These are challenging times. Today, Premier Brian Pallister declared a state of emergency for 30 days. We are all responsible for taking actions to slow and limit the spread of COVID-19. The University of Manitoba is taking that responsibility seriously and taking actions based on information we receive from health authorities. Thank you for taking time to read this important communication and checking in daily for updates and additions to frequently asked questions at  umanitoba.ca/coronavirus .

Today, I am announcing actions that are based on working together to: 

• protect the health of our community;
• ensure our students can finish their term;
• accommodate and support students in residence who are unable to return home;
• support the province’s health and wellbeing through our COVID-19 research efforts, and
• other time-sensitive activity.

Effective 11:59 pm, Monday, March 23, 2020, all university buildings will be closed with only limited access to employees deemed as essential to our work for the immediate future. The general public and students who are not in residence will not be able to access buildings on campus and staff and faculty members will need keys/swipe card/identification to enter.

All employees – unless told otherwise by their Manager/Department Head/Dean – are to work from home. If you have not already done so, please ensure conversations about how this applies to your work take place today. Anyone seeking access from Security Services will need valid University ID to gain entry if they do not have keys or card access. Please note, construction workers and contractors will still be allowed access to job sites through their respective university project managers. 

As an essential service, the Pharmacy in UMSU University Centre will remain open during regular hours from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. To access, please use the East main doors off of Chancellor's Circle on the lower level of UMSU University Centre.

Here’s how we are planning to achieve the objectives outlined above:

Students

We are committed to supporting our students and minimizing any negative impact on their academic progress. As such we have taken the following steps:

•  At this time, it is anticipated that there will be no in-person classes until September, 2020 at earliest.
•  All Libraries will be closed, but online resources will continue to be available.
• There will be no in-person exams for courses offered during Winter Term 2020.
• The Voluntary Withdrawal Date for Winter Term 2020 has been changed to April 13, 2020. When registering for courses in a future term, Limited Access will not apply to courses students VWed from or completed in Winter 2020.
• Registration for summer session has been suspended for now. A date for reopening registration is pending. Summer Term 2020 courses will begin June 1, 2020 with no in-person instruction. Scheduled designated Distance Education (DE) courses beginning in May will continue as planned. 
•  Academic advising, Student Counselling Centre, Student Advocacy and Case Management, Student Services at Bannatyne Campus, Spiritual Care and other services continue to be available to students through telephone or email appointments and resources available online. 
•  Students who don’t have access to computers or reliable internet in their off-campus locations are encouraged to connect with their instructors. 

Students in Residence
The health and safety of every student living in residence is of paramount importance to the University of Manitoba. We are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of those who cannot return home. In order to do so:

• Effective Wednesday, March 25 at noon all students who are able to safely return home and do not have special circumstances that may warrant an exception, are required to move out of residence.
• For the students that remain, all residence halls, including the residence dining hall (Fresh Food Company) will remain open with some reduced or modified service levels required to improve safety.

Faculty and Staff
All employees, unless told otherwise, are to work from home. Managers, department heads and Deans should work with employees to support their health and well-being and to continue university operations to the greatest extent possible. This can include reassigning duties, working remotely or flexible work hours to accommodate child care or family needs. Operations, maintenance and security will be maintained while supporting the health and well-being of staff. Units are encouraged to complete a Business Continuity Plan using this template.

Please visit umanitoba.ca/coronavirus for more information on telecommuting work arrangements.

Teaching

All course instructors are working remotely as they continue to offer their courses in alternate ways to ensure our students can successfully complete the term. Plans are also in place to determine which summer courses can be offered given that no in-person classes will occur.

Research

Suspension of Most On-Campus/Field Sites Research, Scholarly Works, and Creative Activities effective Monday, March 23, 2020 at 11:59 pm.

It is necessary to operationalize the suspension of most on-campus/field sites research, scholarly works, and creative activities during this pandemic that: i) cannot be conducted remotely; ii) cannot ensure health and safety requirements of research personnel; and iii) might introduce coronavirus (COVID-19) into a vulnerable population.

The expectation is that researchers will continue as much research as possible remotely, but only limited research will continue in university research facilities, including off-campus research sites. Researchers who feel that they have exceptional circumstances should direct their requests to Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International) by completing this form.

Sport and Recreation Facilities and programming close

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management suspended operations of its Sport and Recreation facilities and programming March 13. Mini U Programs cancelled the remainder of winter programs and group bookings, March 13 – April 12. Spring break camps (March 30 – April 3) are also cancelled.

As our response to COVID-19 evolves, we continue to assess the operation of Mini U Programs’ spring and summer programs.

Recreation Services group fitness classes and programs are cancelled. An automatic process of membership holds or extensions will occur during this suspension of operation.

Campus Children’s Centre is closed as of March 23
Campus Children's Centre will close in line with the school divisions. Managers/Department Heads/Deans should work with employees to support flexible work arrangements to help accommodate child care needs.

We value the work of our entire university community. Thank you for the remarkable work you’ve done particularly in response to these challenging circumstances. Yesterday, in my video message to the community, I acknowledged how deeply we are all affected by this level of disruption to our work. I meant that, and I thank you for your understanding. We believe that what we’re communicating today will help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, so that we can all emerge from this crisis as soon as possible. 

David T. Barnard, O.M., Ph.D., FRSC

President and Vice-Chancellor

202 Administration Building, University of Manitoba

Winnipeg MB  R3T 2N2 Canada

Email: president@umanitoba.ca