April 8, 2021

On April 7, Premier Doug Ford declared a third state of emergency effective immediately in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission, the threat on the province’s hospitals and the increasing risk of COVID-19 variants. The government is issuing a four-week stay-at-home order effective April 8 at 12:01 a.m. This order requires people to remain at home except for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services or getting vaccinated, for outdoor exercise, or for work that cannot be done remotely.

Wilfrid Laurier University is focused on protecting the health and safety of our university community and we have already put in place measures that align with provincial and public health directives. Creating as much stability as possible for students, faculty and staff is of utmost importance and has been the foundation of our decision-making since the pandemic began. Our three top priorities remain:

1. Supporting students in completing academic requirements.
2. Maintaining research activities where possible.
3. Keeping residences open for students living on campus.

The pandemic continues to impact members of our university community in various ways as we adjust to ongoing changes and challenges. We encourage you to make use of the supports the university has available to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, and flexible work arrangements for employees with young children in school as we all strive to maintain wellness and achieve balance in our lives.

Effective at 12:01 a.m. April 8, the following will be in effect:

Access to Campuses: To help keep everyone safe, please do not come to campus for non-essential needs. Protocols for wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing hands regularly remain in effect, as well as COVID-19 self-assessment through the SAFEHawk app.

Course Delivery: Instruction will continue to be offered primarily virtually and online during the stay-at-home order. Restrictions on in-person classes remain consistent with those in place under the emergency brake shutdown, with class sizes limited to people; any changes to existing in-person classes will be communicated directly to affected faculty and students and will be updated on the Instructional Plans for Winter 2021 site.

Campus Amenities:

• Study spaces and fitness facilities are closed.
• OneCard services will be provided virtually or delivery-only.
• Wellness Centres will provide most appointments virtually and only high priority cases in person.
• All in-person Library services will be suspended, including study spaces, but remote and curbside services are available.
• All in-person Bookstore customer service will be suspended. Course materials will be available to students through delivery service. The bookstore will focus on processing orders as quickly as possible.

Student Residences: There are no changes to residence operations and students living in residence can remain in residence. The no-guest policy still applies. Essential workers will continue to support our residences and Wilf’s and Terrace Food Court on the Waterloo campus will be modified to support students with pick-up at the Terrace.

Employees: The provincial government has directed that employers in all industries should make every effort to allow employees to work from home. The majority of Laurier employees will be working from home during the stay-at-home order. Functions that can ONLY be performed on our campuses will be the only work permitted onsite; all other work will be conducted remotely. Employees will be contacted by their managers to confirm whether they will be working on site or remotely.

Office Access: Access to campus and private offices will only be permitted for essential reasons and related to essential work. Faculty members will be permitted access to offices to support remote teaching activities if required. Please contact your dean’s office for further information.

Research Activities: The university is committed to maintaining research functions where allowable; however, all in-person (face-to-face) research involving human participants that is being conducted on Laurier's campuses or an off-campus location in Ontario is suspended until further notice. Visit the Office of Research Services website for further details.

More detailed information will be shared directly with specific groups as required. For more information about university operations, safety measures and support services, please visit the Coronavirus Information Hub.

Thank you to all of you for the efforts you have made to keep our campuses safe and to adapt to updated guidelines. We will communicate with you as we receive updated information from public health and the provincial government. 

Dan Dawson,
Chair, Pandemic Recovery Steering Group