This Week @ York

The deadline to Withdraw from a Course Without Receiving a Grade for F/W 2019-2020 and W 2020 courses has been extended to Saturday, May 9. 

The deadline for students to opt in or out of the Pass/Fail grading option has been extended to the last day of the final examination period: Saturday, May 9.

Course instructors should inform students about how they will make course materials available and complete course activities no later than Friday, March 20, 2020. 

REMINDER: To access many self-serve options and to get your students records in order, My Online Services links you to the many resources available, including enrolment letters, transcripts and your student financial account so you can get what you need, when you need it, from wherever you are at almost any time of the day.

At the current time Registrarial Services can be accessed by email only, at rscheck@yorku.ca. We are working on providing additional ways to access services in the near future. 

REMINDER: Students choosing to self-isolate are not required to submit medical notes or an Attending Physician's Statement in support of academic related requests. To facilitate this process, please contact your course instructors.

Your Academic Advisors are here – virtually – to assist you with your advising needs during the COVID-19 situation. Visit the Academic Advising website, find your Faculty and click to see updated service information.

Exams Update: York has cancelled all in-person exams during the formal winter exam period of April 7 to 25, 2020. More information will be forthcoming from the Provost and Deans regarding alternatives to in-person exams. There are exceptions for Osgoode Hall Law School and those students will receive information from their course directors. 

If you have an accommodated exam or test scheduled through the Alternate Exam/Test Centre, the Centre will be in contact with you directly.

Residence Update: Residences and apartments are open for those students living in residence to return to your permanent or family home. If you can leave residence this week, please do so as soon as possible. If you cannot return home, for example you are an international student or have with extenuating circumstances, find more options and details at the link above.  

Please notify Residence Life of your plans by completing the Changes To Your Housing Status Form. (e.g. that cannot go home at this time).  

Library Hours Update: To ensure the health and safety of our campus communities and to prevent the risk and spread of COVID-19 all York University Libraries are closed with immediate effect. All research and instruction questions and consultations are virtual. 

Transportation Shuttle Update. All shuttles will cease operation on Thursday, March 19. Check the Transportation website for schedules. 

Borrow a Laptop from York. The University has secured 1,500 laptops for students who don’t have a home computer to learn remotely. Detailed instructions about how to register to borrow a laptop can be found if you follow the link above and look under the heading “If you don’t have a computer at home.”

Here’s a list of what’s open and what’s closed on campus: 

• The following are CLOSED: 
  • All non-essential-campus events that are not part of an academic program are cancelled or postponed and all on-campus events with over 50 attendees are CANCELLED. 
  • The Tait Mackenzie Centre and the Glendon Athletic Club will be CLOSED until April 30. 

• The following are OPEN: 
  • Administrative offices are OPEN. 
  • The following locations in York Lanes remain OPEN: Appletree Medical Centre, Shopper’s Drug Mart and Grocery Checkout. 
  • The Stong, Winters and Glendon College cafeterias remain OPEN. 
  • The Tim Horton’s Location in the William Small Centre remains OPEN.  
  • IT Help Desk service support in Steacie is OPEN. 
  • Community Safety Services will continue (including goSafe until end of term). 
  • Facilities Services: Maintenance, Grounds, Central Utilities, and Custodial services will continue. Students can report any issues by phone or online by visiting the Housing web site. 
  • Mail will continue to be delivered to the undergraduate residence Housing offices.  Mail is delivered directly to the York Apartments by Canada Post.  
  • The York Bookstore is also continuing to receive and process online orders.

On March 16, the Government of Canada issued an important update to an official Global Travel Advisory urging Canadians abroad to return home while commercial flights are still available into Canada. Beginning March 18, foreign nationals from all countries except the United States will not be allowed to enter Canada. The above ban includes any international student who is currently abroad on a Canadian University international mobility experiences including exchanges, placements, work experience or coop. Details are available in the Travel FAQs on the Coronavirus Information & Update website.

York International and other services across campus are still available to support international students. This includes International Student Advisors, Immigration Specialists, UHIP staff and more. They have also set up a page for FAQs for International Students about COVID-19.

Are you new to online learning? York’s Student Guide to eLearning has information and tips on how to get started, what to expect, and how to be a successful online learner.

Student Counselling and Development (SCD) walk-in counselling is CLOSED and telephone counselling for single session, crisis and emergency support will be available effective Tuesday, March 17 by calling 416-736-5297. Details and additional support resources are available at the link above.

If you are looking for some professional support, our partners at Good2Talk have advised us that they are remaining remain open at this time, and in addition to telephone support have introduced a new texting feature.