The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of Canadian post-secondary institutions for the remaining three weeks of the term.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson recommended Tuesday morning that restaurants, theatres, and bars voluntarily shut their doors. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recommended all Canadians stay home.
But by the time many readers get to this editorial, these recommendations might have been overwritten by a more drastic scenario.
Many of the safety measures required of Canadians and international residents right now—including social distancing—have thrown educational institutions for an unprecedented loop.
Carleton’s administration has demonstrated integrity and flexibility in its response to the crisis, despite the rapid pace of developments which altered their plans almost every day this week.
In response to COVID-19, Carleton has refunded residence and meal plan payments, increased campus Internet bandwidth by 50 per cent to accommodate students doing online classes, and reimbursed university-sponsored travel expenses.
The university has also kept residences, health and counselling services, and dining services open and accessible to international students who can’t return home due to travel restrictions.
Administration also formed a COVID-19 steering committee to coordinate the school’s response, and has managed to keep students in the loop with continuous update posts and emails.
The response the university has accomplished is something Carleton students can be proud of.
File photo.
