The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is joining other post-secondary institutions in Canada and B.C. in suspending in-person instruction amid the novel coronavirus crisis.
Classes are cancelled on Mar. 16 and 17, and online instruction is due to begin on Wednesday, Mar. 18.
“We have also suspended all part-time studies programs, and will ensure that current part-time studies students will still have an opportunity to complete courses they are currently enrolled in through revisions to assessment practices,” BCIT said in a statement Saturday night.
BCIT called the measure voluntary and proactive.
The institution said its COVID-19 Emergency Operations Committee had been working on a plan to move instruction online for some time, but given the hands-on nature of many BCIT programs, it was a ‘complex and multi-faceted’ transition.
BCIT said it’s working with accrediting bodies for its trades programming to assess alternate delivery methods for those courses.
The campus will remain open, with staff working onsite as usual.
Several other major universities in B.C., including the University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Victoria (UVic) and Simon Fraser University, have also announced suspensions of in-person instruction on their campuses.
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