Dear Members of the U of G Community,

As we come to the end of an unprecedented week in our history, I want to thank each of you for your work, your care and your diligence in supporting each other and the broader U of G community.

This morning, members of our academic committee and I had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. Dr. Mercer shared her support for the efforts that the University of Guelph has taken to keep our students, faculty and staff safe. She also provided important perspectives that are helpful for our own decision-making and will help further strengthen the information we provide for our community on our COVID-19 website.

With cases of COVID-19 continuing to increase in Canada and around the world, Dr. Mercer also encouraged us all to remain vigilant. She spoke about the importance of social distancing as a key way to "flatten the curve" of new COVID-19 cases in Canada and to help remove pressure on our health-care system.

We can all help do our part to slow down the spread of this highly contagious virus. Please review the Public Health Agency of Canada's information on social distancing and put their advice into practice. It can help keep you and the people you care about safe. Simple actions make a big difference. Please make sure to leave at least a metre of space (two arms' length) between you and others and wash your hands thoroughly and often.

As we wrap up this week, I want to end by giving a big shout-out to the people whose job duties have required them to remain on campus, supporting our students, staff and faculty. We deeply appreciate all that you do - thank you!

I hope that you find some time this weekend to reach out to family and friends.

Sincerely,

Franco Vaccarino
President and Vice-Chancellor

Daily Updates: March 20, 2020

• To support the University of Guelph's efforts in protecting the health of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the McLaughlin Library has closed its physical space on campus as of 4:30 p.m. today. The building will remain closed until further notice.
  
  The library will continue to support students by offering online resources and virtual services. Information about the library's offerings are updated regularly on the library's website.
  
  Students who have concerns about access to technology to support their alternative delivery format of courses and exams for the remainder of the winter 2020 semester should review the Academics FAQs on U of G's COVID-19 website.
   
• U of G's modified final exam period will start Monday, April 13 and end no later than Wednesday, April 29. The modified final exam schedule will be available around April 3. 
   
• Updated FAQs about employee pay from March 17 to April 2 are now available. This information is relevant to full-time, part-time and student employees as well as work study students. Find the updated information on U of G's COVID-19 Employment FAQs.
   
• Access to some U of G buildings has changed from "open to the public" to "accessible by employees only." Employees who have used their swipe card to access specific buildings in the past will still be able to do so. Information on which buildings are accessible only by swipe card is available on the Campus Community Police website. If you have trouble accessing a building, contact Campus Community Police at 519-824-4120, Ext. 52000.
   
• The Computing and Communications Services Help Centre will temporarily extend its hours to provide needed support for our campus community. The Help Centre will be open:
  • Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
  • Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
  • Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. 
• The CCS Help Centre can be reached via:
  • Email to IThelp@uoguelph.ca 
  • Online chat - click the blue box in the bottom right corner of the CCS website
  • Phone by calling 519-824-4120, Ext. 58888 (calls go to a mailbox that is being monitored).
     
• Hospitality Services food locations are closed this weekend. Students can use their meal plans to order take-out or delivery from off-campus meal plan partners. Starting Monday, March 23, East Side Variety will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provide those still on campus with packaged meals to go and grocery essentials.

U of G's COVID-19 website is your best source of information about the University's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.