UBC delays return to most in-person classes again, citing Omicron concerns
The University of British Columbia has decided to extend its switch to mostly online learning as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly through the province.
UBC decided at the end of last year to delay the return to in-person learning for classes in the spring term until Jan. 24. On Wednesday, the university announced that it would push back that return date until Feb. 7.
"As we enter 2022, we know the Omicron variant is a concern for many in our community," the university said in an email to students and employees announcing the change.
"We understand that students, faculty and staff require timely information for planning, particularly those who may be travelling internationally," the statement continued. "Today, we are confirming that UBC has made the decision to continue to deliver the majority of programs online until Feb. 7."
The university promised to continue to "assess the situation" and provide another update on the spring term during the week of Jan. 24.
LAW SCHOOL RETURNING SOONER
A number of courses with clinical, experiential, performance or studio components have been happening in-person with COVID-19 safety protocols in place since the current term began on Jan. 4.
Several more - including those at UBC's Peter A. Allard School of Law - are set to resume on Jan. 24.
In an email to students and staff on Wednesday, law school dean Ngai Pindell said the law school would be returning to the classroom sooner than some other programs.
"Like all of you, I am deeply concerned about the risks posed by Omicron to the health and safety of the law school community and to our families," Pindell wrote. "I am also cognizant of the limitations of online instruction and the negative impacts of continued isolation on our mental and emotional wellbeing."
A spokesperson for UBC confirmed to CTV News that the law school and "some classes in applied science and science" would return on Jan. 24, rather than Feb. 7.
"Those decisions are made where the pedagogy supports them and where class size is not as much of an issue," the spokesperson said in an email.
UBC students can expect to hear directly from their programs about return-to-classroom plans for specific courses, the university said in its statement.
STUDENTS ASKED TO RETURN TO CAMPUSES BY EARLY FEBRUARY
The delayed return for most classes applies to both UBC's Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, and facilities in both locations remain open, the university said. That includes student services, student housing and all libraries.
"We recommend that all students plan to be on campus early in February, so they can be ready for the start of in-person teaching and learning," UBC said Wednesday. "We are also in the process of continuity planning for the potential impact of the Omicron variant on our employees, and any associated demands on the university’s testing capacity."
After UBC announced its switch to mostly online learning last month, several other B.C. universities followed suit.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, no other B.C. universities had announced extended remote learning plans.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.