THIS COMMUNICATION WAS EMAILED TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ON AUGUST 11

Summer is coming to an end and we'll soon be returning to the Université de Montréal's campuses. I hope you made the most of the last few weeks to rediscover your favourite activities and reconnect with others without electronic aides. My time off was spent catching up with family, marvelling at my newborn grandson's smile, taking in the majestic beauty of Quebec's landscapes, picnicking with friends and indulging in a few extra hours of sleep. For me, and for you too I hope, the summer of 2021 was a refreshing reminder of how life is meant to be lived, even though some aspects aren't quite back to normal yet.

And that's exactly what I want to address today. With the fall term getting underway in less than a month, many of you are wondering how the Université de Montréal plans to transition to a new post-pandemic normal. In the next few days, we'll send more detailed information about how we aim to balance our concern for the university community's safety with our strong desire to see campus life flourish again. While I won't go into detail in this message, I will take a minute to outline the broad strokes of our back-to-school plan.

Our first priority is safety. The University's management team is carefully monitoring the most recent and reliable scientific information about the pandemic's evolution, the benefits of vaccination and the effectiveness of other measures for countering the threat posed by the virus. Above all else, our decisions are aimed at preventing outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 at the Université de Montréal. In doing so, we can protect public health in Montréal and the surrounding areas and avoid jeopardizing the healthcare system's ability to treat Quebecers.

Concretely, this means that even though students will return to the classroom this fall, protective measures and social distancing will nonetheless be enforced on our campuses. To be clear, we won't be able to bring the risk down to zero. Eliminating all risk is incompatible with normal university operations and would be unfairly detrimental to those who have taken steps to protect themselves from COVID-19.

This leads me to our second priority: vaccination. Even though vaccination is not mandatory in Quebec at this time, it is essential. The Université de Montréal will not implement extraordinary sanitary measures or accommodations to protect people who have chosen not to be vaccinated. We will, however, continue to work closely with public health authorities to increase vaccination opportunities for those who haven't had their shots yet. Fortunately, there are very few unvaccinated individuals in our community. After examining the data on vaccination and enrolment at the Université de Montréal, government authorities have informed us that more than 85% of our students are either already fully vaccinated or scheduled to receive their second dose in the next few days. Most of our administrative staff and faculty members belong to the age groups for whom vaccines offer very substantial protection against severe disease or long-lasting effects of COVID-19. If you haven't had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine yet, please do your part and get vaccinated today.

Our last priority is a return to normal university life. Since the current public health situation allows for in-person interactions, as long as certain health measures are applied, the Université de Montréal can—and should—allow regular activities to resume and deliver their full potential. This means offering an engaging educational environment where students can benefit from best practices in teaching, exciting research projects, and an interesting and diverse campus life. I sincerely believe that the University exists first and foremost in the interpersonal relationships that we develop over time. For most of us, these connections occur on campus, whether it be in classrooms, labs, libraries, cafeterias, offices or sports facilities. Consequently, we won't adapt the way we teach to suit some individuals' preferences or reluctance to return to campus, except for those who require accommodations due to a medical condition. Similarly, we will only allow hybrid work as long as the University is able to fulfil its core mission. As I said over a year ago: the Université de Montréal will not become a virtual university and we won't close our physical facilities. Currently, there is no reason to postpone reopening the campus and resuming our regular operations.

This is the rationale behind the measures that will be announced in the next few days. In the meantime, we can enjoy a few more beautiful summer days, a dip in the pool and maybe a family corn roast. We can also look forward to a time when the drama, disruptions, challenges and loss caused by COVID-19 fade into the past while we advance together and elevate our university to new heights.

Daniel Jutras
Rector

THIS COMMUNICATION WAS EMAILED TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ON JUNE 28

As we announced on May 31, we expect things to be back to normal for the Fall 2021 semester. Nearly all teaching will be conducted in person on campus.

As an international student, you will need to have a valid study permit to enter Canada and it is your responsibility to obtain it. However, we realize that, because of the pandemic, circumstances beyond your control may prevent you from attending classes on our campuses this fall.

Université de Montréal is therefore planning academic accommodations for students who cannot be on campus for reasons such as a medical condition or because they did not receive their study permit in time to begin the semester in Montréal. These measures are described in detail in this FAQ, which https://infocovid19.umontreal.ca/faq/#sejours-a-l-etrangercontains useful information for both new and returning students.

The International Student Office at Student Services is also holding webinars during the summer on Mondays and Thursdays, in which you can talk to an advisor live. To register for one of the information sessions, click here.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about immigration or study permits, the International Student Office is available to help.http://www.bei.umontreal.ca/

For questions about academic accommodations, please contact your faculty or departmental contact person.

THIS COMMUNICATION WAS EMAILED TO THE UDEM COMMUNITY ON MAY 31

With the vaccination campaign well underway and pandemic statistics declining, all indications are that Quebec university students will be back on campus for in-person learning this fall.

The Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur made the announcement today and asked university administrators to prepare for the fullest possible restoration of face-to-face teaching activities as early as August. Physical-distancing measures will be lifted on campuses, restoring capacity to the institutions.

This is great news for the entire university community. We’ve long been hoping for a return to normalcy, and here now are the first truly promising signs of a resumption of university activity where it should be held: on campus, a place to learn and discover, to work and also to live. Life will finally be resuming its course, with all that this means in terms of socialization and human warmth. At last!

