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But McCauley said every university is in a unique position to respond to growing COVID-19 concerns, particularly U of C, which has a large presence around the world.

“We are a global university, and we have a lot of national and international traffic based on our research profile and collaborations around the world.

“So, for us, it’s not just about what is happening in the province, we have students and faculty in Germany, France and Spain.”

McCauley explained that U of C students, staff and faculty who are travelling abroad are being asked to report their plans through an international travel registry, and are being asked to voluntarily self-quarantine upon return from any high-risk countries, including China, South Korea, Italy and Iran.

At the same time, McCauley did not know how many students have returned to campus from travel abroad, or how many are self-isolating, which is still only required on a voluntary basis.

Later Thursday, the U of C announced that all students and non-academic staff currently in Europe are required to return home as soon as possible. The school added that they will reimburse for any financial costs incurred by the decision.

Meanwhile, Mount Royal University is also continuing in-person classes, saying there are no COVID-19 cases on campus, even as students collect names in a petition demanding the school immediately move to an online format.

Photo by Leah Hennel / Calgary Herald

“MRU sent out a communication stating that they are continuing operations as usual until the first student becomes ill, and they urge students to wash their hands and stay home if sick. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. By the time the first student is sick, they will have had at least five days of walking around spreading the virus to everyone near them,” says the statement on petitionsite.com, which shows 689 supporters.