COVID-19: Faculty of Education Updates

Team Communications while Working Remotely

Communication while working from home remains a critical part of how to work creatively and relationally. There are networking tools that you can access for free, that will allow you to connect your team/s digitally, in a way that is more efficient than email and that is less taxing than meetings. These tools are a good replacement for the f-t-f interactions we have with small clusters of colleagues on a regular basis that have disappeared with remote work.

Keeping Teams Connected

Zoom and Collaborate Ultra are great way to have video meetings. However, you can also set up small and large clusters of colleagues and have immediate communication with the whole office, teams and individuals by using other tools, that are less bandwidth demanding and faster than email. Read more here: educ.ubc.ca/covid-19-faculty-of-education-update-educational-technology-support.

Maintaining Good Mental Health during the Outbreak

The World Health Organization has published a set of helpful documents with guidance on mental health and psychosocial support for health workers, managers of health facilities, people who are looking after children, older adults, people in isolation and members of the public more generally.

• Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
  https://www.who.int/publications-detail/mental-health-and-psychosocial-considerations-during-the-covid-19-outbreak
• Helping children cope with stress during COVID-19
  https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/helping-children-cope-with-stress-print.pdf

Accessing the Campus

With fewer people on campus, and in order to protect the safety of those who remain on campus, Campus Security is enhancing security procedures and processes on campus. I strongly recommend that you not come to campus at this time. For those of you who have prior approval to be on campus, please have your UBC ID on display or ready to show.

Listserv Postings

Over the past several weeks, we have limited Faculty listserv postings to COVID-related information only. We are now moving into a somewhat more settled phase of our new working environment. Beginning Monday, March 30th, the listservs will once again convey regular Faculty business. Please continue to email posting requests directly to Katy Ellsworth.

We understand that this is a challenging time for the whole research community and we appreciate your patience as we find ways to support your research while attending to the safety and wellbeing of our communities.

More information: ore.educ.ubc.ca/research/funding
FAQs: research.ubc.ca/covid-19-curtailing-research-activities-ubc-campuses

Convocation Ceremonies

As we know, in-person spring convocation ceremonies will not be taking place at UBC-Vancouver or UBC-Okanagan. President Ono has posted a letter to the community indicating that a postponed in-person ceremony for the Class of 2020 will be announced when possible, degrees will be conferred and mailed to those who applied and meet requirements, and a virtual ceremony will take place. Read more here: president.ubc.ca/letter-to-the-community/2020/03/26/spring-graduation.

Grading Options

Further information about grading options for the current term, involving Credit/D/Fail, is provided on the School of Kinesiology website. (Most students using this provision, afforded only for undergraduate courses, are in KIN, but the provisions apply to Education courses.) Please note that the usual limit of number of credits and use only for elective courses will be waived when individual students submit their request. The period during which the provision may be requested is Apr. 22 to May 6.

A set of FAQs is being developed by the School and will be linked on this website. General UBC information may be found here: students.ubc.ca/enrolment/courses/creditdfail-grading (however, some limitations are being waived during this exceptional term).

Protection of Personal Privacy

All Education and Kinesiology students were advised today that any information about an individual’s health status in relation to suspected, presumptive or confirmed case of COVID-19 may not be shared. This applies to all members of the UBC community.

Personal Protective Equipment

UBC central administration has sent an urgent request to unit heads and directors to provide information about inventory of critical materials, including personal protective equipment. This is being tracked in order to determine those supplies that are needed on campus and those that can be donated to hospitals and medical facilities.

The supplies should remain in place for now; however, if you know of any supplies that might not already be included in your unit, department or school’s inventory, please be in touch with your head, director or lead administrator.

Graduate Student Leave Absences

A message from Brendan Morey, Asst. Dean, Student Administration and Awards, was sent to graduate advisors and staff yesterday outlining options for graduate students with regard to different scenarios for possible leave requests for the summer term (May-Aug 2020). Read more here: educ.ubc.ca/covid-19-faculty-of-education-update-graduate-studies.

Faculty Travel Requests

Faculty members are asked to not submit any travel preapproval or booking requests until after the end of April 2020. Further information will be provided closer to that date.

