March 2022 - all-students - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

UM pledging $1M to emergency bursaries
by President's Office 30 Mar '22

30 Mar '22

[cid:image001.png@01D7F583.FE6805F0] Message from Dr. Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor The University of Manitoba has pledged up to $1,000,000 to its Emergency Bursary Fund to provide robust financial support to students in financial distress as a result of the war in Ukraine, international conflicts, environmental catastrophes and extraordinary life events. Manitoba is home to one of the largest populations of Ukraine diaspora in Canada and we take our obligation to address this crisis seriously. We recognize that war and geopolitical events can impact our international students, and that domestic students can similarly experience emergencies that impact their finances and create unexpected need. Students lose access to funds for various reasons, and this emergency support will help students pay for the full cost of their tuition, residence, and other living expenses as required. These funds are available to those in need right now. The university is prioritizing funds toward this immediate need and I want to thank our university community, including our alumni and donors, who continue to step up to meet the increased demand for emergency student supports such the UM Student Food Bank<https://umanitoba.ca/financial-aid-and-awards/u-m-food-bank>. The university is committed to ensuring we offer meaningful, targeted support to students whose lives are upended by conflict or natural disaster here or abroad. Students come to UM to pursue an education and though we cannot alleviate all of their burdens, we can offer emergency aid that will allow them to focus on their studies. I encourage students in need to apply for this assistance here<https://forms.office.com/r/frUGFiEZkZ>. We are here for you. If you find yourself needing additional help or assistance, these other supports<https://news.umanitoba.ca/supports-available-for-anyone-impacted-by-invasio…> are also available. UM is grateful to have many international students and employees from Ukraine who make rich contributions to our province and university community. Our thoughts are with you, and with all your family and friends who deserve peace, liberty and good governance. Sincerely, [Shape, arrow Description automatically generated] Michael Benarroch, Ph.D. President and Vice-Chancellor 202 Administration Building, University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2 Canada Telephone: 204-474-9345 Email: president(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:president@umanitoba.ca> [cid:image004.png@01D7F583.FE6805F0]

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Update to UM Students: March 22, 2022
by VP Students 22 Mar '22

