Courses resume on March 23 with alternate delivery planned

BRANDON – Courses are set to resume on Monday, March 23, but there will be no in-person classes, labs or educational work at Brandon University (BU) for the remainder of the Winter 2020 term.

There will also be no in-person exams for the reminder of the term.

Instructors are currently developing other methods of delivering courses and exams, or alternate forms of assessment, and will be communicating the details for each course to their students.

Practicum plans are also in development and will be communicated to students directly, while the deadlines for voluntary withdrawal and spring graduation applications are being extended by one week.

The changes to the academic term are part of precautions being taken to ensure the continued safety of all members of the BU community.

Additionally, students are being asked to move out of residence by Sunday, March 23 if they are able. Exceptions are being made for exceptional circumstances, including for international students, those who are self-isolating and those who require extra time due to extreme moving distance. These steps will enhance safety by allowing the remaining residents to practice social distancing by staying in individual rooms and avoiding shared facilities.

Other precautions also remain in place, including:

• Public access being limited on campus;
• Require that all faculty, staff and students who have recently traveled self-isolate at home for 14 days from the date of their return to Canada;
• Restrictions on BU-related travel;
• A request that all members of the BU community continue to practise social distancing and diligent hygiene routines, and stay home if they feel ill.

More details on these actions can be found at BrandonU.ca/safety/coronavirus.

There is no reason to think that anyone on campus is at immediate risk, and there are no coronavirus or COVID-19 cases identified at Brandon University.

All faculty, staff and students who have symptoms characteristic of COVID-19 should call Health Links at 1-888-315-9257 and immediately begin self-isolating at home.

Supports are available for those who are experiencing anxiety:

• BU employees or eligible family members can access supports, including counselling, through Homewood Health. Access their resources online at https://homeweb.ca/ or by phoning their toll-free number 24/7 at 1-800-663-1142;
• BU students have access to our free counselling services, located on the first floor of the Mackenzie Building, room 105, or call 204-727-9737 to set up an appointment. More information is available online at https://www.brandonu.ca/personal-counselling/.

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