Department of Psychology

Department of

Psychology

Department of

Psychology

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Department of Psychology COVID-19 Resources for Students, Faculty, Researchers, and Staff

In an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the office of the Department of Psychology is currently closed. However, we are operating remotely and faculty and staff will continue to be available by e-mail. Go to our People page for contact links.

New! Stay at Home Order

The Premier’s most recent announcement regarding the Stay-at-Home order has raised some questions about whether employees who are performing essential functions that require them to work on-site require a letter from their employer in case they are stopped and questioned by authorities. Recent communications by Kingston Police "Kingston Police respond to new COVID-19 restrictions" make it clear that they will not be making random vehicle or pedestrian stops to check on compliance with the Provinces Stay-at-Home order. Chief of Police Antje McNeely remarks, “Members of the Kingston Police will not be conducting random vehicle or pedestrian stops. We will continue with traffic enforcement, engaging with members of the public and responding to calls for service, to keep our community safe. We will continue to do so in a fair and equitable manner”. If you have any concerns regarding performing an essential function that requires your presence on campus, please go to the following page that has been updated on the HR website. Please contact your Human Resources Advisor for further information or to obtain a copy of a template letter that can be used if there are specific circumstance where an employee requests a letter. Human Resources also suggests that staff travel with their Employee Identification cards if they are traveling to campus for work.

Ontario Government Provincial Shutdown - April 3, 2021

The Ontario government has announced a province-wide shutdown that went into effect on Saturday, April 3 at 12:01 am and last for four weeks. During this period, Premier Ford is requiring all Ontarians to restrict indoor gatherings to their immediate household and outdoor social gatherings are limited to a five-person maximum. Travel outside your region should be restricted to essential purposes. Queen’s has been operating with a heightened level of restrictions for some time, so many of the required changes to on-campus operations are already in place.

The following facility and on-campus restrictions will be in place from April 3 to align with provincial regulations:

  • Under the provincial regulations, a limited number of classes that require in-person teaching are permitted, such as:
  • Clinical training that supports health related programs (e.g., Medicine, Nursing, Rehabilitation Sciences, etc.). The total number of students in the instructional space cannot exceed 50, with appropriate safety measures in place. 
  • For non-health related programs where the program cannot be modified for virtual delivery, the total number of students in the instructional space cannot exceed 10. 
  • Students with on-campus academic activities will receive further updates from their program or faculty office as needed next week.
  • Remote exams will continue as scheduled.
  • All on-campus study spaces are closed. The library is open for curbside pickup only. 
  • On-campus access for employees will be limited. Only employees with essential on-campus positions or those who must be on campus to do their work should be on campus. All other faculty, staff, senior administration, and student leadership will work remotely except for required ad hoc access (for example, to record a lecture, print documents, or retrieve files) or those with accommodation requirements.
  • For previously approved on-site research activity, if researchers can work remotely they should do so, only coming on campus as necessary. New requests for on-site activity require review and approval through the relevant Faculty Associate Dean of Research who will consult with the central Research Response Team as appropriate. The Research Response Team will continue to review all requests for field and in-person human participant research activity; please submit requests via Associate Deans of Research. Additional details will be available on the Vice-Principal (Research) website.
  • The Athletic and Recreation Centre (ARC) remains closed for in-person access.
  • Dining halls are limited to take-out only.

Additional information will be provided to students in residence. Thank you to the Queen’s community for your continued flexibility as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mark F. Green PhD PEng
Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)

COVID 19 Update to Research Community from the Research Response Team

Researchers in the Department of Psychology are still able to conduct in-person research on campus. Note that we are on high alert given the rising cases in the community. New applications for access for in person research/research activities may be affected. Please read the message from Nick Mosey, Associate Dean of Research, and note the highlighted text for potentially relevant information for those who are conducting or plan to apply for approval for in person research, or who are planning to apply for access for research purposes. Email Caroline Pukall with any questions or concerns • Message from Nick Mosey, Associate Dean of Research (PDF, 639 KB).

Recommended Use of Gloves

EH&S has released a Safety Bulletin regarding the new recommended method of doffing gloves called ‘The Beaking Method’.  It was developed during the 2014 USA Ebola outbreak to prevent possible self-inoculation during the doffing procedure. Read this Safety Bulletin-- Glove Removal (PDF, 578 KB).

SeQure App for COVID Self Assessment Questionnaire UPDATE

In follow-up to the Provost’s communication regarding the direction from the KFL&A Public Health news release, the university is requesting that all students, staff, and faculty that have travelled outside of the region (i.e., beyond Hastings, Prince Edward, Leeds, Grenville, or Lanark counties), had visitors from outside the region, or moved to the region in the last 14 days should consider voluntary, asymptomatic testing for COVID-19. As a result an additional self assessment question will be added to the SeQure self assessment module effective January 27, as noted below.

“Have you travelled outside of the KFL&A, Hastings, Prince Edward, Leeds & Grenville, and Lanark Counties, had visitors from outside this region, or moved to this region in the last 14 days?”

Individuals answering Yes to this question will not pass the assessment and will be told to not physically access main campus or other Queen’s facilities. As a reminder, all employees accessing the Queen’s main campus or other Queen’s facilities must complete the screening assessment module found in the SeQure App, or use their approved Faculty-based system such as Elantra in the Faculty of Health Sciences or the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science building QR Code system. 

