The unjust and unjustifiable invasion of sovereign Ukraine by Russia has traumatized many of our Ukrainian colleagues and students, whose family members living in the region are beside themselves with fear and anxiety. I want you to know that we stand with you and support you.
Last Thursday, Justin Trudeau asserted that Russia’s invasion on Ukraine constituted an “unprovoked attack on democracy, international law, human rights and freedom… that generations of Canadians have fought to protect,” and has needlessly put millions of lives at risk. The incursion is being portrayed as the greatest act of instability in Europe since the Second World War.
Our hearts go out to the students and colleagues who may be directly impacted by the military action – on both sides of the conflict. In many cities across Russia, thousands are protesting the invasion. Additionally, close to 800,000 Russians have signed an online petition against war with Ukraine, making it one of the most supported online petitions in Russia in recent years.
I want to be clear: my unreserved condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is directed squarely at the leadership of Russia, and not at the people of Russia. Indeed, as we reach out to the Ukrainian community here at Centennial, we must also reach out and support our Russian colleagues and students whose families could well have be drawn in and impacted by this aggression through no fault of their own.
This is a time to come together as a community to stand together and, eventually, to heal together. This is yet another reminder that we as a College are here to support our students and colleagues who are feeling distressed by the situation and unsure about what may unfold next.
Whether our students are studying in Canada or elsewhere, we know that this is a very difficult situation and we would like to offer some timely supports and accommodations. Impacted students may have difficulty with their studies, assignments and deadlines, and I ask that faculty colleagues consider flexibility and accommodations where needed. We have listed some personal counselling resources that may be helpful should students and colleagues feel anxious and disturbed by the news and imagery carried by the media.
It is our sincere hope that global political leaders will act immediately to bring about peace and stability, and honour sovereignty. In the interim, we are here for our community to support and to listen. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you feel there is more we can do as the situation unfolds.
Student Counselling
Students who would like to speak to a professional counsellor can access counselling services virtually through Centennial Accessible Learning and Counselling Services. CALCS is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can book an appointment with a CALCS counsellor using the methods below:
- Book an appointment online.
- CALCS Telephone: 416-289-5000 ext. 3850
- CALCS Email: calcs@centennialcollege.ca
Keep.meSAFE
Centennial students may also access 24/7 counselling services over the phone or online in their own language through the keep.meSAFE service. To access keep.meSAFE:
- Call 1-844-451-9700 (in Canada)
- Call 1-416-380-6578 (outside Canada)
- Visit www.keepmesafe.org
- Download the my SSP app on your mobile device, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play
For Colleagues
If you are feeling anxious or distressed, please know that Centennial College provides confidential access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, such as personal counselling, for colleagues through LifeWorks. To access online resources go to workhealthlife.com and select Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology. To learn more about EAP services, please view this introductory video. If you need immediate assistance call 1-844-880-9142.
An Alert
Unfortunately, there are faceless scammers already taking advantage of the Ukrainian situation by posting heartfelt pleas for money to help displaced families affected by the military action. These appeals for cryptocurrency (bitcoin) circumvent banking regulations and often end up enriching criminals. We urge anyone receiving these appeals to erase them. If you wish to assist victims financially, please contact a reputable international aid agency. Finally, we would like to ask people in our Centennial community to advocate against the war via social media.