Students
Keep abreast of the latest COVID-19-related updates for students, including available resources.
Last updated: March 2, 2021, 2:44 p.m.
Summer 2021 term
Summer 2021 term will be delivered remotely. The decision regarding fall 2021 term will be made in early May.
Delayed start of winter 2021 term
Classes start on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. The duration of the term remains 13 weeks.
You can download and use this letter, signed by the Registrar.
Remote learning
Professors are making your course content available in Moodle, a course management system you’ll access through your Student Centre. Some faculty members may opt for synchronous learning — this means live videoconferencing sessions using Zoom.
In the case of asynchronous learning, you can explore on your own other kinds of resources your professor may add to Moodle, like videos, discussion boards, readings and links. In most cases, you will find all of your course content on Moodle.
You can access Moodle, Office 365 and Zoom from your mobile device.
Follow these instructions to install Office 365 on your device.
Follow these instructions to access Moodle from your mobile device.
You can access Zoom by clicking on a Zoom meeting link, which will prompt you to download the Zoom app. (You can also download the app anytime via the app store for your device.)
The university has created a form for students and a form for faculty and staff to request IT equipment during the COVID-19 crisis. Please note that unfortunately we may or may not be able to grant your request, as stock is limited.
Academic advisors and department staff are working remotely to help new and returning students. Learn more.
Staff are working remotely to provide services via email.
You can reach the Financial Aid and Awards Office at fundingyoureducation@concordia.ca for questions or concerns related to bursaries, loans and scholarships. Additional information for graduate students is available through the Graduate Awards Office.
The Health and Wellness hub offers a round-up of all the services available to you, including medical care, mental health resources and community support.
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Academics
Yes. In order to ease pandemic-related stress during the fall 2020 and winter 2021 terms, Concordia is offering several options for students who might be struggling with their courses. Follow the links for more information for undergraduate students and for graduate students.
Moodle is a course management system you can access through your Student Centre or on your mobile device or computer. A step-by-step workflow from Centre for Teaching and Learning will show you how.
Zoom-bombing is a term for the interruption of a live video call by an intruder, who disrupts the meeting or class with irrelevant or offensive material.
PLEASE NOTE: You should never share a Zoom class ID. You should also know that Zoom-bombing a class could lead to a complaint under Concordia’s Code of Rights and Responsibilities.
Concordia has adjusted default settings on our Zoom license to help lower the risk and offer students additional privacy.
If you find the setting changes restrict your interaction with your instructor or fellow students, discuss it with your instructor.
If one of your classes gets disrupted by Zoom-bombing, please email help@concordia.ca.
To file a complaint about a Concordia community member’s behaviour, please contact the Office of Rights and Responsibilities.
eConcordia offers online courses all the time. Students who take eConcordia courses must ALSO have an eConcordia account. Learn more.
Non-eConcordia online courses are courses normally offered during the year that are being adapted for remote delivery due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
Both eConcordia and non-eConcordia courses are for credit.
How to tell which is which: On the class schedule, courses starting with “EC” in the “Section” column (after you obtain search results in the class schedule) are offered through eConcordia.
Follett, the new bookstore service provider on campus, will help with all your course material needs. Students will be able to purchase digital course materials through the provider’s website. Follett will also ship textbooks and coursepacks to students’ homes, whether you’re in Montreal or elsewhere.
You will benefit from a diverse selection of digital learning technologies that provide access to the course material you need, when you need it. Follett will also offer affordable open educational resources content and courseware through Lumen Learning.
Follett’s cost-saving print options include used books offerings and a text rental program that saves students up to 80 per cent compared to the price of a new title. Follett also has a popular price-matching program, which helps ensure students get materials at the lowest cost possible, and a year-round buyback program.
The Grey Nuns Reading Room remains closed. The Webster and Vanier libraries are open at a limited capacity to allow access to reserved single-seat study spaces for students. These study spaces are uniquely intended for those students who are not able to study at home. More information on how students can book spaces is available on the Library’s web page.
Access to digital collections, “Ask a Librarian,” consultations with subject librarians, interlibrary loans and other online services are functional, and will continue to expand to include instruction and additional digital resources. Contactless book and materials pickup is also available. Consult the Library FAQ.
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Exams
All exams in the fall 2020 term will be held online using either your course Moodle or Concordia’s Online Exam platform (COLE).
For an overview including tips and resources for effective prep, visit the exams page.
Consider taking a practice exam on the COLE exam site to familiarize yourself with the online exam environment.
There are three possibilities for online exams:
- Some exams will not be proctored.
