MEMORANDUM

To:                         Dalhousie students

From:                    Frank Harvey, Provost and Vice-President Academic (Acting)

Date:                     October 1, 2020

Re:                         Update on winter term courses and international learning experiences

Winter term courses update

The Academic Timetable is being updated regularly with information about winter term course delivery. As was shared back in August, the majority of courses this winter will be online, with a limited number of courses with accreditation requirements, experiential learning components, or tutorial or lab components being delivered safely in-person.

Most course listings in the Academic Timetable now indicate whether the course will be offered online or in-person. There are a small number of course decisions outstanding, and we expect those decisions to be made and reflected on the Academic Timetable in the next few weeks.

Please continue to check the timetable for the most up-to-date information and thank you for your understanding as we work through these final course decisions. Please contact the Associate Dean Academic in your Faculty for more specific information about your courses or programs.

Cancellation of international learning experiences for winter 2021

International Learning Experiences (ILE) such as student exchanges, study abroad, international field courses, co-ops, and international research continue to be impacted by COVID-19.

As the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff continues to be our highest priority, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all incoming and outgoing ILE for the winter term (January through April 2021), with some very specific exceptions. This decision was informed by Dalhousie’s International Travel Policy which restricts undergraduate student travel to international locations with a Global Affairs Canada travel advisory of level 3 or 4. Currently, there is a worldwide level 3 travel advisory.

While our decision is consistent with many other post-secondary institutions, we know that this will be a disappointment to our students who were looking forward to studying with our outstanding partners, and to the many students who had planned to join us in Halifax. Internationalization continues to be a high priority for Dal and we hope these students (and many more!) will be able to participate in international learning experiences in the future. Students may be able to defer their winter ILE to the summer or fall term – we encourage students to discuss their options with their department and the International Centre.

Students travelling to their home countries to complete a work-term or co-op will be granted an exception. International medical residents will also be granted an exception.

The Faculty Dean and Provost must approve all other exceptions to this decision.

Sincerely,

Frank P. Harvey
Provost and Vice-President Academic (Acting)
Eric Dennis Memorial Chair of Government and Politics

Dalhousie sits on the Traditional Territory of the Mi'kmaq. We are all Treaty People.