Many living in Quebec experienced a sense of déjà vu when premier François Legault announced that his administration would once again impose a curfew in response to a shocking rise in cases of COVID-19. Put into effect Dec. 31, the move came just under one year after the province’s first[Read More…]
Tag: covid-19
Contract negotiations between McGill and MUNACA at impasse
Negotiations between McGill University’s Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA)—a union that represents nearly 2,000 support staff employees—and the university’s administration have reached a standstill after McGill’s most recent contract offer left MUNACA representatives unsatisfied. The contract between the two has not been updated since it expired late November 2018. In an[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: The Omicron variant
Over the past few weeks, there has been a surge of coronavirus cases around the world. As of Dec. 21, it was estimated that the new Omicron variant accounted for more than 80 per cent of total cases in Montreal. The variant was first detected in South Africa on Nov.[Read More…]
SSMU BoD discusses COVID-19 measures amid student concerns over SSMU inactivity
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) convened on Jan. 6 with all directors present except the SSMU president, Darshan Daryanani, who has been on leave since at least Sept. 23. Directors heard vice-president (VP) University Affairs Claire Downie present a motion for SSMU to make[Read More…]
McGill residences facing greater restrictions amid COVID-19 surge
The Winter 2022 semester has started off in uncertainty as the Omicron variant gives rise to unprecedented COVID-19 case numbers and the university moves to implement new restrictions. In a Jan. 4 email, Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) informed students in residences that dining halls, gyms, and common areas[Read More…]
Return to remote learning leaves students feeling ‘demotivated’
On Dec. 31, Fabrice Labeau, McGill’s Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning), sent an email to the McGill community announcing that all learning except for Tier 1 activities would be held online until Jan. 24. Tier 1 activities include clinical activities, project courses, and various activities in music. This announcement[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: COVID-19 protocols for final exams and the Winter 2022 semester
With the final exam period taking place from Dec. 7 to Dec. 21 and the Winter semester rapidly approaching, the McGill administration has been sending emails to students and faculty outlining ongoing and changing COVID-19 safety procedures. The administration plans to host in-person exams and allow approximately 90 per cent[Read More…]
McGill holds first in-person convocation since onset of COVID-19 pandemic
McGill held its Fall 2021 Convocation ceremonies at Place des Arts on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, marking the first time that convocation has taken place in-person since Fall 2019. There were four separate ceremonies, two on each day, to honour the approximately 700 students who completed undergraduate, graduate, or[Read More…]
McGill changes masking policies amid rise in COVID-19 cases on campus
McGill announced a new masking guideline on Nov. 19 in a university-wide email from the co-chairs of the new Recovery and Operations Resumption Committee (ROR), associate provost (Teaching and Academic Programs) Chris Buddle and deputy provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau. The update stipulates that community members should replace[Read More…]
Coping by cat spotting
Picture a circus tiger. Beholden to the cruel whims of circumstance, ensnared in a system that renders its life to nothing more than spectacle, it prowls the perimeter of its cramped cage with Sisyphean contempt. Here is a tortured—though cool as hell—soul. But Jackie, you say, you’re a university student[Read More…]