By the start of the 2021 school year

Our faculties and services are already organizing what is shaping up to be the most anticipated  start to the academic year in memory. We at Université de Montréal will do everything in our  power to maximize attendance in the fall semester, and I would like to thank the staff of the faculties and services who are involved in this crucial academic-planning exercise.

To our students, I ask for your patience: the details of your return to class in the fall will be communicated to you in the coming weeks. We had begun preparing for the term under a distancing scenario that still included some distance learning. With today's announcement, the plan is changing and we are confirming that your presence on our campuses will be the norm, unless the government advises otherwise if the health situation worsens.

As a result, there will be changes to the course arrangements as they appear in the Student Centre: under the new scenario, most courses that were scheduled in hybrid or distance mode will switch to face-to-face mode. I would like to reassure our community, however, that the course schedules will remain largely the same. The initial schedule, on the basis of which our students made their course choices, will be largely maintained so that the preparation for the next term can be done as smoothly as possible.

Should the situation change

This whole plan to return to campus, as the government points out, is contingent on reaching full vaccination coverage (two doses) that would extend to 75 per cent of the 16- to 29-year-old population. Public-health authorities will only be able to provide an accurate picture of the vaccination situation in mid-summer, but given the success of the current vaccination campaign, there is a good chance that the goal will be reached by the start of the fall term.

We at Université de Montreal will nevertheless play it safe and, in addition to the face-to-face scenario, will prepare for remote-learning, in whole or in part: the original plan, for 50-per-cent on-campus learning, will be kept ready in case we need to implement it.

Even in a full face-to-face situation, certain protective measures could still be applied in the fall, such as wearing a procedure mask. Up-to-date health instructions will be communicated to you at the beginning of the school year and, in this regard, we will continue to scrupulously follow public-health recommendations. The health and safety of our community members remains our top priority.

The future of distance education 

Will there still be distance education at UdeM next fall? Most certainly. We have learned from the pedagogical experience of the last few months and some courses or parts of courses are better suited to some form of distance education. Our professors and lecturers have developed innovative pedagogical approaches that they will want to continue using. In addition, students in certain sectors – continuing education, for example – are clamouring for more online teaching after discovering its virtues. 

But Université de Montréal is not going all-virtual – far from it. As of next fall, if all goes according to plan, the classroom will once again become what it has always been: the preferred place of teaching for our professors and lecturers, and the primary place of learning for our students.

Extracurricular activities and living spaces

As you can see, our priority will be teaching: everything must be done to bring teaching back to our campuses. For everything else, there are still unknowns. Food service outlets will be open, but what will the sanitary guidelines be for eating and drinking there? Will our official receptions, mostly planned to be held remotely, finally be held on site? Will our socialization areas be accessible and, if so, will they be governed by rules of distancing? What about elite sports and cultural activities? These are all questions for which the ministerial guidelines do not provide complete or definitive answers at this time.

In the coming weeks, we will be communicating with you to clarify the conditions under which life will return to our campuses, both in and out of the classroom.

Telecommuting, research and immunization

With the massive return of students to our campuses, administrative and support staff will also be called upon to return to their workplaces. At what pace? In what sequence? It's too early to tell. For the moment, working from home remains the preferred option at UdeM, and it will probably remain so until the start of the new school year.

On these points, we will follow the recommendations of public-health authorities and the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) and we will keep you informed of the modalities of your return to campus. The same will be true for the research sector: the complete return of the research teams currently subject to health constraints will also take place in accordance with the government's decontamination plan over the summer and fall.

Like you, I see the health and social situation in Quebec improving day by day and I see the concrete benefits of large-scale vaccination. Vaccination is not mandatory in Canada and, unless this principle changes in the next few months, no-one will need to show proof of vaccination to access our campuses when school starts. However, I appeal to everyone's sense of civic duty and strongly encourage all of you, in large numbers, to get vaccinated.

With each new injection, the vaccine brings us a little closer to the world we had before. But more importantly, it brings us a little closer to the world to come, after the pandemic, after the grief, after the isolation, after the anxiety we’ve felt about the future.

It is this world that I encourage you to discover progressively during the summer break, with the hope of entering it fully at the beginning of the school year in the fall of 2021.

Daniel Jutras
Rector

French version

THIS COMMUNICATION WAS EMAILED TO THE UDEM COMMUNITY ON FEBRUARY 25

The fall 2021 semester will mark a significant return to on-campus teaching activities at UdeM. Students enrolled in one of our programs next fall – especially those from abroad – should already be taking steps to ensure that they will be able to take their courses on site.

Although it is difficult to predict the exact health situation when the fall semester begins, the vaccination campaign taking place in Quebec offers encouraging prospects for teaching in actual classrooms. UdeM considers 2021-2022 to be a transition year and is preparing accordingly.

Our faculties and schools are now planning the 2021-2022 academic year based on the following realistic assumption: on-campus teaching activities will resume significantly in the fall of 2021 in all programs of study, with an overall volume of face-to-face activities in the order of 50% per cent, followed by a full return to campus in the winter of 2022. Of course, this is an assumption, which serves as a planning guide and will be followed if the health and vaccine situation allows.

