From affordable bus passes for U of G students, to the campus’s UC reopening, here is what we saw in the news this week.
Affordable bus passes for U of G students
The City of Guelph, in conjunction with the University of Guelph, have made it possible for post-secondary students to receive affordable bus passes for the fall 2020 semester.
In August, the Central Student Association (CSA) announced that it would not be providing students with bus passes due to the low number of students returning to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the City of Guelph and the CSA have decided to provide low income students with monthly passes for $37.50 instead of the regular price of $80 for a monthly adult pass.
According to GuelphToday, the city refunded students $1.8 million because of free transit offered at the beginning of the pandemic.
Students with an income of less than $22,759 are eligible to apply for the subsidized transit pass.
“If you are ineligible for the affordable bus pass, the post-secondary pass provided by Guelph Transit will be available beginning August 18th by getting an OnYourWay fare card and loading it with the post-secondary pass at a cost of $272 per semester,” the CSA said in a post on their Facebook page.
GuelphToday further reported that the fees from the annual student bus passes bring in $3.5 million annually for the city.
University Centre reopens for fall semester
The University Centre (UC) on campus reopened on Sept. 8 with changes to its business operations and enhanced safety measures.
The changes and safety measures were outlined in an email sent to services housed within the UC by Mike Calvert, operations manager of the UC services team.
To help combat the spread of COVID-19, the centre — which will be open daily from 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., seven days a week — has implemented cashless payments, made face coverings mandatory, put hand sanitizer at all exits and entrances, and put limitations on the amount of people allowed in the UC Chef’s Hall. The University has also posted COVID-related signage throughout campus to increase awareness and promote safety.
In addition to increasing safety measures and promoting social distancing, the school has also created enhanced study spaces to allow students to study at a safe distance from one another. Spaces can be found in the OVC Centennial Lounge (UC 103), Student Study Lounge (Airport Lounge), CSA Clubs Hallway, CSA Clubs Room Seating (Rooms 225, 231, 233), UC Rooms 332 & 334, and throughout the building there are designated study desks in hallways.
Many services that are housed in the UC have modified the way they operate.
Services that are open include:
- Brass Taps Pub (Dine-in & Take-out Service)
- UC Pharmacy (In-Person & By Appointment)
- UC Chiropractic Care Centre (By Appointment Only)
- Campus Dentist (By Appointment Only)
- Anderson-Coats Photography (By Appointment Only)
- UC Vision (In-Person & By Appointment)
- Treasury Operations (By Appointment Only)
The transportation information services counter will be closed for the foreseeable future. However, people requiring assistance can email inform@uoguelph.ca.
Administrative areas on Levels 3, 4 and 5 south will also be closed to the public. Level 3 includes Registrarial Services, Centre for International Programs, Computing and Communication Services, and Counselling and Accessibility Services. Level 4 includes Audit Services, Communications and Public Affairs, and Executive Offices. Level 5 includes Financial Services, Human Resources, and the Graduate Student Association.
The UC Services Office will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. to accommodate service requests like event bookings, food and beverage services, and meeting room bookings. People are encouraged to email ucservices@uoguelph.ca or call (519) 824-4120 ext. 53300 prior to visiting in person.
Anti-racism course offered at U of G
A new course on anti-racism and anti-oppression will be mandatory for new students at the University of Guelph.
“The Principles of Belonging module is an important step forward to assist students, faculty and staff in their anti-Black racism and anti-oppression education,” said Indira Naidoo-Harris, AVP (diversity and human rights) in a news release.
“It provides participants with the necessary tools to engage in anti-racism practices at U of G and beyond.”
The two-part course, which takes approximately one hour to complete, will focus on core principles to create inclusive spaces and create a sense of belonging for all members of the community.
The first part of the course focuses on anti-oppression principles including equity and inclusion for community members on and off campus.
The second part focuses on principles of anti-racism, including how to engage in anti-racism on campus, and will focus on key concepts such as: systemic racism, microaggressions, allyship, privilege, power, and cultural appropriation.
“This training module is part of the University’s ongoing commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion on our campuses and is a key component in creating a culture of respect and acceptance at U of G,” said Naidoo-Harris in the same release.
“Principles Of Belonging: Anti-Oppression and Anti-racism” is now available on Courselink.
U of G supports Scholar Strike events
On Sept. 9 and 10, academics around the world participated in a protest in honour of Black Lives.
“Scholar Strike originated in the U.S. from a tweet by Dr. Anthea Butler who, inspired by the striking WNBA and NBA players, put out a call for a similar labour action from academics,” says a statement on the homepage of Scholar Strike Canada.
“The Canadian action is aligned with the one in the U.S., in its call for racial justice, an end to anti-Black police violence and it adds a specific focus on anti-Indigenous, colonial violence.”
During the days of protest, staff members of colleges and universities were asked to hold off on all teaching and administrative duties. Instead, those who protest were to organize digital teach-ins on police brutality from historical and modern points of view.
The University of Guelph released a statement expressing support towards the staff and faculty who chose to participate in Scholar Strike activities, and outlining where the campus stands on racism and discrimination.
“We are developing a plan to address anti-Black racism and discrimination at the U of G and to build a culture of respect and inclusion, now and in the future,” the University said in the statement.
“This is an important issue for our University. We are committed to taking action and implementing change during the coming months, in collaboration with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) members of our campus communities to build a strong sense of belonging for everyone.”
The event was purposely planned to coincide with back-to-school dates. The first official back-to-school date at the U of G was Sept. 10.
The University anticipated that instructors who wished to participate would work around their scheduled teachings, and that students could find opportunities to participate outside their scheduled class time.
Prime Minister Trudeau announces Black entrepreneurship loan program
On Sept. 9 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $221 million in funding for a new entrepreneurship program for Black Canadians.
According to CBC, the program will receive $93 million from the federal government. The other $128 million will come from other financial institutions.
“As our country faced the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19, we’ve seen that there still exists far too many gaps in our society,” Trudeau said during the announcement. “For Black entrepreneurs this pandemic has highlighted the many inequalities they face.”
The federal government is working in conjunction with various banks like RBC, Scotiabank, CIBC and TD to create an entrepreneurship program that will allow Black Canadians to receive business loans anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000.
In addition to helping create accessible loans for Black Canadians, the government will also see funding go toward mentorship, business training, and financial planning services. The government will also be collecting data on the state of Black entrepreneurship in Canada.
“We’ve heard very clearly from the Black community that economic empowerment is an essential step towards breaking down those barriers and creating true success, not just for the Black community but for our country,” Trudeau said.
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