22 Mar '22

[Graphical user interface Description automatically generated with low confidence] Message from Laurie Schnarr, Vice-Provost (Students) Greetings students! With the return of the Canada geese and warmer weather on the way, that means a new academic term is on the horizon. I know that many of you have been asking about the status of in-person learning and COVID protocols for the Summer Term. I am writing to reinforce key information conveyed in the President's message yesterday and to provide important updates. Changes to UM COVID-19 protocols President Benarroch has announced<https://news.umanitoba.ca/update-on-vaccine-mask-and-illness-protocols-for-…> that as of May 4, UM will no longer require students, staff, faculty and visitors to show proof of vaccination when attending campus, and Summer Term will be in-person. UM will also continue to offer a wide variety of Distance Education courses. We have heard from many of you that masking is still welcome, and based on advice from our health experts, masks will continue to be required in all indoor spaces. If you are sick, please stay home. If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for a minimum of five days. Immediately contact your instructor to make arrangements for extensions, deferrals or make-up assignments without academic penalty. The missed academic work form<https://umanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/2020-09/covid-19-missed-work-guide…> can be used to help communicate with your instructor. Your health and safety, and that of our UM community, are priorities. As President Benarroch said, we will remain nimble and will reassess our plans if the public health situation changes significantly before Summer Term. Until May 4, please remember that current UM COVID protocols<https://news.umanitoba.ca/march-14-update-for-um-students-on-resources-heal…> remain in place. Resources and supports While our return to in-person learning is welcome news, I know that some of you may feel anxious - especially if you haven't attended the campus in-person for two years - or ever! I want you to know that UM continues to offer a variety of student supports<https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports> to help you with this transition. Whether it's academics<https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/academic-supports>, health and wellness<https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/student-health-and-wellness> or support for everyday life<https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports>, there are resources available, regardless of your circumstance. If you are looking for tips to manage anxiety, this new article<https://news.umanitoba.ca/dealing-with-anxiety-distract-your-mind-and-find-…> on UM Today includes some grounding techniques from a Healthy U volunteer. There is also a highly trained team of Peer Helpers<https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/get-involved/student-peer-mentoring-p…> who are available for one-on-one appointments to discuss anything from your experiences during the pandemic to challenges that you are having in your classes to strategies for navigating the campus in person. They can also help you find ways to get involved in university life and meet new people. On March 28 and 31, they are facilitating two "Taking Time for Self-Care<https://www.uofmcareerservices.ca/events.htm?eventId=3539>" events - check them out! The latest resources, programs and supports for Indigenous students can be found on the COVID-19 Indigenous supports page<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19/students/indigenous>. Follow @umindigenous on Instagram for the latest information on Indigenous news and events at UM. New international students are encouraged to attend the International Centre's Lessons Learned and Future Goals<https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/research/event/culture--connection…> session on April 7 to meet experienced international students, hear their tips and strategies for success, and ask questions. Join us! As we get closer to Summer Term, I will communicate additional information about programming that the Student Affairs team is planning to help you with your transition back to campus life - stay tuned! Manitoba student loan payments affected by the war in Ukraine If you have been affected financially by the war in Ukraine and need help making existing student loan payments, contact the Manitoba Student Aid office at 204-945-6321 or toll-free at 1-800-204-1685 to fast-track your application for the Repayment Assistance Plan. Otherwise, impacted students who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the war in Ukraine are encouraged to contact Jane Lastra<mailto:jane.lastra@umanitoba.ca>, Associate Registrar and Director, Financial Aid and Awards. Get involved! Two years ago, on March 23, UM closed its buildings to help stop the spread of COVID-19. You are invited to join the campus community as we reflect on the past two years - how we worked together to overcome the many challenges that we faced, and will draw on collective hope as we look toward the future, at Riding the Waves: Reflecting on Two Years of Pandemic Living<https://news.umanitoba.ca/riding-the-waves-reflecting-on-two-years-of-pande…>, Wednesday, March 23, at 11:30 am. This event is hosted by St. John's College Chaplaincy and UM Spiritual Care and Multi-Faith Centre, in person at the Chapel of St John the Evangelist<https://umanitoba.ca/st-johns-college/community-and-giving/chaplaincy-chapel>, or you can attend virtually by viewing from this site<https://umanitoba.ca/campus-community-gatherings>. Also on Wednesday, March 23, the University of Manitoba is inviting all students to Building the Student Experience<https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/campus/event/building-the-student-…>, an informal come-and-go community conversation on the future of student housing developments on campus. Drop by 204 University Centre between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm to provide your input and identify housing priorities for the University of Manitoba. Refreshments will be served. On April 7, attend Three Minute Thesis (3MT)<https://umanitoba.ca/graduate-studies/student-experience/three-minute-thesi…> and watch graduate students go head-to-head (virtually), summing up their theses in three minutes flat! If you're interested in research, future grad studies, or want to cheer on other students, check it out! Stay active Taking cake care of your physical and mental health helps to relieve stress. Recreation Services<https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services>, now operating at 100 per cent, offers in-person and virtual<https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/virtual…> options to help you stay active. We are all Bisons! Get involved as a volunteer or cheer on the Bisons this month when the best in the country come to play. Visit gobisons.ca<https://gobisons.ca/index.aspx> for details: U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship<https://gobisons.ca/sports/2019/11/26/u-sports-volleyball.aspx> March 25-27 It has been great to see so many of you back on campus this term. A walk through the Price Engineering complex, for example, serves as a reminder of the vibrant campus community we dearly miss and look forward to experiencing again very soon. Wishing you all my best in the latter weeks of the Winter Term. Until next time... Take good care. ...Laurie Laurie M. Schnarr, MA (she/her) Vice-Provost (Students) Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) University of Manitoba 208 Administration Building Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Confidential Assistant - Marci Davies Marci.Davies(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:Marcia.Davies@umanitoba.ca>: Student Affairs: Creating opportunities for student success! I acknowledge, with humility and gratitude, that 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. As a white settler of English and German descent I am committed to walking alongside my Indigenous colleagues, friends and neighbours and doing the work that is necessary to honour the truth, right the wrongs, and contribute to lasting positive change. Confidentiality notice: This message and any attachments to it are intended for the addressee only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender if you have received this email by mistake, and please delete it and the attachments (and all copies) in a secure manner. [UMLogoSignature]

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Update on vaccine, mask and illness protocols for Summer Term
by Safe Return 21 Mar '22

