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

For all university employees on behalf of the U of A Public Health Response Team:

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.

>> Please see President David Turpin’s message to the community on The Quad

As of March 16, 2020, the University of Alberta is taking the following actions to ensure the health and well-being of our community:

Working Remotely 

University of Alberta campuses and residences remain open. 

However, if you can work from home, you should work from home. All employees and their supervisors should develop and implement plans for working remotely, as per the operational needs of the department, faculty, team, or unit.

Those who are unable to come to campus or work remotely due to lack of childcare should discuss options with their supervisors. Employees are expected to explore all reasonable avenues to fulfill both their work and family responsibilities. Supervisors should also be as flexible as possible as employees adapt to these extraordinary changes to work and home environments. 

Your employment with the university will NOT be negatively impacted by the preventative measures the government and the university are asking you to take to stop the spread of COVID-19.

We hope to help you mitigate any concerns with a NEW U of A Guide to Working Remotely.

Vital Services

Not all work can be done remotely. Managers must implement their operational continuity plans to ensure all critical responsibilities are fulfilled. 

Research Activities

In keeping with the university’s directive to work remotely when possible, research activities that can continue remotely should make this transition. 

At this time, if research activities cannot continue remotely, researchers, students (graduate and undergraduates) and post-doctoral fellows can continue to work on campus as long as there are social distancing protocols in place. We are still waiting for further clarification on the issue of research from Advanced Education and the Chief Medical Officer of Health which was requested last night.

However, all University of Alberta research groups should begin to prepare for the possibility of university closure and the suspension of research activities. Please prioritize activities and identify those activities that can be curtailed or delayed. If research activities are deemed essential, plans must be in place to support their continuation. Deans of faculties, in consultation with the appropriate chair, will determine which research activity is essential. 

We will keep you apprised of the situation throughout the week on the U of A COVID-19 website and with additional emails as needed.

Please continue to check this site regularly for information on the current status of our community and campuses.

• Be Prepared
• Facility & Service Disruptions
• Information for Employees
• Information for Managers and Supervisors