Here’s a look at some of the updates to Brock University’s COVID-19 response for Friday, July 17:
Although parts of Ontario are moving into Stage 3 Friday, Niagara remains in Stage 2 under the provincial government’s recovery plan.
Following public health guidelines, Brock University is also carefully moving forward with its own multi-stage recovery plan, guided by the key principle of keeping the health, safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff and the community a top priority.
As the University moves through the recovery process, students, faculty and staff are asked to monitor their Brock email addresses, as well as brocku.ca/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information.
Registration for 2020-21 underway
Course registration for the Fall and Winter Terms is nearing completion. Just one hour after registration opened for incoming Brock University students in the early hours of Monday, July 13, more than 2,500 students had already finished mapping out their courses for the upcoming academic year.
Registration continues Monday, July 20 for students heading into their second year, and wraps up Wednesday for any students with fewer than five credits.
A variety of resources and support, such as details on when and how to register for courses, has been provided by various areas of the Brock community, including the Office of the Registrar, Information Technology Services and University Marketing and Communications to alleviate any barriers students may face during the process.
BU4U/Smart Start available to help first-year students
Incoming students are being provided with extra support this year. Brock has prepared a new set of online orientation programs to help welcome and support first-year students as they transition to university life, virtually.
In addition to the online version of the University’s Smart Start summer orientation program, Brock has also launched a set of additional online experiences, known as BU4U, designed to enhance student success and ease the transition to post-secondary learning.
Over the next few weeks, a member of the BU4U team will contact students via their Brock email to describe how to get started.
Face coverings now mandatory
As of Wednesday, July 1, Brock is requiring that anyone entering on-campus buildings wear a non-medical face covering if they’re able to.
Exceptions will be made if:
- The person is unable to wear the face covering because it would inhibit their breathing for medical reasons.
- The person cannot safely wear a face covering for any other medical reasons, such as having respiratory disease, cognitive difficulties, or difficulties in hearing or processing information.
- For religious reasons, the person cannot wear a face covering or cannot wear a face covering in a manner which would properly control the source.
- The person is a child under the age of two.
While these face coverings are not required to be worn in single-person offices, they must be worn when maintaining two metres of physical distance is not possible or predictable, such as hallways, elevators, classrooms and restrooms.
Read the full story in The Brock News.
Student fees reduced for 2020-21
In recognition of the challenges facing students in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brock University along with the Brock University Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association have reduced their ancillary fees for the upcoming year.
Collectively, these reductions will save students more than $4.2 million in the 2020-21 academic year. The full list of student fee savings can be found on the Student Accounts and Financial Aid webpage.
Read the full story in The Brock News.
Brock youth camps move online
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and following public health guidelines, Brock had to make the difficult decision to cancel its popular summer kids camps.
However, the Brock Recreation and Brock Sports teams have now launched Camps at Home, an online resource for parents and guardians to access lesson plans and website links for fun camp-related activities.
Camps at Home does not require any registration or fees, has no maximum capacity and is fully accessible 24/7. The activities for campers cover everything from technology, the arts and science to aquatics, sports and adventure.
Read the full story in The Brock News.
How to access Brock campus
Access to the main Brock campus in St. Catharines remains through one of two entrances: the Rankin Family Pavilion and the Roy and Lois Cairns Health and Bioscience Research Complex.
Brock is guided by public health and Government of Ontario mandates on reopening, but we are considering ways of providing access to study space and libraries for current students. More information on the availability of all on-campus facilities, including athletics and recreation facilities will be released in the coming weeks.
Morneau Shepell releases new resources for Brock employees
Brock’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, Morneau Shepell, has released new resources focused on adjusting to life post-pandemic.
Articles on returning to work and school, self-care, talking to your children post-pandemic and ways to help the local community can all be found on Brock’s Employee Wellness website.
Further resources and information can be found in Morneau Shepell’s COVID-19 toolkit or within their complimentary webinars.
Mental health resources — update for students
Brock is dedicated to supporting students with mental health resources.
In-person 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 the 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.
