Brandon University: Phase Gray
What Does it Mean?
By Ronnie Kayla Neiman
After taking online classes for two years, it seemed that we were making progress in steadily going back to an in-person learning and teaching environment. The pandemic and the government of Canada put a stop to that.
For the past year, Brandon University has been in phase blue. Which meant that there were very strict restrictions in place, but students were able to study at the library, go to the bookstore and access some in-person university resources. Though a vast majority was still online but with a better system in place to help staff and students.
Now, the university has moved to phase gray. In Phase Grey, Brandon University delivers a blended learning experience that includes online and in-person delivery. With sufficient protective equipment, like barriers and masks, the campus can safely welcome increasing numbers of people in person. At least that was what was intended. Then the Omicron surge of the COVID-19 pandemic hit during December.
Within each phase, BU has the ability to fine-tune our response to meet specific needs. For example, students may require more on-campus supports during the regular session than during spring and summer, while in the same phase. Considerations will also Covid diagnosis rates and trends in our community, public health and provincial guidance, and protective measures in place on campus.
Phased reopening will move from the most cautious Phase Blue to increasingly more open phases of Phase Grey and Phase Gold. Brandon University continues to have regular dialogue with the Province of Manitoba, especially through the Department of Economic Development and Training, to ensure that the plans continue to meet provincial and federal requirements. Following public health guidance and tracking the evolving nature of the pandemic, the university looks forward to fully lifting all restrictions at some future date.
Due to the significant challenges of pivoting from in-person to online education, there are plans to proceed with an abundance of caution, ideally so that we move through each phase only once. We encourage all members of the BU community to also monitor federal health guidance and the provincial RestartMB Pandemic Response System, which can also provide important context and information about economic openness, community risk, travel and other restrictions, and preventive measures like masks.
So, in summary, everything is constantly changing, and it can go from bad to good to bad. It can be difficult to adjust to. Remember, this is done for the safety of everyone within the university and our community.