[…]

Université de Montréal would like to remind everyone that since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of reported cases on our campuses has remained exceptionally low. We intend to do our utmost to ensure that the same is true when we return to school in September and intensify our teaching activities on our campuses. The health of all will continue to be a primary focus of our efforts.

French version

THIS MESSAGE WAS EMAILED TO THE ENTIRE UdeM COMMUNITY ON JANUARY 8

Dear member of the university community,

As of Tuesday, January 19, and until further notice, procedure masks must be worn at Université de Montréal. This rule replaces the requirement that a face covering be worn, which was in effect until now. The University will distribute free procedure masks at the entrances to some buildings.

This measure is consistent with the stricter health measures that have been introduced in Québec. Procedure masks are more effective than face coverings in protecting people in the surrounding area from droplets and are generally more comfortable.

This rule applies to all persons in all indoor areas at our campuses, including classrooms and teaching and research laboratories. A blue pleated mask must be worn when entering a building and when circulating in public areas on campus, such as corridors, elevators, washrooms and stairs.

The procedure mask may be removed only in closed individual offices, individual work rooms and eating areas. Teaching staff may remove their masks in the classroom as long as they maintain a distance of at least two metres from others at all times.

Where can I get a procedure mask?

Starting Tuesday, January 19, procedure masks will be available to all, free of charge, at the following locations:

• The facility management offices of the following buildings: Roger-Gaudry, 3200 Jean-Brillant, Marie-Victorin, the MIL campus and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
• The main entrances to the following buildings: Faculty of Music, Claire-McNicoll, Faculty of Environmental Design, Marguerite-D'Youville and Laval campus.

See the campus map for current mask distribution points.https://infocovid19.umontreal.ca/fileadmin/infocovid19/documents/Plan_campus_CV.pdf The distribution system will be gradually expanded and some 30 mask dispensers will be installed at entry points to our campuses over the coming weeks.

At some locations, such as 7101 avenue du Parc, and for some groups of employees, masks will be distributed by the department or unit rather than at the main entrance. The distribution systems are currently being set up.

Members of the university community are asked to dispose of procedure masks in the trash after use. To protect the environment, the University is working on setting up a system for recycling procedure masks. We will keep you abreast of developments.

As with all the health measures, the effectiveness of procedure masks depends on the cooperation of all members of the community. Please follow this rule, which is the latest in a series of measures to limit the spread of a virus that has already claimed too many victims around the world.

French version

EMAIL MESSAGE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE UdeM COMMUNITY

Dear member of the university community,

Yesterday, the Québec government announced that health precautions will be tightened at institutions of higher education located in red zones as of Thursday, October 8.

We already have stringent measures in place and we are currently assessing whether we need to add more. We will have more news later in the week. But we can already announce some changes.

New measures

When it comes to teaching, we will have to reduce in-person activities to the strict minimum. We are therefore asking teachers to convert all hybrid courses and all theoretical and practical courses to online mode if possible. This measure will be in effect from October 8 until at least October 28. 

 In-class teaching can continue in the following cases, as long as the health guidelines are strictly adhered to:

• Courses that cannot be taught at a distance;
• Laboratory activities and practical workshops that require special expertise or equipment;
• Activities at university clinics that have been permitted thus far;
• Student internships;
• Activities at the simulation lab;
• Planned in-person evaluations, including thesis defenses and comprehensive exams.

When it comes to research, all research activities can continue, in strict compliance with health rules and mitigation plans. Whatever can be done remotely should be done remotely. Researchers are asked to review their mitigation plans with their teams to make sure everyone is applying them rigorously.

University libraries can remain open for lending and the use of individual rooms, by reservation only.

All courses and activities at the CEPSUM are cancelled as of October 8 and the exercise room is closed. Whether free practice and access to other facilities, such as the pool, can continue has yet to be determined. The CEPSUM will post new policies on its website shortly.

Finally, let me repeat what we said last week: telework must be the preferred option for all employees who can work from home.

Caring and respect

With these new measures, the health authorities are sending the public a strong message: we must keep our distance and be more careful. I am adding my voice to this appeal and asking everyone to apply the physical distancing and hygiene measures that will help us bring the situation under control.

I am well aware that the ever-tightening health precautions are causing stress for the members of our community. We have to behave in ways that go against our nature; social contact is a vital part of university life.

I believe we can be proud of the way we have managed to preserve the essence of our mission under the circumstances. It's thanks to your efforts, creativity and energy. I also want to remind you that there are resources to support you in these difficult times. Feel free to call on the psychological support services that have been set up for students and staff.

More than ever, we need to care for each other. This is an unprecedented situation and things are far from perfect. But we are staying focused on our guiding principles: protecting the health and safety of our community and pursuing our mission of teaching, research and public service. UdeM is a big community whose members treat each other with kindness and respect. We are fortunate to be able to count on each other.

Stay healthy, stay safe.

Daniel Jutras

Rector

French version

EMAIL MESSAGE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE UdeM COMMUNITY

Dear member of the university community,

Fall semester is well under way and we have to start thinking about the winter semester now. The situation continues to evolve and public-health experts believe the crisis will persist into the coming year. As a result, we have decided to maintain our current approach into the winter. Teaching will, therefore, be essentially online.

The four teaching modes we established for the fall semester will therefore continue in 2021.https://registraire.umontreal.ca/etudes-et-services/horaire-des-cours/modes-denseignement-automne-2020/ We will, however, slightly increase the number of hybrid courses – those taught both in person and online – especially in programs where there is now very little in-class activity. This will allow us to create more opportunities for people to interact in person.

