King's Principal discusses return to campus

To the King’s community,

On March 16th, King’s made the transition to a largely virtual campus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.When we left, I doubt many of us expected to still be working remotely well into the summer months.

And yet here we are, as the Province of Ontario has extended the State of Emergency until June 9.

Throughout of all of this, the members of the King’s community, including our students, faculty and staff, have clearly demonstrated the ability to work and study remotely during these past 10 weeks.

King’s has come to the decision to continue to remain a largely virtual campus in the coming months. This will allow us to determine the broader answers on campus protocols and operations that we need to have in order to keep all members of the King’s community safe, and allow time to carefully plan for whichever reality this fall presents.

We are planning for a phased return to campus but will not start to implement that return yet. Meanwhile, there will be limited access to campus. If you absolutely need to access your office, please contact security, but wherever possible, people should continue to work from home. Some campus operations will continue onsite, including residence to those students in need. 

Our decision to delay the phased return to campus will allow our Physical Plant department to develop and implement new operating procedures based on public health recommendations. We will begin the phased return - and I can’t emphasize this enough – when it is safe for our community to do so.

From a student, faculty, and staff standpoint, we will maintain limited access to campus until the end of July. However, as preparations continue to be made for September, there may be a requirement for some members of the King’s community to return to campus throughout the summer. By the time of our eventual return, the King’s campus will be modified to allow for better physical distancing and increased health/safety accommodations due to COVID-19.

With support from the Moving Online Project group, a blended approach to Fall 2020 instructional delivery is being developed, which will include a variety of approaches to learning to accommodate local and distant students. During the month of June, webinars on virtual and blended instructional techniques will be presented to faculty every Wednesday.

During this time, as with any dilemma, communication is important. The Principal's Advisory Group has met several times in recent weeks, and I have continued to meet on a regular basis with all of the staff and faculty groups to ensure that everyone has a voice in how King’s might proceed going forward.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via email if you have suggestions, feedback or ideas about out how to move to blended learning this fall. If you have any questions regarding academic concerns, I encourage you to utilize the King’s Call Back Form.

I am very pleased to announce the Student Emergency Fund has reached its goal of $25,000 in funds raised, which will assist an additional 100 students. This is great news and one we, as a community, should be immensely proud of. It shows just how much King’s comes together to support one another. Thank you to all who have donated or supported our students in any way. The Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada are still generously offering to match gifts to the Student Emergency Fund up to $10,000. Should you still be considering a gift, please donate today. All donations will directly support King’s students in need. 

As always, take care of yourself, each other and whether we are working and studying remotely or on-campus, we are still and will always be a place to be and a place to become.

Sincerely,

David C. Malloy, PhD

Principal

King’s University College