News

Dear CUE Community,

I am writing to affirm our intention to transition almost entirely to online classes by tomorrow, Monday, March 16. There will be some exceptions to this, previously discussed with our Deans, but the vast majority of classes can be taught online. Final exams, where alternate options are not viable, will also be administered online unless there is a compelling reason for this not to happen in specific courses.

There is no need for us to cancel or suspend classes in order to facilitate this transition. We have been preparing for this eventuality at CUE for some time now, having advised all instructors approximately two weeks ago that they should be prepared for this shift. The transition may not be smooth across the institution, but we are ready.

This message should serve as a clarification in response to some misinformation, particularly on social media. Our position all along has been, and continues to be, to follow the advice of Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer and our COVID-19 Pandemic Plan. Reacting to this public health crisis on the basis of fear, opinion, media stories, or what other institutions may or may not be doing is a dangerous road to go down and we will not do it. Classes at CUE are not cancelled, and campus remains open.

I want to recognize and thank our faculty, sessional instructors, support staff, and administration. They have been putting in a lot of extra hours and hard work to make sure that we are prepared for this eventuality. I have the utmost admiration for the work they have done, and continue to do, in challenging circumstances. That said, there will likely be some hiccups during this transition, and I ask for patience and calm as we work through them,

Best,

Tim Loreman, PhD.

President and Vice Chancellor.