Stringent health measures

I know everyone is eager to get back to the vibrant and lively discussions that normally animate life at university. Until that is possible, we must continue to abide by strict public-health measures and limit the number of people on our campuses.

We are working with the government to allow our international students to be with us in Canada again. We eagerly await their return. In the meantime, they can access a plethora of remote services that have been set up for them.

Organizing the fall semester and preparing for winter 2021 has been hard work for us all at the university and I thank each and every one of you. Through your efforts, we can look ahead with confidence to the winter semester. Not everything has gone smoothly, but despite the disruption  we have managed to continue our three-pronged mission: to pursue knowledge, transmit learning and support the community.

Stay healthy, stay safe. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. And again, thank you for the huge effort you have put into dealing with these exceptional circumstances. I am truly grateful to you.

Daniel Jutras

Rector

French version

EMAIL MESSAGE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE UdeM COMMUNITY

Dear member of the university community,

Fall semester is well under way and we have to start thinking about the winter semester now. The situation continues to evolve and public-health experts believe the crisis will persist into the coming year. As a result, we have decided to maintain our current approach into the winter. Teaching will, therefore, be essentially online.

The four teaching modes we established for the fall semester will therefore continue in 2021.https://registraire.umontreal.ca/etudes-et-services/horaire-des-cours/modes-denseignement-automne-2020/ We will, however, slightly increase the number of hybrid courses – those taught both in person and online – especially in programs where there is now very little in-class activity. This will allow us to create more opportunities for people to interact in person.

Stringent health measures

I know everyone is eager to get back to the vibrant and lively discussions that normally animate life at university. Until that is possible, we must continue to abide by strict public-health measures and limit the number of people on our campuses.

We are working with the government to allow our international students to be with us in Canada again. We eagerly await their return. In the meantime, they can access a plethora of remote services that have been set up for them.

Organizing the fall semester and preparing for winter 2021 has been hard work for us all at the university and I thank each and every one of you. Through your efforts, we can look ahead with confidence to the winter semester. Not everything has gone smoothly, but despite the disruption  we have managed to continue our three-pronged mission: to pursue knowledge, transmit learning and support the community.

Stay healthy, stay safe. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. And again, thank you for the huge effort you have put into dealing with these exceptional circumstances. I am truly grateful to you.

Daniel Jutras
Rector

French version

Dear international student,

Université de Montréal has been closely following developments with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on higher education and international travel.

We are writing to you today to provide you with important information about the Fall 2020 semester for international students.

Although there is considerable uncertainty because of the health situation, Université de Montréal will continue to welcome international students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs in the Fall semester. As previously announced, our Fall courses will be taught remotely for the most part. You will therefore be able to pursue your studies from the country where you are currently located, using the technology that will be made available.

Note however that some courses (such as labs) may require you to be present in person; you will receive more information in the coming weeks to help you choose the most suitable courses for your situation.

At this time, we cannot know when Canada will lift travel restrictions for international students. However, whether you are already studying at UdeM or have just been admitted, it is important to have your Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) and your study permit. If you don't have them, you should apply now.

Our priority is to enable you to pursue your studies under optimal conditions of health and safety. We are doing everything we can to find solutions to this unprecedented situation and to give you the UdeM experience – even from a distance.

Questions?

Please see the Urgence UdeM website and particularly the regularly updated FAQ, which includes a section for international students.

For individual support, please contact the international student office. Newly admitted students can also consult the admissions office site for more information.

French version here

Dear Student,

Université de Montréal has been closely following the development of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past several weeks. We have been impressed by the way students have persevered and adapted to new conditions of study, research and work in this difficult time.

The health situation remains uncertain and any predictions would be foolhardy. We have therefore regretfully decided to suspend study and research visits outside Canada for the Fall 2020 semester. The overriding consideration was the health and safety of our student body. The decision applies to exchange programs, research stays and internships.

In the coming weeks, we will monitor the situation along with you so that we can accurately determine what developments would make accommodations possible.

If you have an exchange, research stay or internship planned for this fall, please contact the person responsible in your home unit to discuss possible accommodations, in consultation with the University's central services.

Though study and research visits outside Canada are suspended, UdeM will continue welcoming international students who are enrolled or want to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program.

As you know, our goal is to make it possible for you to complete your studies under conditions that are healthy and safe. All UdeM staff are there to support you during this period of upheaval.

If you have any questions, see the Urgence UdeM site and the FAQ, which are regularly updated to answer the questions you are sending us at urgence@umontreal.ca. There is also a FAQ about student mobility.

We will keep you regularly informed in the coming weeks in order to support you in the successful pursuit of your studies.

French version here

Dear members of teaching staff,

Dear members of administrative and support staff,

I hope you're doing well under the exceptional circumstances we are facing today. Every passing week takes us further from the normal we have known, and the arrival of spring only accentuates the eery feeling that we share with people the world over.

I'm writing to you today to announce that for the Fall 2020 semester, the University will operate largely in distance learning mode. Only some courses, or portions of courses, will be offered on campus. This decision was made, first and foremost, to protect the health of our community and the general public, particularly residents of the Island of Montréal, which has been hardest hit by the health crisis.

