Dear members of the 捆绑SM社区 community,
These are challenging times for all of us, especially those members of our community whose family and friends are most affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
I would like to thank our faculty for their hard work in transitioning classes to be delivered remotely, as well as our principal investigators who have begun the delicate process of ramping down their research projects. Thank you to staff for adjusting to remote working, and to those who are maintaining necessary functions on our campuses. And thank you to our students for the patience and understanding they have shown in the face of the unprecedented uncertainty that has interrupted their studies. I am grateful for your commitment to 捆绑SM社区 and the broader community as we adapt to these uncertain times.
The priority of 捆绑SM社区 leadership remains keeping our community healthy and, in so doing, helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19, while maintaining necessary operations.
We have been preparing for this for over a month, monitoring coronavirus developments around the world, in Canada and Quebec, and developing strategies to address the situation as it evolves. Our planning has been guided by the recommendations and directives of government public health authorities, and, in every step along the way, we have put the health and safety of the 捆绑SM社区 community first. I am writing to recap some important information and to share some new updates.
As you know, 捆绑SM社区 has suspended all classes for the next two weeks and employees are encouraged to work from home whenever they can. The University is committed to helping contain the propagation of COVID-19 by 鈥渇lattening the curve.鈥� To promote social distancing, we are implementing measures to have fewer individuals on, or commuting to, our campuses, while maintaining necessary functions and activities.
We are dedicated to ensuring that all courses that can be taught online will be in an online format starting on March 30. Additionally, there will be no in-person sit-down examinations for the Winter 2020 term. I know that preparing for these adjustments is a major undertaking and I greatly appreciate the professionalism and determination of everyone involved in making this happen 鈥� especially under such trying circumstances.
Here are the most recent updates on 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 operations:
Deliveries of services or goods
Staff who are expecting deliveries during the suspension period should reach out to their suppliers to coordinate deliveries. If you are not on campus, please cancel the delivery or arrange to have the goods delivered to an alternate location. Staff who are authorized to be on campus to provide necessary functions will need to ensure that they are present to receive deliveries of services or goods. Security agents are not authorized to accept deliveries.
Building access
Members of the community may need to access buildings, in order to carry out necessary functions, pick up necessary equipment to work from home, and ramp down research activities. If you are normally able to get into your building during weekends and after hours, you will be able to access it during the suspension period. If you cannot normally access your building after hours, you should contact the Area Access Manager (AAM) for your unit. A list of AAMs can be found here. If your AAM is not available or cannot grant you access, please contact Physical Security Systems at systems.security [at] mcgill.ca or at 514-398-4562. Make sure to have your 捆绑SM社区 ID card with you at all times.
Upon leaving your respective areas, we ask that you take a moment to check that:
- The windows are closed and doors are locked
- You have all your belongings
- Any necessary equipment and appliances are turned off or unplugged 鈥� for example, space heaters should be unplugged, but refrigerators should remain operational
- Any remaining valuables are locked away
Casual administrative staff
All academic and administrative staff, including casual and work-study employees who were scheduled to work over the two-week suspension period, will be paid. Casual and work-study employees, please consult the instructions on the 捆绑SM社区 coronavirus FAQs.
Parking
捆绑SM社区 has decided that employees who are required on site in order to perform their work will be offered free parking throughout the COVID-19 suspension period. Please consult the instructions on the 捆绑SM社区 coronavirus FAQ page to request temporary parking.
Hazardous Waste Management
To try to keep staff on campus at a minimum, Hazardous Waste Management (HWM) will not pick up biomedical waste and chemicals directly from laboratories. As research personnel are working to ramp down research on campus, they should put these materials into the waste room, where HWM will collect them.
Reporting possible exposure to COVID-19
We have developed a self-declaration form to document illness or possible exposure to COVID-19. Employees in such situations must fill out the form. Further instructions are available on the 捆绑SM社区 coronavirus website.
Support
Professional counselling and advice for a range of issues are available for staff through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). If you need to talk to someone, I encourage you to make use of the program.
For students, Keep.meSAFE, a mental health counselling service offered to students in partnership with SSMU and PGSS, provides 24/7 access to licensed counsellors through telephone and mobile chat in more than 60 languages. To access this service, download the MySSP app in the or .
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For more information, please consult 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 . We are doing our best to update it with new information throughout the day. If you have any questions not covered by our , write to COVID-19.info [at] mcgill.ca.
In closing, I would like to thank you all once again for your dedication to 捆绑SM社区 and to each other. When I think back to what life was like just two weeks ago, I am amazed at how quickly and profoundly it has changed. I am sure you all feel the same. Please take care of yourself and provide whatever support you can to your colleagues and fellow students.
Sincerely,
听
Fabrice Labeau
Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning)
on behalf of the Emergency Operations Centre