Message from VP-Dean Eidelman - The Faculty's Return to Campus
Dear Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Colleagues,
On Monday, the Quebec government lowered the province’s COVID-19 alert level to “green.” This is good news coming at a time when many of you might be preparing for well-deserved vacations, and others are simply looking forward to quality time with family and friends. I would like to again express how very appreciative I am for your professionalism and commitment, and for the deep caring you showed with respect to our academic mission and our students throughout these many difficult months. It is a great privilege to be a part of this community.
Over the last two weeks, the University has been updating the broader McGill community on the progressive return-to-campus plans for the Fall session. More information can be found on McGill's Return-to-Campus website. McGill also recently introduced an Interim Flexible Work Arrangement for administrative and support staff, which will be available once distancing is no longer required.
Planning in the Faculty
As you know, academic and research planning in our Faculty has been underway for some time. With respect to academic planning, much of this work was undertaken by the curricular committees supporting our programs. They have thoughtfully adapted curricula based on best practices and tools, as well as the valuable lessons learned during the pandemic. I take this opportunity to thank all who have been involved in this major revision, evolution, assessment and ongoing implementation of our curricula.
Over the last several months, we also were fortunate to have resumed many of our research activities. Again, decisions were made and programs were adapted to address local needs and constraints, while respecting public health and safety directives. We expect investigators will continue to adapt research activities, where necessary, based on best practices and what they, too, have learned. We ask that you ensure any COVID-related modifications to ongoing or planned research are approved by the appropriate ethics committee. Updates specific to the Faculty’s research activities can be found here. Thank you, everyone, for your ongoing efforts.
With respect to the Faculty’s administration and operations, we also have been planning for our administrative and support staff’s progressive return. We have asked our administrative leaders – including AEC Associate Directors, Deanery administrative leaders and administrative leaders embedded in units – to prepare one-page plans for their respective team’s eventual return. These, too, must be customized to take into account local operational priorities, space, equipment needs and other considerations specific to each unit. It is understood that, in our clinical departments, hospital directives and constraints will, in some cases, take precedence.
McGill’s Return-to-Campus site is an important resource, and the Faculty’s Return to Campus web section also contains helpful links. As we prepare for this new phase in what has been a long and difficult journey, I encourage you all to take time for yourselves, and to continue to be patient, understanding and respectful of one another. Adaptation of this kind is very demanding, as the last many months demonstrated. Yet, because of your dedication and hard work, we pulled through as a community, and we have learned along the way.
Please make sure to take your vacations, enjoy your time with family and friends, and we will look forward to seeing you when planning is completed and it is safe to return.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Eidelman
Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences