'We are sorry': St. FX president, vice chancellor offers apologies to wider community following COVID-19 outbreak
As officials work to contain a COVID-19 outbreak at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., the president and vice-chancellor of the school offered his apologies to everyone affected within the community.
"I have heard from our students, faculty and staff, their families, business owners and residents of the town and county of Antigonish. I hear the worry in your voices, the concern and anxiety in your notes and I understand the anger that is being felt after working together for so long to get it right," read a release from Andy Hakin, president and vice-chancellor at St. FX, on Saturday.
Hakin went on to say those at the university "deeply regret the consequences of the activities which should have been celebratory occasions."
He added the impact the current outbreak is having on the campus and wider community is "simply heartbreaking."
"Our university will learn from this, and please know that we are committed to working with you to rebuild the trust on which our previously successful 20-month journey through the pandemic was supported," wrote Hakin. "We are so sorry. I am so sorry. None of this was intended."
As of Friday, Dec. 10, the total number of positive cases connected to the university's outbreak was 114.
ST. FX CANCELS, POSTPONES IN-PERSON EXAMS
St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., is shifting all upcoming exams to online formats or postponing them into 2022 after an outbreak was declared at the school earlier this week.
In a news release from the university on Friday, it says the school has decided to discontinue in-person exams during the December exam period, beginning Saturday, Dec. 11.
In the release, it asks faculty members to change to an alternate delivery format, including online or take-home, when possible.
University officials added that for those courses where such a change "is impractical," faculty members must defer the in-person exam until January.
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