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
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'