Archive

  • Updates for the U of A community for the week ending April 3

    April 03, 2020

    April 3, 4:00 p.m. - New information on working remotely - including privacy & security tips, borrowing equipment, and purchasing supplies for remote work. Also: Convocation updates regarding virtual Spring 2020 ceremony & in-person ceremonies when permitted, and what grad students need to know about their studies.

  • Pick-up and Purchasing: Supplies Update

    April 03, 2020

    April 3, 4:00 p.m. - Updates for employees picking up or purchasing supplies for working remotely.

  • Borrowing Equipment for Working Remotely

    April 03, 2020

    April 3, 4:00 p.m. - Working from home may not be easy for everyone, but in having the right tools around you can make things much easier.

  • Spring Convocation: The U of A will celebrate the Class of 2020 virtually

    April 02, 2020

    April 2, 2020 - In light of the uncertainty around COVID-19 and our inability to gather together on campus, we have made the difficult decision to change this year’s ceremonies. We will not be holding in-person ceremonies this June and instead will move to a virtual convocation to celebrate all that they have achieved. This will be a different experience than we were anticipating and a different approach than we have seen in our 112-year history. However we look forward to creating a memorable online moment for our Class of 2020 and our university community.

  • Classes being delivered remotely, essential work only on campus, Spring Convocation 2020

    April 02, 2020

    Due to COVID-19, the province of Alberta, and the cities of Edmonton and Camrose, have declared official states of public health emergency. As our public health authorities, they have implemented several restrictions and preventative measures in order to fight the risk of infection within our communities. The University of Alberta is a proud partner in the global effort to put the health and safety of our communities first.

  • Assessment of Remote Learning Exceptional Circumstances for Winter 2020

    April 01, 2020

    Additional information regarding delivering final exams and assessments in a fully online environment.

  • What U of A graduate students need to know about their studies in light of COVID-19

    March 31, 2020

    Vice-Provost and Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Brooke Milne and Vice-president of the Graduate Students' Association talk with GSA President Fahed Elian about what graduate students need to know about their studies.

  • Update regarding credit/non-credit discussion at General Faculties Council

    March 30, 2020

    March 30, 4:30 p.m. - Update on today's General Faculties Council (GFC) meeting and discussions held in relation to the university’s decision to move to Credit/Non-credit (CR/NC) assessment for the Winter 2020 term.

  • Updates for employees, students, researchers

    March 27, 2020

    March 27, 5:00 p.m. - Here are today's updates for the U of A community including new measures from the Government of Alberta, message from President Turpin, locker access, and questions & answers regarding CR/NC grading system.

  • Implementing CR/NC Grading, Changing Course Weighting, and Grade Submission Deadlines

    March 27, 2020

    March 27, 9:30 a.m. - New information to assist in implementing Credit (CR)/Non-Credit (NC) grading for the Winter 2020 term, including changing weighting on final exams and course assessments, and deadlines for submitting grades.

  • U of A Registrar Melissa Padfield and Dean of Students Andre Costopoulos answer questions about the CR/NCR grading from Student Union President Akanksha Bhatnagar.

    March 27, 2020

    March 27, 9:00 a.m. - U of A Registrar Melissa Padfield and Dean of Students Andre Costopoulos answer questions about the CR/NCR grading from Student Union President Akanksha Bhatnagar.

  • Update from the U of A’s Public Health Response Team

    March 26, 2020

    March 26, 6:00 p.m. - Update from the Public Health Response Team regarding ongoing work with Alberta Health Services and future cases within the U of A community.

  • Consider This: What Would a Move to Essential Services Mean for the U of A?

    March 26, 2020

    March 26, 4:00 p.m. - Over the past couple of weeks, we have watched provinces and countries around the world take various measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. This week, both Ontario and Quebec moved to shut down all but the most essential services. While Alberta has not taken this step to date, a shut-down of similar magnitude seems possible, if not likely. What would this mean for the University of Alberta?

  • March 25 - Updates for employees, students, and researchers

    March 25, 2020

    March 25, 5:30 p.m. - Today's updates for the U of A community including enforcement of Public Health Orders, University Health Centre hours, reporting maintenance issues, access to computer labs.

  • Building closures and restricted access

    March 24, 2020

    March 24, 6:00 p.m. - Further to the access restrictions now in place on our campuses, we anticipate the need to continue to close buildings, or areas within buildings, this week. This will allow us to better support the maintenance and sanitizing of critical and essential areas.

  • Updates for Faculty and Instructors

    March 23, 2020

    March 23, 6:30 p.m. - On Friday, March 20, the University announced a number of academic measures put in place to support the completion of the Winter 2020 term, including the decision to implement Credit (CR)/Noncredit (NC) grading for all Winter 2020 courses. The following key messages are designed to keep faculty members informed and to assist you in addressing questions you may be receiving from students.

  • Additional Information for Students on Changes to Academic Measures

    March 23, 2020

    March 23, 7:00 p.m. - We are working to define and share additional details and implications of the credit (CR) or no credit (NC) grades adopted for Winter 2020. We have updated the website with more information based on questions we heard over the weekend.

