Mount Allison University is reporting another case of COVID-19 in its off campus community, making a total of five active cases currently at the school.
In response to those cases and the arrival of the Omicron variant in New Brunswick, Mount A announced major changes to operations on Tuesday, including cancelling all in person exams scheduled for the rest of the week. Students planning to travel home for the break are being asked to do so as soon as possible. The library will move to online service, and the athletic centre and Owens Art Gallery are closed. Access to campus is being restricted to staff, students and faculty only.
The first off-campus case was reported by the school on Friday, December 10, followed by three cases in people living on campus on Monday, December 13. Tuesday’s new case off campus makes five total active cases at the university, and all involved are currently self-isolating according to a letter from President Jean-Paul Boudreau Tuesday.
The university recently announced plans to lift capacity restrictions on its classrooms in January, a move which may now be reconsidered in light of active cases and the government of New Brunswick’s new restrictions inspired by the discovery of the Omicron variant in the province.
Spokesperson Laura Dillman said Tuesday morning the university was still analyzing the details of the government’s recent announcement. Dillman said, “Mount Allison is part of a weekly call with Public Health and the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour and will be asking for clarification on the PSE sector.”
The complete list of operational changes effective today are listed on Mount Allison’s campus updates page.
The following changes will be effective Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 8 a.m.:
No in-person exams — All December examinations from Dec. 15-18 will either be online, postponed, or cancelled. Each professor will determine the exam format and communicate with students directly. Students scheduled to write exams on campus beginning Wednesday, Dec. 15 should wait for instruction from their professor. All previously scheduled online exams can proceed as planned.
Students who can now return home for the holiday break should do so as soon as possible — Completing rapid testing before leaving campus is strongly encouraged to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
Employees who can work remotely should do so — Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to work from home where possible and to be prepared to do so until the new year. Employees should contact their supervisor to make immediate arrangements to ensure a seamless transition, especially in all support service areas.
Residences remain open to support students — Students who can return home are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Residence will continue to support students in self-isolation. All students in residence are strongly encouraged to complete rapid testing. Test kits will be delivered to all residences later today.
Dining services — Jennings Dining Hall will remain open to support remaining residence students, though hours of operations will be significantly reduced and stations will no longer be self-serve. Residence students will receive more information directly from Housing Services. Gracie’s and The Pond will close as of Wednesday until further notice.
Library and all student services moving online — Library access and student affairs offices will move online. The library will be closed for in-person use until the new year. Please contact student service departments directly for more information. The campus updates page will be updated as changes are made.
Research spaces can remain open — All appropriate safety precautions such as masking, handwashing, and distancing should be followed.
No in-person events — All remaining December events will either be online, postponed, or cancelled. Please check with event organizers for further details.
Fitness Centre and Athletic Centre — Athletics facilities are closed until further notice.
Owens Art Gallery — The gallery will be closed further notice.
Campus access restricted — Campus buildings remain open to students, faculty, and staff only, until further notice.
