President’s Message

Loren Agrey, President

Despite the pandemic that has disrupted everyone’s lives, Burman University is moving ahead with confidence. God has taken care of our campus for 113 years. He will continue to do so as we pray for His wisdom and guidance.

While we were preparing for the Spring Reading Week in mid-March, we already realized the potential effects of the virus and informed students that we would implement an alternate delivery modality as of March 23. They would be working from home after their spring break and complete classes online.

During spring break, our faculty worked tirelessly to revamp classes. They adjusted teaching practices when students encountered difficulties. We also extended the winter term for students to meet all requirements.

One very difficult decision was to turn our annual convocation weekend into a virtual graduation ceremony. Because all families deserve to celebrate this special time together, we are inviting everyone to return and participate in next year’s convocation.

We also had to cancel the annual Alumni Homecoming weekend with the intent that next year’s homecoming will include honour classes from both this year and next.

During the early stages of the pandemic, we had to lay off about a dozen employees temporarily. But with financial support from the Canadian federal government, they have returned to work. We are also most thankful to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada for special funding and flexibility with employment policies.

Our academic committees worked diligently during the summer to ensure best practices for online learning. All faculty members, as a part of their summer assignments, completed courses in how to deliver effective online instruction appropriate to their specific disciplines.

Although most faculty and staff were working from home over the summer months, essential services were still offered on campus. These included the library, information technology, the registrar, and student financial services. Additionally, the custodial, facility maintenance, and security staff were on campus to perform their duties. To ensure their safety, Burman follows the physical distancing guidelines and other regulations, as articulated by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer.

As the pandemic continued spreading throughout the summer months, we decided to open Burman University by taking a flexible, hybrid approach for at least the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. What that means is that all application and registration processes are now online, as is all coursework—just as they were for the summer term. This fall, students can choose to take online classes remotely, or they can choose to take their online classes while being on campus.

With social distancing protocols in place, residence halls are open to those who feel that the campus is the best learning environment for them. The library and gym are also open to serve our students and community. The Sakala Student Success Centre offers counselling, tutoring, and mental health services both in-person and online.

We are keeping everyone apprised of any changes on a special web page that is updated on a regular basis at www.burmanu.ca/virus. I ask for your continued prayers for the safety and success of our students and entire campus family.