Questions

Please send any Faculty of Education – COVID-19 questions to education.COVID19@ubc.ca
Please send any UBC – COVID-19 questions to admin.covid.question@ubc.ca

• Using the Virtual Private Network (VPN) to remotely connect to the UBC network. Visit it.ubc.ca/telecommute for details on how to log-in.
• Ensuring you are enrolled with an Enhanced Campus-Wide Login for multi-factor authentication.
• Logging out of VPN and your devices when not in use.
• Not clicking on links from unfamiliar sources. Doing so can download malware onto your computer even without further action on your part.
• Reporting any suspicious emails to security@ubc.ca, so the UBC Cybersecurity team can investigate them.
• Implementing a strong password on all of your accounts and log-ins, and keeping it secure. Please do not use UBC accounts or passwords for any other websites.
• Completing the mandatory Privacy and Information Security Fundamentals training at privacymatters.ubc.ca

UBC’s Cybersecurity Team is also working on additional security software and precautions to ensure UBC information remains protected. More details will be shared internally with IT departmental administrators this week. Please ensure you are following any guidance that may be issued to ensure you take the necessary precautions and have the appropriate security software installed to protect UBC’s data.

Bookmark privacymatters.ubc.ca for more tips and resources on information security.

IT guide to working remotely

IT has compiled some key technical resources to support you in working remotely, including programs that will help you stay connected to your colleagues through audio conferencing, virtual meetings and instant messaging. Access them here: it.ubc.ca/ubc-it-guide-working-campus

Contacting the UBC IT Helpdesk

Currently, the preferred method for requesting assistance from UBC IT is to submit a ticket with the Help Desk. Please find the relevant links below:

• UBC Vancouver: it.ubc.ca/selfservice
• UBC Okanagan: helpdesk.ok.ubc.ca/itmdb/

On behalf of the Privacy and Information Security Management (PrISM) Executive Leadership Committee, thank you for keeping UBC's systems and networks safe and secure.

Hubert Lai, Q.C.
University Counsel

Peter Smailes
Vice-President, Finance & Operations

Andrew Szeri
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver

2. Those enrolled in the Teacher Education Program (BEd degree) continue to be graded on a Pass/Fail basis
3. Those enrolled in graduate courses have the following options:
• accept assigned grade, or
• withdraw from course and accept “W” on your transcript (no course credit, no tuition refund).

Please know that instructors, administrators, support staff, and advisors in your department, program and Faculty are here to support your progress and your wellbeing. We will continue to provide current information as we receive it. I encourage you to regularly check this page, your department, school or program website and to reach out to any of us in the Faculty if and as you need to.

Research Updates

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has updated its COVID-19 response page to include information about the state of its various funding programs. nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsRelease-CommuniqueDePresse_eng.asp?ID=1139

Research curtailment

Please note that, as previously mentioned, off-campus research involving in-person interaction with (human) research participants is curtailed (see: COVID-19 Bulletin). Please check the BREB websites or e-mail jean.ruiz@ors.ubc.ca (BREB) for more information.

Graduate student access to data analysis software off campus

VPRI suggests that, during this COVID-19 research curtailment period on campus, students may be able to navigate normal site-license restrictions for off-campus software use (e.g., SPSS) and secure data storage by contacting: PopData BC: info@popdata.bc.ca or UBC IT: site-license@it.ubc.ca

Teaching and Learning

Educational Technology Support (ETS) is working non-stop to provide support for all those shifting coursework to online delivery. They will soon have a set of video tutorials as well as FAQs for instructors. On a similar theme, UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology (CTLT) is proposing a Summer Academy to support online course development. Stay tuned!

Dr. Edwards notes that it would be very helpful to ETS personnel and allocation of resources if instructors could indicate if the course they are co-developing for online delivery is likely to be used once or possibly on an ongoing basis (as a fully online or hybridized course).

