Important things to know the week of April 15 to 22
Summary of this week's UM COVID-19 information
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, thank you for your efforts, and those of your family and friends, to ensure the safety and well-being of others during this challenging time. Updates in the past week include:
President Barnard’s message to staff: Last week, the Government of Manitoba asked all post-secondary institutions to engage in significant cost-saving measures as Government responds to the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The University of Manitoba’s executive leadership is working to produce a plan for government that looks at options for expenses and temporary workload reductions from May 1 – August 31, 2020. The University submitted its plan to government on Tuesday, April 21. The full message can be read here: https://news.umanitoba.ca/president-barnards-message-to-staff-april-20/
Student Sport and Recreation Fee will not be applied to tuition for Summer Term 2020.
Voluntary Withdrawal Date: The voluntary withdrawal date has been extended to May 10, 2020, for courses taught in the 2020 Winter Term, including spanned courses scheduled over the 2019 Fall – 2020 Winter Terms. A COVID-19 webpage for students provides detailed information and resources.
The Academic Learning Centre continues to provide academic supports. All supports are available online including individual tutoring (in writing, content study skills), supplemental instruction sessions, and workshops. To make an appointment and for more information visit the COVID-19 academic supports website.
Staff and student parking fee will be refunded or waived for the month of April. For staff, the April fee will not be withdrawn from your bank account. Please continue to check the parking website for updates http://umanitoba.ca/parking
All employees continue to work from home with only limited access for employees deemed as essential to our work. Research, scholarly works and creative activities have been suspended (with exceptions approved by VPRI) for most on-campus/field sites. Researchers will continue as much research as possible remotely. All events have been cancelled or postponed, including Spring Convocation.
What’s happening with mailed items? See information about mail and other essential onsite services during buildings closure.
Support from the Libraries – The Libraries continue to provide collections and services online:
- Librarians continue to provide course support for online classes during Summer Term.
- Support for researchers in data management, data visualization and GIS, and open scholarship are available including online consultations and access to data sharing and storage platforms such as Dataverse.
- Open Education Resources (teaching resources with open copyright) are available for faculty and instructors.
- Student and faculty support is available through the AskUs online chat service and by contacting the appropriate subject liaison librarian
Books, Course Packs and The Bookstore (Summer Term 2020) – Instructors are requested to submit course materials requirements to the Bookstore as soon as possible.
Mental health supports are available for staff and their dependents through the UM Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) plan. Members and their dependents can contact Lifeworks by Morneau Shepell at 1-800-387-4765 (English) or 1-800-361-5676 (French).
Winnipeg Transit rapid transit schedule changed on April 12 with the launch of the BLUE rapid transit line.
Monitor the umanitoba.ca/coronavirus website for daily updates.