There are also obvious logistical reasons for the decision to conduct most teaching remotely in the fall. An academic term requires considerable preparation and the upcoming Fall semester promises to be a tall organizational challenge. We are not the only ones to face this challenge: almost all Canadian and American universities are gearing up for a primarily distance-education fall. And our international partners have, for the most part, announced that they will not be holding activities that involve international travel this fall.

Our plan

The Vice-Rector of Student and Academic Affairs is currently working with all faculties and several services to ready our plan for the Fall semester. The purpose of the plan is to safeguard the health of our students and the quality of the education they receive. It will be organized around three central rules:

Rule 1: All teaching that can be done remotely should be. Our goal is to reduce density at our campuses by limiting the presence of students and employees to what is strictly necessary.

Rule 2: The educational activities conducted on campus must be reduced in number and chosen with care. We will have to set strict priorities in deciding which activities can be conducted in person, taking into account the specificities of each type of teaching. Activities that are difficult or impossible to conduct remotely, such as clinical placements, teaching laboratories, some evaluations and, more generally, practical learning, will be given priority for in-person delivery.

Rule 3: Teaching arrangements will be flexible. Some programs or faculties will offer more in-person courses than others because of the nature of the educational content. Even in the same course, some sessions may be given online and others on campus, with some or all of the students in attendance - especially for laboratory or studio activities.

As you can see, we will have a hybrid approach which we will be able to adapt as the social and health situation develops. For example, in-person sessions could be taped, in accordance with applicable rules, for students who need to take their courses remotely, such as some students from other regions of Québec or international students who will not be able to be on campus in September.

Constraints

The decision on which courses will be held in person will have to respect the principles that have guided us since the beginning of this crisis, starting with the health and safety of our community and our fellow citizens.

Keeping a two-metre distance between people will be a challenge in and of itself. To follow this rule, we estimate that we will have to use our classrooms at approximately 20% capacity. For example, the big Jean-Lesage hall at 3200 Jean-Brillant, which has 566 seats, will only be able to accommodate 100 students. The problem will be just as acute in small classrooms and seminar rooms, and it will pertain to all our campuses.

Clearly, space constraints limit our ability to accommodate activities on campus and will force us to reduce the number of courses on campus considerably. Not to mention other equally complex issues, such as getting to the university by public transit and managing the movement of people on our campuses. Cleaning classrooms after each class will be a considerable coordination and resource allocation challenge by itself.

Support

To maintain the quality of education under these circumstances, we will have to create more fully online courses and optimize the use of technological teaching tools. These are two objectives that we will not be able to achieve without giving our professors and lecturers more support.

In addition to the many tools that we have deployed since the beginning of this crisis for our teaching staff and the training in distance education that is already being offered in the form of webinars, we will, for example, add audio and video taping equipment in hundreds of rooms on campus and hire many teaching assistants. The pedagogical support units that have been set up within the faculties will continue their work.

By the end of the month

For now, the most pressing matter for our faculties is to determine which courses, or portions of courses, will have to be taught on campus with students present in person in the fall. This process must be completed by the end of the month, which will then give professors and lecturers time to prepare their courses. Our occupational health and safety services will have the summer to plan health measures.

In this regard, we are very fortunate to have public health experts in the university community. They are guiding us in assessing the situation and adopting preventive measures tailored to our situation as a university. With proper preparation, we will be able to ensure that our students achieve the learning objectives safely and in accordance with the standards of excellence for which our programs are renowned.

We have our work cut out for us. I thank you all in advance for the enormous effort we will have to make in the coming weeks to prepare for the fall. Never has the word "mission" been more apt to describe what a university does.

You will receive more messages in the coming weeks describing in greater detail the measures that will be taken for the fall. In the meantime, please write to us at urgence@umontreal.ca if you have any questions. And check out our regularly updated FAQ. As well, FAQs for individual faculties and services, which provide answers to more specific questions, have now been added.

 French version here

Dear Student,

As a result of the current health crisis, you are facing situations that could affect the course of your studies. The University administration is acutely aware of the problems and has put in place accommodations to help you complete the Winter semester.

We are writing today to give you more details about these measures and to answer questions you have asked about some of them, such as missing an evaluation, dropping courses, and pass/fail grading.

Please read the following carefully. This message outlines the options available to you for the Winter semester and could affect the course of your studies in subsequent terms.

Absence from an evaluation: details

If you were unable or anticipate being unable to take an evaluation, you should fill out the CHE_Absence_évaluation form, available on the Centre étudiant, as soon as possible.

You will not have to produce any document, such as a doctor’s note, to justify your absence. If none of the reasons listed on the form applies to your situation, you can explain the reasons for your absence in the space provided. If your reason is accepted, you will be entitled to the same accommodation. You will receive an answer, positive or negative, as soon as possible.

If you miss an evaluation for a valid reason, you will have to make it up in some way: a deferred exam, a written assignment, etc. Your teacher will determine the appropriate course of action, in consultation with the program director.

Regardless of the type of make-up evaluation that is required, a REM (deferral) will be entered on your transcript for the course until the evaluation is completed. A deferred exam must be taken by the end of the following semester, unless an additional delay is approved by the Dean of your faculty because of exceptional circumstances.

NOTE: You can register for a course even if you have a REM on your transcript for a prerequisite.