- Some exams will be proctored using a recording software.
- Some exams will be proctored using Zoom.
Your course syllabus will explain whether and how your exam(s) will be proctored. If your exam is proctored, your syllabus will provide the details regarding the technical requirements and the possibility of the exam being recorded.
If your course is using recording software, you may not opt out of being recorded during the exam. Your course syllabus provides the necessary details to allow you to make an informed choice whether to drop the class before the DNE deadline.
No, students may not choose the type of proctoring for each class. You will learn of the exam conditions from your syllabus, and you can consult an academic advisor to adjust your course registrations if you are not comfortable with the assessment method used.
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2020-21 in-person activities
Yes. The Government of Canada recently announced new guidelines for all individuals travelling to Canada, which includes mandatory COVID-19 testing and isolation upon arrival. Failure to quarantine after international travel is currently contrary to applicable laws. As the situation is rapidly evolving, it is the traveller’s responsibility to verify requirements and applicable laws at the time they return from national or international travel.
Coming to campus during quarantine constitutes a breach of Concordia’s Code of Rights and Responsibilities. Please note that the university will not accommodate absences from work or studies resulting from quarantine due to travelling.
The Government of Quebec recently announced stricter COVID-19 related guidelines, among which is a nightly 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in effect until February 8, 2021.
Required in-person classroom and lab activities are exempt from this curfew. If you are a student who needs to be on campus (or travel to and from Concordia) during curfew for required in-person activities related to your courses, your professor will provide a letter of attestation to you via Moodle.
- Please download and print the letter of attestation from Moodle as well as a copy of your class schedule. Please be sure to have the letter, schedule and your student ID with you, in case you are stopped by the police.
- This letter can only be used when you have to come to campus for a required in-person activity. It cannot be used for other purposes or on other days.
- Please do not share this letter with anyone else.
For any questions or concerns, please contact covid19info@concordia.ca.
If you do not see the letter of attestation in Moodle, please write to your professor.
No. The university received confirmation that required in-person activities can go on as planned, even during curfew. Concordia will provide anyone who needs to be on campus during curfew with a letter of attestation.
If you are a student who needs to be on campus during curfew for required in-person activities related to your courses and you have not received the letter of attestation yet, please write to your professor.
Only 36 out of more than 5,700 courses offered in the fall will require in-person activities.
Where in-person activities weren't possible, we strived to find alternatives, such as home chemistry kits for introductory-level chemistry classes, but for more advanced courses, the lab is the only appropriate setting to safely handle and learn about some substances.
We apologize to those who cannot make it to campus and were planning to take a course that requires an in-person activity.
In the Faculty of Fine Arts, all in-person activities are optional during the fall 2020 and winter 2021 terms.
In the Gina Cody School and the Faculty of Arts and Science, some in-person activities are required for certain courses. Details about in-person components will be explained either on Moodle (Concordia’s learning management tool), in an email from your professor or via an information session.
If an in-person activity is required for your program and you cannot attend, you may need to drop your course and complete it during a later term when you are able to attend. It’s possible that this will prolong the completion of some students’ programs. We suggest that you contact your program advisor (their contact information is listed in your SIS) to see if there are other options, such as completing electives that don’t require in-person attendance before other courses with in-person requirements.
If a student is unable to attend these activities, they should contact their instructor to discuss options such as online alternatives or flexible deadlines. In some cases, they may need to postpone registering for their course until another session.
Please note that most in-person activities are optional. For the Faculty of Fine Arts, all in-person activities are optional, and the faculty is offering studio access to students if they wish to use them, but this will not affect completion of the course.
Professors will be flexible but will follow protocols to determine whether your circumstance merits an alternative arrangement.
No, you will not be penalized for not participating in optional activities.
Advise your classmate to stay home and call the Public Health COVID-19 Line for assistance. Students can reach the Public Health COVID-19 Line at 514-644-4545 or toll free at 1-877-644-4545. Students with hearing impairments can call toll free at 1-800-361-9596.
The Public Health COVID-19 Line is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. E.T. Outside these hours; students can call Info-Santé at 8-1-1.
If your classmate developed COVID-19 symptoms within 48 hours of being on campus, please advise them to contact Environmental Health and Safety by phone at 514-848-2424, ext. 4877, or by email at ehs@concordia.ca.
For more information, please refer to Concordia’s COVID-19 symptoms and precautions page.
Advise your classmate to stay home and complete the COVID-19 self-isolation form on their MyConcordia portal. Students who test positive for COVID-19 cannot come to campus and must follow instructions from public health authorities.