Questions

Please send any Faculty of Education – COVID-19 questions to education.COVID19@ubc.ca
Please send any UBC – COVID-19 questions to admin.covid.question@ubc.ca

IT Guide to Working Remotely

UBC IT has produced an IT Guide to Working Remotely with information on how to access UBC files and systems, which video conferencing tools to use, and more. Information will be continually updated on this page: it.ubc.ca/ubc-it-guide-working-campus

As has been mentioned in earlier posts, it is essential to remain vigilant when accessing UBC files and networks. The following cybersecurity precautions and tips from the Privacy Matters site, include these key points:

• encrypt any non-UBC devices: privacymatters.ubc.ca/encrypt-my-devices
• activate myVPN to keep online communications, downloads, uploads and other sensitive transactions and items secure – please turn off when working off-line to reduce the risk of overloading the system
• ensure that you are using Enhanced CWL
• ensure that all passwords are as strong as possible

For questions related to working remotely not addressed in these resources, please consult with your dept, unit or school administrative manager.

Questions

Please send any Faculty of Education – COVID-19 questions to education.COVID19@ubc.ca
Please send any UBC – COVID-19 questions to admin.covid.question@ubc.ca

Study Leaves

Several people have asked questions relating to study leaves. Faculty Relations has confirmed that, if a study leave is postponed due to COVID 19, the year(s) at work is counted towards the next leave. This direction is also supported by Faculty Association. This exception to normal processes has been created to help with the current crisis; once the crisis passes, normal procedures will resume.

Please note that information about other types of leave is forthcoming.

Grading and Concessions for W2

We are aware that students are concerned about grading and concessions. We are presently waiting for updated information from the Office of the Provost. As soon as we have the update, we will share it with the Faculty community.

Protection of Personal Privacy

It is critically important that any information about a person’s state of health in a suspected, presumptive or confirmed case of COVID-19 may not be shared publicly. To do so is a violation of the Public Health Act. Only Vancouver Coast Health has the authority to provide public reports following its own established protocols.

Please use the following protocol to protect the health and privacy of our community:

• Monitor yourself for symptoms
• Be familiar with the COVID-19 BC Support App and Self-Assessment Tool at bc.thrive.health
• Know the difference between self-monitoring, self-isolation, and isolation for COVID-19
• Lastly, know what to do if you are ill

Education Technology Support

This morning, Dr. Boškić shared key information about:

• Connecting using UBC’s online & remote platforms
• Reducing the load on UBC’s VPN
• Teaching online

Please review the information here.

How Can I Help?

Thanks to some of you who have already reached out to provide support to others in the Faculty community. Given that workloads have been impacted in different ways during the current remote work arrangement, please check in with your Head, supervisor or administrative manager if you have time and skills that could be shared with another unit or area.

Questions

Please send any Faculty of Education – COVID-19 questions to education.COVID19@ubc.ca
Please send any UBC – COVID-19 questions to admin.covid.question@ubc.ca

Closing the buildings has the added benefit of protecting the security of our equipment and sensitive information stored onsite. We recognize the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.

Curtailing of Research Activities

The VP Research and Innovation has indicated that all non-critical research activities will cease to take place on UBC campuses. Further details are forthcoming: research.ubc.ca/covid-19 and will be posted on the Faculty COVID-19 site.

SSHRC Update

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) has launched a new web page to explain the agency's response to COVID-19, including new provisions for grant extensions, expenses related to travel cancellations, and exceptional expenditures: sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/news_room-salle_de_presse/covid-19-eng.aspx

Study and Other Leaves

Faculty Relations has advised that a notice outlining provisions for study and other leaves is forthcoming. It will be posted to the Faculty COVID-19 site.

Ongoing Work-at-home Pilot

Given the evolving situation with the global pandemic, it will likely become necessary to extend the current work-at-home pilot beyond early April. Please begin planning for this likelihood.

Teaching and Learning – Summer Terms

As we are planning for the online delivery of Summer Term 1 courses, it is probably wise to think about planning for Summer Term 2 courses as well. This will include considering alternate possibilities for visiting scholars and other important aspects. These are early days, but we understand that long-range planning (and adapting) starts early.

How Can I Help?

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Dean of Education Endowment Fund will allocate emergency relief funds to Faculty of Education students experiencing financial crises. If you would like to help support students during this challenging time, you may donate online via UBC’s secure Online Gift Centre. You will receive a tax receipt for the full amount of your gift.

