From Catherine Dauvergne and Wade Parkhouse | SFU moving to STAGE 3 of our Campus Recovery Plan – July 2

June 30, 2021

This email is sent on behalf of Catherine Dauvergne, vice-president academic and provost, and Wade Parkhouse, vice-provost and associate vice-president, academic. It has been sent to all faculty and staff.

Yesterday, the province announced that on July 1, 2021, it is ready to move to Step 3 of BC’s Restart Plan and is lifting the Provincial State of Emergency as a result of the success of British Columbia’s vaccination strategy, the decline in COVID cases and hospitalizations.

SFU ready to move to STAGE 3

SFU will move to STAGE 3 of our Campus Recovery Plan on July 2, 2021, and continue our gradual return to campus over the summer in preparation for the fall. We are working closely with the Provincial Health Officer, WorkSafeBC, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills, and Training’s Return to Campus Guidelines and other post-secondary institutions to support the healthy and safe return to on-campus activities. SFU’s move to STAGE 3 will support a fuller return to our campuses over July and August in preparation for the Fall term.

We plan to move to STAGE 4 of our Return to Campus plan in line with the province’s move to Step 4 of BC’s Restart Plan. We know that much can still change in the pandemic over the next few months so we continue to monitor closely and anticipate potential changes.

The number one thing we can all do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

It’s important to return to campuses

Continuing our phased return over the summer will help all of us get more comfortable being on campus again and start to make those important in-person connections many have missed over the last year.

Mental health and wellness supports are available

The experience of the pandemic has been different for everyone. Some are looking forward to our return and others may feel anxious or worried about what this change will bring. That makes sense given the past year. If you or someone you know needs support, visit the Human Resources website for a list of resources available including crisis intervention, counselling, coaching, online resources, training, apps and more.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT STAGE 3

Campus COVID-19 safety measures

Existing in-person teaching safety plans for the summer term will remain in place (e.g. classrooms, teaching labs, etc.). Non-medical masks and physical distancing will continue to be required in those courses where they are part of existing safety plans.
Non-medical masks will be recommended and no longer required in all indoor common areas. Please be respectful of individuals’ decisions about masks.
Physical distancing is no longer required. Please respect the personal space of others.*
Daily COVID-19 health screening will be a personal responsibility. Students, staff and faculty are no longer required to report daily health screening before coming to campus.
Faculty, staff and students should not come to campus when they are sick.We encourage all members of our community to be tested if you have COVID symptoms.

* Please note in the original message sent to all faculty and staff on June 30, 2021, physical distancing was listed as recommended in error. This change was made on July 6, 2021 to reflect guidance from the province.

Safety planning

The Province and WorkSafeBC have recently announced a move away from area specific COVID-19 safety plans to one institutional Communicable Disease Prevention Plan.
A new Communicable Disease Safety Plan is being developed for campuses and will be available in the coming weeks.
Faculties and departments will no longer be required to develop their own plans and instead will be guided by SFU’s Communicable Disease Prevention Plan.
As we make this transition, signage and room limitations across campus will be removed.
Academic leaders, managers and supervisors will receive more information on next steps early next week.

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC)

We are reviewing HVAC systems and prioritizing high-occupancy, shared spaces to ensure they meet standards established by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
If we find challenges in any building or office areas, we will determine the root causes and address them (i.e. fix HVAC issues, reduce occupancy or close the space).
Submit a Facilities maintenance request to find out about the status of your area.

Meetings

In-person meetings and events of up to 50 people will be permitted with students, faculty and staff inside and outside.
In-person meetings and events with external community members and the public require special permission.
Contact Meetings, Events and Conference Services for more info.

Opening buildings

Campus Public Safety will start to open up more access to buildings over the next two weeks.
Contact patrolop@sfu.ca to alert us to areas where we need doors unlocked and more washroom capacity.

Parking

Complimentary parking at the Burnaby and Surrey campuses will remain in effect for faculty and staff until August 31, 2021.
Visit the Parking and Sustainable Mobility website for more information.

Campus Services

Visit the Services page of the Return to Campus website for the latest information on services available.

NEXT STEPS

Early next week we’ll connect directly with academic leaders, managers and supervisors with more detailed information on safety planning and supports available to transition your teams back to campus.

RESOURCES

For the latest updates, resources and events visit the Faculty and Staff page of the Return to Campus website.

Questions?

Have questions about our transition back to campus? Email covid19@sfu.ca.

Sincerely,

Dr. Catherine Dauvergne, QC
Vice-President Academic and Provost

Dr. Wade Parkhouse
Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic

Simon Fraser University