21 Mar '22

[cid:image001.png@01D83D25.1F2E6C50] Message from Dr. Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor Update on vaccine, mask and illness protocols for Summer Term This week marks two years since UM moved to remote operations to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and since then our community has continued to make sacrifices in support of public health while offering the best-possible teaching and learning experience in these challenging times. As the Omicron wave is receding, we are cautiously increasing in-person activity and looking to ease some restrictions. It is heartening to see more and more of you on our campuses and we are optimistic that we can continue toward more normal operations. Vaccine mandate will end after Winter Term, masks continue Today, we are announcing that starting May 4, UM will no longer require staff, students or visitors coming to our campus to have proof of vaccination. We will, however, continue to make the wearing of masks mandatory. We also continue to improve our ventilation systems to ensure a healthier environment for all. We expect the majority of our classes will be held in-person in Summer Term, but we will continue to offer an important complement of Distance Education courses. Stay home when you are sick We continue to ask anyone who is sick to stay home, and if you have a positive COVID-19 test, stay home for a minimum of five days<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19/health-safety#testing-and-illness>. Employee sick time or remote work arrangements (where possible) can be used for self-isolation - please connect with your supervisor to make required arrangements. Students should work directly with instructors to seek reasonable accommodation. While it can be challenging to plan for the long term in a pandemic, we remain nimble and adjust to the challenges as they arise. We are committed to ensuring our community's health and safety. If the public health situation significantly changes before Summer Term, we will reassess our plans. We have faced challenging times, and we have weathered them all together. Let's keep supporting each other because that's how we enable everyone's success. Continue to take care of each other, and yourselves. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Sincerely, [Shape, arrow Description automatically generated] Michael Benarroch, Ph.D. President and Vice-Chancellor

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Update to UM Students: March 14, 2022
by VP Students 14 Mar '22

