Here’s a look at some of the updates to Brock University’s COVID-19 response for Thursday, April 30:
Brock Central adds new service option
Brock Central at the Registrar’s Office is using Microsoft Bookings for a new service option. Students can now book an appointment directly with a Brock Central team member by visiting brocku.ca/registrar/contact and clicking on ‘Bookings.’
Select the service type, date, time and Brock Central team member to complete a booking. A confirmation email will be sent once the appointment is booked, but it may be directed to the deleted or junk folders of certain email providers. Meetings can be joined though the Teams link within the meeting confirmation and calendar entry. Students will be prompted to open Microsoft Teams using the web browser or app, which is recommended.
Detailed instructions, with screen shots, are available online here.
Brock Central’s service hours are Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Grounds Services keeping campus ready for when Brock community returns
The spring flowers are in full bloom at Brock where, every day, two Ground Services employees are working to keep the campus neat and green. Working in reduced shifts, their focus is on spring cleaning, pruning, cutting the grass and gearing up for the upcoming summer months.
Read the full story in The Brock News.
Dining Services update
Lowenberger Dining Hall is now closed until further notice. The handful of students remaining in Village Residence — who have extenuating circumstances preventing them from going home — have been provided with resources for safe grocery delivery options.
Virtual Open House now live
Brock’s Virtual Open House went live for prospective students and their families on Monday. It will be hosted online until June 1, aligning with the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) deadline for accepting offers of admission.
The Open House offers a variety of digital experiences to illustrate the vibrant community that students will be interacting with at Brock when regular campus activities resume. In addition to developing their own content, the Recruitment team sought input from Brock faculty, staff, students and community partners, who contributed documents, photos, videos and presentations that help illustrate the value and experience of a Brock education.
See the Virtual Open House here.
Brock continues post-pandemic planning
The Province of Ontario has released its initial roadmap as it plans for a carefully staged months-long emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic. The framework identifies the conditions required to begin a three-phased gradual process to re-open. The document released by the government does not provide any dates or timelines for when these steps will be taken.
Brock is paralleling the developments at the province by starting to formulate the University’s plans for a gradual and partial resumption of services. This will be undertaken in a guarded and diligent fashion informed by public health and focused on the health, safety and wellness of our faculty, staff and the broader community.
Read more in the Brock News here.
Computer Commons / IT Help Desk Update
Brock’s IT Help Desk is now fully online with remote support available from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. This service is available to faculty, staff, students and the rest of the Brock community. Questions can be directed to ithelp@brocku.ca or by phoning 905-688-5550 x4357.
Students needing course-specific software will be given further information from their instructors on how to access Brock’s virtual lab space.
Instructors teaching in the Spring/Summer Term with questions about what software is included in the virtual lab or how to use it, please contact ITS at ithelp@brocku.ca
Giving Tuesday next week
Giving Tuesday will be held on Tuesday, May 5. In recognition of the significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on students’ financial situation, the University has created the COVID-19 Undergraduate Student Emergency Bursary and the COVID-19 Graduate Student Emergency Bursary.
To make a one-time gift online please visit brocku.ca/donate, and to contribute through payroll deduction visit my.brocku.ca/BrockDB/pay_EmpDeductionCampaign.aspx
Mental health app for employees
Employees can access immediate support for mental health and other challenges through the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which has been made available to all current Brock employees as part of the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The free My EAP app offers interactive support tools and easy access to health and wellness information directly on a mobile device. Users can also access an instant chat with a counsellor or book an EFAP support service. Visit workhealthlife.com/myeap to locate and install the app on your mobile device.
Mental health resources — update for students
Brock is dedicated to supporting students with mental health resources.
Face-to-face counselling is currently not available; however, same-day drop-in counselling is still accessible. Email counselling@brocku.ca to be contacted via Microsoft Teams with an appointment time and a counsellor’s name.
For 24/7 personal counselling phone 833-276-2533 (833-BROCK33).
From Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., students can access Student Health Services (SHS) by phoning 905-688-5550 x3243 to leave a message and contact number, or by emailing referralstaff@brocku.ca
Student Accessibility Services remains available for students and contact information can be found on SAS website.
If you have questions about COVID-19 symptoms and need to speak to a Student Health Services nurse, please email COVID19@brocku.ca
For medical emergencies, students should phone 911.
