UBC further postpones in-person classes due to COVID-19 concerns
Posted January 12, 2022 10:40 pm.
Last Updated January 12, 2022 10:58 pm.
Most classes at the University of British Columbia will continue to be delivered online due to concerns over COVID-19 and the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.
The school announced Wednesday that it will continue with remote learning for most courses until at least Feb. 7. Courses such as clinical, performance or studio components did resume when the semester started last week with additional safety protocols in place, and these will continue to be taught in person.
“This decision was made in consultation with the Deans on both campuses, academic heads, and directors, student leadership, union groups and associations,” says a statement from President Santa J. Ono
“Faculties and academic units will provide further details on specific programs and courses. We will continue to assess the situation from the perspective of our students, faculty and staff.”
RELATED: UBC shifts to online classes for start of winter term due to COVID-19
An update will be provided on Jan. 24, but the university leadership is telling students to prepare to be on campus in early February.
“We remain committed to the full return to in-person teaching and learning, and will provide further updates as soon as we can. In the meantime, we would like to thank all our students, faculty and staff for responding quickly to facilitate this shift in educational delivery,” the statement continues.
UBC has made the decision to continue to deliver the majority of programs online until February 7. Read the complete update: https://t.co/lM90oVGno4 pic.twitter.com/vzm1a6KOjC
— University of British Columbia (@UBC) January 12, 2022
Campuses will remain open, including libraries, student housing, and student services as they have since the start of the winter term.
Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University also previously announced a shift to mostly remote learning until Jan 24. Neither one of those schools has announced an extension. Post-secondary institutions have not been ordered to cancel or scale back in-person classes.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued guidance in a letter last December outlining a list of reasons as to why officials are recommending on-campus classes. In it, she said the previous move to online learning “in 2020 and 2021 was associated with significant negative consequences for post-secondary students, who reported significantly poorer and worsening mental health.”
Other schools, like Langara College, delayed the start of the semester until Jan. 10 at which point all students were allowed to return to campus for classes.
