Mount Allison is going online for the rest of the fall semester.<\/p>\n
The move was announced in a letter to students, faculty and staff on Thursday evening, from the university\u2019s senior administration.<\/p>\n
The letter doesn\u2019t explain why the change is being made, except to say that it\u2019s, \u201cin the interest of safety for the entire Mount Allison community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mount Allison Students\u2019 Union president Jon Ferguson is welcoming the move. In an email to CHMA, he says that \u201cthe collapse of the bubble has left many students from all four provinces in a variety of complicated situations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferguson says that when PEI and Newfoundland pulled out of the Atlantic bubble, many students made the decision to go home immediately to visit family. And some Nova Scotia students were also making travel plans in anticipation of a similar move from their home province. There are also those who, because they only have classes once or twice a week, spend time regularly out of province.<\/p>\n
All were affected by the New Brunswick government's announcement that the province would pull out of the bubble as of midnight Thursday.<\/p>\n
Ferguson says the New Brunswick announcement meant that many students couldn\u2019t make it back to finish classes and exams in person.<\/p>\n
Exams start next week, and anyone returning to New Brunswick will now be required to self-isolate for 14 days.<\/p>\n
To make matters more complicated for students in residence, they are not permitted to self-isolate in their dorm rooms, while neighbouring those who are not self-isolating.<\/p>\n
The self-isolation that Mount Allison coordinated in August, and that planned for January, involves entire residence buildings, not single dorm rooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has to be everyone at residence at once, or no one,\u201d says Ferguson. \u201cThat was part of the plan public health approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cContrary to popular belief, the hybrid model of learning means we are simply not all (physically) here in Sackville to begin with,\u201d says Ferguson.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween students rushing back, and students rushing away, everyone\u2019s situation is different,\u201d he adds. \u201cWe completely applaud the Mount Allison administration\u2019s decision to move online.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferguson adds that MASU was pushing for the decision as soon as the border closed.<\/p>\n
The letter from Mount Allison says they will have a further update on other aspects of university operations later today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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