Dear SCS Learners,
We know that this time has been particularly stressful for you in adjusting your day-to-day life to ensure that you can take care of both yourself and your loved ones. At the School of Continuing Studies, we have been working hard to make it possible for you to continue your education remotely and to complete your winter 2020 courses as smoothly as possible starting this Monday, March 30th.
For those of you whose courses will now be taught remotely, we look forward to welcoming you back into your “virtual” classes. For those of you whose courses will continue by other means, or who have had to withdraw or whose class had to be cancelled, know that all SCS staff are here to support you.
Some of you may have already taken courses remotely or online, while for others, this may be something new. We have compiled numerous resources for you to facilitate your transition to remote learning. Please review the School of Continuing Studies special Covid-19 webpage for important updates, resources, and frequently asked questions for students.
We have posted written and video instructions on how to use the Zoom Videoconferencing tool that will be used for remote teaching:
- Zoom tutorial for participants (PDF)
- How to join a virtual class (video tutorial)
- How to navigate Zoom (video tutorial)
Note that Zoom has been fully integrated with myCourses. Zoom will also allow you to connect with your classmates to conduct group work remotely since all McGill students have been provided free access to a basic Zoom account. For additional information, please consult this Zoom resources for students page. As noted, to access your Zoom account, please log in at mcgill.zoom.us. We invite you to consult all of this information before the start of your class/classes and throughout the coming weeks.
Please be sure to check your McGill email address, announcements on myCourses, and the School’s website regularly for updates. Conditions are still quite fluid and may change depending on the evolution of the current Coronavirus outbreak in Quebec and government directives.
As you know, the winter term has not been extended and will conclude as previously scheduled. Your instructors have been working hard to adjust your course assignments and assessments to accommodate the shortened time span without sacrificing substance or quality. By now, you should have received updated course outlines.
Please note that this may mean some changes in how assessments will be conducted, since we cannot transfer all exercises and examinations to a live remote environment on short notice. We know that this may lead to additional frustrations, but we are doing our best to minimize disruptions. You will receive further information from your instructors, and, as necessary, program and course coordinators, who will ensure that any course content and assessment changes are as clear and easy for you to follow as possible.
For the winter 2020 term only, some rules regarding grade changes have been modified. As a result, in some cases you may be able to late withdraw without penalty. There may also be other options forthcoming. Please contact Client Services via email at info.conted [at] mcgill.ca for late withdrawals.
We will be in touch soon with updates about graduation and the spring/summer term. The spring/summer term will also be delivered remotely. Decisions regarding available learning formats for the fall term will be communicated once they are known. Should you wish to wait until face-to-face, on-campus classes are once again available, you are of course welcome to do so, but we do not at this time have any specific information about dates. Please note that there are no refunds for late withdrawals.
In the meantime, I encourage you to take a deep breath, focus on your own health and well-being, and continue to check back regularly with the University and the School’s announcements, resource pages, and FAQs at mcgill.ca/coronavirus/faqs and mcgill.ca/continuingstudies/scs-covid-19
We look forward to staying connected with you virtually. Please remember that we are all here to support our community of learners, instructors, and staff together during these challenging times. Stay safe, stay well, stay connected.
Yours in learning,
Thank you very much!
Carola Weil, PhD
Dean of Continuing Studies