal government, he explains, had originally left it to the provinces and territories to determine whether each college and university had a sufficient plan in place to quarantine and support arriving students. However, the government has since changed its approach and is now asking postsecondary institutions to submit their plans for approval by local health authorities, provincial public health officers, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. “Anybody who understands the pace of government knows that it will take nothing short of a miracle for plans to be approved in time for September,” he writes. “In addition, once successful in navigating this complexity, colleges and universities are still uncertain as to how the approval from the federal government will be provided.”

Noting that international students contributed $22 billion last year to the Canadian economy, Mr. Cyr says that if this issue is not resolved urgently, “thousands of layoffs will soon occur at Canadian colleges and universities, and the impacts on and off campuses throughout the country will be felt for decades to come.”

Joseph Wong, University of Toronto’s interim vice-president, international, hints at a further source of ambiguity for international students in a Q&A posted on the university’s website. The federal government requires that students have a “non-discretionary reason” to enter the country, and Dr. Wong is asked, how is this determined? He replies: “Right now, it’s going to come down to Canada Border Services agents to decide” (emphasis added). To minimize the possibility of a student being turned away, he says U of T is providing letters for international students that specify that they do have a non-discretionary reason to be in Canada, i.e., studying or conducting research in person on campus. “Students should contact their registrar to obtain a personalized letter of support and make sure they have this letter, as well as a confirmation of enrolment, with them when they arrive at the border,” he says.

Addressing the need for international students to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival, Dr. Wong says they must have a plan ready before they arrive. This should be done through the ArriveCAN app, he says, which asks where the student is going to stay, how they’re going to get there, how they will isolate, who’s going to get their food, and so on. The university is offering a quarantine accommodation plan to newly arriving international students, which includes transportation from the airport, a private room, three meals a day and other supports. International students make up nearly a quarter of the student population at U of T.

New Institute for Pandemics

Speaking of U of T, the university announced on Wednesday that it is launching a new Institute for Pandemics in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. The institute’s aim is “to help the world prepare better, fight smarter and recover faster from crises caused by communicable diseases.” The founding director of the institute is the school’s dean, Steini Brown. The institute is being launched with a $1-million gift from the Toronto-based Vohra Miller Foundation.

Testing required for students entering Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia premier Stephen McNeil announced yesterday that postsecondary students entering the province from outside Atlantic Canada will not only be required to self-isolate for 14 days but will also need to get tested for the coronavirus. Students will be tested at three different times during their 14-day isolation period. They cannot attend in-person classes until their testing and self-isolation are complete and they have received negative test results. The order is effective immediately, and includes students who have already arrived and are currently self-isolating. “This is an important moment in our province,” said Mr. McNeil, as quoted by the CBC. “We have to be realistic. COVID is not going away. But our hope is that our isolation plan and our testing strategy will [prevent] a major spike in cases.”

Academic staff overworked and stressed out

A survey conducted by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has found that the pandemic has significantly increased the workload and stress levels of academic staff across the country. CAUT surveyed 4,300 academic staff from universities and colleges in all provinces between May 13 and June 12. The results were released on Thursday.

Among the key findings, a majority of academic staff report they are working more than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost one-third working an additional 10 hours or more per week; 84 percent say they are experiencing somewhat or much higher stress levels due to the pandemic, caused by the need to balance work and dependent care, the challenges with teaching and research, and job insecurity; 68 percent say they are worried about the challenges of remote teaching; and two-thirds indicate they are doing less research or none at all due to the inability to attend conferences, dependent care responsibilities, inability to access labs or offices, not being able to conduct in-person research, and increased teaching demands.

“It is not clear how the concerns about remote teaching, research and jobs at universities and colleges are going to be addressed without more government and institutional support for postsecondary education,” said CAUT president Brenda Austin-Smith.

August 19, 2020

Universities’ fall plans, by the numbers

The team at Canadian education startup CourseCompare.ca has spent the last month tracking 150 colleges and universities across the country to determine what the student experience will look like on campus and online for this coming fall. All the details are compiled here, including a series of handy, searchable interactive tables. Among the highlights: 54 percent of postsecondary schools in the country will deliver programs online, 40 percent will be running a hybrid model (online and in-person delivery), and about four percent are offering the majority of courses in person – largely in areas where infection rates have been low and where class sizes are typically small, with sizeable facilities to accommodate social distancing.

“We’ll continue to update this data on an ongoing basis, including best practices emerging around safety and student support at schools across Canada. This includes monitoring the role technology will play in facilitating a safe and successful fall semester for students,” says CourseCompare founder Robert Furtado in an email to University Affairs. A former college instructor, Mr. Furtado authored an op-ed for University Affairs about the “loneliness of the online learner” published in March – ironically, just before the pandemic lockdown.

