Message from the Dean
Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community
As you learned from the latest message by Director (Campus Public Safety) Pierre Barbarie (sent on February 7, 5:06 pm), the Barton-Macdonald-Stewart-Raymond building complex will need to stay closed for at least another week while additional tests for asbestos are being conducted. The purpose of these tests is to ensure that all spaces in the vast expanse of these buildings are covered.
I am very reassured by the fact that this issue is taken very seriously and that the university decided that additional testing must be conducted before the buildings are opened for general access. While this causes further delays, it happens in the interest of everyone's safety and peace of mind. I am confident that everything is being done to allow us to get back into the buildings as soon as possible.
Please note that the university plans to organize a Townhall Event to allow all members of the community to pose questions related to the ongoing situation. Once a comprehensive picture of the situation is available, the timing of this Townhall will be communicated.
In the meantime, please note the following:
- Access to the buildings remains restricted to those with fit tested PPE. If you have a newly arising urgent need to access the building but are not fit tested yet, there are two options: If the purpose of the visit is to retrieve an item or switch off an instrument, consider whether this could be done by someone already equipped with PPE. The faculty has a list of those who already have access and can identify colleagues in your unit who could enter for you. If access is truly necessary for yourself, additional fit testing sessions are being organized and once the timing of these is set, we will communicate details. Note that because of the complexity of the fitting procedure, these spots remain limited. Please send your requests for access to emergency.mgmt [at] mcgill.ca specifying the reason and the degree of urgency.
- Teaching: Please contact alice.cherestes [at] mcgill.ca (AD Academic Alice Cherestes) if the extended timeline causes problems for the course you teach, especially in the case of labs.
- Research: It is understood that the interruption may be detrimental to ongoing research and that some of you had to pause or abort costly experiments or are under tight contractual timelines. The faculty is trying to canvass the damage (financial or otherwise) caused by the current closure. Therefore, if you incur substantial costs or experience risks as a consequence of the closure, please send relevant information to the office of the researchassociatedean.macdonald [at] mcgill.ca (AD Research).
- Graduate Studies: Comprehensive exams and PhD oral defenses scheduled during the closure are being rescheduled when possible or moved online or in available meeting rooms around campus. For any concerns regarding comprehensive exams, PhD oral defenses or any graduate studies matter contact gradstudies.macdonald [at] mcgill.ca. If students are struggling, feeling unwell, or experiencing high levels of stress, the following resources may be of help.
- keep.meSAFE Free, unlimited, 24/7/365 access to mental health support for ALL McGill students. Students will be triaged and then immediately connected to a professional counsellor through telephone or mobile chat (available in over 60 languages).
- Student Wellness Hub Students can call the Student Wellness Hub at 514-398-6017 to book an appointment with a counsellor, nurse, physician, and more.
If you are among those already fit tested for PPE and with access to the buildings: Please let us know if you are willing to perform small errands for those who are not PPE equipped yet (e.g. retrieval of items, switching on/off of machines, replenishing liquid nitrogen). In that case, send an email with your name and unit to joanne.teneyck [at] mcgill.ca.
I appreciate your patience with the ongoing challenges. Please feel free to contact me if you have any urgent concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Anja Geitmann
Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences