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Dear Students,

Welcome back - I hope you had a restful and productive break.

I want to acknowledge that today is Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resiliencehttps://news.umanitoba.ca/making-progress-though-more-work-to-be-done/, a day when we remember and pay our respect to those Trans people who have lost their lives as a result of transphobic violence.

The past month has been very challenging, and I know that many in our UM community have been impacted by the Israel-Hamas war. If you are seeking support, I encourage you to take advantage of the campus supportshttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/student-health-and-wellness available to you and to note that the Student Counselling Centrehttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/student-health-and-wellness/student-counselling-centre-scc has prioritized intake services for affected students. If you are in crisis and require urgent attention, please refer to these serviceshttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/student-health-and-wellness/student-counselling-centre-scc#for-urgent-help for immediate help.

The University of Manitoba is committed to providing an inclusive and safe environment for all members of our community. This continues to be a top priority for the university and for the securityhttps://www.umanitoba.ca/security/ and risk team which, upon hearing news of the attack by Hamas on October 7, immediately implemented a comprehensive security plan with the intent of keeping people safe.

Anyone who is experiencing discrimination, prejudice, or disrespectful behaviours in breach of the university's Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policyhttps://umanitoba.ca/about-um/respectful-work-and-learning-environment-policy should not hesitate to reach out to the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Managementhttps://umanitoba.ca/human-rights-and-conflict-management/. We are here to support you and to ensure that the University of Manitoba remains a place of respect, inclusivity and understanding.

Here is a summary of some of the most important personal and academic resources that are available to you as you navigate the final weeks of the Fall Term: If you're feeling stress or anxiety, there are many student supportshttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports in place to help you, including self-care tipshttps://news.umanitoba.ca/14-ways-to-combat-stress-during-tough-times/ to add to your toolkit. You can also visit the new Student Wellness Centrehttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/health-wellness for peer and professional consultation and referrals.

* Spiritual Care and Multi-faith Centrehttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/spiritual-services's spiritual care providers, chaplains and Elders offer many services and are ready to connect with students. Through the centre, we recognize, affirm and work within your existing values and beliefs. If you are looking for a quiet place for prayer, reflection or gathering with community, please find a list of sacred spaces on campushttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/spiritual-services/sacred-spaces-campus that are available to you.

* If your upcoming academic course work or exams are affected because you are directly impacted by world events or experiencing significant distress related to personal matters, please reach out to your instructor right away to discuss available options. If you encounter any issues with regard to your courses, you can also seek advice from Student Advocacyhttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/academic-supports/student-advocacy.

* If you are directly impacted by world events or experiencing significant distress related to personal matters and would like to discuss exam deferrals or assignment extensions, please contact your instructor or an advisor in your facultyhttps://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/academic-supports/academic-advising as soon as possible.

* Students experiencing financial distress should connect with Financial Aid and Awardshttps://umanitoba.ca/financial-aid-and-awards for information regarding supports. If you need help putting food on the table, please visit the UM Food Bankhttps://umanitoba.ca/financial-aid-and-awards/u-m-food-bank at 518 University Centre, between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

* The International Student Advisors (ISA) at the International Centrehttps://umanitoba.ca/international (IC) are available for support. To be connected with an ISA, please contact international@umanitoba.camailto:international@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-8501.

* Staying active promotes a variety of health benefits, mental well-being and can help relieve stress and anxiety. Through the Sport and Rec fee, UM studentshttps://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/membership-rates#um-students have access to sport and recreation facilities, casual rec use https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/group-fitness-and-casual-rec-use#casual-rec-use and group fitness classeshttps://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/group-fitness-and-casual-rec-use at the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses. Students also have the option to participate in UM REC Clubshttps://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/rec-clubs-intramurals/rec-clubs, Intramural Sportshttps://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/registered-programs and Adult programs https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/registered-programs at an additional cost. Visit UM Recreation Services https://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services to learn more and book a tourhttps://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/RecreationServicesTours@umanitoba.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/ of the sport and recreation facilities. Learn about hours of operationhttps://umanitoba.ca/community/sport-recreation/recreation-services/general-information#location-and-hours through winter break and come in for a visit.

I wish you all a successful end to the term!

Be well,

...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 Tel: 204.474.6919

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

Student Affairs: Leaders in cultivating exceptional student experiences

I acknowledge, with humility and gratitude, that the University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. As a white settler of English and German descent I am committed to walking alongside Indigenous students, colleagues, friends, and neighbours and doing the work that is necessary to honour the truth and contribute to lasting positive change.

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