The opening of university residences

CourseCompare notes that on-campus housing, where available, will largely be reduced to students living solo in dorm rooms. Nevertheless, Ashleigh Tuite, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, worries about the public health challenges as students begin to congregate in campus residences. “As much as universities are going to have rules, there’s going to be an element of wanting to socialize and interact with people,” she told CBC. “Striking that balance may be challenging.”

A clusterf*ck in the U.S.

Whatever Canadian universities’ plans are for the fall term, they will want to avoid the dire situation unfolding at some campuses south of the border, where major outbreaks of COVID-19 are occurring. The poster child for pandemic pandemonium is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which announced on Monday that, just days into the fall term, it has reversed course from its commitment to in-person instruction, and has told all undergraduate students to go home (including moving out of campus dorms) and prepare for online instruction starting today. According to Inside Higher Ed, between Aug. 10 and 16, 130 students at Chapel Hill tested positive for the coronavirus, along with five employees. “We all saw this coming,” said the headline of the online edition of the student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, while the print edition declared indelicately, “UNC has a clusterfuck on its hands.”

Dozens of other U.S. colleges have announced outbreaks over the past several days. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana just disclosed 80 new COVID-19 cases on campus, bringing the total to 147 cases since August 3; Bethel College in Kansas has “approximately 50” cases, including 43 students and seven employees; and the University of Texas at Austin has the distinction of being the leader among U.S. colleges in COVID-19 cases, hitting a cumulative total of 479 as of August 13 (291 students and 188 faculty and staff). Of note, UNC Chapel Hill, UT Austin and Notre Dame are all posting their pandemic data on special COVID-19 dashboards – exemplars of transparent data reporting. The University of Calgary is also maintaining a COVID-19 dashboard, but there are currently no recent cases to report.

Many of the clusters in the U.S. are linked to large parties off-campus, as well as to fraternities and sororities – including at Oklahoma State University, where 23 members of a sorority house tested positive this past weekend. Last month, 45 coronavirus cases at the University of Southern California were linked to fraternities, and more than 100 students living in fraternity houses near the University of Washington campus tested positive for COVID-19.

August 14, 2020

York preps for online winter term

The Senate Executive Committee at York University has approved the extension of fall remote learning plans into the winter 2021 term. “This means the same fundamental approach to course delivery in the fall will also apply for the Winter 2021 term. The guidelines are premised on preparing for online/remote delivery of both undergraduate and graduate courses,” explained Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president, academic, in an update to the community.

Alberta institutions collaborate on OER

Seven higher education institutions in Alberta have jointly created Open Education Alberta, a free publishing service for open educational resources available to all postsecondary instructors in the province. “Faculty [members] are already looking at ways to revisit how they’re going to deliver their courses for the fall, and OERs might solve some of the problems that they’re encountering in terms of student access to learning materials,” said Cari Merkley, a librarian at Mount Royal University and co-lead on the project.

Concordia sends mini lab kits to chem students at home

Chemistry professors at Concordia University are sending students in this fall’s General Chemistry 1 class their very own mini lab kits. About 600 kits will be distributed so students in the entry-level course can get hands-on experience while following the class lectures online at home. The kits include lab-grade glassware (beakers, flasks, graduated cylinders), a weighing balance and a burette. The instructors have prepared experiments for this fall’s courses that will make use of ingredients you’d find easily enough at home or in a grocery store, such as vinegar, salt, rubbing alcohol, rice and paper clips. Not only does this make the assignments easy and safe to do at home, it reinforces for students that chemistry occurs everywhere – not just in a lab.

Free masks at U of T

Following a similar announcement from Western University, the University of Toronto has said it will distribute 250,000 non-medical masks to students, staff, faculty and librarians on campus. Each person will get two reusable U of T-branded polyester masks. The university explained that these are to supplement the face coverings that people were already bringing to campus on their own.

Research round-up

Here’s a quick sketch of some interesting COVID-related research that’s come out of Canadian universities the past few weeks:

According to researchers at McGill University, p eople who get their news from social media are more likely to have misperceptions about COVID-19 than those who consume more traditional news outlets .

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found that m ore parents across the globe plan to get the flu shot for their kids this fall compared to last year .

A study led by York University ’s Aaida Mamuji found anti-Asian discrimination spread quickly at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to narratives in the media and from politicians like Donald Trump that targeted China and Chinese people as originators of the pandemic – and this despite the fact that many in the Chinese diaspora early adopters of safety measures like mask-wearing well before the pandemic was declared.

