Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty, 

I write this email firstly to welcome you back after our holiday break. The end of 2021 was tumultuous to say the least and our new year, 2022, started not as we had hoped. As we edge closer to the two year mark of this pandemic, I am acutely aware of the toll it has taken on all of us. It seems fitting to be sending you this note on the last day of Mental Health Promotion Week. The many months of isolation and uncertainty have had an enormous impact on our lives and I know that now, more than ever, we must support one another with kindness and generosity. When the pandemic began, I said that my intention for our institution was to keep us whole, so that when the crisis was over we could lose no time pursuing our goals and engaging with our future. I maintain that commitment, but it is clear that our community will not emerge unscathed and we will be addressing the impact of this pandemic long after the immediate threat to our health has lessened.

On that note, the second reason for my email is to confirm that in-person instruction will resume as planned on Feb. 28. I had promised to let the community know our decision by early February, but with the government announcements earlier this month for a staged reopening of the province and recent direction for the postsecondary sector from our Ministry and public health earlier this week, I can be definitive. We will indeed move to in-person instruction at the end of next month. This timing will allow us to conclude the necessary arrangements to support this move over the next few weeks. A more detailed memo about our academic delivery and the return of students to campus will be released next week. Updates will continue to be posted to the Safe Return Website.

Thank you again for your flexibility and willingness to adapt to very unstable and unpredictable circumstances. Like our colleagues everywhere in the sector, we are grappling with the twists and turns of this virus. As we move out of the winter months, the newest challenge presented by the Omicron variant appears to be nearing an end, and given the advice of our medical experts we have reason for optimism. I am hopeful for what 2022 will bring and although we may have had a rough start to the new year, the future does look bright. Happy new year, everyone. I look forward to seeing you back on campus in the not too distant future.

Patrick Deane
Principal and Vice-Chancellor