Photograph of a chemistry instructor in the chemistry lab. Links to Chemistry faculty bios at https://scitech.viu.ca/chemistry/faculty.

Program and Course COVID-19 Summary

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Summary 

  • All first-year Bachelor of Science programs will be fully online (lecture and lab) this fall
  • Astronomy – will be fully online.
    • All Astronomy courses will meet for their first regularly scheduled class on or after the official start of the semester, Thursday January 7th.  Details will provided in that first class to how the semester start will be managed.  
  • Biology – a select few upper-level Biology elective courses (BIOL 211, 310, 333, 342, 351) have face-to-face activities planned. These activities are required and students who are unable to attend campus are encouraged to pick alternative courses.  More information can be found at Information for Biology Students. 
    • All BIOL courses will meet for their first regularly scheduled class on or after the official start of the semester, Thursday January 7th.  Details will provided in that first class to how the semester start will be managed.  
  • Chemistry – second year (CHEM 232, 241) and select upper-levels (CHEM 352 and 412) will have some face-to-face laboratories.  While there is currently no option for 100% remote participation in the laboratory component, opportunities will be provided for students who miss a specific face to face activity due to illness. Alternatives may be available to allow remote students to participate in specific courses. Students should contact the course instructor.

    • All CHEM courses will meet for their first regularly scheduled class on or after the official start of the semester, Thursday January 7th. Additional details will be provided by your instructor on the first day of classes.

  • Computer Science - will be fully online.

    • All Computer Science courses will begin on the official start of the semester, Thursday January 7th. Check your email: Individual instructors will email all students the specifics of how to attend or gain access to lectures and labs, by December 18th.

  • Geology – In Spring Term 2021, GEOL 115 will have face to face activities. All second year Spring Term courses (GEOL 201, GEOL 202, GEOL 206) will have some face-to-face activities.   All Spring Term upper level courses, except for GEOL 412, will have some face-to-face activities.  While there is currently no option for 100% remote participation in the laboratory component, opportunities will be provided for students who miss a specific face to face activity due to illness.
    • Individual GEOL instructors will email course details prior to the start of class. If you have not received any emails, contact your instructor(s).
  • Fisheries and Aquaculture – The following Fisheries & Aquaculture courses will have online lectures but face-to-face labs, including some labs in the field: FISH 124, 162T, 192T, 204, 222, 254, 292T, 322, 324, 391 and 453.  The Practicum courses: FISH 172T, 272T, 372 may have a face-to-face component if sponsor sites permit student visitations. The following will be fully online: FISH 127, 173T, 210, 223, 327, 327B, 372, 473.   
    • All Spring 2021 FISH courses will start the week of January 11th which is a slight delay to the official semester start of Thursday January 7th. 
  • Forest Resources Technology - Forestry Diploma students, both first and second year, should be available for face-to-face activities in the Spring. FRST courses with face-to-face components are: 112, 114, 132, 152, 162, 212, 233, 242, 261, 272 & 282.  FRST courses that are online only are: 144, 352

    • Forestry will employ a "soft start" to Spring 2021, whereby 

      • introductory materials (course outlines, resources, course overview notes/videos) will be posted online and available in the first formal week of classes (Jan 7 - 13)
      • live classes (Zoom and face-to-face) will begin Thursday Jan 14th
      • the exception is FRST 291, which will have live classes in that first week (details to be provided by course Instructors)
  • Math - will be fully online.
    • Individual MATH instructors will email course details prior to the start of class. If you have not received any emails, contact your instructor(s).
  • Engineering - will be fully online with ENGE 250 providing an optional opportunity for some in-person labs (remote participation will also be possible)
    • All Engineering courses will meet for their first regularly scheduled class on or after the official start of the semester, Thursday January 7th.  Details will provided in that first class to how the semester start will be managed.  
  • Physics – will be fully online.
    • All Physics courses will meet for their first regularly scheduled class on or after the official start of the semester, Thursday January 7th.  Details will provided in that first class to how the semester start will be managed.  
  • RMAP –the RMOT diploma and BNRP degree will include on campus face-to-face activities. The face-to-face activities for 4th year students will all occur in a condensed format over a 6 – 10 day (dates not yet determined) period during the term; 1st to 3rd year cohorts will have face-to-face activities throughout the term. The exact dates 4th  year students will have to be on campus will be communicated directly with those students prior to the start of term. RMOT and BNRP students unable to come to campus may take those courses in a subsequent year (although this may delay graduation date); if requested, a one-year leave of absence from program will be supported if a student is unable to participate in face-to-face activities.
    • Start days of Spring 2021  RMOT courses are not being delayed and they will start on their regular scheduled day on or after the official semester start of Thursday, January 7th. 
    • Face-to-face instructions start days are as follows:

      • RMOT 1st year cohort – Friday, Jan 15

        RMOT 2nd year cohort – to be confirmed: either Tues, Jan 12 or Wed, Jan 13

        RMOT 3rd year cohort – Wed, January 20

        RMOT 4th year cohort – late Feb, early March.  A specific date will be provided in January.

Other Information

  • As many courses will be offered in alternate delivery mode due to COVID-19, students are expected to have access to adequate technology, which include:
  • Please make sure to check your email regularly because this is the main mode of communication from the university, VIU Registration and your instructors. We recommend that you check email at least once each day while taking courses and every few days outside of school time
  • Many instructors use VIULearn Announcements to communicate course information, which you can receive via email. However, it’s important that you set up VIULearn to send you notification emails. See instructions below.

Setting Up VIULearn Email Notifications

  1. Log into VIULearn
  2. Click on your name at the top right of the VIULearn header
  3. Select Account Settings followed by the Email tab
  4. Under Forwarding Options at the bottom of the page, check the box for “Forward incoming messages to an alternate email account” and make sure that the address in the "Forwarding Email Address" box is correct and current
  5. Select the Forward and mark read in the Inbox folder option
  6. Click the Save and Close button
  7. Click on your name at the top right of the VIULearn header
  8. Select Notifications
  9. Under Instant Notifications, make sure to check the boxes for "Announcements - announcement updated” and “Announcements - new announcement available”
  10. You can also check the boxes for any other items for which you would like to receive email notifications (e.g. “Assignments - assignment feedback released”, “Grades - grade item released”)
  11. Click the Save button