COVID-19 a major concern for students at UBC's in-person exams

Fears over hundreds of students being packed tightly together in exam halls while people with COVID-19 symptoms could show up to write finals has prompted a call for the cancellation of in-person exams at the University of British Columbia.

The university's Alma Mater Society issued a public letter to the administration saying students have come forward expressing concerns about the lack of distancing in exam halls, as well as symptomatic students attending these exams.

Eshana Bhangu, the society's vice president of academic and university affairs, said an "overwhelming" number of students have reached out to share their concerns.

She said the society has heard of little social distancing, people testing positive and attending exams, as well as students being forced to sit on the floor and write their exams due to a lack of space.

"I'm looking for the university to demonstrate some leadership," Bhangu said in an interview.

She added that the university was able to quickly transition to online learning when the pandemic first began.

"I understand there's logistical challenges, but they've shown they can do it before," Bhangu said. "It's a matter of being willing."

The requests come after the University of Victoria cancelled in-person exams with a day's notice due to a COVID-19 outbreak driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Other universities across the country, including Queen's University, have also done the same.

Students and staff throughout B.C. universities have criticized the province for not posting COVID-19 exposures publicly. Very few public exposures or outbreaks have been reported at UBC, leading to an unofficial tracker listing potential exposure notices sent to students.

UBC's Vancouver campus falls under the purview of Vancouver Coastal Health, which has seen a spike in cases as of late.

Kurt Heinrich, the university's senior director of media relations, said in a statement that administration has told deans that they may work with their staff and professors to transition exams online where appropriate.

But he added that it would be left up to professors and academic staff to determine if an exam could be done online.

"Each university's situation is different and at UBC we continue to receive assurances from public health and the provincial government that we are not currently seeing a spike in cases that present a risk to the health of our students, faculty and staff," he said.