Sunday, March 15, 2020.
Dear NSCAD students, faculty and staff,
As a follow up to NSCAD’s decision to suspend classes from Monday March 16, to Wednesday, March 18 in an effort to allow the university to prepare to transition to remote and alternative forms of instruction, I am writing to provide clarification on questions we have been receiving regarding employees and access to campuses.
While classes are suspended, NSCAD will remain open, most regular employees should report to work as usual. The university will be working in the coming days to establish and support remote work for as many positions as possible while preserving operations. However, at this time there is a need for staff in essential service areas to remain on campus while practicing social distancing. If you have questions about whether you are able to work remotely or are required to report in person, please reach out to your manager or supervisor with any questions or concerns.
Today’s news about the closure of schools and daycares in Nova Scotia may affect employees’ ability to report to work. It is important that you reach out to your director, manager, department chair or supervisor if you have any questions or concerns in this regard.
IMPORTANT: At this time, hourly paid casual employees have been deemed non-essential and are not required, this includes student employees. If you are a casual employee who is hourly paid and have questions about whether you are expected to report to work, please reach out to your manager or supervisor with any questions or concerns.
Human Resources is also here to assist you and can be reached at humanresources@nscad.ca.
Students
While the university remains open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., we encourage students and community members to stay away from campus, where possible. It is expected that some students may choose to return briefly to campus to retrieve personal belongings, and materials they may need to complete their coursework. Should this be the case, social distancing is encouraged and time spent on campus is limited to just the time needed to retrieve these items.
We are asking students to check your NSCAD email and Brightspace account for messages from your instructors on how to prepare for the completion of your courses. We expect all instructors will have contacted their students by email or Brightspace no later than 9 a.m., Thursday, March 19.
Thank you.
Dr. Ann-Barbara Graff
Vice President (Academic and Research)
NSCAD University