  • Changes to access on all campuses starting today

    March 23, 2020

    March 23, 10:45 a.m. - This morning the university implemented more stringent access control to our physical spaces. With a few exceptions, this has involved closing our buildings to the public. Entry to each building is limited to those individuals with pre-existing card and/or key access.

  • Building Closures March 23 - Update

    March 22, 2020

    With the move to remote class delivery and reductions in research to essential activities, effective Monday March 23, 2020, university buildings will be closed. Entry will be limited to those individuals with pre-existing card and/or key access.

  • March 21, 5:15 p.m. - Continuing to Support Our Community as COVID-19 Case Confirmed

    March 21, 2020

    Today Alberta Health Services (AHS) informed us that a member of our University of Alberta community has tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering in isolation.

  • U of A medical students offering emergency child care to physicians and front-line health workers

    March 20, 2020

    More than 150 doctors and health-care workers have signed up for service offered by third- and fourth-year students temporarily pulled from clinical rotations.

  • March 20, 6:00 p.m - Updates for the U of A Community

    March 20, 2020

    March 20, 6:00 p.m - Updates available for employees, students, researchers

  • March 20, 10:30 a.m. - Important updates for Students and Instructors regarding changes to grades, final assessments, course outlines, academic standing, and course withdrawal Deadline

    March 20, 2020

    We understand the transitions of the past weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been extremely challenging. The University of Alberta is working hard to minimize negative impacts to both students and instructors. We thank you for your flexibility and resilience in making these adjustments. Our community’s health, safety, and mental well-being is of paramount importance.

  • Changes to Grades, Final Assessments, Course Outlines, Academic Standing, and Course Withdrawal Deadline

    March 20, 2020

    March 20, 10:30 a.m. - We understand the transitions of the past weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been extremely challenging. The University of Alberta is working hard to minimize negative impacts to your academic life and future. Your health, safety, and mental well-being is of paramount importance. As a result, the university is making a number of changes to our normal practices in order to set students up for continued academic success and with your best interests in mind.

  • Changes to Grades, Final Assessments, Course Outlines, Academic Standing, and Course Withdrawal Deadline

    March 20, 2020

    March 20, 10:30 a.m. - We understand the transitions of the past weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been extremely challenging. As a result of the exceptional circumstances presented by the pandemic, the university is making a number of changes to our normal practices in order to enable instructors and students to successfully complete the Winter 2020 term, and set students up for continued academic success.

  • March 19 - Frequently Asked Questions for Researchers

    March 19, 2020

    March 19, 5:30 p.m. - We have added a Frequently Asked Questions section for researchers to answer question you might have regarding research activities.

  • COVID-19 UPDATE: Student loans; academic accommodations; all campuses and residences remain open

    March 18, 2020

    March 18, 5:30 p.m. - Today both the Government of Canada and Government of Alberta announced new measures. Updates available regarding student loans, academic accommodations, exams and a new section for researchers on the U of A's COVID-19 website.

  • COVID-19 response guide for researchers and research groups

    March 18, 2020

    March 18, 7:00 p.m. - The university is currently open and providing all services, despite classes moving online; however, this could change with little or no advance notice. We are working quickly to preserve the health and continuity of our community and operations (including buildings) to our best ability. Unfortunately, this may have direct and significant impacts on our research and creative activity. 

  • March 18 Update for Instructors

    March 18, 2020

    We have made it through our first day of full remote instruction! Thank you to everyone for your efforts in making this transition under challenging timelines and conditions. Your commitment demonstrates our community’s flexibility, ingenuity and resourcefulness. We want to provide an update after Day 1 with important wins and learnings that can assist in ensuring the best experience for yourselves and your students. (Updated exam info: March 18, 2:45 p.m.)

  • Important update from Sunlife regarding Out of Country coverage and COVID-19

    March 18, 2020

    IMPORTANT - What you need to know about Out of Country coverage and COVID-19 from Sunlife.

  • How to stay active if you’re staying at home

    March 17, 2020

    Sticking with routines and playing active games with the kids can help you stay physically and mentally healthy when fitness facilities are closed.

  • Updated March 17, 4:15 p.m. - State of emergency; new building hours; social distancing; safety and security

    March 17, 2020

    March 17, 4:15 p.m. - At 1:30 p.m. today, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that he would be enacting a state of public health emergency to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The University of Alberta is committed to doing all that we can to protect the health and well-being of our community. As a result, new measures are now in place on our campuses.

  • Help keep campus safe and secure

    March 17, 2020

    March 17, 1:00 p.m. - With reduced building hours on our campuses, please take a few minutes to review these simple steps on how to keep our community safe and secure.

  • Social distancing: What it means and what you should do about it

    March 17, 2020

    Goal is to reduce risk of transmitting COVID-19 rather than cut off all social contact, says U of A infectious disease expert who provides tips on what to do and what to avoid.