In addition, please instruct your classmate to contact Environmental Health and Safety by phone at 514-848-2424, ext. 4877, or by email at ehs@concordia.ca.
For more information, please refer to Concordia’s COVID-19 symptoms and precautions page.
No, a medical certificate is not required. If you have been instructed to self-isolate by public health authorities, we also ask that you complete the self-isolation form (on MyConcordia). If you are a student requiring academic accommodation, please contact your professor(s).
Yes. The ventilation systems function properly and meet the required standards.
During the campus closure, some academic activities will take place on university premises. Students enrolled in classes with some on-campus access will be contacted directly by their faculties and professors with details on how and when they will gain access to labs and studios.
Internships and Co-op placements
Some on-site internships are taking place in person. However, you will not be penalized academically if you choose not to do an on-site internship.
If you postpone a previously scheduled internship, you may need to extend the length of your program to fulfill your degree requirements.
Concordia has been working to develop creative placements for students during the period of campus closure. Many students, whether in internship programs or Co-op, have been making a difference during the pandemic working for community organizations, and faculty and staff across the university have been offering various experiential learning opportunities. A recent partnership with Mitacs offers research internships to students.
The internship hosts/Co-op partners/employers that offer in-person internships are all legally obliged to follow safety measures put in place by the government in order to protect employees.
You are encouraged to abide by your own sense of whether or not you feel safe given the on-site conditions, since Concordia does not monitor how employers or other institutions implement or follow health guidelines. (For more information, please consult the CNESST COVID-19 toolkit.)
The continued health and safety of the Concordia community remains our top priority. Concordia has implemented all required health safety measures to protect the community. Even with these health and safety measures in place, please be aware that there remains a potential infection risk associated with travelling to and visiting campus.
Students acknowledge and accept that Concordia cannot guarantee a risk-free environment, and it is the student’s personal choice to register for and attend activities that are held on campus. Online learning options and alternative evaluations may not be possible in all courses and/or programs; students who choose not to attend campus activities accept that the completion of their studies may be delayed.
The university will be in touch via email with information on how to obtain your diploma. Please make sure your email address is up to date in your Student Centre.
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Tuition & fees
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant financial impact on many students. As such, the university has extended tuition deadlines for all Concordia students.
For inquiries regarding your student account, please email us at studentaccounts@concordia.ca or call us at 514-848-2424, ext. 4900.
The full team is working remotely and available to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Concordia’s Financial Aid and Awards Office (FAAO) helps students fund their education and provides personalized, in-depth advice on financial matters. Visit the Financial Aid and Awards website or email the office directly at fundingyoureducation@concordia.ca.
Some Concordia students may be eligible to apply for a bursary designed to offset costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The pandemic has required a complete overhaul of processes and an immediate upgrade to our technological capabilities — but we are embracing the challenge. The services offered to students have not disappeared — they have instead evolved into another delivery format.
- Concordia is designing its online courses to the highest possible pedagogical standards: our goal is that you graduate with the skills and knowledge you need for success in your chosen field. The university has invested in technology infrastructure and specialized software applications, IT support and course-design expertise. Faculty are transforming their courses with the help of additional instructors and teaching assistants, in addition to their regular load of teaching, marking, advising and planning.
- The university is covering the costs of making collaborative software such as Microsoft Teams and videoconferencing available to students.
- Academic advising and one-on-one mentoring remain available at all times even while the university is operating remotely.
- Every area of the university is adapting its operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vast majority of the services remain available remotely this fall, including:
- Counselling services
- Learning support workshops
- Access to financial advisors
- Tutoring services
- Virtual Zen Dens and health-related workshops
- Additional limited in-person services will also be available, provided you have authorization to come on campus.
Activities like The People's Potato, Cinema Politica and others are offered by student associations under the Concordia Student Union (CSU) umbrella. Students vote on whether to support these groups through fees and on how much they are willing to pay to support them. The university has no control over this. Our role is to collect these funds on the CSU's behalf and transfer the funds to them.
Some of these fees may have opt-out options. We invite you to visit this page to see opt-out options available for you.
- Students will receive a credit of 50 per cent of the Recreation and Athletics fee for the fall 2020 term, equalling $1.26 per credit. Students still have access to a number of Recreation and Athletics-based services such as virtual fitness videos, quiz nights and other online activities.
- Certain fees are charged by student-run organizations and not by the university. These organizations are also all working hard to continue their services to all students, wherever they are based. These organizations are responsible for setting their own fees.
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