Dear SCS Learners,
It is hard to believe that the first of two weeks of University closures is already coming to an end. If your days have been anything like mine, you have been tethered to laptops, desktops and a myriad of applications, chats and memoranda flooding you from all sides! And still there is so much we do not yet know and need answered.
Please know that we are busily working on a set of FAQs specifically for SCS for each of our core constituencies and hope to have at least a first-generation version of those up over the weekend. We may not have answers to all of your questions, yet, but will strive to find answers to as many questions as possible as quickly as possible.
I strongly urge you to track the University’s own announcements and FAQs on the website which are circulated nearly daily, available at https://www.mcgill.ca/coronavirus/faqs
This leads me to
REMINDER #1: Please make sure to check your McGill email account regularly – especially if you normally do not use your McGill email address. If the latter is the case, please make sure you have it forwarded to your email of choice. Unfortunately, the rate of communication flows makes it impossible for us to send out separate emails to personal email accounts on a regular basis. If for some reason you cannot access your McGill email address, please contact: info.conted [at] mcgill.ca or call +1 514.398.6200 for assistance.
As you know we are transitioning all of our operations and teaching to being delivered remotely. What does this mean? It means that the vast majority of our staff – except for designated essential personnel- are and will continue to work from home. We are making every effort to have continuity of services but provided from wherever our team members are.
For teaching: Students will have updated course outlines/syllabi on Tuesday, March 24th. We are working closely with Area and Program coordinators and all of our instructors to facilitate a smooth transition to remote teaching.
This brings me to
REMINDER #2: We are using the term REMOTE Instruction/Delivery to describe the general shift away from in-person, face-to-face instruction. REMOTE instruction can take many different forms, including online delivery. These two terms, however, are NOT synonymous.
Teaching with Zoom videoconference technology for example is a form of remote or distance education. It is NOT the same as ONLINE teaching. Similarly, giving take home assignments falls under the category of remote or distance education but would not automatically presume online content. So – unless permanently cancelled for the remainder of the Winter term, courses will be delivered either through Zoom or – if already online- will continue to be delivered online.
We will provide you with further information regarding your courses in due time as we approach the end of the two-week suspension period.
Thank you very much!
Carola Weil, PhD
Dean of Continuing Studies