Covid-19 Updates

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This article is no longer being maintained, and only exists for archival purposes. Reason for archival: COVID-19 is no longer a major hindrance to EUS Operations.

Please call 1-877-644-4545 if you are experiencing have a fever or cough. The nearest testing facility is at Hotel Dieu (near New Residence), appointments via the hotline are required.'

General McGill COVID-19 Updates

As of today, McGill University is continuing its remote learning operations for course delivery for the Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 semesters.

  • The operational status of McGill's various services is subject to change on a day-by-day basis. For information on the current status refer to this page here.
  • Directed by the EUS council's motion for COVID safety protocol, all EUS-related gathering are currently restricted or cancelled.
  • An up-to-date directory of Coronavirus cases reported on campus can be found here.
    • The cases reported here are exclusive to McGill students and employees who had been on campus within s7 days prior to diagnosis.
  • Access to the campus must adhere to the Access Protocols outlined by the faculty of engineering.

Timeline of Key Events

MARCH 15: As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic began to worsen, McGill University announced a suspension of classes and closure of most university services effective immediately.

MARCH 28: Following a hiatus from teaching, McGill decided to resume all classes through a remote delivery systems for the remainder of the semester.

  • The grade assessment of each class was subject to change given the special circumstances. All classes were to facilitate online submissions into their assessment structure.
  • Students from most courses were allowed to take the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option for their courses given the disruption in learning caused by the pandemic. The protocol for S/U applications and its requirements were subject to change upon the faculty department's discretion.
  • The term was not extended. However, most university operation, especially in-person activities were cancelled until further notice.

MAY 11: Following a rapid rise in Coronavirus cases in Montreal, McGill University joined other post-secondary institutions across Canada in announcing an online Fall 2020 Semester.

  • Adopting a remote delivery system for academic operations, the university cancelled all in-person courses during this period.
  • All university operations are subject to a day-by-day update based on the local situation of the pandemic.
  • Tuition fees were not lowered during this transition to remote learning.

SEPTEMBER 29: On September 29, the university announced that the Winter 2021 semester would be primarily online, as it was during the preceding term.

  • This decision came a day after the provincial government raised the COVID status of Montreal to a 'red alert'.
  • The university emphasized that it would attempt to implement enhanced in-person activities wherever possible.
  • It also defined three tiers of priorities which to would use to guide teaching activities during the semester.
    • Tier 1: Critical laboratories, clinical activities, project courses and other in-person experimental courses.
    • Tier 2: Seminar courses, tutorial conference sections, lectures from some courses.
    • Tier 3: Other courses.

SEPTEMBER 30: The EUS Council passed a motion to adopt COVID-19 safety measures.

  • Under the directive, all in-person EUS-related gatherings were restricted whenever Montreal was deemed to be in an 'orange alert' status; as deemed by the provincial government.
  • The exception to this restriction are activities that are approved under the Faculty Level Access Protocols.
  • Off-campus EUS related events are also not permitted under the current circumstances.
  • This motion follows the EUS's attempt to protect the students and Montreal community it is a part of during this pandemic.

Prevention and Resources

Important Guidelines (https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/#c46341):

  • Avoid group gatherings, no matter the size.
  • Avoid public transport, visitors.
  • Practice social distancing; stay home.
  • Postpone non-urgent, non-necessary medical appointments.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water, use masks, regularly clean phone surface.
  • Call 1-877-644-4545 if you are experiencing symptoms, do not go to your local clinic or hospital. Self-Isolate.

Resources

Wellness Resources

The following is a list of wellness resources available to students in the time of this extraordinary pandemic. It is recommended that students use these resources to the best of their abilities and not be afraid to seek out help. We're all in this together.

Student Wellness Hub Services

Since the campus shut down in March, the Hub successfully adapted all physical and mental health services to tele-health delivery and these will continue to be available to students throughout the Fall and Winter semesters. To accommodate student needs that cannot be met in a virtual appointment, they have recently started offering limited in-person appointments on Mondays and Thursdays. To access an in-person appointment, students must first complete a tele-health appointment with a clinician to determine if an in-person appointment is required. To minimize risk for students and staff, there are currently no in-person drop-in appointments available. Given the recent transition to code red in Montreal, the Hub advises students and faculty to remaining vigilant and flexible and follow all public health guidelines for service delivery. Students can access a tele-health appointment by calling the Student Wellness Hub at 514-398-6017. Please refer to the Student Wellness Hub webpage for updates and changes to our services.

  • Student Wellness Hub: Building A Healthier McGill

From the onset of the pandemic the Hub has been offering a variety of consistent and accessible programming to support students’ stress and build resilience, including 10-minute mindfulness exercises, Art Hive Live sessions, and a variety of workshops to manage stress (to name a few!). Stay up-to-date on health and wellness services, virtual and in-person programming, live interactive wellness sessions, and healthier living tips through the new Healthier McGill Instagram account!

  • Priority Protocol Updates

Due to current circumstances, safety appointments are currently unavailable at the Student Wellness Hub. If a faculty or staff member encounters a student who requires urgent mental health care, they should call 911 or Suicide Action Montreal (1-866-APELLE or 1-866-277-3553). The access to Priority counselling appointments remains the same, however, these appointments are currently conducted via tele-health., rather than in person.

keep.meSAFE 1.844.451.9700

The SSMU and PGSS, in partnership with McGill University, have acquired keep.meSAFE. This is a mental health/counselling support resource that is available 24/7/365 for free to all McGill students and alumni (up to 6 months after graduation), and is available in Canada and internationally in 35 languages. They offer real-time and appointment-based support to students via text/chat, phone, or video-call. Keep.meSAFE also offers consultative support for staff and faculty, who may be unsure about how to support a student struggling with mental health concerns.

Maple

Medavie Blue Cross—the provider for international student health insurance, has partnered with Maple –a leading virtual healthcare provider- that provides plan members with 24/7, on-demand access to doctors by secure text or video for advice, diagnosis, and prescriptions, directly billed to the insurance plan. Members can skip the waiting room and talk with a physician in minutes, anytime, anywhere. We have compiled a list of on- and off-campus resources, including Maple, for students here.

  • Students who are part of the SSMU health plan may also access Dialogue, another tele-health platform. Details on the tool, as well as how to access it, are available on the SSMU website.

Academics

Most teaching operations continue to operate on a remote-learning delivery system for the Fall 2020 semester. The upcoming Winter semester may see some in-person teaching facilities open up, however students will have the option to continue their leaning through a remote medium unless explicitly stated otherwise.

  • Students and teachers are recommended to start acclimating themselves with resources which would allow them to succeed in a remote learning environment. A familiarization guide for key tools and resources for online learning can be found on this McGill IT page.
  • Access to on-campus library resources is also possible through the use of the McGill Virtual Private Network (VPN). Students are also advised to make themselves comfortable with the usage of Zoom, a video concerning tool. It is used by most courses for teaching operations. For a guide on how to install and utilize these resources, please refer to the McGill IT support page.
  • Graduate students who have a scheduled thesis defence are advised to reach out to their supervisors for further information.
  • Students who wish to use OSD services must reach out to the office 7 days prior to a midterm/final examination so that the appropriate accommodations may be made.
  • Standard Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) protocol will apply for the Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 semesters.
  • McGill has gradually been ramping up on-campus research in phases. Under the currently active phase 5, all buildings in the Faculty of Engineering complex are accessible.
    • Students/Faculty entering the campus for research activities must adhere to the Access Protocols as well as the health guidelines put forth by the university.

Student Life

All EUS-related gathering on or off campus have currently been canceled under the EUS council's COVID safety measures motion. This restriction will remain in effect whenever the COVID status of Montreal is deemed to be at the 'orange alert' level of higher.

  • Services like the EPTS are still active under a modified format.
  • The McGill Tech Fair was also conducted this year under a modified format. As such students should follow the EUS closely for updates on the status of other popular EUS events.
  • Students who own lockers are currently only allowed to retrieve their belongings from them. Due to the limited access policy McGill is operating under, it is not possible for the EUS to facilitate lock returns at this time. However should this policy be lifted, the locker owners will be informed of future protocol.
  • Blues Pub and Frostbite are closed until further notice. Students looking to drown the sorrows of a failed midterm are advised to refer to this video for grief counselling.

Finance

Cheque Requisitions

  1. All cheque reqs should be filed through Nexonia: https://www.nexonia.com/
  2. Please email vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca if you need assistance with the account procedure/process.
  3. Cheques will be mailed to you.

Rejected Cheques

If your cheque was rejected you'll get an email about it with the one you used to sign-in. Please resubmit with corrections made according to the message.

Deposits

Email vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca for specific instructions and requests.

Floats

Email vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca for specific instructions and requests.

Short Term Student Space Fund (SSF)

SSF has been expanded to include "virtual spaces". Be creative with this definition, and apply!

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