UNB has announced that the Winter 2021 semester will be delivered in a blended learning style, following the model that is currently in use for the Fall 2020 semester.
“UNB winter term courses will be delivered through a blended learning model, applying the same approach we are currently using for the fall term on each campus and the Moncton site,” announced President Paul Mazerolle, in an email sent to students on October 5.
Mazerolle maintained the importance of the safety of the UNB community, and that this decision was a reflection of that priority.
The first week of classes for every department will be entirely online to ensure that students have time to self-isolate if they are travelling outside of the Atlantic bubble during the December break. Classes requiring students to come to campus will transition from online to in-person instruction on January 18.
Students travelling outside the Atlantic bubble during the December break are required to have a self-isolation plan. To create this plan, students must complete the COVID-19 self isolation form, and direct questions to selfisolationhelp@unb.ca. Students living on campus must contact the Residence Office to designate a move-in date and time.
The Winter 2021 semester will run from January 11 to April 15, with the dates for the winter break and exam period remaining unchanged.
The Fall 2020 semester is the first of its kind, and it is not yet clear if this style of online teaching is conducive to learning. Many students chose to not attend UNB this fall, opting to wait for the return to in-person classes. It is unclear if this will remain the case now that the winter semester is primarily online.
Students are to monitor the course timetable to find out if their classes will be online, in-person, or a combination of the two. If course delivery is not specified by October 28, students are encouraged to contact the faculty.
If unable to attend mandatory in-person classes, students must contact their academic advisor for further information.
These stipulations are for undergraduate students. Graduate students, or those enrolled in open-entry courses, are encouraged to reference the appropriate academic calendars.
“We are here to support you wherever you are studying whether it is on-campus or remotely,”
President Mazerolle concluded, with kind regards.
More information to come as it becomes available.