Extended deadline: details

If you are unable to submit an assignment by the due date, you must notify your program's secretary (TGDE) as soon as possible. You must also complete the CHE_Absence_évaluation form available on the Centre étudiant, indicating the reason why you are unable to submit your work. Your faculty will contact you shortly.

The same rules apply to graduate students except for the following special cases: submission of a proposal, submission of a project for evaluation by the ethics committee, submission of a project to the doctoral committee, comprehensive exam, thesis defence. In these cases, if you are absent or late, you must contact your research supervisor and your program director to agree on specific accommodations.

Inability to complete a course

Some of you may be unable to finish a course and complete the evaluations during the Winter 2020 semester. This would be the case, for example, for students who are currently working long hours in the health and social services system. 

If you are in this situation, contact your program director as soon as possible. They will advise you on the best option (deferred evaluation, pass/fail grading, withdrawal from the course) depending on your circumstances. 

Choice of pass/fail grading

As previously announced, the University is allowing students to choose pass/fail grading for the majority of courses during the Winter semester. A pass/fail grade has no numerical value and therefore does not count towards your average.

More information about this option:

• You may request pass/fail grading for the course(s) of your choice, with the exception of excluded courses.
• Faculties may decide to exclude certain courses from pass/fail grading for various reasons. If your request is for one of these courses, it will not be accepted. You will receive a letter grade for the course.
• For courses where the final evaluation requires special conditions that cannot be met due to the health crisis, faculties are authorized to change the grading scale to pass/fail for all students enrolled in the course. The official transcript will reflect that decision.
• Pass/fail grading means the final grade for the course will be a pass or a fail, based on all evaluations in that course.
• Students who want to opt for pass/fail grading may do so as soon as the grades are posted on the Centre étudiant by filling out the CHE_choix_barèmeH20 form, which will be available on the Centre étudiant at the end of April. The deadline for requesting a pass/fail grade is June 15, 9:00 a.m. 

Dropping a course

The deadline for withdrawal has been extended to April 15 (or the day before the final evaluation) for all courses that were not completed by March 13. To withdraw from a course, you must complete the INS_Annul_Abandon_cours form available on the Centre étudiant.

If you drop a course, you will be able to take it again the next time it is offered. In some cases, you will be able to replace it with another course, with the approval of the program director.

 In some programs, course withdrawals are uncommon since they can have a significant impact on the student’s progression and delay graduation. For these programs, withdrawals must be authorized by the appropriate authority.

Summer term

We remind you that the beginning of the Summer 2020 semester, originally scheduled for May 4, has been postponed to May 18. As in the Winter semester, the courses will be given online or by means that do not require you to be on campus.

Registration for some summer courses is now open. Over the next few days, new courses will be added to the summer calendar and these will also be open for registration.

Financial aid

The University is working on providing financial aid for students who need additional financial support to complete the Winter semester on account of the health crisis. An announcement will be made next week.

Educational supports

The University is doing everything it can to support you under the exceptional circumstances in which we all find ourselves. In addition to the relaxation of academic rules described above and steps taken by the libraries to help you study remotely, we offer various educational and psychological support services. Use them; they are there for you.  

Questions?

If you have any questions, please write to us at urgence@umontreal.ca. We encourage you to visit the Urgence UdeM site regularly. The FAQ is updated regularly to address the questions you are asking and the new INFO COVID-19 section sums up what you need to know and what you need to do.

French version here

Dear Université de Montréal student,

We hope that you are well and that you and your loved ones are bearing up under with the stress of this extraordinary situation. Your university is with you under these circumstances, which have no precedent in our society’s recent history.

We have several important pieces of information to share with you, including the resumption of distance learning activities. Please read these directives carefully. Much of what follows is also of interest to teachers and administrative and support staff.

Resumption of teaching activities

• All in-person teaching activities remain suspended until further notice.
• Starting Saturday, March 21, teaching activities that can be conducted in distance-learning mode – and only those teaching activities – can resume. “Distance learning” refers not only to online classes but to all forms of instruction other than in-person teaching.
• The first session after the resumption of instruction must not be devoted, in whole or in part, to an exam, test or submission of an assignment.
• IMPORTANT: To find out which courses are resuming on March 21, students should check their UdeM email inbox (@umontreal.ca) or Studium. The faculties will inform students through these channels of how classes will resume in distance-learning mode.
• STUDIUM: Students will find in Studium information on technological and other tools that could be useful to them in their courses, and on the support that will be available to help them complete their semester remotely.
• ATTENTION: Course content posted online by teachers, recorded or not, is subject to the same intellectual property rights as content provided in class. Reproducing and disseminating it in any way whatsoever without express authorization is strictly prohibited and could lead to disciplinary action.
• In this time of severe stress, some students may require psychological support. Students can call the Aspiria 24/7 psychological helpline made available by ASEQ, the student health insurance plan, at any time. While it is closed for the moment, the UdeM health and psychological consultation centre (CSCP) is following, by e-mail and phone, the people it has already treated. The CSCP team is also working to make online psychological sessions available to students who need help. We will let you know as soon as the service is available.

