Visit Carleton’s COVID-19 website.
March 15, 2020
Good evening everyone,
Let me first apologize for writing over the weekend.
The COVID-19 situation evolved incredibly rapidly last week and continues to change. In particular, this afternoon Ottawa Public Health has published new guidelines to maximize social distancing including recommendations to limit non-essential trips out of the home, work from home if possible, and implement distancing at work.
To give ourselves time to consider what these new guidelines mean for our operations, Carleton will be closing all non-essential services for the full day tomorrow, March 16. Essential Services (please see list below) will be maintained.
Throughout the day tomorrow, we will be determining the minimum staffing levels required to maintain both the safety of our community and the continuity of our operations from March 17 onwards. This information will be communicated to everyone before 5 p.m. tomorrow March 16.
We remain confident that we will complete the academic term through online and other alternative modes of instruction and assessments.
We are navigating uncharted waters and that can be unsettling and stressful. It is at times like this that communities truly define themselves and their values, and the Carleton community is truly one of respect and care for all. Once again, I cannot overemphasize how impressed I have been with our community’s composure and grace under pressure in these uncertain times.
As the situation continues to evolve, we have all the right structures in place to ensure that we make the appropriate decisions in real time. Mitigating the COVID-19 situation to the best of our ability is the primary focus of the entire leadership team. I am personally leading the COVID-19 Steering Committee with our COVID-19 lead Suzanne Blanchard, Vice-President (Students and Enrolment). Both our Operations Committee and our Academic Continuity Committee are meeting daily.
As always, any questions not answered by Carleton’s COVID-19 information website and its FAQ section should be forwarded to covidinfo@carleton.ca.
Please ensure that the information you read and share online comes from credible sources like Ottawa Public Health, the Ontario Ministry of Health or the Public Health Agency of Canada, as the spread of misinformation poses a significant risk to the health and safety of our community.
I plan to write every day this week to keep everyone informed of new developments. As we navigate these uncharted waters, please take care of yourselves and each other.
Benoit
Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President and Vice-Chancellor
Essential Services
Please note this listing may change over time.
- Campus Safety
- Health and Counselling
- Residences
- Attendant Services
- Food Services
- Human Resources
- Facilities Management and Planning
- Information Technology Services
- Research – staff will be required in specific labs
- Pharmacy
- Teaching and Learning Services