A research team from Brock University, the University at Albany and Harvard University shared preliminary surveys finding that when participants were asked to imagine a series of scenarios, they were less willing to help people facing challenges related to the pandemic in those scenarios and more willing to help people who were struggling with more “normal” needs. “It’s entirely possible that people have a difficult time imagining something because this [pandemic] is a new and novel scenario,” she says. One explained to the Brock N e ws that “People may think, ‘This is something I can’t picture because I have no experience with a pandemic.’”

August 11, 2020

Report details the impact of COVID-19 on graduate students

In late April, the Toronto Science Policy Network (TSPN) launched a survey to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting graduate students across Canada. The results of that survey are now in and are contained in a new report released by the TSPN on Monday, The Early Impacts of COVID-19 on Graduate Students Across Canada. The report is based on 1,431 responses gathered between April 22 and May 31. The survey included questions relating to working from home, health and wellness, teaching and course requirements, research, funding, and the experiences of graduate students during COVID-19.

Among the key findings:

Graduate students are increasingly concerned about their possible sources of income and ongoing expenses, including tuition fees, stipends and assistantships.

Around three-quarters of graduate students reported that COVID-19 has negatively impacted their ability to conduct research due to institutional closures.

More than a quarter ( 26 percent) of graduate students are now considering taking a long – term leave of absence due to health and wellness concerns , compared to 10 percent pre- pandemic . Graduate students increasingly reported experiencing anxiety, depression, feelings of helplessness, loneliness, or being overwhelmed compared to before COVID-19.

Over half of international students we re worried about completing their degree requirements before the expiration of their study permit.

Of those planning to complete degree requirements by August 2020 (n=367), half report being unable or uncertain about their ability to graduate as a result of COVID-19.

The report includes numerous recommendations (additional details regarding each recommendation are available on page 42 of the full report). They include:

Establish clear and direct lines of communication between graduate students, supervisors, departments and institutions.

Reduce the financial burden faced by graduate students, and introduce flexibility into degree completion times.

Improve existing health and wellness support systems available at institutions.

Provide extensions to study and work permits for international students.

Mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of graduate students to conduct research.

Improve the quality of virtual teaching and coursework by establishing clear expectations, introducing relevant pedagogical training and increasing the flexibility of course structures.

Advocate for increased support for graduate students to decision-makers within institutions, and in various levels of government.

“Similar to other sectors, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to temporary closures of institutions and research spaces, forcing graduate students to put their studies on hold, which, in many cases, has caused considerable delays in degree completion, and the abandonment of ongoing coursework, research, or other academic responsibilities,” reads the report. “While some aspects of graduate studies can be completed remotely, many graduate students remain trapped in a limbo, facing an uncertain future.”

Tuition fight heats up

Students have been calling for reduced tuition fees for months, but as we quickly approach the fall term and students start registering for courses, there is renewed attention to calls for lowered fees at institutions that will run online courses only. Appeals are being made in the media by international students at Lakehead University, where their tuition will increase by five to six percent. Students in New Brunswick have concerns about the level of food service they’ll be paying for through dining fees.

A professor at the University of British Columbia has even jumped in, suggesting that lowered tuition fees will allow students more time to study and flourish and less time taking on debt or seeking out paid work. But rather than simply appeal to individual institutions, she suggests the solution could come from more government funding. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Canada could make quite different choices to support students’ postsecondary education. In the short term, it would mean additional government funding to allow universities to reduce tuition fees, as COVID-19 changes the student experience. In the longer term, it means reopening discussion about university funding.”

In this article by the CBC, one Ryerson student said she’s feeling “burnt out” after months of pushing for lowered tuition, and that she anticipates these protests to waver as student priorities shift with the end of summer. It’s worth noting that several universities and student unions have announced modest decreases to student fees this fall (see, for example, the University of Regina and Brock University). And recently, the University of Guelph promoted several new supports for international students – tuition credits, bursaries, scholarships and online programming are among them (it’s hard to make the argument that you’re paying for services you can’t access when the institution shows that it’s actually doubling-down on assistance).

August 5, 2020

B.C. releases reopening guidelines for province’s postsecondary institutions

Last week, British Columbia released “Go Forward,” the official guidelines for the province’s postsecondary institutions. The document provides the basic steps that institutions should follow to help reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak on campus. Topics addressed include transportation, cleaning as well as keeping specific communities and spaces safe.

USherbrooke s tudents petition for pass/fail grades this summer

The student union at the University of Sherbrooke has published a petition asking administration to return to a mixed grading model in which students can opt for a pass/fail instead of the traditional grading scale for the summer term. The pass/fail option was introduced at the university for the winter term to accommodate significant course disruptions due to the pandemic. The university returned to its standard grading scale for the summer term. The student union says that decision was unfair since the challenges that affected the winter term – psychological distress, internet connectivity issues, limited access to research resources and faculty members, for example – continue to impact students’ performance. In an interview with Radio-Canada, the union reported that more than half of all students registered in summer courses have signed the petition.

Christine Hudon, the university’s vice-rectrice (vice-president), academic, explained that the institution reverted to its standard grading style because instructors had time to prepare for the online summer term and they were not forced to rapidly adapt their courses as they had been during the winter term.

The university is offering a hybrid course model for the fall term, with many in-person classes expected to be available to students.

International students

Last month, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada updated its guidance and policy page for study permits during the pandemic. One change intended to help international students starting a program in Canada this fall is a temporary two-stage assessment process for study permit applications. “This temporary two-stage assessment process for study permit applications intends to provide a certain degree of reassurance to international students who cannot provide all of the required documents or information needed to finalize the assessment of their study permit application.” To be eligible for this process, applicants must have sent in a new study permit application electronically on or before September 15, 2020, and their program of study must begin in the fall 2020 at the latest. The site includes information about distance-learning programs, cancelled programs, deferred acceptance, and more.

The PIE News has an overview of IRCC’s back-and-forth on travel exemptions for students, which has left many international students confused and anxious about studying remotely in the coming school year: “The changes have caused great concern amongst international students, who say that studying in their home country is not a feasible option because of time differences and because online study does not provide good value for money.”

Meanwhile, CTV News reports that Canada has seemingly relaxed border bans for students coming to Canada from the United States.

And the CBC is reporting on efforts by language schools to bring students to Canada: “The Study Safe Corridor initiative, which is awaiting approval from the federal government, would see Air Canada provide charter flights to bring COVID-screened students from countries such as Turkey, Japan, South Korea and Brazil. A number of Canadian hotels have agreed to offer ‘full-service quarantine packages’ for the students during their 14-day isolation period. A health insurance partner is involved in the plan as well.”

Mt. Allison , StFX formally partner with student unions to bring students back to campus

Two universities on Canada’s east coast recently announced new partnerships with their student unions in order to ease the return to campus.

Mount Allison University has partnered with the Mount Allison Students’ Union and the Town of Sackville, New Brunswick, to form the “MtA Sackville Bubble initiative.” The partnership is based on a voluntary “community commitment” that “encourages students, faculty, staff, businesses, landlords, and all residents to do their part to protect everyone in the bubble by following Public Health directives” on and off campus, and to stay informed about the pandemic. Part of the initiative is a MtA Sackville Bubble Welcome Centre for new and returning students at a local community centre during the university’s move-in period from August 14 to September 7. The centre will provide a one-stop hub for students to collect their identification, welcome packages, and additional public health information from the town, the student union and the university. In preparation for a mixed model fall term, the university has also published its back-to-campus plans and an updated student code of conduct.

At St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, university president Andy Hakin and union president Sarah Elliott participated in a virtual signing ceremony yesterday to finalize a memorandum of understanding between administration and the student group. The university has decided to continue requiring students to sign a “COVID-19 waiver” (see the update published July 31 for more on that) and the MOU goes some way to smooth over that controversy by formalizing student support for the institution’s back-to-campus plans and the responsibilities on both sides. Officially, the purpose of the MOU is to outline “the shared principles and actions” both groups will take “concerning our shared commitment to providing a safe and healthy learning environment specifically relating to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.”



Dr. Andy Hakin, StFX President and Vice-Chancellor, and Sarah Elliott, President of the @TheUOfficial held a virtual signing ceremony earlier today, marking the finalization of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University & the Students’ Union. pic.twitter.com/482odwI6vX — StFX University (@stfxuniversity) August 4, 2020

July 31, 2020

CAUCE conference to continue online, while Congress prepares for multiple scenarios in 2021

Next year’s conference for the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education will take place online. The association confirmed the news in an email this week, stating that it has “made the difficult decision” to cancel the face-to-face conference in Calgary in May 2021 as a result of concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief among these concerns are the travel restrictions in place at Canada’s borders and across the country. “Since we are not 100 percent confident that there will be a vaccine within the year, we will hold our conference virtually or as a hybrid model in 2021.”

Soon after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and host campus Western University were forced to abruptly cancel the 2020 edition of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, which was set to take place from May 30 to June 5. Despite the Federation’s best efforts to move Congress online, the best they could do in the time they had was prepare a “Virtual Conference Week” featuring four scholarly associations (most years, some 70 associations participate in Congress, Canada’s largest annual scholarly conference).

