March 13, 2020

UPDATED: University will remain open, classes will resume via remote learning

Message from President and Vice-Chancellor Ed McCauley
University of Calgary
University of Calgary

Editor's note: Classes online are now set to resume on Tuesday, March 17. Read a more recent update to the campus community.

To all members of the UCalgary community:

As you know, to determine the University of Calgary’s response to the increased number of cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) locally, nationally and internationally, classes were temporarily suspended on Friday to allow us time to consult with students, faculty, staff, other institutions and the relevant authorities.

As a result of that consultation we have decided that when classes resume on Monday they will not be in-person. Instead, UCalgary will move to alternate forms of course delivery until the COVID-19 situation has stabilized.

Instructors have been preparing for the possibility of moving to remote learning and have prepared lesson plans accordingly. We have invested in new technology platforms and we hope this transition will be relatively seamless. We will also be moving to alternate forms of final assessment. This move will not cause any student to lose credits or the ability to graduate.

We are taking this step out of an abundance of caution. I want to stress that we are aware of no cases of COVID-19 on campus and Alberta Health continues to assess the risk to our community to be low.

By suspending in-person classes – and eliminating the large groupings of people that come with them – we hope to further reduce this low risk and keep our university family safe.

The University of Calgary will remain open, and staff and faculty will be at work. All services remain available; we are here to support you during these difficult times.

I would like to thank the university scholars and staff who have worked directly – and tirelessly – on tackling COVID-19 and improving the global situation. I would also like to thank you all for the measures you take: washing your hands, forgoing handshakes, coughing into your arm, staying home when you are sick and avoiding crowded areas.

These measures may seem small, but they are vitally important. They protect the most vulnerable among us and they are, ultimately, what will allow us to beat back this dangerous disruption.

Even absent from our community, COVID-19 has already had a significant impact on our lives. I want you to know we take these steps today because the safety of both the university and the broader community is of the utmost importance for us.

Students, you will be hearing from your instructors as to how we will proceed on Monday. The most up-to-date information on UCalgary’s COVID-19 response can be found on the UCalgary COVID-19 website and we will continue to send out regular updates.

We sincerely appreciate your support and patience as we work together in these trying times.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ed McCauley
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Calgary

 

UCalgary resources on COVID-19

For the most up-to-date information about the University of Calgary's response to the spread of COVID-19, visit the UCalgary COVID-19 Response website.