UBC, SFU, Capilano University extending winter break due to COVID-19

Several major B.C. post-secondary institutions are delaying the start of the next semester by a week in order to better prepare amid COVID-19.

The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Capilano University all say they’re delaying the start of classes to Jan. 11.

UBC says the delay will allow students and staff at its Vancouver and Okanagan campuses to better prepare for the next term.

It says there are some exceptions for professional programs, which will resume on Jan. 4, and it has adjusted its April exam schedule.

SFU said the delay will also push the start of the summer semester back by one week, but won’t affect the fall term.

“We recognized that everyone is tired as we deal with the changes this pandemic has brought to how we teach and how our students learn,” SFU vice-president and academic provost Catherine Dauvergne said in a statement.

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“Delaying the start of classes and the associated start of term work should mean that people can make better use of the holiday closure time to reconnect with family and friends and other support systems.”

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Capilano University said the one-week delay will not result in a shortened term, and that the final day of the spring semester will now be Apr. 16. The February reading week will not move.

It said the delay will help faculty prepare for the challenges of remote instruction under COVID-19, and let students “rejuvenate.”

The University of Northern B.C. said it is not extending the winter break, amid concerns it would cause more disruption amid an already unstable year.

The University of Victoria still lists the start of the next semester as Jan. 6 on its website.