14 Mar '22

[Graphical user interface Description automatically generated with low confidence] Message from Laurie Schnarr, Vice-Provost (Students) Dear students, With many of you making the transition back to in-person learning and studying, we want to assure you - and all students - that we are continuing to take precautions to keep you safe. As you know, the provincial government is beginning the process of loosening their pandemic-related restrictions this week. However, we expect our UM community to continue to follow the updated UM health and safety guidelines. The health and well-being of our students remains a top priority, and it is up to everyone on campus to work together to contribute to this effort. The following protocols are effective until the end of Winter Term on May 3. Mandatory vaccination UM's vaccine mandate requires all students and employees on campus to be double vaccinated and to have uploaded proof of vaccination on UM's website, or to have received an approved medical or religious exemption. Rapid testing is no longer an alternative to vaccination. Masking required KN95 masks must be worn in all indoor spaces on UM campuses. The only exceptions are if you are alone in a room with the door closed or eating in areas designated for food consumption. Masks are not required outdoors. If you visit the COVID-19 health and safety website<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19/health-safety>, you'll find a list of places where you can pick up a mask, and the hours of operation for each. If you are coming to campus and do not have a KN95 mask, you can wear your own cloth or 3-ply mask while you go immediately to the closest mask pick-up location. After the initial mask pick-up, it's expected that you will have a supply of KN95 masks to wear, even when attending the distribution locations to access more masks. Reporting illness If you are not feeling well, stay at home or immediately go home. We strongly advise you to follow UM's existing self-isolation protocols<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19/health-safety#testing-and-illness>. Updated process charts are available on the COVID-19 website health and safety page<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19/health-safety> for those who are on campus and begin to feel ill<https://umanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/covid_student_not_feeling_…>, and another chart if you were a close contact<https://umanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/covid_student_absence.pdf> of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Close contacts are people who have shared space with a COVID-positive person during their period of communicability. Specifically, these are people who were within two metres/six feet of a COVID-positive individual for a total of 10 minutes over a 24-hour period. If you are symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19 and need to self-isolate: Students should immediately contact their instructor to make arrangements for extensions, deferrals or make-up assignments without academic penalty. The missed academic work form<https://umanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/2020-09/covid-19-missed-work-guide…> can be used to help communicate with your instructor. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our team of experts will advise as to when it will be appropriate to adjust the health and safety protocols in place. For up-to-date information on UM's COVID-19 response and protocols, please visit the COVID-19 website<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19>. Additional information regarding resources and supports The latest resources, programs and supports for Indigenous students can be found on the COVID-19 Indigenous supports page<https://umanitoba.ca/covid-19/students/indigenous>. All Indigenous Student Centre programming is still available - this page lets you know how to connect with each. New international students can meet fellow international students and share experiences at the Lessons Learned and Future Goals<https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/research/event/culture--connection…> session of the International Centre's Culture and Connection series for new students. Get involved! Two years ago on March 23 UM closed its buildings to help stop the spread of COVID-19. You are invited to reflect on the challenges we have faced over the past two years, recognize how we have worked together to overcome them, and find collective hope in the future at Riding the Waves: Reflecting on Two Years of Pandemic Living<https://umanitoba.ca/campus-community-gatherings>, Wednesday, March 23, at 11:30 am. Please join St. John's College Chaplaincy and UM Spiritual Care and Multi-Faith Centre in person at the Chapel of St John the Evangelist or you can attend virtually by viewing from this site<https://umanitoba.ca/campus-community-gatherings>. On March 17th from 1-2 pm, the Faculty of Graduate Studies is offering a session to help graduate students establish the most effective online research profiles: ORCID, Scopus, Publons, Google Scholar: Making Sense of Research Profiles<https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/libraries/event/orcid-scopus-publo…>. On Wednesday, March 23, all students are invited to Building the Student Experience<https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/campus/event/building-the-student-…>, an informal come-and-go community conversation on the future of on-campus housing development at UM. Drop by 204 UMSU University Centre between 11:30 am -1:00 pm to provide your input and identify housing priorities for UM. Refreshments will be served. Stay active Taking cake care of your physical and mental health helps to relieve stress. Recreation Services<https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services>, now operating at 100 per cent, offers in-person and virtual<https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/virtual…> options to help you stay active. We are all Bisons! Get involved as a volunteer or cheer on the Bisons this month when the best in the country come to play. Visit gobisons.ca<https://gobisons.ca/index.aspx> for details: · Canada West Track and Field Championships<https://gobisons.ca/sports/2022/2/11/cw-track-and-field-2022.aspx> March 18-19 · U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship<https://gobisons.ca/sports/2019/11/26/u-sports-volleyball.aspx> March 25-27 As I observe our many UM community members making the full return to our campuses, I am hopeful that we can continue to help and support one other with the same empathy and kindness that I have witnessed countless times throughout the past two years. I hope this reminder of our COVID-related protocols and the many resources, programs and supports available to you has been helpful. All my best, ...Laurie Laurie M. Schnarr, MA (she/her) Vice-Provost (Students) Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) University of Manitoba 208 Administration Building Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Confidential Assistant - Marci Davies Marci.Davies(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:Marcia.Davies@umanitoba.ca>: Student Affairs: Creating opportunities for student success! I acknowledge, with humility and gratitude, that 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. As a white settler of English and German descent I am committed to walking alongside my Indigenous colleagues, friends and neighbours and doing the work that is necessary to honour the truth, right the wrongs, and contribute to lasting positive change. Confidentiality notice: This message and any attachments to it are intended for the addressee only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender if you have received this email by mistake, and please delete it and the attachments (and all copies) in a secure manner. [UMLogoSignature]

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Survey Invitation: UM Sustainability Culture and Literacy
by Office of Sustainability 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

Dear UM Community member, The Office of Sustainability invites you to respond to the University of Manitoba Sustainability Culture and Literacy<https://bit.ly/3vneAb5> survey. The University of Manitoba is continually working to be more sustainable which includes engaging our campus community. As part of the Sustainability Strategy 2019-2023<http://umanitoba.ca/campus/sustainability/media/Sustainability_Strategy_201…>, this survey is intended to assess the sustainability culture and literacy at the University which will evaluate our successes and areas in need of improvement for sustainability outreach and education initiatives. This information will also be used in the next UM Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) submission as we strive for platinum certification. Read the latest UM Today article for more information<https://news.umanitoba.ca/sustainability-literacy-survey/>. This survey is hosted on the Microsoft Forms platform and is expected to take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Information will be held in confidence and handled in a confidential manner. To engage in the survey please visit: https://bit.ly/3vneAb5 Survey closes: Monday, March 14th. Questions? Email sustainability(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:sustainability@umanitoba.ca> [Text Description automatically generated]<https://bit.ly/3vneAb5> Office of Sustainability UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA | 152-89 Freedman Cres | Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 C: 204-330-5391 | E: sustainability(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:sustainability@umanitoba.ca>

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