recovery plan framework · 7/2/2020 · kelly kummerfield, associate vice-president human...

Updated: July 2, 2020

Recovery Plan Framework

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University of Regina COVID-19 Recovery Plan Framework As the University of Regina prepares for the Fall 2020 semester and beyond in light of the COVID-19

pandemic, continued leadership will be a key aspect of our ability to plan for an uncertain future.

The resilience of our University will continue to enable student success, research excellence, and

community connections. The University is engaged in centralized planning and consultation to ensure

that resources are allocated appropriately and that risks are identified early and mitigated efficiently.

Several teams are contributing to recovery efforts at the University.

UET + leads the decision-making at the heart of recovery planning. This group includes:

Dr. Thomas Chase, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor

Kelly Kummerfield, Associate Vice-President Human Resources

Dr. david Gregory, Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Darren Cherwaty, Director, Health, Safety and Wellness

Dave Button, Vice-President (Administration) Paul Dederick, Director, Communications

Dr. Kathleen McNutt, Vice-President (Research) Neil Paskewitz, Associate Vice-President Facilities Management

Glenys Sylvestre, Executive Director University Governance and University Secretary

Regan Seidler, Policy and Enterprise Risk Management Coordinator

Lisa Mitchell, Associate Vice-President University Advancement and Communications

John Smith, Associate Vice-President Student Affairs

This group provides centralized direction and coordination of information-sharing.

Strategic guidance is provided by the University Recovery Planning Group (URP-G) which includes:

Dr. Andrew Cameron, Chair, Infectious Disease Microbiologist, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science

Lamont Stradeski, Associate Vice-President Finance

Dr. Jacqueline Gagnon, Strategy and Accountability Advisor, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Business Administration


Dr. Michele Sorensen, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Work

Amy Hunter, Special Projects Administrator

This group provides long-term planning and risk management advice to the executive team (UET).

In addition, recovery plan implementation will be driven and supported by three working groups, with

each particular working group championed by a member of UET:

Teaching/Learning, Dr. david Gregory, Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Research, Dr. Kathleen McNutt, Vice-President (Research)

Operations, Mr. Dave Button, Vice-President (Administration)

Each of the three working groups is closely connected to the others, i.e., each area affects and is

effected by the others. There is a great deal of focused work by individuals with the requisite

knowledge, skills, and understanding to obtain data and develop detailed plans that will support the

working groups and the overall recovery plan.

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Recovery Planning Teams at a glance

Gov. of SK

Ministries of Advanced Education and Health

UET +

Research

(SRT)

Teaching/Learning

(AIR)

Operations

(ORC)

Strategic Advising(URP-G)

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Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic Timeline at the University of Regina

The World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. On March 18, the

Government of Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency, enacting broad powers to address the

COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Regina suspended all classes from March 16 to 19 inclusive to

convert all face-to-face classes to remote/distance delivery. On March 20, all classes for the Winter 2020

term resumed through remote delivery (Zoom, online). With a few exceptions, most students at the

University discontinued their clinical and practicum placements. Working from home commenced for

many employees beginning March 18, with approximately 90% of the University’s employees working

remotely; critical services employees have remained on campus. Starting April 13, access to University

buildings was restricted to three entrances, staffed by student ambassadors; only students and staff

were permitted on campus. Aside from a small cohort of continuing students (n=160), many residence

rooms at the University of Regina remain unoccupied in the Spring/Summer semester.

On April 23, Premier Scott Moe and Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab,

announced the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, comprised of five phases. Throughout the plan, members

of the public are expected to follow hygiene practices including physical distancing, to continue to work

remotely wherever possible, and to stay home if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (See Appendix A).

Spring/Summer Terms commenced on May 4, 2020. All courses during the Spring/Summer Terms (May

through August) are being offered remotely, whether through Zoom (synchronous) or web-based

(asynchronous). Ongoing supports for both students and instructors were developed and continue to be

offered remotely for the duration of these terms. A website was created to share information with

students, employees, and others: https://www.uregina.ca/spring-summer

On May 7, the Province of Saskatchewan, through the Ministry of Advanced Education, provided draft

Principles and Protocols for Re-opening of the Post-Secondary Education Sector.

As updated June 30, 2020, these principles and protocols include:

Guiding Principles for the Re-Opening of Saskatchewan’s Post-Secondary Sector

1. Student, faculty, and staff health and safety is paramount.

2. All public health guidelines and protocols will be followed.

3. Institutions will continue providing quality educational experiences for learners and make

best efforts to ensure the ongoing participation of vulnerable learners.

