Students' concerns heard, UBC says, but in-person exams will continue
The University of British Columbia says assurances from public health officials have influenced its decision to continue with in-person exams, despite concerns from students about the spread of COVID-19.
Kurt Heinrich, the university's senior director of media relations, says deans will allow students who are worried about their health - such as those who live with family members or others who are part of a high-risk group - to ask for their exams to be deferred.
“We’re hearing though, many, many students just want to proceed,” he said.
Heinrich added that the university is in constant contact with public health, as well as abiding by orders and recommendations set out by the provincial health officer.
UBC’s response comes after students and their representatives called for the cancellation of in-person exams over concerns about the lack of distancing in exam areas that hold hundreds of students, as well as symptomatic students attending these exams.
Eshana Bhangu is the vice president for academic and university affairs for the Alma Mater Society, the UBC students' union. On Sunday, she told CTV News Vancouver the union is still pushing for the university to move all in-person exams online.
"It's just a lot of students in jam-packed halls," Bhangu said of the exam process so far.
"We've had people, you know, even sitting on the floor in some cases. It's just - it's astounding that the university is not taking action to keep students safe."
She said in light of the new restrictions that provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry introduced on Friday because of the threat of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, UBC should be taking a university-wide approach to exam cancellations, rather than leaving it to individual faculty and students to decide how to proceed.
"Yes, I understand (the new restrictions) don't explicitly apply to post-secondary institutions, but again, UBC needs to go above and beyond these (public health officer) guidelines and recommendations and keep students safe," Bhangu said. "It shouldn't be that some students are still at risk while others are not."
For his part, Heinrich said UBC feels it has "gone above and beyond" provincial recommendations in its on-campus safety protocols this year. He told CTV News the university communicates regularly with public health officials.
"They have made it very clear to us, throughout this process - including very recently relating to exams - that the learning environments that we are providing are safe for our students," Heinrich said.
He said the University of Victoria's decision to cancel in-person exams was made in a different public health context.
In that case, officials said two off-campus parties led to outbreaks of both the Delta and Omicron variants among students.
“Public Health has confirmed that cases among staff, students and faculty at UBC have been lower than in surrounding communities, and when cases do occur, the vast majority of acquisition is in homes and social settings,” Heinrich said in his statement.
However, Dr. Brian Conway with the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre called it “very unfair” to put the onus on students to make decisions to defer their exams.
“Guidelines are changing on a daily basis in the era of Omicron,” Conway said.
“Would they think of reducing capacity (during exams)?” Conway suggested. “Would they think of keeping the groups much smaller (or) changing the locale?”
B.C.'s new restrictions came into effect on Monday.
They include a 50-per-cent capacity limit on venues that hold more than 1,000 people, a ban on youth and adult sports tournaments over the winter holiday period, and the cancellation of all New Year's Eve parties.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.