Relaxation of rules concerning studies and admissions

• Changes to dates and weighting of evaluations. Due to the special circumstances, teachers may, if necessary, make adjustments to the dates and/or weighting of evaluations for the Winter 2020 semester without consulting students. 
• Course withdrawals. The deadline for dropping courses that had not been completed by March 13 is extended by two weeks.
• Absence at a test. As of Thursday, March 26, students who need to be absent at an evaluation will have to report it by filling out a new form available on the Centre étudiant. From the time this form is available until the end of the Winter 2020 semester, students will not be required to submit a document attesting to the reason for their absence. The form will be automatically forwarded to the program head for approval.
• Students with disabilities. Many students with disabilities require accommodations for test-taking. We encourage teachers to be flexible with evaluation procedures for these students. The Disability Support Service can assist you if needed.
• Teacher evaluations. Student evaluation of teaching is cancelled for the Winter semester.
• Possible extension of the semester. The end of the Winter 2020 semester is still set at April 30. Our goal remains to complete as many courses as possible by April 30. However, we are aware that some educational activities, such as placements and lab work, cannot be done remotely and they may therefore be extended. We are giving ourselves until May 22 to complete all courses, and if necessary some could even be extended beyond that date. 
• Registration for Fall 2020. Registration for the Fall 2020 semester on the Centre étudiant will open on April 16 instead of April 2.
• Thesis defence and comprehensive exam. As previously announced, thesis defences will be conducted remotely until further notice. For this purpose, participants are encouraged to use the technological tools available to the academic community. The University will be flexible in applying the rules if a thesis defence has to be postponed. The same instructions apply to the oral section of the comprehensive exam.
• Research design and ethics committee. Assessment of research design and research protocols is subject to the same rules as courses. Activities resume next week. Please contact the secretary (TGDE) for your program to confirm the date. As well, the ethics committees will continue meeting remotely. Submissions must be made as scheduled.

General Information

• The University remains open and staff are on the job. However, in accordance with government directives, much of the work continues to be done remotely (telework).
• Open or closed? For health reasons, many university services for students and the public are closed. To find out which university services are open and which are closed, see the list.
• Starting tomorrow, Friday, March 20, access to the buildings will be restricted. Only the main entrances will be open.
• The libraries are closed and will remain closed until further notice.

Please bear in mind that, in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, it is very important to keep gatherings to a minimum and to follow the social-distancing guidelines recommended by public health authorities.

We encourage you to visit the Urgence UdeM website regularly. Important: our FAQ will be updated later today to reflect the new information in this announcement.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at urgence@umontreal.ca or call the government’s COVID-19 general information line at 1 877 644 4545.

French version here

Dear Member of the Université de Montréal Community,

On March 13, the Government of Québec declared a health emergency. I would like to update you on this unprecedented situation, which is evolving hour by hour, and to inform you of the latest measures that the University is implementing to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Return to work

We are asking staff to resume work starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, but to work remotely in order to limit the spread of the virus. We will thus be able to start preparing for next steps.

In our discussions with government officials over the weekend, we were told that institutions of higher education must continue functioning while keeping physical presence on campuses to a minimum.

Some UdeM employees may be asked to report to the campus to perform their duties: managers will contact the employees under their responsibility to determine what tasks they will be assigned and how those tasks are to be performed. We are asking managers to be flexible, particularly with regard to work-life balance.

We remind employees who must work on campus of the precautions they should take and the social-distancing guidelines they should follow. You may use the outdoor parking lots on UdeM’s main campus free of charge if you wish to avoid using public transit.

All UdeM employees will continue to be paid.

Suspension of activiti

As previously announced, all educational activities, including exams and assignments, are suspended for the time being. We are aiming to resume teaching activities on Saturday, March 21 at the earliest, but only by distance learning or other means that do not involve in-person teaching. There will be no classroom instruction, even in small groups.

I would remind you that all cultural and sporting activities, conferences and talks are cancelled or postponed. Libraries, food services, the CEPSUM and all clinics are also closed, with the exception of the veterinary hospital, which is operating in emergency mode. The residences remain open and the buildings on our campuses remain accessible.

The end-of-term challenge

Over the next few days, we will focus our efforts on preparing to transition to distance learning or other means that do not involve in-person teaching for the remainder of the semester. In collaboration with teaching staff, we will identify and implement transitional measures to make the end of the semester as smooth and of as high a standard as possible.

Our IT and teaching support services are working with faculty teams to support teachers who need help adapting their teaching methods. The goal is to enable all our students to complete the semester in accordance with our institution's standards.

Many workplaces – particularly in the health and social services system, which is so critical at this time – are waiting eagerly for our future graduates. We must make sure our students can join those institutions and support their current staff as soon as possible.

To students

Like staff, students are asked to refrain from coming to our campuses until further notice. We encourage students to regularly check their @umontreal.ca email inbox and to use any other means previously agreed upon with their teachers to receive instructions.

Return to Canada

UdeM is asking members of the university community to follow the Government of Canada's recommendation, issued on Saturday, for Canadian travellers to return home as soon as possible. Students who are currently abroad for study purposes should consult the Séjour à l'étranger section of our FAQ for instructions to facilitate their return to Canada.

Closure of research laboratories

Research teams are asked to immediately cease all in-person activities until March 27 inclusively. Research laboratories must close; only activities essential for maintenance of the research facilities and work on experiments that have already begun and are deemed vital may continue.

Research efforts aimed at responding to the COVID-19 threat will continue unabated but must comply with social distancing guidelines. Animal care activities are also considered essential and will be maintained.