4. Institutions will strive to ensure academic and student health and wellness support services

are available to all students.

5. Priority should be given to programs that support critical areas of the labour market, such as

the health sector.

6. In-person, applied, hands-on programs and research should be given priority when

considering a return to campus.

7. Saskatchewan institutions will make efforts to cooperate and collaborate to enhance program

delivery and support students.

8. Institutions will communicate timely, consistent information to students, staff and the public.

https://www.uregina.ca/spring-summer

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General Protocols for Post-Secondary On-site Program and Service Delivery:

1. Follow Established Rules

2. Health and Safety Awareness

3. Delivery Pre-planning

4. On-site Management

In addition, the University has been advised of the following:

Limitations, Restrictions, and Health Standards that Must Be Met during Recovery

Re-Open Saskatchewan models a phased-in approach to slowly and responsibly lift restrictions on

businesses and services. In relation to the University’s Recovery Plan, the following specific restrictions

must be addressed:

Non-essential international travel is strongly discouraged;

Individuals identified by a Medical Health Officer as a close contact of a person or persons with

COVID-19 must go into self-isolation for 14 days from the last date of exposure;

Individuals who are household members or contacts of a person or persons with COVID-19 must

immediately go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days and call HealthLine 811 if they become

symptomatic;

Protective measure for vulnerable populations. Vulnerable individuals, such as seniors and

those with underlying health conditions, should continue to exercise caution and minimize high-

risk exposures, such as public outings;

Individuals should continue working from home if they can do so effectively;

Physical distancing must be maintained, wherever possible;

People must stay at home when they are sick;

Enhanced cleaning and disinfection should take place in workplaces, public spaces, and

recreational facilities;

Frequent handwashing and sanitizing; and,

Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where available and appropriate.

The University of Regina continues to work closely with our provincial advisors and will continue to

prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and communities as we prepare for Fall

2020 and beyond.

At the time of writing (early July 2020), we make those preparations amidst rising rates of reported

Covid-19 infections in a number of countries and US states, among them several jurisdictions that had

previously “flattened the curve” of the virus’s spread. This is a further reminder of the need to put the

health and safety of all members of our community at the forefront of our planning.

The following pages introduce our recovery planning committees.

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Teaching and Learning Working Group: Academic Incremental Recovery (AIR)

Under the leadership of Dr. david Gregory, Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Dr. david Gregory, Chair, Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Art Exner, Associate Vice-President Information Services

Amy Hunter, Special Projects Administrator Brett Waytuck, University Librarian


Dr. Bob Kayseas, Interim President, First Nations University of Canada

Dr. Doug Cripps, Associate Dean, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies


Dr. Harvey King, Director, Centre for Continuing Education

James D’arcy, University Registrar

Jayveer Chavda, University of Regina Graduate Students’ Association

Dr. Jim Farney, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Chair, Council Committee on Academic Mission (CCAM)


Neil Paskewitz, Associate Vice-President Facilities Management

Nifemi Adekoya, University of Regina Students Union

Dr. Nilgün Önder, Associate Vice-President (Academic)

Dr. Nick Jones, Interim Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and Associate Vice-President (Research)


Pat Patton, Director, Security and Operations Dr. Tom Phenix, Dean, Campion College

Dr. Stephen King, Senior Researcher to the President

Dr. Yvonne Petry, Dean, Luther College

The members of AIR provide broad-based perspectives for recovery of the academic enterprise

(teaching and learning). As of May 2020, in light of the Interim President’s announcement and

concurrence among the Post-Secondary Education Sector, AIR commenced planning for the Fall 2020

Term including teaching and learning through a two-pronged approach. Most courses will be delivered

through remote or distance delivery; primarily synchronously (Zoom) and asynchronously (on-line).

Details regarding these approaches are addressed in the plan “In the Presence of COVID-19: Teaching

and Learning Framework for the 2020-2021 Academic Year.” These approaches build upon the

experiences learned, as well as the infrastructure established for Winter 2020 term, the Spring/Summer

2020 Terms (May through to August), and additional infrastructure developed for the Fall 2020 Term.

In addition to primarily remote and distance delivery, the University will consider opportunities to offer

low-density, in-person, on-campus courses in Fall 2020. A planning tool (criteria) was developed by AIR

for the deans to propose which courses should be delivered in person and on campus for Fall 2020.

Working closely within health, regulatory, and operational constraints, a sub-group of AIR (the In-Person

Course Assessment Team, IPCAT) will recommend courses that will be offered face-to-face in Fall 2020.