The organizers for Congress 2021, which will be hosted by the University of Alberta, are starting to get their ducks in a row for next year’s conference and preparing for the possibility that large group events and air travel will still be largely discouraged next spring. To that end, the Federation has created a task force for “Congress contingency planning.” The eight-person panel will meet remotely to conduct a risk assessment, draft recommendations, identify any challenges associated with virtual programming, and find ways to innovate the conference. The group has already started its work and the Federation plans to have an update on program delivery by November.

National ‘exposure notification app’ launches in Ontario

Ontario residents can now download COVID Alert, a mobile app developed by Canadian Digital Service that alerts users when they have been in contact with another user who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Contact-tracing apps use a mobile device’s Bluetooth capability to emit a personalized, anonymous signal and to register the signals of other users in the vicinity. The app then compares those signals against a database of registered users and sends you a notification if any of those signals have been associated with a case of COVID-19. The federal government refers to COVID Alert as an “exposure notification app,” though it appears to work in similar fashion to contact-tracing apps.

iPolitics reports that while designing the app, the federal government considered concerns raised by Privacy Commissioner of Canada Daniel Therrien, who in May said that “everything hinges on design, and appropriate design depends on respect for certain key privacy principles.”

Additional information about the new app, including what kind of data it does and does not collect, is available on the Government of Ontario website and technical details are available in this blog post by staff at the Canadian Digital Service.

Nova Scotia universities make masks mandatory

Universities in Nova Scotia are joining their counterparts across the country in making face masks mandatory for anyone on campus. The Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents announced the new policies yesterday, less than a week after the province’s chief medical officer required non-medical face masks to be worn in indoor public places. Each university will implement its own policies and guidelines for mask-wearing on campus.

Dalhousie University published its rules yesterday. They stipulate that physical distancing must be practiced even when face masks are worn. Face coverings must be worn by anyone “travelling through or working/studying in any indoor common areas and public spaces including buildings, libraries, food establishments, residences, hallways, stairwells, elevators, and common study areas” and by anyone taking public transportation. They are not required “in areas such as laboratories and classrooms,” though “they can provide an added measure of protection to others while personnel are moving around within these spaces and their use in such circumstances is encouraged where practical.”

Controversial waiver stays put at StFX

Face masks aren’t the only new mandatory measure at St. Francis Xavier University. The university in Antigonish, N.S., has decided to stay the course with a controversial waiver it sent to students earlier this month, which absolves the institution of legal responsibility in the event that a student contracts COVID-19 while attending classes or activities on campus. According to Global News, the waiver asks students “to agree the college isn’t liable for ‘loss, damage, illness, sickness, expense or injury including death’ that students or their next of kin may suffer as a result of COVID-19 risks.”

In a message to the university community, StFX president Andy W. Hakin explained the decision.

“The StFX Board of Governors’ Executive determined that the new Student Community Protocols and the legal waiver remain the best way forward and a necessity in order for the university to welcome students to campus in the fall. It was also recognized that, to date, we’ve engaged in a very open and transparent planning process but that we should have done a better job of engaging students before sending out the waiver. I can understand why students were concerned and why further consideration, including consulting with the Students’ Union, was necessary before confirming a path forward.”

July 29, 2020

Feds publish guidance document for reopening postsecondary institutions

With about a month to go before the start of the fall term, the Government of Canada has published a document to help guide the reopening of postsecondary institutions during the pandemic. The guidance document was jointly developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and provincial governments, with input from local health authorities and public health experts. It touches on a wide range of issues, from strategies for mitigating the risk of an outbreak at a postsecondary institution and for addressing the mental-health needs of staff and students, to how to respond to and recover from an outbreak on campus.

Considering how different one university or college is from the next, coming up with a universal approach to reopening campuses is a challenge. In a nutshell:

“Postsecondary institutions are complex environments, and vary in geographic location, size (both in terms of infrastructure and student population), provision of services, and structure. They also comprise individuals who can vary widely in age, gender, ability, race, ethnicity/culture, and other factors, and may have underlying medical conditions and barriers to wellness. In addition to student instruction, they may also be engaged in activities such as housing staff and students, providing services to faculty, staff and students and the community, research, and hosting academic/social/cultural events and gatherings.”

While each institution will take an approach to reopening that best suits its community, this document from the federal government is a good place to start.

New grads could lose out on more than $25,000 in earnings over next five years: StatCan

Statistics Canada has published an analysis of how pandemic-related unemployment could affect the earning potential of the class of 2020 over the next five years. According to a simulation that the agency ran, new grads could lose out on more than $25,000 in earnings between now and 2025.