Stay informed

This grave and unprecedented situation is causing members of our community considerable stress and I want to assure you that we will do everything we can to deal with it. I thank our teams, who have been working tirelessly for weeks to find solutions to the issues we face. Their determination and dedication are a testament to our community's resilience.

We encourage you to visit the Urgence UdeM site regularly. Only important messages of general interest are being sent by e-mail. Additional information is posted only on the website, which is being updated continuously. In the event of absence related to COVID-19 or for any other human resources matter, we advise staff to go to Mon Portail UdeM. You can write to us with any questions or concerns at any time at urgence@umontreal.ca.

In closing, I want to reiterate our determination to weather this storm together with you. Every day, I see the solidarity in our community and I am grateful to all of you for it.

Guy Breton
Rector

French version here

Dear Member of the Université de Montréal Community,

The University is suspending all teaching activities until further notice, in accordance with the government decision announced earlier today. The suspension includes both in‑person and online classes. For student placements, instructions will be sent tonight to department heads, who will contact the students.

We want to reassure our students about the remainder of the semester. The University is currently assessing all options so that teaching can resume, either remotely or by another method that meets both the demands of this exceptional moment and academic requirements.

Notice to staff about Monday

We are informing all staff that the weekend is being extended up to the morning of Tuesday, March 17. There will be no work on Monday and employees will be paid for the day. 

Only essential services will be provided during this period, including basic animal care, IT, security and similar services. The administration will contact the employees whose services will be required on our campuses.

The University will contact staff again on Monday with instructions about work up to the end of the suspension ordered by the government. Employees are asked to check their e‑mail or the University's website late Monday for information about returning to work.

Open or closed?

The University remains open. However, many services will be closed. 

The clinics on campus that host student placements will be closed, with the exception of the veterinary hospital, which will continue to operate in emergency mode. The Centre de santé et de consultation psychologique remains open.

Starting Saturday, March 14, the CEPSUM will be closed for an indefinite period. The libraries will remain open.

We will provide a detailed list of which services are open and closed on Monday.

In this fast‑changing situation, I want you to know that we are doing our utmost to make the best possible decisions in the interest of everyone's health and safety, without losing sight of our core mission: to educate our students, support them until they graduate, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

The University administration continues to monitor the situation closely. We will keep you informed of any decisions and actions.

We encourage you to consult the Urgence UdeM site. You can also write to us at urgence@umontreal.ca if you have any questions or concerns. As well, the government has set up a COVID‑19 general information line: dial 1‑877‑644‑4545

Guy Breton

Rector

French version here

Dear Community Member,

The University administration has been closely following developments with the global coronavirus epidemic for the past several weeks. The management committee is assessing the situation on a daily basis, with the support of the units and our experts in epidemiology, and it is regularly updating our measures to safeguard our community’s health and safety.

In light of the latest developments and the recommendations made earlier today by Québec Premier François Legault, the University has decided to take the following five actions:

Cancellation of teaching and research activities abroad for students.

All teaching and research activities organized by the University abroad are cancelled until the beginning of the fall semester, whether or not they are in an area currently considered to be a high-risk zone. The University is in regular contact with students who are abroad for study and is assessing their return on a case-by-case basis.

Travel restrictions.

As of March 12 and until the start of the fall semester, the University is cancelling all travel by administrative and support staff outside Québec for professional reasons. In addition, the University strongly advises teaching staff not to travel to the rest of Canada or abroad. We also recommend that members of the university community avoid all travel outside the country for personal reasons. Members of the community should be aware that if they do not follow these guidelines, they may not be covered by UdeM’s medical and cancellation insurance plans.

Self-isolation after travel.

As Premier Legault announced, we are asking all staff and students who have returned from a trip outside Canada since March 12 to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution, regardless of what country they visited. Employees returning from travel abroad should notify their manager as soon as possible. Students who need to self-isolate are asked to fill out the voluntary declaration form (GEN_COVID_19) available at the Centre étudiant under the “Formulaires” tab.

Suspension or postponement of classes with 250 students or more.

In accordance with the government's recommendation, the University is suspending all classes and other in-person teaching activities involving more than 250 students. Affected teaching staff and students will receive instructions shortly. Among other things, the various measures circulated to all teaching staff earlier this week may be implemented. 

Cancellation or postponement of major special events.

All special events involving large gatherings will be cancelled or postponed. This measure is effective as of March 13 and covers all activities other than teaching or research conducted to meet the requirements for a degree or for the purposes of a research project. The cancelled activities include, but are not limited to, graduation ceremonies, conferences, cultural activities, sports events, student celebrations, the “Les Belles Soirées” lecture series, galas, ceremonial events, etc. The purpose is to limit gatherings as much as possible, since they are vectors of virus transmission. Outside organizations planning an activity at one of our campuses will be informed that the University will advise members of the UdeM community not to attend.

These measures will remain in effect until the situation returns to normal. The University is leaving it to the discretion of the units to decide whether working meetings involving a significant number of people (e.g., faculty councils) should be held as planned, postponed or conducted remotely using technological means.  

The University administration continues to monitor the situation closely. Other measures may be announced in the coming days. We will keep you informed of any decisions and actions.

We encourage you to consult the Urgence UdeM site, particularly our regularly updated FAQ (fr). You can also write to us at urgence@umontreal.ca if you have any questions or concerns. 

Guy Breton
Rector

French version here