AIR subcommittees are also working on supports for students and instructors.

For more information, please see Appendix B: In the Presence of COVID-19: Teaching and Learning

Framework for the 2020-2021 Academic Year.

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Research Working Group: Return to Research

Under the leadership of Dr. Kathleen McNutt, Vice-President (Research)

Council Committee on Research (CCR) subcommittee:

Dr. Amr Henni, Faculty of Engineering Dr. Chris Yost, Faculty of Science

Dr. Cory Butz, Faculty of Science Dr. Chris Street, Faculty of Business

Dr. Irfan Al-Anbagi, Faculty of Engineering Professor Kathleen Irwin, Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance

Dr. Larena Hoeber, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies

Research Risk Assessment Committee:

Darren Cherwaty, Director, Health, Safety and

Wellness

Dr. Raymond Deschamps, Consultant, Research

and Development

Dr. Irfan Al-Anbagi, Faculty of Engineering Yulia Yevlanova, Internal Auditor

Sally Gray, Director, Research Office Ryan King, Chemical & Laboratory Safety Advisor,

Radiation Safety Advisor

Dr. Sheila Petty, Faculty of Media, Art, and

Performance

Ara Steininger, Research Compliance Officer

Tianna Young, Biological Safety Advisor

The senior research team and research recovery group has recommended a four-phase back to research

plan that has been reviewed and endorsed by the Ministry of Health.

This plan focuses on three core areas of research including lab/studio work, field research, and research

involving contact with human participants. The phased approach to returning to research activities are

being closely monitored in relation to the Government of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 public

announcements, and dates will be adjusted accordingly. Phase 1 of the re-opening of research labs

began May 25th. Phase 1 (red) is highly restrictive and aligns with phases one and two of the provincial

five-stage plan for reopening the economy. During the first phase, only labs and studios located in the

RIC, Research Park, and the basement of the Riddell building were opened. Phase 2, with additional

spaces approved to resume research activity, began June 8, 2020.

The research risk assessment committee evaluates all applications to resume research activity. As of

June 1, 2020, 69 applications had been received.

For more information, see: https://www.uregina.ca/research/policies-forms-top/covid-19-research.html

as well as Appendix C: Return to Research Plan.

https://www.uregina.ca/research/policies-forms-top/covid-19-research.html

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Operations Working Group: Operations Recovery Committee (ORC)

Under the leadership of Dave Button, Vice-President Administration

Dave Button, Chair, Vice President Administration Kelly Kummerfield, Associate Vice-President Human Resources

Arden Geiger, Administrative Assistant, Health, Safety and Wellness

Kerri Crellin Cormier, Director, Faculty and Staff Relations

Art Exner, Associate Vice-President Information Services

Lamont Stradeski, Associate Vice-President Finance




Neil Paskewitz, Associate Vice-President Facilities Management

Janet Cranston, Assistant Director, Centre for Continuing Education

Paul Dederick, Director, Communications

John Smith, Associate Vice-President Student Affairs


The operations recovery committee provides risk assessment and implementation guidance for all

aspects of campus reopening, including supporting the recovery plans developed by the research and

teaching and learning teams. In addition, the operations recovery committee leads the planning

required to facilitate a smooth return of employees to the workplace. Planning under the oversight of

this committee includes:

Preparing buildings: Assessing and ensuring physical spaces are safe for students, faculty, and

staff. This includes evaluating and implementing changes to physical spaces (i.e. entries, exits,

classrooms, labs, hallways, offices, etc.), updating and modifying floor plans and signage, and

rethinking space capacity in light of continuing physical distancing regulations. This work is led

by the subcommittee on facility reopening, Chaired by Pat Patton, Director of Security and

Operations, with the assistance of external consultants from Stantec.

Preparing people: Anticipating and preparing for phased employee return as well as continued

remote working, where appropriate. This includes detailed preparation for different scenarios,

developing and implementing new training and assessment tools and supports (i.e. mental

wellness and ergonomics), and meeting evolving employee needs. This work is led by Kelly

Kummerfield, AVP Human Resources.

Preparing supplies: Identifying and securing items needed to comply with increased cleaning

requirements/regulations and other emerging needs. This work is led by Jim Woytiuk, Director

of Supply Management Services through Lamont Stradeski, AVP Finance, and Darren Cherwaty,

Director of Health, Safety, and Wellness.

Preparing Student Services: Assessing and ensuring that residence, student health, counselling,

food services, bookstore and other student needs are all addressed in the various modalities.

This work is led by John Smith, AVP Student Affairs.