The SeQure App can be downloaded from the Campus Security and Emergency Services website SeQure App.  An on-line web version of the COVID-19 Screening Assessment is also available for those unable to use the App. A paper version of the screening assessment is also available if required. Please contact your HR Advisor if you have any questions

New Variant of COVID-19 found in KFL&A Region - Office of the Provost

Please see the KFL&A Public Health NEWS RELEASE ( Monday, January 25, 2021), regarding a recommendation for anyone who has travelled outside of the region (i.e., beyond Hastings, Prince Edward, Leeds, Grenville, or Lanark counties), has had visitors from outside the region, or has moved to the region in the last 14 days to consider voluntary, asymptomatic testing for COVID-19. This asymptomatic testing initiative is being recommended in the KFL&A region, as KFL&A Public Health has received the first lab confirmed B.1.1.7 case, a new, more easily transmissible variant of COVID-19 that was first found in the United Kingdom. I strongly encourage all members of the Queen’s community who fall into the above noted categories to get tested. As previously communicated, the university is also requesting that all students, staff, and faculty who have travelled to Kingston from outside the KFL&A, Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, and Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark region, or who have had visitors from outside the region, to self-isolate for 14 days.

Information on local assessment centres can be found here:

Thank you for your continued vigilance to protect our community.

Mark F. Green PhD PEng
Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)

Information on Accessing Department of Psychology Spaces

The expectation is still that all faculty, staff, and students work remotely; however, there are certain situations that have been deemed by the Faculty to require access.

Please find below links to the most recent documents for access to the building for all purposes approved by the Faculty (except for a one-off visit lasting more than 15 minutes – in these cases, please check the spreadsheet at the link below, and then email the Space Allocation Officer (Dr. Caroline Pukall) if the time appears to be open to ensure a safe capacity).

Please also note that the spreadsheet for logging in your visit to the building has changed (“Schedule-week of DATE”) and can be found at the link below and the first tab (HOW TO) contains information on how to complete the form.

https://queensuca-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/psycdata_queensu_ca/EnEqRRxkIntFtVxe8q6f4FUBD1NdyTAMf3lquFVonOWbJg

NOTE: Entrances to the Humphrey Hall and Craine Buildings are still locked. Anyone conducting approved in-person research must meet their participants at the main door of Humphrey Hall to ensure that they are wearing a mask when they enter the building – masks are mandatory in the common areas of the department and when physical distancing cannot be upheld. In addition, you must walk your participants to the exit door once the experiment is over and ensure they leave the building. Participants need an escort into and from the department for safety and security reasons.

Stay-at-Home Order Issued by the Government of Ontario

The Ontario Government has declared a state of emergency and announced new measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the province.  A stay-at-home order is set to take effect on Thursday, January 14 at 12:01 am ET. The order requires people in Ontario to remain at home, with exceptions for accessing health care, groceries, pharmacy services, essential work, and for exercise. The announcement can be found on the provincial government website. • Read the full message from Mark F. Green PhD, Peng, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) (PDF, 419 KB)

Queen’s Response to Province-Wide Shutdown

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise rapidly across the province, the Ontario government has announced a province-wide shutdown that will go into effect as of December 26 and last for 28 days. During this shutdown period, Premier Doug Ford is advising all Ontarians to stay at home to the fullest extent possible, noting that travel outside your region should be limited to only essential purposes. More information on Queen’s response to Province-wide shutdown (PDF, 424 KB)

Preparing for Red-Grey Zone Measures: Phased Reduction in On-Campus Presence Framework

As cases of COVID-19 increase locally and across the province, we need to prepare for changes to university operations over the coming weeks. A Phased Reduction in On-Campus Presence Framework has been developed to ensure university operations align with the various colour zones under the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework. More information on the Phased Reduction in On-Campus Presence Framework (PDF, 340 KB)

Queen's launches refreshed COVID-19 website

The university community continues to rise to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, working together to keep one another safe and ensure learning, research, and innovation are moving forward. To support these efforts, Queen’s has launched a redesigned COVID-19 Information website with an emphasis on the most sought-after information, usability, and shareability in mind. The site features a prominent COVID-19 case tracker that provides updates whenever a COVID-19 case is confirmed within the Queen’s community. It also features important links to public health information, and the latest updates from the administration on changes to university operations, academic changes, health and safety announcements, and more. It also features a student section to connect students with services, resources, and faculty-specific information, as well as a faculty/staff page to connect employees with human resources, IT support, and research. Go to the new Queen's University COVID-19 website

Changes to Research Activity Approvals

Given the increased number of cases in the region, all in person research has been suspended until further notice, and all NEW in person research applications have been put on hold. Once we receive approval to accept NEW applications for in person research, there will be an extra level of research application review (both for in-person research as well as any on-site research activity). Any applications that have already been approved will not be subject to this additional review process.

Please see Message Nick Mosey, Associate Dean (Research), FAS (PDF, 536 KB) for more information, or email Caroline Pukall.

Please also remember to email Caroline Pukall about any one-off visits to the department that last longer than 15 mins. She can easily approve most of these via email, and you will need to complete a log of your visit. We send this information to the Faculty each week for them to compile numbers of people in the buildings as well as for contact tracing purposes in the event of a positive case. You will need to self-screen before entering the building, wear a mask in all common areas of the building/if you are with others in the same space (while maintaining physical distance of 2 meters), and follow the directional arrows on the stairs (halls are bidirectional). And of course, sanitize all touched areas.

Additional COVID-related links of interest

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