Dear Students,

As we continue to navigate the many changes in our lives arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to remind you that the University of Manitoba is here to support you. While in-person contact is severely restricted during this time, staff in our counselling office, advising centres, health services, spiritual care, and faculty offices remain available either online, by email, or by both means. Please refer to this page for details. Remember – we are here for you and want you to succeed.

Today, I want to share some new updates and reminders.

Summer Term Registration.

· Registration for Distance and Online courses and Faculty of Graduate Studies Re-Registration and Thesis courses that begin May 4^th will open on April 20^th.

· We recognize that many students are hoping to make decisions about summer courses soon. We are actively working on this and will share information regarding Summer Term courses (which will be offered online or through means other than face-to-face) beginning June 1 as soon as those details are finalized.

· Registration for all courses beginning on or after June 1 will begin May 19^th.  

You can choose to include or exclude grades in your GPA calculation. For any course work completed at the University of Manitoba in Winter Term 2020, you can choose whether or not to include a grade received in your GPA calculation. This option will apply to all Winter Term 2020 courses or spanned courses that you completed over the Fall 2019-Winter 2020 Terms for which a standard letter grade is received (A+ to F).

Grades excluded in the calculation of your GPA will not be used in calculating GPA for the purpose of program progression and/or overall graduation GPA requirements. However, course grades will continue to be used to satisfy UM pre-requisite requirements for entry into other courses, or admission to other programs, and to satisfy any other program requirements. Grades will appear on your official transcript, but will be flagged with a notation that the course was excluded from the GPA calculation due to the COVID-19 situation.  

Parchments will be mailed to spring 2020 graduates. Please check your address in Aurora, and update if needed, as this will be the address we will use to mail your parchment.

Take advantage of academic supports. Though our campuses are closed, we are still here for you. Many student services are offering phone, email, and/or video appointments, including: academic advisors, Academic Learning Centre, Libraries and Student Accessibility Services. To book an appointment with an Elder in Residence, email isc@umanitoba.ca or call 204-474-8850.

International students, please reach out. We understand that the current situation is particularly difficult for you. Do not hesitate to ask for guidance and support through a private phone or email conversation with an international student advisor at 204-474-8501 or international@umanitoba.ca. The Canadian government also has advice and information on their website, updated regularly.

Be mindful, socialize and de-stress. Making time for yourself is important during these uncertain times. Free, daily mindfulness meditation is being offered through the Faculty of Social Work to help us all restore and reconnect. We have also compiled advice from UM experts on how to reduce anxiety and be productive during our time away from others. Lastly, although gyms are closed, there are exercise options you can use at home. For example, the UM’s Recreation Services is posting workouts on its YouTube channel. I encourage you to take advantage of these helpful resources.

You can find more UM news about COVID-19, including FAQs for students, on this page, which is updated as new information becomes available.

Please keep yourself and others safe by staying home. Avoid non-essential trips and keep a distance of two meters from others, even while outdoors. These efforts will help us get through these challenging times safely together.

All my best,

Laurie Schnarr

Laurie M. Schnarr, MA

Vice-Provost (Students)

Student Affairs 

Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

208 Administration Building

Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

Tel: 204.474.6919

Confidential Assistant - Marci Davies Marci.Davies@umanitoba.ca: 204.474.6917

Student Affairs: Creating opportunities for student success!

The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

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