The agency notes the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds has nearly tripled between February and May – May’s rate of 29.4 percent is “the highest monthly rate observed since the data have been tabulated, and even notably higher than during the last three recessions in the early 1980s, early 1990s, and late 2000s.” In short, this year’s graduating class is entering a dire job market, which will likely have a negative impact on their earning potential for the next several years. To gauge this impact, Statistics Canada calculated the potential total losses by simulating unemployment rates ranging from 16 percent to 28 percent. The total of $25,000 was based on an unemployment rate of 27.5 percent (the unemployment rate recorded for June) and on income recorded in the first five years post-graduation for previous cohorts.

The agency also estimated the earning differences between men and women, and between college and university graduates. Each scenario saw steeper decline in income for women. The analysis is available on Statistics Canada’s website.

Deadline extended for Stage 2 applications to Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council announced that the application deadline for Stage 2 of the Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund has been extended to August 6. The program, a tri-agency initiative, offers income support for research personnel to help maintain the research enterprise at Canadian universities that have experienced funding challenges due to the pandemic.

Ontario faculty associations support #SafeSeptember day of action for high schools

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and its member associations participated in a day of action today to call on the provincial government to prioritize a safe reopening of schools this September. In a call to members, OCUFA explained why it would be participating in the #SafeSeptember campaign: “As workers, parents, and educators, many of us have acutely felt the pressures of juggling our work and care responsibilities during the pandemic. We also share the concerns of our colleagues in the secondary system regarding the Ford government’s reckless and poorly-designed plans for reopening schools and campuses.”

Hey @fordnation and @Sflecce, We are the professors and academic librarians teaching and conducting research, including on #COVID19, at every university in Ontario. Take it from us, schools need adequate public funding to safely reopen in September. #SafeSeptember#onted pic.twitter.com/ONTs86M8zL — OCUFA (@OCUFA) July 29, 2020

Read the official statement of support from the Ontario Universities and Colleges coalition here.

Something nice: How Acadia profs are preparing for September

Each week in July, Acadia University’s community development program has tweeted out a short video from professors in the department saying hello to students and explaining how they’ve been preparing for the upcoming fall term.

PREPARING WITH PROFS

Dr. Gabrielle Donnelly shares what she has been thinking about as she prepares for fall semester in the context of this pandemic. @gdonnellyphd invites students to explore their roles as co-learners and collaborators in the learning process. pic.twitter.com/0uqQKq8Zwn — Acadia Community Development Program (@AcadiaCommDev) July 21, 2020

In this video, professor Gabrielle Donnelly delivers an open, honest and reassuring message to students (while also giving us some great colour-coded bookshelf inspo).

July 27, 2020

Less than one in 100 blood donations have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: COVID-19 Immunity Task Force

Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force and Canada Blood Services released the findings of their first round of tests on blood donor samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The task force has found that of 10,000 donors samples collected between May 9 and June 8, 2020, less than 1 percent tested positive for antibodies to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – which suggests that less than one percent of these donors were infected with the coronavirus at some point.

“What is clear is that only a small percentage of adult Canadians has been infected by SARS-CoV-2,” Catherine Hankins, task force co-chair, explained. “By far, the majority of us remain vulnerable to infection. We need to ramp up testing and tracing capacity across the country to interrupt any chains of transmission quickly to prevent unchecked spread.”

Co-chair David Naylor added that the results “suggest there are several undetected infections for every case confirmed with swabs and RNA tests,” and that they support public health advice to wear a face covering in public spaces, frequently wash hands and practice physical distancing.

CMAJ News notes that “a population seroprevalence of around one percent is a far cry from the 60 percent to 70 percent considered necessary for herd immunity.” In the CMAJ article, Dr. Hankins also points out that “blood donors are not necessarily representative of the Canadian population since they tend to be young (aged 17-70), healthy, urban, and exclude people in the North.”

The task force and Canada Blood Services will continue testing some 37,800 samples collected across nine provinces this spring. Héma-Québec will analyze 7,000 samples from Quebec. Additional initiatives by the task force will look at SARS-CoV-2 and the impact on pregnant women, Indigenous people and older Canadians, as well as a household study conducted by Statistics Canada.

CFI and federal government commit $230 million to scientific research

Last week, Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced $230 million to help cover operating costs at 14 national research facilities through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Major Science Initiatives Fund. According to CFI, the funding “will further strengthen the facilities’ ongoing research activities and their efforts to combat COVID-19.” Some of the funded projects include:

SNOLAB, a lab specializing in neutrino and dark matter physics, is designing a simple ventilator

Érudit, an online database of Canadian social sciences and humanities publications, led by Université de Montréal, is offering articles about the pandemic under an open access license

CGEn, a national platform for genome sequencing and analysis is leading a COVID-19 host genome sequencing initiative

A full list of funded projects is available here.

The foundation is also looking for peer reviewers to evaluate applications to its Exceptional Opportunities Fund-COVID-19 competition.

We’re looking for peer reviewers for our Exceptional Opportunities Fund-COVID-19 competition. Please send an email to EOF-COVID19@innovation.ca to indicate your interest in being a reviewer. Visit our website for more information: https://t.co/nb4GCp68es. pic.twitter.com/Lu06f5HvJ5 — CFI / FCI (@InnovationCA) July 22, 2020

Three universities team up on COVID-19 vaccine research

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan’s VIDO-InterVac are collaborating with scientists at the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University to speed up work on the lab’s COVID-19 vaccine. Alyson Kelvin, a virologist and an assistant professor in pediatrics, microbiology and immunology at Dalhousie, is researching respiratory virus infection and vaccination with animal modelling. Jason Kindrachuk, assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in Molecular Pathogenesis of Emerging and Re-emerging Viruses at U of Manitoba, conducted his doctoral research at VIDO-InterVac.

More on residence move-in plans this fall

The University of New Brunswick has clarified its plans to bring students back to on-campus housing this September. UNB, which will run most courses online, opened residence applications to all students — however not all residences will be open, the CBC reports. Between August 14 and 20, some 56 students self-isolate in Saint John and 30 in Fredericton. During that time, the university will offer online programming and will have nursing staff monitor self-isolating students.

On the other side of the country, the University of Alberta has developed a full-service “isolation accommodation program.” Students, staff and faculty returning to any postsecondary institution in Edmonton can book an all-inclusive isolation stay on the U of A campus. The program includes airport pickup, accommodation in a residence hall, meal delivery, regular check-ins, and access to campus and community health services for a fee of $975.

A student explains why she’s moving back to her university town this fall

If all this news about residence move-in has you wondering why students are moving back to university towns for a term that will run largely online, an undergraduate student in her third year at Western University explains why she’ll be returning to London:

“Being in the city puts me in the mindset to do work. My home is many wonderful things, but it’s not the place I should be this fall. Moving back to London also means reliable internet access — something that my parents’ house has always struggled with. For many, living in a rural area means good internet access is more expensive. I’ve spent many hours this summer sitting in the library parking lot, computer on my lap, rotating the air conditioning on and off to save the car battery, attempting to load my political science lecture. And that’s just for one class, a full course load would be completely unmanageable. … Moving back to my university town means freedom.”

Western, for its part, is preparing for the return to campus by providing a university-branded reusable face mask to each member of the campus community – the university will issue more than 121,000 masks in total.

July 23, 2020

IRCC advises international students not to make travel plans to Canada, while U.S. drops controversial policy that would’ve led to student deportations

Last week we told you about some new temporary measures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada that would make it easier for international students to pursue their Canadian study programs online and allow those study hours to be applied towards eligibility for a work permit after graduation. (See July 17 update for details.) Now, IRCC is asking many international students not to come to Canada to study until pandemic-related travel bans have been eased.

The Toronto Star reports that guidelines for Canada’s study permit program were updated this week to advise students whose study permits were approved after the border closure on March 18 that they shouldn’t make plans to travel to Canada and won’t be allowed to enter the country. The update notes that border agents will decide whether a permit-holder’s travel is discretionary or non-discretionary on a case-by-case basis at the point of entry. This also applies to students whose study permits were approved before or on March 18 (these permit-holders had previously been exempted from travel bans). Some of the aspects that border agents will consider include whether or not the traveller is “established, residing and studying in Canada”; if the student is required to be physically present for labs or other aspects of their programs; and if online studies are not possible in the student’s home country because of internet restrictions or bandwidth limits.

The Star notes that some postsecondary institutions, like the University of Saskatchewan, have advised international students who will be travelling to have a letter from the school administration confirming that their presence is required on campus.

In related news from the United States, the Trump administration has changed a controversial policy that would have required international students already in the country to leave or transfer schools if their program was going to be delivered online only this year. The rule would’ve put thousands of students at risk of deportation. Several universities, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, brought lawsuits against the federal government, arguing that the new directive would put student safety at risk and lead to significant financial losses for postsecondary institutions. Immigration authorities dropped the new rule last week.

Student group calls on feds to scrap Canada Student Service Grant and reallocate funds

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is asking the federal government to cancel the Canada Student Service Grant, estimated at around $900 million, and redistribute that money to programs that will directly support postsecondary students. To say that the much-delayed CSSG, which was announced in April as a means to financially support students through the summer, has been mired in controversy would be an understatement – the circumstances leading to the third-party administration of the program by WE are now subject to an ethics investigation and a scandal for the Trudeau government.

“The goal for the Government of Canada should be to get support to students as quickly as possible in an efficient and effective manner. The CSSG is coming too late for students to fully take advantage of the program, so it is time for the government to re-evaluate where best to support students with $900M of existing money,” says Bryn de Chastelain, CASA chair, in a press release.

In a similar vein, the Canadian Federation of Students has teamed up with the Don’t Forget Students campaign to create a petition demanding that the federal government reallocate CSSG funds to expand and extend the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, and to fill gaps in tuition relief plans. More than 700 people have signed the petition as of Thursday morning.

Ottawa isn’t working for students right now. That’s why #DontForgetStudents and @CFS have joined together to demand that Canada’s political leaders start putting the needs of students first. Sign our petition to make sure we get the support we need. https://t.co/jfhZM95gfo — Don’t Forget Students-N’Oubliez Pas les Étudiants (@dontforgetstdns) July 21, 2020

Universities in Atlantic bubble prepare for residence move-in

Earlier this month, the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador created the Atlantic Provinces Travel Bubble. The bubble allows for residents of these provinces to travel within the Atlantic region without needing to self-isolate for 14 days after crossing a provincial border. Travellers coming from outside the bubble must adhere to the self-isolation period. To help students navigate this rule and start their fall classes on time, postsecondary institutions are asking them to come to campus early.

Mount Allison Univeristy in Sackville, N.B., is starting a staggered move-in for campus residences on August 14, which includes airport shuttles, meal deliveries, sanctioned outdoor activities and virtual orientations programs. (The university has also provided useful tips for students living off campus on how to prepare for the quarantine period.) The Telegraph-Journal and Toronto Star report that the town has agreed to let the institution use a municipal ice rink as a student welcome centre. St. Thomas University in Fredericton, and the University of Moncton are also adapting their move-in schedules to accommodate students’ self-isolation needs. Acadia University in Woflville, N.S., will welcome students back to campus residences from September 2 to 20. The University of Prince Edward Island says it is “working on a plan to support students who will be required to self-isolate for 14 days as they return to PEI.” It will likely have an update as it enters phase three of its re-opening plan on August 3.

Canadian Mennonite University confirms in-person fall semester

This September, Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg will be one of the few postsecondary institutions in Canada to offer an in-person fall term. The university confirmed its plans for both fall and winter terms on July 15.

“CMU will hold on-campus, in-person classes in fall and winter terms 2020-21, with hybrid extensions available through online tools. Hybrid courses include both in-class work (in-person: seminar, discussion, workshop, lecture; and online: synchronous video and pre-recorded lecture materials), and out-of-class work (assignments to be completed, singularly, or in groups).”

Students can request online-only course attendance under specific circumstances. On July 31, the university will post a manual for returning to campus “including a community covenant to which students commit to the health and safety of all.”

Manitoba is also asking for travellers from abroad and from Eastern Canada to self-isolate for 14 days. CMU is offering students free accommodations and meal delivery during their quarantine period.

July 17, 2020

Federal government eases rules for international students studying online

On Tuesday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced additional measures, including faster and easier study permit processing, to make it easier for international students to study online with a Canadian postsecondary institution this fall from abroad.

The new measures include:

providing priority study-permit processing for students who have submitted a complete application online, to ensure that permits are processed as quickly as possible;

allowing students to count the time spent pursuing their studies online abroad toward their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit, if they have submitted a study permit application and if at least half of their program is completed in Canada;

providing reassurances to international students who cannot submit all of the documentation needed to complete processing of their applications, and who choose to pursue programs through distance learning, by implementing a temporary two-stage approval process.

The minister for IRCC, Marco Mendicino, said the changes will give students more certainty about their ability to enter Canada once travel and health restrictions are eased within Canada and their own home countries. “They mean that students will be eligible to work in Canada after graduation, even if they need to begin their studies online from overseas this fall,” he said.

These measures are in addition to changes made by IRCC in mid-May easing rules for international study permits. According to the Reuters, Canada issued 30,785 study permits in May to new foreign students, up 11 percent from 27,810 permits in May 2019. IRCC estimates that international students contributed $21.6 billion to Canada’s GDP and supported nearly 170,000 jobs in 2018. Nearly 54,000 people who studied at Canadian institutions as international students became permanent residents in 2018.

International students: we’re announcing new measures to help you start a new program online from outside Canada. THREAD pic.twitter.com/jNIaNSlnQA — IRCC (@CitImmCanada) July 14, 2020

Stage 2 of research continuity fund opens

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council announced on Wednesday that Stage 2 of the Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund is now open. The federal government announced the creation of the CRCEF on May 15 as part of a suite of temporary financial aid programs to help employers and workers through financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is administered by SSHRC on behalf of the three main federal research granting agencies.

The program, which has a total budget of $450 million, provides wage support to universities and health research institutions to help them retain research-related personnel during the cour