This Week @ York

York University is committed to providing a proactive approach in communicating to the York community all information concerning the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). To stay updated:

• Visit the Coronavirus Information and Update website as a central source for York community information.
• Follow links to expert health agencies, organizations and resources for additional information.
• Check the website frequently; we will communicate with all York community members by email, social media or yFile when the University has posted a community update.
• All this information is accurate at the newsletter’s time of publication. Given the fluidity of this situation, there may be changes to some of the information below between publications.

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.

At this 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: York recognizes that students may be experiencing a variety of circumstances as a result of COVID-19 and we are here to help. Senate Executive has agreed to waive until further notice, the requirement for students to submit a doctors’ note or Attending Physician’s Statement in support of a request for deferred standing or petitions.  

REMINDER: Check for available self-serve tools and resources on My Online Services. Get what you need, from wherever you are, at almost any time of the day. The list of available resources is growing daily as new online and mobile methods are introduced to deliver services and resources you need.

As all courses have moved online, your friends at Learning Skills Services have compiled a number of online learning resources to help you succeed as an online learner during COVID-19 and beyond. You can also check out York’s Student Guide to eLearning for information and tips on how to get started, what to expect and how to be a successful online learner. 

For example, the Writing Centre is now online! Their writing instructors are available to help you with your writing assignments online through 50-minute one-to-one appointments via video chat as well as asynchronous etutoring, where you upload your paper to their website and an instructor will reply with feedback within 24 hours. If you’d like to book an appointment, visit the Writing Centre schedule.

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

UPDATE: The Alternate Exam Centre has suspended operations.  All previously booked tests and exams have been cancelled and instructors notified.  Students should connect with their instructors to discuss what the method of evaluation will be such as a take-home or online exam.

Residence Update: Residences remain open to only those students who, because of extenuating circumstances, are not able to return home.  

If you have not yet done so, please complete the Changes To Your Housing Status Form so that we can provide assistance or reassign your room to another student to facilitate self-isolation.  

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: 

• 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.  
• Administrative offices are CLOSED. 
• All shuttles have CEASED OPERATION. 

• The following locations in York Lanes remain OPEN with reduced hours: Campus Photo, Cucinetta, Falafel Hut, Great Canadian Bagel (take-out only), Grocery Checkout, Popeyes (take-out only), Postal Outlet, Sakura, Shopper’s Drug Mart and York Lanes Dental (Emergencies Only). These are subject to change, so please check the link above for updates. 
• Appletree Medical Centre remains OPEN with physicians now doing consultations via telephone and virtual care. Call 647-722-2370 or visit www.appletreemedicalgroup.com to book an appointment online. 

• 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.

All York University Libraries are CLOSED. All research and instruction questions and consultations are virtual. Interlibrary loans are also down. However, there are a number of services still available. During the period of closure, York libraries will not collect late fees for overdue books, you can still renew books online, and e-books, journals, and other resources can still be accessed online.

Note about YU-Cards: In the case where a YU-Card machine is malfunctioning when purchasing food at an on-campus vendor, each location should have a meal voucher form for you to complete for later billing.

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

For additional and after-hours 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.

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.