Thanks to the efforts of Drs. Jennifer Katz, Jenna Shapka and Lesley Andres, with support from Aloy Anyichie in ECPS, an emergency fund to provide short-term food relief to graduate students has been established on GoFundMe. This initiative, titled Adhoc COVID-19 Student Support, along with established donation sites, such as the AMS Food Bank, are linked on this webpage in the How can I help? sidebar.

Questions

Please send any Faculty of Education – COVID-19 questions to education.COVID19@ubc.ca
Please send any UBC – COVID-19 questions to admin.COVID.question@ubc.ca

• Refunds for Summer Session: Students are asking if they should pay tuition for summer session and what will happen if programs cannot be delivered. Enrolment Services has a notice on the website indicating that refunds will be provided if classes are cancelled
• The Office of the Senate developed a memo regarding take/home remote exams and the importance of not making them all due or occur on the last day of the exam term (for mental health reasons and instructors and deans’ offices being able to manage marking and submission of grades).
• The Belkin Gallery is closed to the public until Tuesday, April 7.

Work in progress

• Building Closure - The Building Operations Facilities Managers are working with the Deans' Offices, VP Research Office, Campus Security and Secure Access to limit access to buildings while still allowing critical/crucial activities to be maintained. The Deans' make the final decision on building access. The primary challenge is that most buildings have multiple users with different needs and they must consulted.
• Plans for congregation and communications should be ready by Friday. The intention is to grant degrees and issue parchments (by mail probably) in May. New convocation rules are being drafted to allow the Chancellor to confer degrees in absentia.
• Emergency Bursaries: there is strong demand for funding support and the emergency bursary funding envelopes are about to be depleted. We are analyzing the nature of the requests: type of requests, amounts by type, by international, domestic, graduate, undergraduate, etc. Also examining both federal and provincial programs to see if we can tap into this for income replacement, travel costs, etc.
• Refunds for Winter Session: Enrolment Services will have a proposal ready by tomorrow for undergraduate programs; any programs with practicums/clerkships, etc. need a different solution and ES needs to know how these programs are modifying the curriculum to help with decision making.
• Facilities Operations - All Facilities departments are adjusting to a rotating schedule to minimize the number of staff on campus while ensuring crucial services are maintained. The staffing adjustments are being made in consultation with Academic, HR and Finance partners to maintain alignment with campus needs and to ensure the health of our staff and community. Building Operations rolled out the schedule changes today. Energy & Water Services will commence on Monday.

Information provided by government/healthcare agencies

• Dr. Bonnie Henry has clarified, for first responders, including police and fire, that they do not need to self-isolate if they assist a citizen who is experiencing symptoms, unless they are directed to by public health, or unless they begin to exhibit symptoms. They do not have to self- isolate or cease operations if they think they or another member of their unit has been exposed. We believe that this clarifies what we need to do when people are exposed.
• A new resource has been provided to help people understand what is entailed re: self-isolation, isolation, and self-monitoring: canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/self-monitoring-self-isolation-isolation-for-covid-19.html
• Universities Canada clarified with IRCC that IRCC has determined that international students and workers who are currently outside of Canada and the US will not be permitted to board an aircraft to return to Canada. All temporary residents already in Canada are encouraged to apply for an extension so that they may maintain their temporary resident status in Canada. Once the application is submitted, the client will benefit from implied status and may remain in Canada until a decision is rendered on their application.
• Universities Canada is seeking further clarification or possible exceptions for international students who are the spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. IRCC is working with Global Affairs Canada on potential facilitation measures to address minor children on an exceptional basis;
• For our US students who are on loans a bill has been introduced in both the US House and Senate that would grant a waiver from the law that prohibits any part of a program of study for students receiving U.S. loans from being taught via distance education, which would be made retroactive to 1 March.
• CIHR is assessing how best to move forward with the Spring 2020 Project Grant competition. They are seeking to minimize disruption to the research community, while recognizing the importance of contributing to efforts to help stop the spread of the virus. A decision will be made in the coming days. CIHR is committed to supporting grant- and scholarship-holders, applicants, and peer reviewers. They could adjust program application and reporting dates, extensions to grants, etc. They are reviewing all competitions that were recently launched, are in progress, or were to be launched in the coming months, and coming up with mitigation strategies.

Canadian and BC update