Planning for next term

As announced by President Hall, UVic is responding to the changing situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and wants to provide certainty around the start of term. Classes will begin as scheduled Jan. 10, 2022 with the majority of instruction provided online until Jan. 24.

This approach provides certainty for students and instructors for the beginning of term, allows for our ongoing coordination and collaboration with Island Health and provides flexibility for our campus community, allowing for safe travel and transition for students back to campus.

During this brief period, some courses, including those with essential clinical or other experiential, performance, studio or lab components, may continue in person with appropriate approvals by deans and safety protocols in place. Instructors will contact students directly if their courses will include a face-to-face component between Jan. 10 and 24.

For students, faculty and staff who will be continuing with in-person learning, research and services in early January, please be assured that our campus facilities are safe. The university continues to maintain the core public health and safety measures outlined in the updated post-secondary COVID-19 Return to Campus Guidelines , which have kept our campus a low-risk setting for COVID-19 transmission. 

Our planning is also consistent with the recent guidance of Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, who recommended that universities continue to plan for in-person instruction in the month of January. Her letter to university presidents provides information on the virus and notes that low post-secondary institutions are low-risk settings for transmission and that safety measures are working.

Campus services

The campus and all off-campus facilities operated by the university will be open Jan. 4 with appropriate levels of staffing and support in place, including:

• student housing and dining services
• registrar’s office
• student services, including mental health and wellness services
• research facilities
• libraries

New student welcome and orientation will be offered online.

Staff

If you work on campus or have a remote work arrangement in place, please continue with your current arrangement when the holiday closure ends on Jan. 4.

Research and lab activities will also continue in person with current safety plans in place.

View the current campus health and safety measures.

Faculty and instructors

To help prepare for an online start to the term, please visit Teach Anywhere:

• Spring 2022 resources
• Flexibility planning for Spring 2022
• Planning for in-person absences during COVID-19
• LTSI Supports and winter break hours

Health and safety

Thanks to the many health and safety measures in place on campus, the university has had a safe return to campus in the fall term, with no cases of on-campus transmission. Current safety measures include:

• enhanced cleaning in classrooms and common areas
• improved building ventilation and air quality
• mask protocols for classrooms, common areas and shared work spaces
• hand sanitizer at all building entrances.

We are assured by the provincial health officer’s letter and our own experience that post-secondary institutions are low-risk settings for transmission. As we move forward, we will continue to monitor the situation, consult with Island Health and follow the guidance of the PHO and the BC Centre for Disease Control to support a full resumption of in-person classes on Jan. 24.

During the winter break, we urge all members of our community to follow public health orders when reconnecting with friends and family.

Continue to refer to the UVic COVID-19 website for the latest information