Monitoring and responding to emerging technology needs (i.e. equipment and software). This

work is led by Art Exner, AVP Information Services.

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Monitoring the University’s financial health and adapting budget plans and projections. This

work is led by Lamont Stradeski. AVP Finance.

Responding to event and campus access requests: This work is led by Darren Cherwaty,

Director of Health, Safety and Wellness.

College Avenue Campus, Saskatoon Campus and Biology Field Station Cypress Hills: The

unique needs of remote Campuses at College Avenue and Saskatoon are critical to continue to

monitor, assess, and coordinate. This work is led by Janet Cranston, Assistant Director CCE for

College Avenue, and by Neil Paskewitz, AVP Facilities Management for the Saskatoon Campus

and Biology Field Station at Cypress Hills.

The operations recovery committee recognizes its work is intricately tied to others and may require

continuous adaptation in response to federal and provincial direction and potential future waves of the

pandemic. For more information, see Appendix D: Returning to the Workplace Guidelines

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Phases of Recovery at a glance

It is important to note that these phases, dates, and details will be subject to ongoing evaluation and

updates due to the evolving nature of the pandemic. There may also be cases where the different

groups (research, teaching/learning, operations) move more slowly or more quickly than others through

careful and gradual recovery, resulting in some overlap between phases.

Phase Research Overview Teaching/Learning Overview

Operations Overview Approximate Dates

RED Highly

restricted

Research resumes in selected labs and studios (RIC, RC, Research Park) with VPR approval; No research with human participants; Field research with graduate students only

All courses are delivered remotely and at a distance, Winter 2020 Term All Spring/Summer Terms 2020 are delivered remotely and at a distance; Student services and supports are offered remotely.

Critical services continue; Building access is monitored, entrances restricted to three buildings & limited hours; Limited staff attend to provide services that resist remote delivery; Residence occupancy is low; Campus events are cancelled

Mid-March to Mid-May

ORANGE Moderately

restricted

Research resumes in additional selected labs and studios (RIC, RC, Research Park, LAB and ED buildings) with VPR approval; VPR-approved research with human participants resumes; Field research with graduate and undergraduate students resumes

In Fall Term 2020, the majority of courses are offered remotely via Zoom and/or on-line. Limited, approved course components (labs, studios) are offered on-campus (low-density, in-person) as a pilot. Physical distancing and other preventive activities remain in effect as mandated by Health.

Critical services continue; Building access is monitored, entrances restricted to three buildings and limited hours until further notice; Remote work continues for the majority of U of R employees until August 2020, with gradual return beginning in September 2020; Limited staff work on campus to provide services that resist remote delivery; Residence occupancy remains limited; Limited campus services resume (e.g. chiro, physio, dentist, Bookstore) following risk assessment and approval; Campus events remain cancelled; Varsity athletic events are cancelled

Mid-May to December 2020

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Indicators that it is time to move to next phase:

- Progress safely made through careful and gradual recovery

YELLOW Minimally restricted

Research resumes in additional locations with VPR approval; Field work continues within SK with VPR approval.

At this time it is not possible to determine a definitive approach to teaching and learning for Winter 2021, however, it is likely that most teaching and learning will take place at a distance.

Critical services continue; Additional campus events, services, and activities resume following risk assessment and approval; High-density activities and large gatherings remain restricted.

Estimated January 2021

Indicators that it is time to move to next phase:

- Effective vaccine and widespread testing for COVID-19 is readily available - International travel restrictions are lifted

-

GREEN few/no

restrictions

All research activity resumes.

Face-to-face teaching resumes. Discretionary remote teaching may continue be offered by Faculties/Units. Physical distancing and other preventive activities as mandated by Health may remain in effect.

Building access is unrestricted; Residence occupancy is unrestricted; Most operations and events resume; High-density activities and large gatherings may remain restricted.

TBD

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Appendix A

Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-

resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-

coronavirus/re-open-saskatchewan-plan/re-open-saskatchewan

Appendix B

In the Presence of COVID-19: Teaching and Learning Framework for the 2020-2021 Academic Year

(10-page PDF document)

Appendix C

Return to Research Plan

https://www.uregina.ca/research/policies-forms-top/Return-to-Research-Plan.pdf


Appendix D

Returning to the Workplace Guidelines


https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/re-open-saskatchewan-plan/re-open-saskatchewan



https://www.uregina.ca/research/policies-forms-top/Return-to-Research-Plan.pdf

recovery plan framework · 7/2/2020 · kelly kummerfield, associate vice-president human...

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