Dear Members of the UBC Community:

The COVID-19 crisis has created a challenge that none of us could imagine even several weeks ago. There are many issues that we are all currently dealing with as a university, as a region, as a nation and globally.

I wanted to reach out at this time to connect with you as we navigate this situation together as a UBC community.

First of all, I would like to thank you all for your efforts during this extraordinary and rapidly evolving situation. I am grateful for your commitment to UBC, to each other and to your families. I would especially like to thank those faculty and staff who, because of the nature of their work, are required to stay on campus to service the university community.

I have heard from many of you and know that this is a stressful situation. I encourage all of you to look after yourselves and to be mindful of the well-being of others as we navigate these uncharted waters. This is a time where we must come together as a caring and empathetic community. Please be assured that I have asked everyone to focus on empathy, compassion and flexibility during this difficult time as we consider decisions moving forward.

The situation with regard to COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, and we will continue to update you as we get new information. Conversations are occurring at many levels including with the federal and provincial government, the Executive and Deans, academic leadership and the chair of the board of governors to ensure that we are thoughtful about our approaches to the many issues that arise from this situation.

I know that there are many unanswered questions and new ones that will arise in the future. We are actively considering these issues and will endeavour to communicate decisions as they are made, following consultation with appropriate provincial and federal government officials.

You can find the latest information and resources at covid19.ubc.ca. Moving forward, I will also be communicating with all stakeholders on a regular basis.

UBC is comprised of an extraordinary community of faculty, staff and students. I have absolute confidence that working together we will meet the challenges that we face.

Thank you and best wishes.

Santa J. Ono

President and Vice-Chancellor