  • Important information for students considering travelling home

    March 16, 2020

  • March 16, 4:00 p.m. - COVID-19 U of A Update

    March 16, 2020

    All classes will resume on Tuesday, March 17 through remote delivery. Thank you for all of your efforts over the last several days to respond to this public health emergency. We recognize that this situation is changing quickly and that many extra demands have been asked of faculty, staff and students. Thank you for keeping informed and asking questions that help us provide the information that you need. We very much appreciate your cooperation.

  • March 16, 2:15 p.m.

    March 16, 2020

    March 16, 2:15 p.m.: Government and public health authorities will be sharing daily announcements regarding preventative measures to help protect us against the global spread of COVID-19. Your University of Alberta leaders and emergency management team are monitoring these announcements in real time to determine the implications for the U of A community. When new information is available, we will provide updates here as soon as possible.

  • Support for three new services that have been integrated into eClass

    March 16, 2020

    To accommodate the move to online course delivery, we are now providing support for three new services that have been integrated into eClass.

  • Questions and answers from the U of A community - March 15, 5:00 p.m.

    March 15, 2020

    Updated March 15, 5:00 p.m. - Since announcing that the U of A is moving to remote delivery of all in-person classes and exams, there have been a number of questions from our community. The most pressing questions, and answers to those questions, are listed in this update.

  • Update - March 15, 9:00 p.m.: Government of Alberta announces new measures

    March 15, 2020

    Updated: 9:00 p.m. - Today, the Government of Alberta announced new measures for post-secondary institutions in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. Because of the most recent directions from Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, the University of Alberta is taking immediate action regarding in-person classes and university operations.

  • Remote delivery of classes to begin Tuesday, March 17

    March 14, 2020

    The University of Alberta will move to remote delivery of classes for the remainder of the Winter term 2020 on Tuesday, March 17. ALL CLASSES and MIDTERM EXAMS are suspended on Monday, March 16. All CAMPUSES remain open. ALL university OPERATIONS will CONTINUE AS NORMAL with staff at work.

  • Updates from Friday, March 13, 9:15 p.m.

    March 13, 2020

    Thank you for your continued patience. In-person classes and exams remain suspended through the weekend. A number of updates related to contacts, events, travel and preparation were posted today. We expect to have confirmation regarding the delivery of classes and examinations tomorrow morning (March 14).

  • Updates: Friday, March 13

    March 13, 2020

    March 13, 1:00 p.m: All in-person classes and midterm exams are suspended through the weekend. The University of Alberta is open with all services available (including residences) and all staff at work. In following recent directions from the World Health Organization and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the University of Alberta is also taking additional steps regarding events and travel.

  • Modified Guidelines for Remote Final Oral Exams (PhD, Master’s) and Candidacy in Response to Covid-19

    March 13, 2020

    The University of Alberta has advised all campus community members to be prepared should a facilities closure become necessary due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, academic staff are advised to ensure they are ready to move all remaining course material to on-line delivery via eClass with 48-hours notice of a directive from President Turpin’s office. This includes graduate courses.

  • COVID-19 Update: University Open, Class Temporarily Suspended on Friday (March 13, 12:15 a.m.)

    March 12, 2020

    Late this afternoon, Alberta Health announced that certain large gatherings of people should be canceled to ward off the continued spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). While the University of Alberta will remain open on Friday, with all services available and all staff at work, classes are being suspended for the day. This will allow consultation with public health experts, government officials and other post-secondary institutions on appropriate next steps.

  • Update 5: Campuses open; pandemic planning well underway at the U of A, March 11, 9:00 p.m.

    March 11, 2020

    The World Health Organization declared the pneumonia outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic. The risk of contracting the virus in Alberta remains low. For more information, see the latest Government of Alberta update. With advice today from Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, our campuses currently remain open.

  • Update 4: University of Alberta COVID-19 Travel Directive, March 7, 2:30 p.m.

    March 07, 2020

    To protect the health, safety and wellness of our university community and the greater Alberta community, the University of Alberta has issued a new travel directive - effective immediately.

  • Update 3: Expanded preventative measures for travellers, March 6, 7:00 p.m.

    March 06, 2020

    Alberta’s chief medical officer of health has confirmed the province’s second presumptive case of COVID-19. This new case is located in the Edmonton Zone. The risk of contracting the virus in Alberta remains low, however Alberta Health Services is expanding its testing protocol effective immediately and is also recommending new preventative measures.

  • Update 2: March 5, 7:00 p.m.

    March 05, 2020

    Alberta’s chief medical officer of health has confirmed the province’s first presumptive case of COVID-19 in the Calgary Zone. The risk of contracting the virus in Alberta remains low. For more information, see the Government of Alberta update. No new directives have been given by Alberta Health Services at this time.

  • Update 1: Essential university information

    March 05, 2020

    COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) is raising concerns and questions for members of the University of Alberta community at home, and those with international travel plans. We want to ensure you have the latest essential university information related to COVID-19, and know where you can access appropriate support should you need it.