The University of Manitoba has released a statement concerning COVID-19:

We are all responsible for taking actions to slow and limit the spread of COVID-19. The University of Manitoba is taking that responsibility seriously and taking actions based on information we receive from health authorities. (see updates at www.umanitoba.ca/coronavirus/)

Effective Tuesday, March 24, all University of Manitoba buildings are now closed with only limited access to employees deemed as essential. All faculty and staff are working from home.

In terms of our educational programs, we have successfully transitioned to online only offerings of our courses and are in the process of developing online assessments (e.g. assignments, exams) to ensure our students are able to complete their Winter term courses. Thanks to a major effort by our professors and instructors, along with our IT staff, our students are have been attending their classes remotely since March 18. At this time, it is anticipated that there will be no in-person classes until September 2020.

Research programs and activities have been closely examined to ensure that we are not putting students, staff or academic members at risk. Researchers are continuing their research remotely, but only limited research is continuing in university research facilities, including off-campus research sites.

Any continuing research, on campus or off, must adhere strictly to social distancing rules and to normal safety protocols for the two categories of research that are permitted:

1. Where there has been significant up-front research investment conducted to get to this point, the University of Manitoba Vice President (Research & International) is permitting this to be finished off, or for “maintenance activities” to continue. An example of the latter is marker-assisted selection of plants in breeding programs that are preparing material for field season.

2. Preparation work for field season that does not involve starting any new experiments at this point.

Some examples of remote research could include: social science studies using questionnaire-based qualitative research or using interview protocols (which have shifted to on-line format), modelling work (e.g., for bioinformatics and protein conformation), and for those personnel who had been doing most of their experimental work in the lab, this is an opportunity for data analysis, thesis and paper writing, and knowledge translation activities. Books and journals in libraries can be remotely accessed to help in the writing process.

More information is available at http://www.umanitoba.ca/coronavirus#researchers-faqs.

-Martin Scanlon, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences